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A well-prepared country

Catalans are well educated in both technical skills and the humanities, a fact which has helped them to adapt to the continuous changes which have taken place in the modern industrial world throughout the twentieth century.

Education is compulsory to the age of 16 at which point, for those who have finished their compulsory education and would like to enter the world of work, there is the option to follow job-specific training courses. The others continue their education which will prepare them for university, which has the aim of training professionals, promoting cultural progress and carrying out research.
There are eight public universities in Catalonia and in addition to their teaching function, they make it possible to maintain a very wide range of experts in practically all subjects and to consolidate important branches of research.

The universities are: the Universtity of Barcelona (UB), the Autonomous Universtity of Barcelona (UAB), the Polytechnic Universtity of Barcelona (UPC), the Pompeu i Fabra University, the Rovira Virgili University, the University of Girona, the University of Lleida and the University Oberta of Catalonia. Additionally there is the private Catholic Ramon Llull University. In 1993 there were 119,486 students following university courses.

Apart from education, the government of Catalonia puts great emphasis on public health. The principality has developed its own health service, that provides basic health care for everyone.

There is also a tradition of cooperative health care ventures, which have built up extensive facilities that play a very important role. Medical research is also important, with clinics and hospitals that are leaders at the European level.

Catalonia is a country with few public order problems, but it does have a security system able to cope with any sort of emergency. Apart from the state security forces, a Catalan autonomous regional police force is being built up, which in a few years will take over most of the policing in the country.

l Catalonia: a land of reference l