Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
: ''Bilboaldea'',
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
: ''Gran Bilbao'') is an
administrative division
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of the province of
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
comarcas
A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...
of Biscay and the most populated one. The capital city of Greater Bilbao is
.
Greater Bilbao is made by the municipalities situated along the
Estuary of Bilbao
The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this inst ...
which themselves form a
conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ca ...
, which
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
is the fifth most populous in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
Geography
Greater Bilbao, or ''Bilboaldea'', is located at the northwest of the province of
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
, limiting with the comarcas of
Enkarterri
Enkarterri (Spanish: ''Las Encartaciones'') is a comarca of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven ''eskualdeak/comarcas'' or districts that make up the province of Biscay. Its administrative centre is Balmas ...
Durangaldea
Durangaldea (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Duranguesado'') is a comarcas of Spain, comarca of Biscay located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven ''eskualdeak/comarcas'' or regions that compos ...
in the southeast and
Arratia-Nerbioi
Arratia-Nerbioi (Spanish: ''Arratia-Nervión'') is a comarca of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is formed by the valleys of the Arratia river and the Nervión river. It is one of the seven ''eskualdeak'' or ''comarcas'' t ...
in the south. The
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...
limits at north.
Divisions
Greater Bilbao can be divided into six ''subcomarcas'' or subregions:
* The city of
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
but containing eight
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
; earlier part of the
Uribe
The Merindad de Uribe or Uribealdea is a historical subdivision of Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. It contained most of the municipalities now within the comarca of Greater Bilbao in the Bilbao metropolitan area (other than the majority of the '' ...
region (
merindad
''Merindad'' () is a Mediaeval Spanish administrative term for a country subdivision smaller than a province but larger than a municipality. The officer in charge of a merindad was called a merino, roughly equivalent to the English ''count'' or ...
)
*'' The left bank'': Traditionally an industrial, port, and manufacturing zone. It includes
Barakaldo
Barakaldo ( es, Baracaldo; eu, Barakaldo ) is a municipality located in the Biscay province in the Basque Country. Located on the Left Bank of the Estuary of Bilbao, the city is part of Greater Bilbao, has a population at 100,881. Barakaldo h ...
,
Sestao
Sestao is a town and municipality of 27,296 inhabitants located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. It is in the left bank of the Estuary of Bilbao and part of Bilbao's metropolitan area.
...
,
Portugalete
Portugalete is a town lying to the west of Bilbao in the province of Biscay in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
The town has 45,766 inhabitants (2019 census) and is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area. It is located a ...
and
Santurtzi
Santurtzi ( es, Santurce; eu, Santurtzi ) is a port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on its left bank, 14 km dow ...
; earlier part of a larger merindad of
Enkarterri
Enkarterri (Spanish: ''Las Encartaciones'') is a comarca of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven ''eskualdeak/comarcas'' or districts that make up the province of Biscay. Its administrative centre is Balmas ...
, other than Barakaldo which was part of Uribe
*'' The right bank'': A mainly residential area, including
Erandio
Erandio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
The name comes from euskera ARANDIO that means plum plantation or field.
In 1415, during the War of the Bands, ...
,
Leioa
Leioa ( es, Lejona) is a municipality in Biscay, Basque Country, in northern Spain. It is located south of Getxo and Berango delimitating east and south with Erandio, Portugalete and Sestao. Today it is part of the Bilbao conurbation. Its populat ...
, and the more affluent
Getxo
Getxo () is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in Spain.
It is part of Greater Bilbao, and has 77,946 inhabitants (2019). Getxo is mostly an affluent residential area, as well as being the ...
; earlier part of Uribe
*''The
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
zone'' west of the left bank, where the main
iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
resources were located:
Muskiz
Muskiz is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
Neighborhoods
Muskiz is administratively divided into six neighborhoods or wards:
Demography
Economy
...
Ortuella
Ortuella is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, northern Spain.
Nowadays part of Greater Bilbao region, until ...
; earlier part of Enkarterri
*'' Txoriherri'', wide expansion zone north of Bilbao / east of the right bank, where the
international airport
An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...
and the
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country ( eu, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, ''EHU''; es, Universidad del País Vasco, ''UPV''; UPV/EHU) is a Spanish public university of the Basque Autonomous Community. Heir of the University of Bilbao, initially ...
are located; earlier part of Uribe
*''
Hego Uribe
Hego Uribe (Basque for ''Southern Uribe'') is a modern conventional subdivision of Biscay, Basque Country. Located within the comarca of Greater Bilbao, directly south of the city of Bilbao itself, the area includes the towns of Basauri, Galdakao ...
'', south-east of Bilbao including
Basauri
Basauri is a major municipality of Biscay, in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.
The town is a part of the Greater Bilbao conurbation, being only a few kilometers south of Bilbao. It is an industrial town that also i ...
,
Galdakao
Galdakao is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
It is located in the Greater Bilbao, in the valley of the Ibaizabal river, near the Ganguren mountain range. ...
and
Arrigorriaga
Arrigorriaga is a town and municipality located in the province of Bizkaia, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Arrigorriaga is located 7 km south of Bilbao and is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area. Its offici ...
; earlier part of Uribe
*'' Uribe-Kosta'': the coastal area north of Getxo is being integrated into the metropolitan area in the recent years, with the development of low density residential areas connected by the metro; earlier part of Uribe, most of the municipalities in this zone belong to the
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
Bilbao metropolitan area
The Bilbao Metropolitan Area (in Basque: ''Bilbo Handia'', in Spanish: ''Área metropolitana de Bilbao'') is the metropolitan area or continuous urban area based around the city of Bilbao, in the Basque Country, Spain. It comprises the city of Bi ...
Bilbao la Vieja Bilbao La Vieja in Spanish, "Old Bilbao" in English and Bilbo Zaharra in Basque.
It is a neighbourhood of Bilbao and part of the 5th district of the city (Ibaiondo).
Location
In the city center, it lies right across the estuary, on the left b ...
*
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...