Why do I study Linguistics?

The book that I have selected is as follows:
Poch, Anna, and Alan Yates. Catalan. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2004.

Number of Speakers: 7 million

Genetic Classificiation:
Catalan is an East Iberian Romance language of the Indo-European language family.

Geographical Center: The east coast of Spain, primarily in Catalonia, along the border of Spain and France.

When was the language first recorded or written down?:
Catalan came into existence sometime between the 8th and 10th centuries in the Pyrenees territories of the Carolingian Empire that comprised the Marca Hispanica counties. Following the territorial conquests of the Catalan-Aragonese crown from the 12th through the 16th centuries, Catalan spread southeastwards within Spain and throughout the Mediterranean to Sicily, Sardenia, Naples, and Athens. The first known Catalan texts date from the 12th century and are fragments of the Catalan version of the Forum Ludicum. Although Catalan was granted official status in parts of Spain in 1932, many Catalan-speaking communities would have to wait until the end of Franco’s dictatorship for widespread official status. Catalan was granted official status in Catalonia in 1979; in Valencia in 1982, in the Balearic Islands in 1983; and in Andorra in 1993.

Key Dialects: Catalan-Rousillonese (Northern Catalán), Valencian (Valenciano, Valencià), Balearic (Balear, Insular Catalan, Mallorqui, Menorqui, Eivissenc), Central Catalan, Algherese, Northwestern Catalan (Pallarese, Ribagorçan, Lleidatà, Aiguavivan).

Catalan is the official language of Andorra. It is the co-official language in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Valencia region of Spain, and in the Sardinian city of Alghero.

Neigboring or culturally dominant langauges:
Spanish, French, Italian

Religion:
The majority of Catalans are of Roman Catholic tradition, while significant numbers of Catalans profess either no religion or appear to be atheists or agnostics.

Bonus:
The author took his time in researching the language and he clearly states the dialect taught in the book differs from other Catalan dialects such as Valenciano or Mallorquin. But no dialect is specifically states.