Durangaldea (

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 ...

: ''Duranguesado'') is a

comarca 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, ...

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 ...

located in the Basque Country,

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 ...

. It is one of the seven ''eskualdeak/comarcas'' or regions that compose the province of

. The capital city of Durangaldea is Durango.

Geography

Durangaldea is located at the southeast of the province of

, limiting with the 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 depa ...

and

Álava Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see. Its c ...

. It spans the territory between

Oiz Mount Oiz (1026.40 m.), is one of the most popular summits of Biscay in the Basque Country (Spain). Its summits form part of a long range that feeds several rivers: Ibaizabal, Artibai, Lea, Oka and Deba in Gipuzkoa all of them running to th ...

mountain and the border with the province of

in the south. Its total area is . Most of the towns that compose the comarca are located on a great valley formed by the

Ibaizabal The Ibaizabal (''wide river'' in Basque) is a river that drains southeastern Biscay to the Estuary of Bilbao. It is long from its source at Elorrio to the Nervión, and it passes by the towns of Durango and Amorebieta and joins the Nervión rive ...

river, that crosses it from east to west.

Otxandio Otxandio (in Basque and officially, in Spanish ''Ochandiano'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque autonomous community, Spain. Otxandio is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population of 1,26 ...

is the only town that belongs to Durangaldea but is not part of the valley.

History

Durangaldea (also known by its Spanish name, Duranguesado) was during the Middle Ages a district apart from Biscay (the ''Señorío'') and a dependency of Navarre, but was conquered by Castile in 1200. It remained separate from Biscay until 1630, and it held its own compilation of laws, with its regional council joining in Gerediaga,

Abadiño Abadiño ( eu, Abadiño; es, Abadiano) is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain, about 35 km from the provincial capital of Bilbao. The area of the municipality is abo ...

. Its lords founded four chartered towns, namely Ermua,

Elorrio Elorrio is a town and a municipality located in the eastern part of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, in northern Spain. , it has a population of 7,307 inhabitants. It covers an area of 37.20 square kilometers and it has a population ...

, Durango, and

Municipalities

Durangaldea is divided into twelve municipalities, of which Durango is the capital city. The municipalities that compose the comarca are the same ones that made the ''

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 ...

'' of Durango, the previous administrative division. Their areas and populations are set out below.

Ermua Ermua is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. In 2019, Ermua had 15,880 inhabitants. Ermua is a town in the Durangaldea comarca of the province of Biscay in nor ...

and

Mallabia Mallabia (in Basque and officially, in Spanish: ''Mallavia'') is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. Mallabia is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population o ...

belong to the province of

, but administratively are not part of Durangaldea, being part of another comarca,

Debabarrena Debabarrena (English: ''Lower Deba'') is an '' eskualdea / comarca'' located in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country (Spain). It has an area of 180,3 km². It is north from the comarca of Debagoiena, east from the province of Biscay, and south from th ...

, which is part of

Economy

The economy of Durangaldea is mainly industrial, although the primary sector is also important.

Primary sector

It is the second most important sector of the economy in the region after the industry. The animal husbandry is specially important, as well as the wood production. The minery is also an important section of the economy, currently being produced

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

and

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

. Mines of

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

and

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

have also been exploited.

Secondary sector

The siderurgy has been one of the most developed type of industries in Durangaldea. Besides it, other industries like paper producers or tool producers also exist.

Transportation

Durangaldea is connected to the three Basque provinces by roads,

in the south by the BI-623 and

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

and Donostia by the road N-634. The Cantabric Highway also crosses the ''comarca'', and can be accessed from Durango and connects the city with

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

, Donostia and the French border.

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 inside ...

also operates in the region, offering

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...

services. The train line connects with

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

and other comarcas of the province and also with

. EuskoTren has train stations in

Amorebieta-Etxano 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 muni ...

Berriz Berriz (in Basque and officially, in Spanish: ''Bérriz'') is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. Berriz is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population of 4 ...

, Durango and

Zaldibar Zaldibar (in Basque and officially, in es, Zaldívar) is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Zaldibar is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population of 3,043 inhabita ...

. The bus company BizkaiBus also operates in the region, connecting all the municipalities with others on different comarcas.

Geography

History

Municipalities

Economy

Primary sector

Secondary sector

Transportation

See also