Catalonia to hold referendum on independence from Spain

Catalonia will hold an independence referendum on 1 October, the regional government has said.

Spain's Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has not commented on today's announcement but has previously said he would not recognise the vote as he considers it to be unconstitutional.

Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona, has its own language and a long tradition of seeking separation from the rest of Spain. Carles Puigdemont, president of the government of Catalonia, said voters would be asked whether they wanted the north-east region "to become an independent state in the form of a republic".

Catalan voters were last asked for their views on independence in an informal ballot in 2014. Then, 80.72 percent - or around two million people - said they backed separation. However, turnout was low and the result was non-binding.

That vote was organised by volunteers rather than government officials to get around court restrictions.It is unclear how the regional government will overcome the legal challenges this time around.