Tens of thousands of people waving red and yellow Catalan flags have called for independence or more autonomy from the Spanish capital Madrid.

The gathering, organised by the Catalan National Assembly in Barcelona's Ciudadela Park, was held to mark the Catalan National Day.

It came just days after Alex Salmond won praise for his handling of Scotland's 2014 independence poll by former Catalan president Jordi Pujol, the main champion of the culture's campaign, saying the First Minister had been "manoeuvring well".

One of the biggest such demonstrations ever staged reflected the severity of the worst economic crisis of the post-General Franco era that has fuelled separatism and highlighted fractures between Spain's wealthy north-east and the central government in Madrid.

With recession biting and unemployment gripping their region, Catalans complain bitterly they are paying more in taxes than they receive back from Madrid.

"Catalonia produces sufficient resources to live better than we live," said Catalan President Artur Mas.

National Day, or Diada, marks the defeat of Catalan forces on September 11, 1714, at the hands of Philip V of Spain after a 13-month siege of Barcelona. It is commemorated with a fiesta in the Catalan capital with song, dance and a floral offering to Rafael Casanova, a hero of the siege.

Catalonia is home to 15% of Spaniards and has 20% of the country's economic output.

It has long fought for more autonomy, although it never had a violent separatist movement such as the Basque group ETA.

Recent polls suggest more than half of Catalonia, which has about 700,000 unemployed, favours independence.

Economists calculate that Catalans pay €12 billion more in taxes per year to Madrid than they receive back for services like schools and hospitals, but other estimates put the figure at about €16bn.