Catalonia is a remarkably cosmopolitan region, with large resident communities of many different nationalities. In 2005 there were 798,904 foreign residents in Catalonia, 25% of whom are European. In addition, 20 million people of different nationalities visit Catalonia every year.

Due to their trading tradition, Catalans have always been multilingual. Barcelona has become the number one destination in Spain for young foreigners. In 2004, there were more than 8,000 foreign students in Catalonia, roughly 24% of all the foreign students in Spain.

There are several international schools in Catalonia, offering the educational syllabus of their country of origin and making it easier for foreign students to integrate immediately. Every year more than 30,000 people study languages in Catalonia, where learning a foreign language is compulsory from primary school.

This cultural diversity and ability to integrate has contributed enormously to making Catalonia a meeting point for international business.

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