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
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, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
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.
Biscay is one of the most renowned and prosperous provinces of
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")
, ...
, historically a major trading hub in the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
since medieval times and, later on, one of the largest industrial and financial centers of the
Iberian peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
. Since the extensive
deindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially of heavy industry or manufacturing industry.
There are different interp ...
that took place throughout the 1970s, the economy has come to rely more on the
services sector.
Etymology
It is accepted in linguistics (
Koldo Mitxelena, etc.) that ''Bizkaia'' is a cognate of ''bizkar'' (cf.
Biscarrosse in
Aquitaine), with both place-name variants well attested in the whole
Basque Country and out meaning 'low ridge' or 'prominence' (''Iheldo bizchaya'' attested in 1141 for the Monte Igueldo in
San Sebastián
San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the ...
).
Denominations
''Bizkaia''
''Bizkaia'' is the official name, and it is used on official documents. It is also the most used denomination by the media in Spanish in the
Basque Country. It is also the denomination used in the Basque version of the
Spanish constitution
The Spanish Constitution (Spanish, Asturleonese, and gl, Constitución Española; eu, Espainiako Konstituzioa; ca, Constitució Espanyola; oc, Constitucion espanhòla) is the democratic law that is supreme in the Kingdom of Spain. It was ...
and in the Basque version of the
Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country.
''Bizkaia'' is the only official denomination in Spanish or Basque approved for the historical territory by the
General Council of the province and the Spanish laws.
''Vizcaya''
''Vizcaya'' is the denomination in
Spanish, recommended by the
Royal Spanish Academy. It is used in non-official documents. It is also the Spanish denomination used in the Spanish version of the Constitution and in the Spanish version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country.
History
Biscay has been inhabited since the Middle
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
, as attested by the
archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
remains and
cave paintings found in its many caves. The
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
presence had little impact in the region, and the
Basque language and traditions have survived to this day.
Biscay was identified in records of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, as a dependency of the Kingdom of Pamplona (11th century) that became autonomous and finally a part of the
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accessi ...
. The first mention of the name Biscay was recorded in a donation act to the ''monastery of Bickaga'', located on the ria of Mundaka. According to Anton Erkoreka, the
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
had a commercial base there from which they were expelled by 825. The
ria of Mundaka is the easiest route to the river
Ebro
, name_etymology =
, image = Zaragoza shel.JPG
, image_size =
, image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza
, map = SpainEbroBasin.png
, map_size =
, map_caption = The Ebro ...
and at the end of it, the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...
and trade.
In the
modern age, the province became a major commercial and industrial area. Its prime
harbour of Bilbao soon became the main Castilian gateway to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. Later, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the abundance of prime quality
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 ...
and the lack of
feudal castes favored rapid
industrialization
Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
.
Paleolithic
Middle Paleolithic
The first evidence of human dwellings (
Neanderthal
Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an Extinction, extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ag ...
people) in Biscay happens in this period of prehistory.
Mousterian artifacts have been found in three sites in Biscay: Benta Laperra (Karrantza), Kurtzia (Getxo) and Murua (Durangoaldea).
Late Paleolithic
*
Chatelperronian culture (normally associated with Neanderthals as well) can be found in
Santimamiñe cave (Kortezubi).
The most important settlements by modern humans (
H. sapiens
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...
) can be considered the following:
*
Aurignacian culture: Benta Laperra, Kurztia, and Lumentxa (Lekeitio)
*
Gravettian
The Gravettian was an archaeological industry of the European Upper Paleolithic that succeeded the Aurignacian circa 33,000 years BP. It is archaeologically the last European culture many consider unified, and had mostly disappeared by 2 ...
culture: Santimamiñe, Bolinkoba (Durangoaldea) and Atxurra (Markina)
*
Solutrean culture: Santimamiñe and Bolinkoba
*
Magdalenian culture: Santimamiñe and Lumentxa
Paleolithic art
The art of the Upper Paleolithic represents the oldest form of prehistoric art. Figurative art is present in Europe and Southeast Asia, beginning between about 40,000 to 35,000 years ago.
Non-figurative cave paintings, consisting of hand ...
is also present. The Benta Laperra cave has the oldest paintings, maybe from the Aurignacian or Solutrean period. Bison and bear are the animals depicted, together with abstract signs. The murals of Arenaza (Galdames) and Santimamiñe were created in later periods (Magdalenian). In Arenaza female deer are the dominant motif; Santimamiñe features bison, horses, goats and deer.
Epi-paleolithic
This period (also called ''
Mesolithic'' sometimes) is dominated in Biscay by the
Azilian culture. Tools become smaller and more refined and, while hunting remains, fishing and seafood gathering become more important; there is evidence of consumption of wild fruits as well.
Santimamiñe is one of the most important sites of this period. Others are
Arenaza,
Atxeta (not far from Santimamiñe),
Lumentxa and nearby
Urtiaga and Santa Catalina, together with
Bolinkoba and neighbour
Silibranka.
Neolithic
While the first evidences of
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
contact in the Basque Country can be dated to the 4th millennium BCE, it was not until the beginning of the 3rd that the area accepted, gradually and without radical changes, the advances of agricultural cultivation and domestication of sheep. Biscay was not particularly affected by this change and only three sites can be mentioned for this period: Arenaza, Santimamiñe and Kobeaga (Ea) and the advances adopted seem limited initially to
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticate ...
, domestic
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
s and very scarce
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and ...
.
Together with Neolithic technologies,
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
ism also arrives. It will be the most common form of burial (simple
dolmen) until c. 1500 BCE.
Chalcolithic and Bronze Age
While open-air settlement started to become common as the population grew, they still used caves and natural shelters in Biscay in the
Chalcolithic
The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "Rock (geology), stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin ''wikt:aeneus, aeneus'' "of copper"), is an list of archaeologi ...
and
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
. Hunting game became a less important source of protein, as the people relied on sheep, goats and some
bovine cattle. Metallic tools become more common but stone-made ones are also used.
Pottery types shows great continuity (not decorated) until the
bell beaker
The Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell beaker drinking vessel used at the very beginning of the European Bronze Age. Arising from ar ...
makes its appearance.
The sites of this period now cover all the territory of Biscay, many being open air settlements, but the most important caves of the Paleolithic are still in use as well.
Iron Age
Few sites have been identified for this period. Caves are abandoned for the most part but they still reveal some remains. The main caves of prehistory (Arenaza, Santimamiñe, Lumentxa) were still inhabited.
Roman period
Roman geographers identified two tribes in the territory now known as Biscay: the ''
Caristii'' and ''
Autrigones''. The ''Caristii'' dwelt in nuclear Biscay, east of the firth of Bilbao, extending also into Northern
Araba and some areas of
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French de ...
, up to the river Deba. The ''Autrigones'' dwelt in the westernmost part of Biscay and Araba, extending also into the provinces of
Cantabria,
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...
and
La Rioja. Based in toponymy, historical and archaeological evidence, it is thought that these tribes spoke the
Basque language. The borders of the Biscayan dialect of Basque seem to be those of the Caristian territory, with an exception of the areas that have lost the old language.
There is no indication to resistance to Roman occupation in all the Basque area (excepting
Aquitaine) until the late feudalizing period. Roman sources mention several towns in the area, Flaviobriga and Portus Amanus, though they have not been located. The site of
Forua, near
Gernika
Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the m ...
, has yielded archaeological evidence of Roman presenc
.
In the late Roman period, together with the rest of the Basque Country, Biscay seems to have revolted against Roman domination and the growing society organized by
feudalism
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structu ...
.
Middle Ages
In the Early
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, the history of Biscay cannot be separated from that of the Basque Country as a whole. The area was ''de facto'' independent although
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is k ...
and
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools ...
attempted to assert their domination from time to time. Encounters between the Visigoths and Basques usually led to defeat for the latter. The Visigoths established an outlying post at the later city of
Vitoria to counter incursions and the migration of Basques from the coastal regions to the north.
In 905, Leonese chronicles define for the first time the
Kingdom of Pamplona
The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France.
The medieval state too ...
as including all the western
Basque provinces, as well as the
Rioja region. The territories that would later constitute Biscay were included in that state.
In the conflicts that the newly sovereign
Kingdom of Castile
The Kingdom of Castile (; es, Reino de Castilla, la, Regnum Castellae) was a large and powerful state on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region. It began in the 9th ce ...
and Pamplona/Navarre had in the 11th and 12th century, the Castilians were supported by many landowners from La Rioja, who sought to consolidate their holdings under Castilian feudal law. These pro-Castilian lords were led by the house of
Haro, who were eventually granted the rule of newly created Biscay, initially made up of the valleys of
Uribe,
Busturia,
Markina,
Zornotza
Amorebieta-Etxano, also known as Zornotza (Spanish, ''Amorebieta-Echano''), is a town and municipality located in Biscay in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.
At the time of the 2019 census, the population of the mun ...
and
Arratia, plus several towns and the city of
Urduina. It is unclear when this happened, but tradition says that Iñigo López was the first
Lord of Biscay
The Lordship of Biscay ( es, Señorío de Vizcaya, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. On ...
in 1043.
The title to the lordship was inherited by Iñigo López's descendants until, by inheritance, in 1370 it passed to
John I of Castile. It became one of the titles of the king of Castile. Since then it remained connected to the crown, first to that of Castile and then, from
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
, to that of ''Spain'', as ruler of the Crown of Castile. It was conditioned on the lord swearing to defend and maintain the
fuero (Biscayan laws, derived from Navarrese and Basque customary rights), which affirmed that the possessors of the sovereignty of the lordship were the Biscayans and that, at least in theory, they could refute the lord.
The lords and later the kings, came to swear the
Statutes to the oak of Gernika, where the assembly of the Lordship sits.
Modern age
In the
modern ages commerce on took great importance, specially for the
Port of Bilbao
The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay ( Basque Country). The main facilities are in the Santurtzi and Zierbena municipalities, approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Bilbao. Also ca ...
, to which the kings granted privileges in 1511 for trade with the ports of the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
. Bilbao was already the main Castilian harbour, from where
wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...
was shipped to
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
, and other goods were imported.
In 1628, the separate territory of
Durango was incorporated to Biscay. In the same century the so-called ''chartered'' municipalities west of Biscay were also incorporated in different dates, becoming another subdivision of Biscay:
Encartaciones (Enkarterriak).
The coastal towns had a sizable fleet of their own, mostly dedicated to fishing and trade. Along with other Basque towns of
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French de ...
and
Labourd
Labourd ( eu, Lapurdi; la, Lapurdum; Gascon: ''Labord'') is a former French province and part of the present-day Pyrénées Atlantiques ''département''. It is one of the traditional Basque provinces, and identified as one of the territorial c ...
, they were largely responsible for the partial extinction of
North Atlantic right whales in the
Bay of Biscay and of the first unstable settlement by Europeans in
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
. They signed separate treaties with other powers, particularly England.
After the
Napoleonic wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
, Biscay, along with the other Basque provinces, were threatened to have their self-rule cut by the now
Liberal Spanish Cortes. Together with opposing factions that supported different parties for the throne, this desire to maintain foral rights contributed to the successive
Carlist Wars. The Biscayan government and other Basque provinces supported
Carlos V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infan ...
, who represented an autocratic monarch who would preserve tradition.
Many of the towns though, notably Bilbao, were aligned with the Liberal government of
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
. In the end, with victory by anti-Carlists, the wars resulted in
successive cuts of the wide autonomy held by Biscay and the other provinces.
In the 1850s extensive prime quality iron resources were discovered in Biscay. This brought much foreign investment mainly from England and France. Development of these resources led to greater industrialization, which made Biscay one of Spain's richest provinces. Together with the
industrialisation
Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
, important bourgeois families, such as Ybarra, Chávarri and
Lezama-Leguizamón, developed from the new sources of wealth. The great industrial (
Iberdrola,
Altos Hornos de Vizcaya
Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, S.A. was a Spanish metallurgy manufacturing company. It was the largest company in Spain for much of the 20th century, employing 40,000 workers at its height. The business began in 1902 in Bilbao with the merger of three ...
) and financial (
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria- BBVA) groups were created.
20th century
During the
Second Spanish Republic
The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 ...
, the
Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) governed the province. When the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...
broke out in 1936, Biscay supported the Republican side against
Francisco Franco's army and ideology. Soon after, the Republic acknowledged a statute of autonomy for the Basque Country. Due to fascist control of large parts of it, the first short-lived Basque Autonomous Community had power only over Biscay and a few nearby villages.
As the fascist army advanced westward from Navarre, defenses were planned and erected around Bilbao, called the Iron Belt. But the engineer in charge,
José Goicoechea, defected to the Nationalists, causing the unfinished defenses to be of little value. In 1937, German airplanes under Franco's control
destroyed the historic city of Gernika, after having bombed Durango with less severity a few weeks before. Some months later, Bilbao fell to the fascists. The Basque army (
Eusko Gudarostea
(spelled in modern eu, Eusko Gudarostea, lit=Basque army) was the name of the army commanded by the Basque Government during the Spanish Civil War. It was formed by Basque nationalists, socialists, communists, anarchists and republicans unde ...
) retreated to Santoña, beyond the limits of Biscay. There they surrendered to the Italian forces (
Santoña Agreement), but the Italians yielded to Franco. Other Republican forces considered the surrender a betrayal by the Basques.
Under the dictatorship of Franco, Biscay and Gipuzkoa (exclusively) were declared "traitor provinces" because of their opposition and stripped of any sort of self-rule. Only after Franco's death in 1975 was
democracy restored in Spain. The 1978 constitution accepted the particular Basque laws (
fueros) and in 1979 the Statute of Guernica was approved whereupon Biscay,
Araba and
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French de ...
formed the Autonomous Community of the
Basque Country with its own parliament. During this recent democratic period, Basque Nationalist Party candidates have consistently won elections in Biscay. Recently the foral law was amended to extend it to the towns and the city of Urduina, which had previously always used the general Spanish
Civil law.
Geography
Biscay is bordered by the community of
Cantabria and the
province of Burgos (in the
Castile and León
Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain.
It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of th ...
community) to the west, the Basque provinces of
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French de ...
to the east, and
Álava
Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a Provinces of Spain, province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, heir of the ancient Basque señoríos#Lords of Álav ...
to the south, and by the Cantabrian Sea (
Bay of Biscay) to the north.
Orduña (''Urduña'') is a Biscayan
exclave
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
located between Alava and Burgos provinces.
Climate
The climate is
oceanic, with high precipitation all year round and moderate temperatures, which allow the lush vegetation to grow. Temperatures are more extreme in the higher lands of inner Biscay, where snow is more common during winter. The average high temperatures in main city Bilbao is between in January and in August.
Features
The main geographical features of the province are:
*The southern high
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...
ranges, part of the
Basque mountains, that form a continuous barrier with passes not lower than 600 m
AMSL
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''.
The ...
, forming the
water divide of the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins. These ranges are divided from west to east in ''Ordunte'' (''Zalama'', 1390 m), ''Salbada'' (1100 m), ''
Gorbea'' (1481 m) and ''
Urkiola'' (''
Anboto'', 1331 m).
*The middle section which is occupied by the main river's valleys: ''
Nervion'', ''
Ibaizabal'' and ''
Kadagua
The Cadagua or Kadagua River drains the Biscayan area of Encartaciones (), from the Castilian valley of Mena to Barakaldo and Bilbao, where it forms the border between these municipalities and ends at the Estuary of Bilbao. Another important t ...
''. Kadagua runs west to east from Ordunte, Nervion south to north from Orduña and Ibaizabal east to west from Urkiola. ''Arratia'' river runs northwards from Gorbea and joins Ibaizabal. Each valley is separated by medium mountains like ''
Ganekogorta
Ganekogorta or Belaute is a mountain in the border of the provinces of Biscay and Álava in the Basque Country, Spain. It is located roughly halfway between Bilbao and Llodio. It is the main peak of a massif that comprises some smaller mountains ...
'' (998m). Other mountains, like
Oiz, separate the main valleys from the northern valleys. The northern rivers are: ''Artibai, Lea, Oka'' and ''Butron''.
*The coast: the main features are 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 ...
where the main rivers meet the sea and the estuary of
Gernika
Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the m ...
(''
Urdaibai
The Urdaibai estuary is a natural region and a Biosphere Reserve of Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. It is also referred as Mundaka or Gernika estuary.
Urdaibai is located on the Bay of Biscay coast, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Urdaib ...
''). The coast is usually high, with cliffs and small inlets and coves.
Administrative divisions
Historical
Historically, Biscay was divided into ''merindades'' (called ''eskualdeak'' in
Basque), which were two, the Constituent ones and the ones incorporated later.
The constituent ones were (''the number indicates their position on the map''):
*
Uribe1
*
Busturia2
*
Markina3
*
Bedia4
*
Amorebieta
Amorebieta-Etxano, also known as Zornotza ( Spanish, ''Amorebieta-Echano''), is a town and municipality located in Biscay in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.
At the time of the 2019 census, the population of the mun ...
(also Zornotza)
5
*Arratia
6
Incorporated later:
*
Durango
*
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 Balm ...
*
Orozko
Orozko is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country in northern Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
...
*
Orduña
*Some other independent cities and towns.
Modern
Currently, Biscay is divided into seven ''comarcas'' or regions, each one with its own capital city, subdivisions and municipalities.
These are:
*
Greater Bilbao, usually divided into subregions:
**
Bilbao
)
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**
Left Bank
**
Uribe-Kosta
**
Txorierri
Txorierri is a valley of Biscay, Basque Country, separated from Bilbao by low mountains Monte Artxanda and Monte Abril. It includes the municipalities of Erandio, Loiu, Sondika, Derio, Zamudio, Lezama
Lezama is a town and municipality locat ...
**
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 ...
*
Mungialdea
*
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 Balm ...
*
Busturialdea
Busturialdea, also named ''Busturialde - Urdaibai'' is a comarca of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is the heir of "Busturia", one of the original ''merindades'' that used to compose the province of Biscay – this should ...
*
Durangaldea
*
Lea-Artibai
*
Arratia-Nerbioi
Demographics
According to the 2010
INE census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
, Biscay has a population of 1,155,772 and its population density of 519.9 inhabitants/km
2, only surpassed by the one of
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
. In 1981 Biscay was the fifth
Spanish province in population, and despite the strong
demographic crisis the province has been living since the
Transition it is today the ninth province in population.
Government and foral institutions
The government and foral institutions of Biscay, as a historical territory of the
Basque Country are the ''
Juntas Generales de Vizcaya'' and the Foral Diputation of Biscay.
Juntas Generales
The
Juntas Generales of Biscay are a unicameral assembly that has normative authority in the province. Its members, called ''apoderados'', are elected by
universal suffrage
Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political sta ...
. The elections are held every four years.
After the 2015 elections, the configuration of the Juntas is the following:
Foral Diputation
The Foral Diputation has an executive function and regulatory authority in Biscay. The Foral Diputation is configured by a General Deputy, who currently is Unai Rementeria
(
PNV) and who is chosen by the Juntas Generales and by the rest of deputies.
Transportation
Roads
Biscay is connected to the rest of provinces by two main highways, the
Cantabric Highway, which connects
Bilbao
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and
Durango with the
French border, with accesses in
Eibar,
Zarautz
Zarautz (, es, Zarauz) is a coastal town located in central Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, in Spain. It is bordered by Aia to the east and the south and Getaria to the west, located about west of San Sebastián. It has four enclaves limiting the a ...
and
Donostia (the three of them in the province of
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French de ...
), and the
Basque-Aragonese Highway, which connects Bilbao with
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Province of Zaragoza, Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Ara ...
via
Tudela Tudela may refer to:
*Tudela, Navarre, a town and municipality in northern Spain
** Benjamin of Tudela Medieval Jewish traveller
** William of Tudela, Medieval troubadour who wrote the first part of the ''Song of the Albigensian Crusade''
** Ba ...
,
Calahorra and
Logroño.
As well, many secondary roads connect
Bilbao
)
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with the different towns located in the province.
Air
Biscay's main and only airport is
Bilbao Airport, which is the most important hub in northern Spain, and the number of passengers using the new terminal continues to rise. It is located in the municipalities of
Loiu and
Sondika.
Commuter rail
Biscay has different
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
services, operated by different companies.
Cercanías Bilbao is the commuter rail service "
cercanías" offered by
Renfe, the national rail company. It connects
Bilbao
)
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and its neighborhoods with other municipalities and regions inside Biscay, like
Barakaldo,
Santurtzi,
Portugalete,
Muskiz,
Orduña and others.
EuskoTren
Euskotren, formally known as Basque Railways ( eu, Eusko Trenbideak, es, Ferrocarriles Vascos), is a public railway company controlled by the Basque Government and officially established in 1982 to operate several narrow gauge railways insid ...
has three commuter rail lines in the province; all of them start in
Bilbao
)
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; one connects the city and
Greater Bilbao with the ''comarca'' of
Durangaldea and finished in
Donostia (in the province of
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French de ...
), other line connecting
Greater Bilbao with
Busturialdea
Busturialdea, also named ''Busturialde - Urdaibai'' is a comarca of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is the heir of "Busturia", one of the original ''merindades'' that used to compose the province of Biscay – this should ...
and other serving the
Txorierri
Txorierri is a valley of Biscay, Basque Country, separated from Bilbao by low mountains Monte Artxanda and Monte Abril. It includes the municipalities of Erandio, Loiu, Sondika, Derio, Zamudio, Lezama
Lezama is a town and municipality locat ...
region.
FEVE
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of ...
also offers a commuter rail service connecting the regions of the
Greater Bilbao with
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 Balm ...
.
Long distance railways
Bilbao-Abando is Biscay's main train station, with regular trains to other Spanish provinces like
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...
,
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
offered by
Renfe.
FEVE
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of ...
also offers long distance trains to
Cantabria and the
Province of León
León (, , ; ; ) is a province of northwestern Spain in the northern part of the Region of León and in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.
About one quarter of its population of 463,746 (2018) lives in the ...
in the
Castile and León
Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain.
It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of th ...
community.
The
Basque Y is the name given to the future
high-speed rail
High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...
that will connect the three cities of the Basque Country; Bilbao (in Biscay),
Donostia (in
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French de ...
) and
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz (; ), also alternatively spelled as Vittoria in old English-language sources, is the seat of government and the capital city of the Basque Country and of the province of Álava in northern Spain. It holds the autonomous community' ...
in
Álava
Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a Provinces of Spain, province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, heir of the ancient Basque señoríos#Lords of Álav ...
.
Metro
Metro Bilbao is a metro system serving the city of
Bilbao
)
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and its metropolitan area, the
Greater Bilbao region. It connects the city with other municipalities like
Basauri,
Barakaldo,
Santurtzi and
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 th ...
, among others.
Tourism
Biscay's capital city,
Bilbao
)
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, is famous for the
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and for its
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
.
Monuments and places of general interest
* Casa de Juntas (''House of the Juntas'') and the
Tree of Gernika, both in
Gernika
Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the m ...
.
* Casa de Juntas (''House of the Juntas'') of Avellanada, in the
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 Balm ...
region.
* Pozalagua Cave in
Karrantza near
Balmaseda
Balmaseda (in Basque and officially, in Spanish: ''Valmaseda'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country. Balmaseda is the capital city of the comarca of Enkarterri, in western Biscay and serves an impor ...
*
Vizcaya Bridge, linking the towns of Portugalete and Getxo
*
Santimamiñe and the
Oma forest
Oma forest (“Bosque de Oma” in Spanish) is a work of art created by Agustin Ibarrola, a Basque sculptor and painter. It was painted between 1982 and 1985. The work is located in northern Spain, in a forest near Kortezubi (Bizkaia, Basque C ...
*
Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
The Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall (''Palacio Euskalduna'' in Spanish, ''Euskalduna Jauregia'' in Basque) is located in the city of Bilbao, Basque Country (Spain), beside the Estuary of Bilbao, built in part of the area that was fo ...
in
Bilbao
)
, motto =
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.
*
Gaztelugatxe
*
Urdaibai
The Urdaibai estuary is a natural region and a Biosphere Reserve of Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. It is also referred as Mundaka or Gernika estuary.
Urdaibai is located on the Bay of Biscay coast, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Urdaib ...
biosphere reserve
*
Urkiola Natural Park
Urkiola Natural Park is a protected area located in the southeastern corner of Biscay and Álava in the northern Basque Country, Spain. It is a protected area of .
It was declared a Natural Park on 29 December 1989.
The Park's highest mountain ...
File:Guggenheim-bilbao-jan05.jpg, Guggenheim Museum and the Estuary of Bilbao
File:Gaztelugache, Bermeo, País Vasco, España, 2019-08-13, DD 02.jpg, Gaztelugatxe islet
File:Avellaneda-casa-juntas.jpg, Casa de Juntas of Avellanada
File:Mundaka eta Ogono.jpg, Urdaibai
See also
*
Nueva Vizcaya
*
Ondategi
Notes and references
External links
Official website list of all claimed Lords of Biscay and interesting historical maps.
{{Authority control
Provinces of the Basque Country (autonomous community)