Catalans went to the polls on October 1 where they were asked whether they wanted their region to become a republic and become independent from Spain.

The Catalan government is expected to declare independence in the coming days. Here is a look at some of the issues surrounding the biggest political crisis to hit Spain in recent years:

Latest: The leader of Catalonia has said Spain is showing a "totalitarian attitude" with the arrests of Catalan officials and civil servants, and vowed to go ahead with an independence referendum despite legal warnings not to do so.

Regional leaders in Catalonia have moved to defy the central government in Madrid and go ahead with a ballot on independence even though Spain's constitutional court has ordered the vote suspended.

The Spanish government is asking the country's constitutional court to suspend a bid by leaders in Catalonia to hold a referendum on independence.

A majority of votersin Scotland believe the SNP would have the right to hold a second independence referendum if the party wins more than half of the Scottish seats in the General Election, a poll has found.

A letter from Nicola Sturgeon formally requesting transfer of powers to hold a second Scottish independence referendum has been delivered to Downing Street.

The majority of Scots think the Scottish Parliament should have the right to decide if there should be a second independence referendum, a new poll has found.

SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson is to accuse the UK Government of running scared of a second independence referendum.

The Irish Ambassador to Britain was quick to reject the claim.

The Spanish prime minister has accused Catalan separatists of working to destroy centuries of unity and vowed not to allow them succeed.

The Spanish prime minister has accused Catalan separatists of working to destroy centuries of unity and vowed not to allow them to succeed.

The regional parliament of Catalonia approved a plan to set up a roadmap for independence from Spain by 2017, in defiance of central government.

Catalonia's regional parliament has approved a plan to set up a road map for independence from Spain by 2017, in defiance of the central government.

For a fourth consecutive year hundreds of thousands of pro-independence Catalans are gearing up to rally today to break away from Spain, kicking off a fresh secession bid in a push to carve out a new European country.

Singapore is marking its 50th anniversary of independence with a weekend of celebrations.

Gerard Taylor’s true tale of family tragedy and independence-era deeds could be one of the highlights of Immrama in Lismore, writes Richard Fitzpatrick.

Spain’s Constitutional Court has unanimously declared a vote on secession by the powerful north-eastern region of Catalonia last November as unconstitutional.

If Scotland votes yes to independence, it will face a myriad of potential economic headaches, writes Kyran Fitzgerald.

The British government will set out what it describes as positive arguments for Scotland remaining in the 307-year-old union with England and Wales by outlining the prohibitive cost of independence.

The IMF threatened the independence of the Irish judiciary demanding changes as part of the austerity programme, according to the European Justice Commissioner, Viviane Reding.

Scottish independence would bring new opportunities to the rest of the UK and Ireland, an audience of business leaders in Belfast will be told today.