Basque Country (autonomous community)

{{Short description|Autonomous community of Spain}} {{For|other uses of "Basque Country"|Basque Country (disambiguation)}} {{Redirect|Euskadi}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Basque Country | native_name = {{native name|eu|Euskadi}} {{native name|es|País Vasco}} | official_name = Autonomous Community of the Basque Country {{nobold|{{native name|eu|Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa}}}}{{nobold|{{ref|b|[b]}}}} {{nobold|{{native name|es|Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco}}}} | settlement_type = [[Autonomous communities of Spain|Autonomous community]] | image_skyline = | imagesize = | image_alt = | image_caption = | image_flag = Flag of the Basque Country.svg | flag_size = 125px | flag_alt = Flag of Basque Country | image_shield = Coat of Arms of the Basque Country.svg | shield_size = 90px | shield_alt = Coat-of-arms of Basque Country | motto = | anthem = {{native name|eu|[[Eusko Abendaren Ereserkia]]|nolink=yes}} {{lang|en|"Anthem of the Basque Ethnicity"}}{{parabr}}{{center|[[File:Anthem of Basque Country Vocal.ogg|center]]}} | image_map = Pais Vasco in Spain (including Canarias).svg | mapsize1 = | map_alt = | map_caption = Location of the Basque Country community in Spain | coordinates = {{coord|42|50|N|2|41|W|region:ES-PV_type:adm1st_source:cawiki|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[Spain]] | seat_type = Capital | seat = [[Vitoria-Gasteiz]] | seat1_type = [[Largest city]] | seat1 = [[Bilbao]] | parts_type = [[Provinces of Spain|Provinces]] | parts_style = para | parts = | p1 = [[Álava]] | p2 = [[Biscay]] | p3 = [[Gipuzkoa]] | government_type = [[Devolved government]] under [[constitutional monarchy]] | leader_title1 = Legislature | leader_name1 = [[Basque Parliament]] | governing_body = [[Basque Government]] | government_footnotes = | leader_party = [[Basque Nationalist Party|EAJ/PNV]] | leader_title = ''[[Lehendakari]] (Head of the government)'' | leader_name = [[Imanol Pradales]] | area_total_km2 = 7230 | area_rank = [[List of Spanish autonomous communities by area|14th]] | area_note = <ref name="area">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.es/web/ane-datos-geograficos/-/datos-geograficos/datosPoblacion?tipoBusqueda=|title=Datos geográficos y toponimia|trans-title=Geographic data and toponymy |publisher=[[Instituto Geográfico Nacional (Spain)|IGN]]|lang=es}}</ref> | population_as_of = 2025 | population_total = 2242343 | population_rank = [[List of Spanish autonomous communities by population|8th in Spain]] | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonyms = [[Basque people|Basque]] ''euskaldun, euskal herritar'' ''vasco'' (m), ''vasca'' (f) | population_footnotes = <ref name=population>{{cite web |url=https://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Tabla.htm?t=68538&L=1|title=Annual population census 2021-2024|publisher=[[National Statistics Institute (Spain)|INE]]}}</ref> | demographics_type2 = GDP | demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en | title=EU regions by GDP, Eurostat|access-date=18 September 2023|website=www.ec.europa.eu}}</ref> | demographics2_title1 = Total | demographics2_info1 = €91.613 billion (2024) | demographics2_title2 = Per capita | demographics2_info2 = €40,862 (2024) | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = [[Telephone numbers in Spain|Area code]] | area_code = +34 94- | geocode = | iso_code = [[ISO 3166-2:ES#Autonomous communities and autonomous cities in North Africa|ES-PV]] | blank_name_sec1 = [[Statute of Autonomy]] | blank_info_sec1 = [[Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country|25 October 1979]] | blank1_name_sec1 = [[Official language]]s | blank1_info_sec1 = [[Basque language|Basque]] [[Spanish language|Spanish]] | blank2_name_sec1 = | blank2_info_sec1 = | blank_name_sec2 = Legislature | blank_info_sec2 = | blank2_name_sec2 = [[Congress of Deputies (Spain)|Congress]] | blank2_info_sec2 = 18 deputies (of 350) | blank3_name_sec2 = [[Spanish Senate|Senate]] | blank3_info_sec2 = 15 senators (of 266) | blank4_name_sec2 = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2023) | blank4_info_sec2 = 0.948 [[List of countries by Human Development Index|(~1st)]]{{ref|c|[c]}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Main structural indicators |url=http://en.eustat.eus:80/indicadores/ambito_99/temaseleccionado_48/indicadoresEstruc.html |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=en.eustat.eus}}</ref> {{color|darkgreen|very high}} | website = [http://www.euskadi.eus/ Basque Government] | footnotes = a. {{note|a}} Also ''Euskal Herria'', according to the Basque Statute of Autonomy . b. {{note|b}} Also ''Euskal Herriko Autonomia Erkidegoa'', according to the Basque Statute of Autonomy. c. {{note|c}} Eustat, the statistics agency of the [[Basque Government]] calculates the HDI of the region as if it were an independent country using the methodology of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 7 | mapframe-wikidata = yes }}

The '''Basque Country''' or '''Basque Autonomous Community''' ({{IPAc-en|b|æ|s|k|,_|b|ɑː|s|k}}),<ref>({{langx|eu|Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa (EAE)}}; {{langx|es|Comunidad Autónoma Vasca (CAV)}}, {{langx|fr|Communauté Autonome du Pays Basque (CAPV)}})</ref> also officially called '''Euskadi''' ({{IPA|eu|eus̺kadi|}}), is an [[Autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous community]] in northern [[Spain]]. It includes the Basque provinces of [[Álava]] (Araba), [[Biscay]] (Bizkaia), and [[Gipuzkoa]] (Guipúzcoa). It surrounds two enclaves, [[Treviño enclave|Treviño]] and [[Valle de Villaverde]].

The Basque Country was granted the status of ''[[Nationalities and regions of Spain|nationality]]'', attributed by the [[Spanish Constitution of 1978]]. The autonomous community is based on the [[Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country]], a foundational legal document providing the framework for the development of the [[Basque people]] in the [[Southern Basque Country]]. Parallel to this; [[Navarre]], which narrowly rejected a joint statute of autonomy in 1932,<ref>Blinhorn, Martin ''The Basque Ulster': Navarre and the Basque Autonomy Question under the Spanish Second Republic'' The Historical Journal Vol. 17, No. 3 (Sep. 1974), pp. 595–613</ref> was granted a separate chartered statute in 1982.

Currently there is no official capital in the autonomous community, but the city of [[Vitoria-Gasteiz]], in the province of Álava, is the de facto capital as the location of the [[Basque Parliament]], the headquarters of the [[Basque Government]], and the residence of the President of the Basque Autonomous Community (the [[Ajuria Enea|Palace of Ajuria Enea]]). The [[High Courts of Justice of Spain|High Court of Justice of the Basque Country]] has its headquarters in the city of [[Bilbao]]. Whilst Vitoria-Gasteiz is the largest municipality in area, with 277 km2 (107 sq mi), Bilbao is the largest in population, with a population of 347,342, located in the province of Biscay within a conurbation of 875,552 people.

The term ''Basque Country'' may also refer to the [[Basque Country (greater region)|larger cultural region]] (Basque: ''Euskal Herria''), the home of the Basque people, which includes the autonomous community.

==Geography== {{main|Physical geography of the Basque Country}}

The following [[Provinces of Spain|provinces]] make up the autonomous community:

* [[Álava]] (Basque ''Araba''), capital [[Vitoria-Gasteiz]] * [[Biscay]] (Spanish ''Vizcaya'', Basque ''Bizkaia''), capital [[Bilbao]] * [[Gipuzkoa]] (Spanish ''Guipúzcoa''), capital [[San Sebastián]]

===Features=== [[Image:Txindoki, Olaberritik ikusita 2011-03-05g.JPG|thumb|left|220px|[[Txindoki]] mountain from [[Olaberria]], Gipuzkoa]] [[Image:Mundaka, Biscay, Spain - panoramio (1).jpg|thumb|left|Basque coast near [[Mundaka]], Biscay]] [[File:Mañariako Arrueta auzoa.jpg|thumb|left|Urkiola mountain range seen from [[Mañaria]]]] [[Image:La Rioja Alavesa..jpg|thumb|Rioja [[Vineyards of the Basque Country|vineyards]] near the Ebro]] [[File:Maroño - Embalse 01.jpg|thumb|left|The Maroño reservoir and the Sálvada mountain in Alava]] The Basque Country borders [[Cantabria]] and the [[Burgos province]] to the west, the [[Bay of Biscay]] to the north, [[France]] ([[Nouvelle-Aquitaine]]) and [[Navarre]] to the east and [[La Rioja, Spain|La Rioja]] (the [[Ebro River]]) to the south. The territory has three distinct areas, which are defined by the two parallel ranges of the [[Basque Mountains]]. The main range of mountains forms the [[Drainage divide|watershed]] between the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins. The highest point of the range is in the [[Aizkorri]] massif (1551 m). The three areas are:

====Atlantic Basin==== Formed by many valleys with short rivers that flow from the mountains to the [[Bay of Biscay]], like the [[Nervión]], [[Urola]] or [[Oria (river)|Oria]]. The coast is rough, with high cliffs and small inlets. The main features of the coast are the [[Bilbao Abra]] Bay and the [[Estuary of Bilbao]], the [[Urdaibai]] estuary and the [[Bidasoa-Txingudi]] Bay that forms the border with France.

====Middle section==== Between the two mountain ranges, the area is occupied mainly by a high plateau called ''Llanada Alavesa'' (the [[Álava]] Plains), where the capital Vitoria-Gasteiz is located. The rivers flow south from the mountains to the Ebro River. The main rivers are the [[Zadorra River]] and [[Bayas River]].

====Ebro Valley==== From the southern mountains to the Ebro is the so-called ''Rioja Alavesa'', which shares the Mediterranean characteristics of other Ebro Valley zones. Some of Spain's production of [[Rioja wine]] takes place here.

==== Plaiaundi Ecology Park ==== The '''[[Plaiaundi|Plaiaundi Ecology Park]]''' is a 24-hectare coastal wetland lying where the [[Bidasoa|Bidasoa River]] meets the sea in the [[Bay of Biscay]]. The nature of [[Plaiaundi]] consists of a wide variety of flora (visitors view them mainly in the spring) and fauna (visitors with binoculars arrive all during the year, because of the birds migratory habits).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-02-22|title=Plaiaundi Ecology Park {{!}} Plans to know the Basque Country {{!}} Tourism E…|url=http://tourism.euskadi.net/en/plans-to-know-the-basque-country/plaiaundi-ecology-park/x65-12375/en/|access-date=2021-07-24|website=archive.is|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{New archival link needed|date=April 2026}}

===Climate=== The Basque mountains form the watershed and also mark the distinct climatic areas of the Basque Country: The northern valleys, in Biscay and Gipuzkoa and also the valley of Ayala in Álava, are part of [[Green Spain]], where the [[oceanic climate]] is predominant, with its wet weather all year round and moderate temperatures. Precipitation average is about 1200 mm.

The middle section is influenced more by the [[continental climate]], but with a varying degree of the northern oceanic climate. This gives warm, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.

The Ebro valley has a pure continental climate: winters are cold and dry and summers very warm and dry, with precipitation peaking in spring and autumn. Due to the proximity to the ocean however, the Ebro part of the Basque Country is moderate compared to areas further inland.

==Demographics== {{See also|Immigration to Spain}}

{{Historical populations|1842|281645|1857|413470|1877|461765|1887|510194|1900|602204|1910|672884|1920|783125|1930|884601|1940|948096|1950|1039465|1960|1358657|1970|1867287|1981|2141809|1991|2104041|2001|2082587|2011|2185393|2021|2212628|source=[[National Statistics Institute (Spain)|INE]]<ref>{{cite web|title=INEbase. Alterations to the municipalities in the Population Censuses since 1842|url=https://www.ine.es/intercensal/inicio.do?L=1|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Spain)|National Statistics Institute]]|language=es}}</ref>}}Almost half of the autonomous community's 2,227,684 inhabitants<ref name="population" /> live in the [[Bilbao metropolitan area]], almost the entirety of the [[Biscay|province of Biscay]]. Six of the ten most populous cities in the region form part of Bilbao's [[conurbation]] (Bilbao, [[Barakaldo]], [[Getxo]], [[Portugalete]], [[Santurtzi]] and [[Basauri]]), which is widely known as [[Greater Bilbao]].

With 28.2% of the Basque Country population born outside this region,<ref name="elmundo.es">{{cite web|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/03/11/paisvasco/1236769219.html |title=El 28,2% de la población que vive en el País Vasco ha nacido fuera | País Vasco |publisher=elmundo.es |access-date=26 April 2010}}</ref> immigration is crucial to Basque demographics. Over the 20th century most of this immigration came from other parts of Spain, typically from [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] or [[Castile and León]]. Over recent years, sizeable numbers of this population have returned to their birthplaces and most immigration to the Basque country now comes from abroad, chiefly from South America.<ref name="elmundo.es"/>

As of 2024, there are 295,902 foreigners in the Basque Country, constituting 13.3% of the population.<ref name="population" />

{|class="wikitable floatright" |+ Foreign population by country of citizenship (2022)<ref name=ineextranjeros>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ine.es/jaxi/Tabla.htm?path=/t20/e245/p08/l0/&file=02005.px&L=0|publisher=[[Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)|Instituto Nacional de Estadística]]|access-date=18 July 2025|title=Población extranjera por Nacionalidad, comunidades, Sexo Año.}}</ref> |- ! Nationality || Population |- |{{flagu|Morocco}} || align = "right" | 26,862 |- |{{flagu|Romania}} || align = "right" | 18,319 |- |{{flagu|Colombia}}|| align="right" | 15,192 |- |{{flagu|Nicaragua}}|| align="right" | 13,541 |- |{{flagu|Venezuela}}|| align="right" | 6,568 |- |{{flagu|Portugal}}|| align="right" | 6,075 |- |{{flagu|China}}|| align="right" | 5,986 |- |{{flagu|Pakistan}}|| align="right" | 5,915 |- |{{flagu|Bolivia}}|| align="right" | 5,372 |- |{{flagu|Algeria}}|| align="right" | 5,343 |- | Other || align = right | 140,732 |}

[[Roman Catholicism]] is, by far, the largest religion in the Basque Country. In 2019, the proportion of [[Basques]] that identify themselves as Roman Catholic was 60%,<ref name=CIS2019Euskadi>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cis.es/cis/export/sites/default/-Archivos/Marginales/3260_3279/3263/Marginales/es3263mar_PVasco.pdf |author=''Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas'' (Centre for Sociological Research)|title=Macrobarómetro de octubre 2019, Banco de datos - Document 'Población con derecho a voto en elecciones generales y residente en España, País Vasco (aut.) |date=October 2019|page=23 |access-date=4 February 2020 |language=es}}</ref> while it is one of the most secularised communities of Spain: 24.6% were non-religious and 12.3% of Basques were [[atheist]].

===Major cities=== {{See also|List of municipalities in the Basque Country}} {{Largest cities | country = Basque Country | stat_ref = [http://www.ine.es/INEBASE/temas/t20/e260/a2012/l0/pobmun12.xls ''Instituto Nacional de Estadística'' (INE)] | list_by_pop = | div_name = Province | div_link = Province

| city_5 = Getxo | div_5 = Biscay | pop_5 = 80,026

| city_6 = Irun | div_6 = Gipuzkoa | pop_6 = 61,102

| city_7 = Portugalete | div_7 = Biscay | pop_7 = 47,756

| city_8 = Santurtzi | div_8 = Biscay | pop_8 = 47,129

| city_9 = Basauri | div_9 = Biscay | pop_9 = 41,971

| city_10 = Errenteria | div_10 = Gipuzkoa | pop_10 = 39,324

| city_11 = Leioa | div_11 = Biscay | pop_11 = 30,626

| city_12 = Galdakao | div_12 = Biscay | pop_12 = 29,130

| city_13 = Sestao | div_13 = Biscay | pop_13 = 28,831

| city_14 = Durango, Biscay{{!}}Durango | div_14 = Biscay | pop_14 = 28,618

| city_15 = Eibar | div_15 = Gipuzkoa | pop_15 = 27,507

| city_16 = Erandio | div_16 = Biscay | pop_16 = 24,326

| city_17 = Zarautz | div_17 = Gipuzkoa | pop_17 = 22,650

| city_18 = Mondragón | div_18 = Gipuzkoa | pop_18 = 22,027

| city_19 = Hernani, Gipuzkoa | div_19 = Gipuzkoa | pop_19 = 19,284

| city_20 = Llodio | div_20 = Álava | pop_20 = 18,498

}}

===Languages=== {{See also|Basque language|Spanish language}} [[File:Map Iberian Peninsula 1030-es.svg|300px|thumb|"Spanish Kingdoms in 1030". The first written record in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Basque language|Basque]] are in the [[Glosas Emilianenses]]. The map shows the [[Kingdom of Pamplona]] between 1029 and 1035]] Spanish and Basque are co-official in all territories of the autonomous community. The Basque-speaking areas in the modern-day autonomous community are set against the wider context of the Basque language, spoken to the east in Navarre and the French Basque Country. The whole Basque-speaking territory has experienced both decline and expansion in its history. The Basque language experienced a gradual territorial contraction throughout the last nine centuries,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.euskaltzaindia.net/dok/iker_jagon_tegiak/6817.pdf |title= El largo camino del euskera |last1=Michelena |first1=Luis|year= 1977 |website= El Libro Blanco del Euskera |publisher= Euskaltzaindia |access-date=3 July 2013}}</ref> and very severe deterioration of its sociolinguistic status for much of the 20th century due to heavy immigration from other parts of Spain, the virtual nonexistence of Basque-language schooling, and national policies implemented by the different Spanish régimes (see [[Language policies of Francoist Spain]]). After the advent of the [[Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country]] in 1982 following Franco's death, this reductive trend was gradually reversed thanks to the Basque-language schools and the new education system. Basque has always had a strong presence in most of [[Gipuzkoa]], central and eastern [[Biscay]] and the northern edge of [[Álava]], while most Basque speakers in western Biscay and the rest of Álava are second-language speakers.

The 2006 sociolinguistic survey<ref>''IV. Inkesta Soziolinguistikoa'' Gobierno Vasco, Servicio Central de Publicaciones del Gobierno Vasco 2008, {{ISBN|978-84-457-2775-1}}</ref> of all Basque provinces showed that in 2006 of all people aged 16 and above in the Basque Autonomous Community, 30.1% were fluent Basque speakers, 18.3% passive speakers and 51.5% did not speak Basque. The percentage of Basque speakers was highest in Gipuzkoa (49.1% speakers) and lowest in Álava (14.2%). These results represent an increase on previous years (29.5% in 2001, 27.7% in 1996 and 24.1% in 1991). The highest percentage of speakers was now found in the 16–24 age range (57.5%), while only 25.0% of those 65 and older reported speaking Basque.

Ten years later, the sociolinguistic survey showed that in 2016 of all people aged 16 and above in the Basque Autonomous Community, 33.9% were fluent Basque speakers, 19.1% passive speakers and 47% did not speak Basque. The proportion of Basque speakers was again highest in Gipuzkoa (50.6%) and lowest in Álava (19.2%).

The 2021 sociolinguistic survey found that 36.2% of the population above age 16 spoke Basque, 18.6% were passive speakers and 45.3% did not speak Basque. In Gipuzkoa 51.8% spoke the language, in Biscay 30.6%, and in Álava 22.4% did.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://basquetribune.com/the-basque-language-gains-speakers-but-no-surge-in-usage/ | title=The Basque Language Gains Speakers, but No Surge in Usage – Basque Tribune | access-date=2023-12-30 | archive-date=2023-12-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230023936/https://basquetribune.com/the-basque-language-gains-speakers-but-no-surge-in-usage/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History== {{about|the history of the Autonomous Community since 1978|wider coverage|History of the Basques|section=yes}} [[File:Plaza de la Virgen Blanca en Vitoria-Gasteiz.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Monument to the [[Battle of Vitoria]], part of [[Spanish Independence War]] against the French rule.]] The forerunner of the Gernika Statute was the short-lived Statute of Autonomy for Álava, Gipuzkoa and Biscay, which came to be enforced in October 1936 just in Biscay, with the Spanish Civil War already raging, and which was automatically abolished when the Spanish Nationalist troops occupied the territory.

Before the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and its system of autonomous communities, these three provinces were known in Spanish as the ''Provincias Vascongadas'' [[1833 territorial division of Spain|since 1833]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Esparza Zabalegi|first=Jose Mari|title=Euskal Herria Kartografian eta Testigantza Historikoetan|year=1990|publisher=Euskal Editorea SL|isbn=978-84-936037-9-3|pages=52–54, 58}}</ref> The political structure of the new autonomous community is defined in the [[Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country|Gernika Statute]], which was approved by a majority in a [[referendum]] held on 25 October 1979. Nowadays it is one of the most decentralised regions in the world; in this regard it has been described as having "''more autonomy than just about any other in Europe''"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9833306 |title=Spain and its regions | Autonomy games |publisher=Economist.com |date=20 September 2007 |access-date=26 April 2010}}</ref> by ''[[The Economist]]''. [[File:Churruca death.jpg|thumb|''Churruca's death at the Battle of Trafalgar''. Basque navigators were key for the navy of [[Crown of Castile|Castile]] and later the [[Spanish Navy]].]] As regards the bounds to the Spanish Constitution, [[Basque nationalist]]s cite the fact that in the [[Spanish Constitution of 1978|1978 Spanish Constitution]] referendum, which was passed with a majority of votes and a poor turnout in this area, the Basque Country had the highest [[abstention]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www9.euskadi.net/q93TodoWar/q93Desplegar.jsp |title=Archivo de Resultados Electorales |publisher=.euskadi.net |access-date=26 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407091254/http://www9.euskadi.net/q93TodoWar/q93Desplegar.jsp |archive-date=7 April 2010 }}</ref> (the Basque Nationalist Party had endorsed abstention on the grounds that the Constitution was being forced upon them without any Basque input). To this, the "NO" vote in this referendum was also higher in the Basque Country than in the rest of the state. All in all, many Basques believe that they are not bound to a constitution that they never endorsed.

The Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country is an organic law but powers have been devolved gradually during decades according to re-negotiations between the Spanish and the consecutive Basque regional governments to reach an effective implementation, while the transfer of many powers are still due and has always been a matter of heated political discussion. Basque nationalists often put down this limitation in the devolution of powers to concessions made to appease the military involved in the [[23-F]] coup d'état attempt (1981).

In 2003, the governing [[Basque Nationalist Party]] (PNV) proposed to alter this statute through the [[Ibarretxe Plan]]. The Ibarretxe bill was approved by absolute majority in the Basque Parliament after much discussion, as it was subject to lengthy legal objections—on the grounds that it contradicts the Spanish Constitution—that were ultimately overcome. Despite its mandate of the majority of the autonomous Parliament, the main two parties in Spain (PSOE, PP) imposed a blockade on a discussion of the Plan in the Spanish Parliament ([[Madrid]] [[Cortes Generales]]), resulting in its rejection for debate by a large majority of that Parliament in January 2005.

Since the first autonomic cabinet, the Basque Nationalist Party has held office in the Basque Autonomous Community except for a 2009–2012 term, led by Patxi López (PSE-PSOE). The current Basque prime minister is [[Iñigo Urkullu]], also a member of the [[Basque Nationalist Party]]. Despite [[ETA (separatist group)|ETA]]'s ceasefire in 2011, this autonomous community shows the highest rate of police per 100 inhabitants in Western Europe by 2018. As agreed with the Spanish premier [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero|Zapatero]] in 2004, Urkullu intends to increase the figure of [[Ertzaintza|ertzainas]], while the Spanish [[People's Party (Spain)|PP]]'s Ministry of Interior rejects a pullback of Spanish police bodies, as demanded by the large majority of the political forces in the autonomous parliament, even pointing to an increase of the Guardia Civil in the future.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.publico.es/espana/euskadi-lugar-vigilado-europa-occidental.html|title=El lugar más vigilado de Europa Occidental quiere más policías|access-date=19 January 2018|language=es-ES}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.publico.es/espana/bildu-pide-menor-presencia-policial.html|title=Bildu pide menor presencia policial en Euskadi|access-date=19 January 2018|language=es-ES}}</ref>

==Politics== [[Image:GernikakoArbola-improved.jpg|thumb|150px|The historic [[Gernikako arbola|Oak of Gernika]], symbol of the Basque institutions.]]

===Governmental institutions=== [[Image:Gasteizko Eusko Legebiltzarra.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Basque parliament building in Vitoria-Gasteiz]] [[File:Lehendakaritza. Gasteiz, Euskal Herria..jpg|200px|thumb|left|Lehendakaritza, president's office in [[Vitoria-Gasteiz]].]] The current laws configure the autonomous community as a federation of its present-day three constituent provinces. These western Basque districts kept governing themselves by their own laws and institutions even after the Castilian invasion{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} in 1199–1200. The new king upheld their institutional system issued from the [[Custom (law)|consuetudinary law]] prevalent in Basque and Pyrenean territories. This limited self-government, similar to the one for [[Navarre]], was partially suppressed in 1839 and totally in 1876 in exchange for an agreement on tax-collection and a number of administrative prerogatives. These in turn were [https://es.wikisource.org/wiki/Decreto-Ley_de_23_de_junio_de_1937 suspended by Franco] for Gipuzkoa and Biscay, but restored by the [[Spanish Constitution of 1978]].

The post-Franco Spanish Constitution of 1978 acknowledges historical rights and attempts a compromise in the old conflict between [[centralism]] and the different national identities (Basque, Catalan and Galician). A negotiation between [[Union of the Democratic Centre (Spain)|UCD]]'s Suárez in office and PNV led to the establishment of the Basque statute, with its first article stating that the [[Basque people]] (''Euskal Herria'') takes on an institutional personality in the form of the Basque Autonomous Community; the 2nd article goes on to establish that it may be constituted by Álava, Biscay, Gipuzkoa, as well as [[Navarre]].<ref>{{cite news|title=El pueblo vasco se constituye en comunidad autónoma|url=http://elpais.com/diario/1979/07/18/espana/301096804_850215.html|access-date=19 December 2016|newspaper=El País|date=18 July 1979}}</ref> Provincial councils provided with actual relevant attributions (taxation, etc.) were restored to these provinces (called therefore ''diputación foral''), but Navarre [[History of the Basque people#The present|detached from the Basque political process]]. A specific approach to the national realities in Spain was eventually diffused by a legal provision allowing for the establishment of [[autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous administrations and parliaments]] to any region in Spain (e.g. [[Castile and León]], [[Catalonia]], the [[Valencian Community]], etc.), while the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians were acknowledged historic specificity. [[Image:Vitoria - Ajuria Enea 01 (cropped).jpg|200px|left|thumb|[[Ajuria Enea]] Palace, official residence of the [[Lehendakari]] in Vitoria-Gasteiz]] The provinces in the Basque Country still perform tax collection in their respective territories, but with limited margin in decision making under the Spanish and European governments. Under this intricate system, the ''Diputaciones Forales'' (Basque: ''Foru Aldundiak'') administer most of each of the provinces but are coordinated by the autonomous [[Basque Government]] (Spanish ''Gobierno Vasco'', Basque: ''Eusko Jaurlaritza''). The autonomous community has its own police force (the [[Ertzaintza]]), controls [[Basque education system|Education]] and Health Systems, and has a [[Euskal Irrati Telebista|Basque radio/TV station]]. These and only some of the powers acknowledge in the Gernika Statute have since 1980 been transferred to the Autonomous Community by the [[Cortes Generales]] under the [[Statute of gernika|Gernika Statute]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.basquecountry.euskadi.net/t32-448/en/contenidos/informacion/estatuto_guernica/en_455/adjuntos/estatu_i.pdf |title=The Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country|website=Euskadi.net |access-date=8 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1979-30177&tn=1&p=19791222&vd=&lang=en |title=Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country |date=18 December 1978 |website=BOE.es |language=es |access-date=8 July 2013}}</ref> The seats of the [[Basque Parliament]] and Government are in [[Vitoria-Gasteiz]], so this is the capital city ''[[de facto]]'', but the Basque Autonomous Community has no capital ''[[de jure]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Azkuna: "Vitoria no es la capital de Euskadi"|url=http://www.elcorreo.com/vizcaya/v/20100312/politica/vitoria-capital-euskadi-20100312.html|access-date=9 September 2010|newspaper=El Correo|date=12 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ayala|first=Alberto|title=Vitoria no será capital por ley, por ahora|url=http://www.elcorreo.com/alava/v/20100511/politica/vitoria-sera-capital-ahora-20100511.html|access-date=9 September 2010|newspaper=El Correo|date=11 May 2010}}</ref>

The Parliament is composed of 25 representatives from each of the three provinces. The Basque Parliament elects the [[Lehendakari]] (President of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country) who forms a government following regular parliamentary procedures. Until 2020, except for the 2009–2012 period, all ''Lehendakaris'' (even those in 1937 and during the exile) have been members of the [[Basque Nationalist Party]] (Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea) (moderate and [[Christian-Democrat]]) since 1978. Since 1982 until the late 1990s, [[Batasuna|Basque nationalists]] ideologically closer to [[ETA (separatist group)|ETA]] refused to turn out in the Basque parliament, a significant wedge of the parliament. Currently, the Basque Government is headed by [[Iñigo Urkullu]] ([[Basque Nationalist Party|PNV]]). [[File:BasqueParliamentDiagram2024.svg|thumb|Summary from [[2024 Basque regional election|2024 Basque Parliament election]] results {{legend|#339933|[[Basque Nationalist Party|PNV]] (27)}} {{legend|#00AC8E|[[EH Bildu]] (27)}} {{legend|#FF3333|[[Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left|PSE]] (12)}} {{legend|#3399CC|[[People's Party of the Basque Country|PP]] (7)}} {{legend|#EF4B91|[[Sumar (electoral platform)|Sumar]] (1)}} {{legend|#5CFC0B|[[Vox (political party)|Vox]] (1)}}]]

===Present-day political dynamics=== {{See also|Basque Country independence}} ETA's permanent ceasefire (2010–2011) opened the possibility of new governmental alliances and has enabled EH Bildu's electoral success and rise to governmental institutions ([[Gipuzkoa]], and capital city [[San Sebastián]], 2011–2015). In the [[Basque parliamentary election, 2012|2012 Basque parliamentary election]], the PNV obtained a plurality of the votes, followed by the left-wing nationalist coalition [[EH Bildu]] ([[Eusko Alkartasuna]], [[Sortu]], [[Alternatiba, Basque political party|Alternatiba]]).

In 2016 the Basque regional election was held on 25 September to elect the 11th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community, which left a [[hung parliament]], with the combination of Basque nationalist parties (PNV and [[EH Bildu]]) representing the largest wedge in the parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community, the main Spanish parties PP and PSOE's branches occupying a 24% of the seats, and [[Podemos (Spanish political party)|Podemos – Ahal Dugu]] accounting for 11 seats (14.66% of the total). However, the leading party PNV renewed its traditional alliance with the [[Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left|PSE]] to form government.

During the [[Catalan independence referendum, 2017|2017 Catalan referendum]] crisis, the parliament showed its sympathy and support to the Catalan independence referendum and lashed out at the Spanish government's stance on the issue, denouncing any measures it may take against the vote or 'democracy' altogether.<ref>{{cite news|title=El Parlamento Vasco muestra su apoyo al referéndum catalán|url=http://www.eitb.eus/es/noticias/politica/detalle/5109235/el-parlamento-vasco-muestra-su-apoyo-al-referendum-catalan/|access-date=1 October 2017|newspaper=EITB|date=28 September 2017}}</ref> Besides supporting the vote, Basques of this community showed a preference for further self-government (43.5%), with independence and present-day ''status quo'' ranking as second and third options (22.6% and 18.9%).<ref>{{cite news|title=La sociedad vasca empatiza con Cataluña, pero no aplicaría su modelo|url=http://www.eitb.eus/es/tag/eitb-focus/|access-date=10 October 2017|newspaper=EITB|date=9 October 2017}}</ref> In 2016, the parliament of the autonomous community passed a Police Abuses Act spanning the period between 1978 and 1999; it was shortly repealed after challenged by the public prosecutor and appealed also by virtually all police and Civil Guard unions. Incoming Spanish premier [[Pedro Sánchez (politician)|Pedro Sanchez]] agreed to lift the public prosecutor's block on the law in exchange for altering its content.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.eldiario.es/norte/euskadi/Batalla-juridica-vasca-victimas-policiales_0_796171173.html|title=Batalla jurídica por la ley vasca de víctimas policiales|work=eldiario.es|access-date=31 July 2018|language=es}}</ref> Right-wing parties in Spain, [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], PP, and [[Citizens (Spanish political party)|Ciudadanos]], sent one MP out of 18 to the Spanish Congress from this autonomous community in the 2019 November general election in contrast with their rise and important presence in the overall Spanish results.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eitb.eus/eu/hauteskundeak/hauteskunde-orokorrak/emaitzak/|title=Hauteskunde Orokorrak, 2019 A10. Emaitzak {{!}} EiTB Hauteskunde Orokorrak|website=www.eitb.eus|language=eu|access-date=11 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/elecciones-generales/el-pnv-pierde-un-diputado-en-bizkaia-en-favor-del-partido-popular_201911135dcbf8020cf257e1c3d5df06.html|title=PP País Vasco {{!}} El PNV pierde un diputado en Bizkaia en favor del Partido Popular|date=13 November 2019|website=LaSexta|language=es|access-date=14 November 2019}}</ref>

===Territorial issues=== The statute, insofar as it is addressed and provides an administrative framework for the Basque people, provides the mechanisms for neighbouring Navarre to join the three western provinces if it wishes to do so, since at least part of it is ethnically Basque. The Basque Government used the "[[Laurak Bat]]", which included the arms of Navarre, as its symbol for many years. The Navarrese Government protested, and tribunals ruled in their favour. The Basque Government replaced it with an empty red field.

Navarre is one of the historical Basque territories and even claimed by the [[Basque nationalism|Basque nationalists]] as the core of the Basque nation. There are also two [[enclave]]s surrounded by Basque territory—[[Enclave of Treviño|Treviño]] (Basque: ''Trebiñu'') and [[Valle de Villaverde]] (Basque: ''Villaverde-Turtzioz'')—which belong to the fellow neighbouring communities of [[Castile and León]] and [[Cantabria]] respectively, for which a legal connection to the Basque Country has become an on-off matter of political discussion.

==Economy== [[File:Bilbao - Parque República de Abando y Torre Iberdrola.jpg|thumb|left|[[Iberdrola Tower]] in Bilbao]] [[File:Bilbao - BBVA (ex Banco de Comercio) 2.jpg|thumb|[[BBVA]] head-office building in Bilbao]] [[File:Vista_del_centro_de_Investigación_-_panoramio.jpg|thumb|Garaia technology center in [[Mondragón]], one of several [[science parks]] located in the Basque Country]]

The Basque Autonomous Community [[ranked lists of Spanish autonomous communities#GRP (PPP)|ranks first in Spain in terms of per capita product]], it's the most [[Productivity|economically productive]] region of the country with a [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) per capita (adjusted to purchasing power parity, PPP) being 22% higher than that of the [[European Union]] and 30% higher than Spain's average in 2016<ref name="Eustat">{{Cite web|url=http://www.eustat.eus/elementos/ele0012300/ti_pib-per-capita-ppc-por-pais-y-ano-eu-28100-2003-2014/tbl0012365_c.html|title=PIB per cápita (PPC) por país y año (EU 28=100). 2005-2016|last=Eustat|website=www.eustat.eus|access-date=31 January 2018}}</ref> at €34,400.<ref name="Regional GDP - Eurostat">{{Cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/news/themes-in-the-spotlight/regional-gdp|title=Regional GDP - Eurostat|website=ec.europa.eu|language=en-GB|access-date=31 January 2018}}</ref> In 2019, the community showed a surplus in public finances, at 0.3% of the GDP.<ref name="Euskal">{{Cite web|url=https://www.eitb.eus/es/noticias/economia/detalle/6566936/datos-economicos-cav-2019-la-economia-vasca-crecera-2-2019/|title=La economía de la CAV crecerá por encima del 2 % en 2019|website=Euskal Irrati Telebista|date=24 July 2019|language=es|access-date=24 November 2019}}{{Dead link|date=April 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

Industrial activities were traditionally centred on steel and shipbuilding, mainly due to the rich [[iron ore]] resources found during the 19th century around Bilbao. The Estuary of Bilbao was the centre of Euskadi's [[Industrial Revolution]] during the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. These activities decayed during the [[economic crisis]] of the 1970s and 1980s, giving ground for the development of the [[Tertiary sector|services sector]] and new technologies. [[File:Edinburgh tram, 5 August 2014 (1).jpg|thumb|[[Edinburgh]] tram car assembled in [[Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles|CAF]] [[Beasain]] (Gipuzkoa)]] Today, the strongest industrial sectors of the Basque Country's economy are the [[manufacturing|manufacturing sector]], present in the valleys of Biscay and Gipuzkoa; [[aeronautics]] and [[logistics]] in Vitoria-Gasteiz; and [[finance]] and [[energy]], in Bilbao.

The biggest companies in the Basque Country are: [[BBVA]], one of the largest [[bank|financial institutions]] in the world and Spain's second largest bank; the multinational energy company [[Iberdrola]] (both of them have their headquarters in Bilbao); [[Mondragón Cooperative Corporation]], the largest [[cooperative]] in the world; [[railway|railway vehicle]] manufacturer [[Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles|CAF]] and [[Siemens Gamesa|Gamesa]], the world's second largest [[wind turbine]] manufacturer.<ref name=reuters120418>{{cite news | url = https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-siemensgames-ceo/siemens-gamesa-seeks-second-wind-by-targeting-bigger-markets-idUKKBN1HJ2D0 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180413065616/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-siemensgames-ceo/siemens-gamesa-seeks-second-wind-by-targeting-bigger-markets-idUKKBN1HJ2D0 | url-status = dead | archive-date = April 13, 2018 | title = Siemens Gamesa seeks second wind by targeting bigger markets | first = Aby Jose | last = Koilparambil | date = 12 April 2018 | work = [[Reuters]] | access-date= 1 February 2019}}</ref>

Eight out of ten Spanish municipalities with the lowest unemployment rates were found across this autonomous community in 2015, highlighting such towns as [[Arrasate]], [[Portugalete]] and [[Barakaldo]] with a strong manufacturing industrial make-up.<ref>{{cite news |date=13 April 2015 |title=Euskadi es la comunidad que mejor ha resistido la crisis|url=http://www.eitb.eus/es/noticias/sociedad/videos/detalle/3129746/video-euskadi-es-comunidad-ha-resistido-crisis/ |newspaper=EITB |access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> The Basque Autonomous Community ranked above other communities in Spain in terms of resilience in the face of the economic crisis, going on to become a beacon and a subject of study in Europe.<ref>{{cite news|date=13 April 2015 |title=Ocho de las diez localidades menos afectadas son vascas |url=http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2015/04/10/actualidad/1428678577_179364.html/ |newspaper=El País |access-date=13 April 2015 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413231500/http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2015/04/10/actualidad/1428678577_179364.html/ |archive-date=13 April 2015 }}</ref>

In 2013 the Basque Country outperformed Spain in several parameters, but economic overall figures were highly variable. Spanish figures are subject to conspicuous seasonal fluctuation, relying on its tourist and services sectors, while Basque performance is rather based on mid- and long-term results, according with its more industrial focus. In the last quarter of 2017, unemployment in this autonomous community rose to 11.1%<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.eustat.eus/estadisticas/clave_4/tipo_1/coyunturas.html#opestad|title=Short-term statistical products|website=en.eustat.eus|access-date=31 January 2018}}</ref> (8.43% in [[Gipuzkoa]]), second lowest in Spain after [[Navarre]], at a percentage slightly higher than the EU average (10.8%),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics|title=Unemployment statistics - Statistics Explained|website=ec.europa.eu|language=en|access-date=31 January 2018}}</ref> but still ahead of the Spanish overall unemployment rate of around 16.55%,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Tabla.htm?t=3996|title=Tasas de actividad, paro y empleo por provincia (3996)|website=www.ine.es|language=es|access-date=31 January 2018}}</ref> the second highest in the EU.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=de&pcode=tgs00010&plugin=1|title=Regional Unemployment by NUTS2 Region|website=Eurostat}}</ref>

'''Unemployment rate (December data) (%)''' {| class="wikitable" !Year !2006 !2007 !2008 !2009 !2010 !2011 !2012 !2013 !2014 !2015 !2016 !2017 !2018 !2019 |- |'''unemployment rate''' (in %) |6.9% |5.9% |8.5% |12.1% |11.0% |13.2% |16.6% |16.6% |16.6% |12.9% |12.3% |10.6% |9.6% |9.1% |} [[File:Laboratorio de Ultra Alta Tensión de Arteche.jpg|alt=Ultra-High Voltage Laboratory of Arteche in Mungia|thumb|Ultra-High Voltage Laboratory of [[Arteche Group|Arteche]]]] In regards to GDP performance, 2017 was a remarkably positive year for the Basque Autonomous Community. It underwent an increase in GDP of 3.0%, close to the Spanish increase, 3.1%. In the last term of 2013, the public debt of the Basque Autonomous Community stood at 13.00% of its GDP, totalling €3,753 per capita,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.datosmacro.com/deuda/espana-comunidades-autonomas/pais-vasco |title=Deuda Pública del País Vasco |author= |website=Datos Macro|access-date=23 April 2014}}</ref> as compared to Spain's overall 93.90%, totalling €20,383 per capita.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.datosmacro.com/deuda/espana |title=Deuda Pública de España|author= |website=Datos Macro|access-date=23 April 2014}}</ref>

The Basque Government's high-ranking officials, as well as Basque-based party leaders and personalities, have protested and voiced their concern over the detrimental effects of austerity measures passed by the Spanish Government as of 2011, overruling Basque taxation powers, may be having on industry and trade, especially export. Basque officials have strongly advocated for participation, along with Navarre, in the [[Ecofin]], with a full membership, in order to defend Basque interests in line with Basque reality and fiscal status, and not as a Spanish subsidiary.

===Transport=== [[Image:Puente Txonta.jpg|thumb|[[Autopista AP-8|AP-8 motorway]] in [[Eibar]]]] The strategic geographical location of the Basque Country as a link between the northwest and centre of Spain and the rest of Europe makes this territory heavily transited.

====Road==== The main backbones of road transport are the [[Autopista AP-8|AP-8 motorway]] which links Bilbao, San Sebastián and the French border and the [[Autovía A-1|A-1 motorway]] which links San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz with central Spain. Other important routes include the [[Autopista AP-68|AP-68 motorway]] which links Bilbao with the Mediterranean.

====Rail==== [[Euskal Trenbide Sarea]] (''Basque Railway Network'') is the Basque Government-owned company that maintains and creates the railway infrastructure in the autonomous region. [[Euskotren]] is the Basque Government-owned [[narrow gauge]] rail company that operates commuter services in Bilbao and San Sebastián, intercity Bilbao-San Sebastián service, and [[Euskotren Tranbia]] tram services in Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The [[Bilbao Metro]] operates two [[rapid transit|metro]] lines that serve the Greater Bilbao area while Euskotren operates a third which opened in 2017. Euskotren operates a [[San Sebastián Metro|metro-like service]] in the San Sebastián area.

The Spanish government owns two main [[RENFE]] [[Iberian-gauge railways|broad gauge]] lines that link Vitoria-Gasteiz with San Sebastián and Bilbao with central Spain. It also operates [[Cercanías]] commuter lines in both Bilbao and San Sebastián. [[Image:Euskal Y.PNG|thumb|The Basque Y]] The [[Ferrocarriles Españoles de Vía Estrecha|FEVE]] narrow gauge rail company operates a commuter line between Bilbao and [[Balmaseda]] and links Bilbao with the rest of northern Spain.

A new [[high-speed rail|high-speed]] network (called [[Basque Y]]) currently under construction will link the three capitals in 'Y' formation. Because of the rough geography of the territory, most of the network will run through tunnels, with a total estimated cost of up to €10 billion.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}

The estimated ecological impact of the project has encouraged the formation of a group campaigning against it called ''AHTrik Ez Elkarlana''. The group uses social disobedience to oppose the project and promotes referendums against it in the towns it most affects. In spite of the vocal opposition to the project by this and other community groups (as well as [[EH Bildu]]), work continues, not without uncertainty. In early 2015, an estimate suggested that the average Basque intercity fare would rise to a non-competitive €25, while the Spanish central government's funding has been subject to continuous delays, spurring the irritation of the Basque government in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

====Airports==== [[Image:Aeropuerto Bilbao Loiu 01.jpg|thumb|Bilbao Airport]] The three capitals have airports: *[[Bilbao Airport]] (BIO) International *[[Vitoria Airport]] (VIT) *[[San Sebastián Airport]] (EAS) Of the three, the most important hub and entry point to the Basque Country is Bilbao Airport, offering many international connections. Nearly 4,600,000 passengers passed through it in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aena.es/csee/ccurl/660/807/Estadisticas2016.pdf|title=Passenger Traffic, Aircraft Movements and Cargo at Spanish Airports, 2016|website=Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804012929/http://www.aena.es/csee/ccurl/660/807/Estadisticas2016.pdf|archive-date=4 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Seaports====  The two most important ports are the [[Port of Bilbao]] and the [[Pasaia|Port of Pasaia]]. There are also minor fishing ports, such as [[Bermeo]] and [[Ondarroa]].

The Port of Bilbao is by far the most important in the Basque Country and the north of Spain, being the fourth most important in Spain with over 38 million tons of traffic.

All cruising routes arrive in Bilbao and there is a [[ferry]] service linking Bilbao with [[Portsmouth]] (United Kingdom).

==Cuisine== {{Main|Basque cuisine}}

[[Image:Pinchos txaka bonito.jpg|thumb|left|Two sample pintxos]] [[Basque cuisine]] is an important part of [[Basque culture]]. According to the chef [[Ferran Adrià]], [[San Sebastián]] "in terms of the average quality of the food, in terms of what you can get at any place you happen to walk into, maybe it is—probably it is, yes—the best in the world."<ref>{{cite news|last=Carlin|first=John|title=Is San Sebastián the best place to eat in Europe?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2005/mar/13/foodanddrink.shopping2|access-date=9 September 2010|newspaper=The Observer|date=13 March 2005}}</ref> The most popular dishes are seafood, fish (for example [[Marmitako]]) and "[[Pintxo]]s", bar finger food.

During the 1970s, several chefs from the Basque Country, particularly [[Juan Mari Arzak]] and [[Pedro Subijana]], led a gastronomic revolution, translating to Spain the principles of French nouvelle cuisine. The first Spanish restaurant to be awarded 3 stars in the Michelin Guide was, in fact, ''Zalacaín'', a Basque restaurant, although located in Madrid. Today, the Basque Country, alongside Catalonia, is the Spanish region with a higher density of stars in the Michelin Guide, and it has become a preferred destination of many gastronomic tourists, both domestic and international. Four restaurants boast 3 stars, the highest possible award: [[Juan Mari Arzak|Juan María Arzak]] (''Arzak'' restaurant), [[Martín Berasategui]] (''Berasategui'' restaurant), [[Pedro Subijana]] (chef of ''Akelarre'') and [[Eneko Atxa]] (''Azurmendi'' restaurant).

The coastal city of [[San Sebastián]] is home to the [[Basque Culinary Center]], an academic research institution focused on higher education and research in the areas of gastronomy and nutrition.

Basque food is one of the reasons for [[tourism in the Basque Country|tourism to the Basque Country]], especially the ''pintxos''. A popular way to socialise is "''ir de pintxos''" or ''txikiteo'', a Basque version of a [[pub crawl]], albeit generally more civilised.

==Sports== [[File:Sara JaI Alai Lapurdi.JPG|thumb|[[Basque pelota|Pelota]] ([[jai alai]]) court in Sara, Lapurdi.]] [[Basque rural sports]], known as ''Herri Kirolak'' in [[Basque language|Basque]], are a number of sports competitions rooted in the traditional lifestyles of the [[Basque people]], for example [[Basque pelota]], the Basque version of the European game family that includes [[real tennis]] and [[squash (sport)|squash]]. Basque players, playing for either the Spanish or the French teams, dominate international competitions.

The Basque country is also home to former national football [[List of Spanish football champions|champions]] [[Athletic Bilbao|Athletic Club]] from Bilbao. It has a strict ''[[Cantera]]'' policy of [[Athletic Bilbao signing policy|employing only players born or trained]] in the [[Basque Country (greater region)]]. Athletic's policy does not apply to head coaches, with famous names as [[Howard Kendall]] and [[Jupp Heynckes]] coaching the team at various points. In spite of this, the club shares with worldwide heavyweights [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]] and [[FC Barcelona]] the distinction of never being relegated from the top flight.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/athletic-bilbao-how-a-proud-basque-team-is-resisting-globalization-a-546860.html|title=Athletic Bilbao: How a proud Basque team is resisting globalization|first=Walter|last=Mayr|publisher=Der Spiegel|date=11 April 2008|access-date=19 May 2015}}</ref>

Another major Basque Country club is [[Real Sociedad]] from San Sebastián, who contest the [[Basque derby]] with Athletic. Real Sociedad used to practise the same policy, until they signed Irish [[Striker (football)|striker]] [[John Aldridge]] in the late 1980s. Since then, Real Sociedad have had many foreign players. [[Xabi Alonso]] became the only Basque player to win both the World Cup and the club [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] and he played in the [[Real Sociedad]]. The region is also home to another [[La Liga]] club [[Deportivo Alavés]].

The most renowned Basque footballer of all time is possibly [[Andoni Zubizarreta]] who holds the record for appearances in [[La Liga]] with 622 games and has won six league titles and the [[European Cup]]. Nowadays, the best known Basque football player is Xabi Alonso, winner of two UEFA European Championships and one [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]], who played for Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid and [[Bayern Munich]], but retired in 2017. Other notable Basque players include [[Mikel Arteta]], [[Asier Illarramendi]], [[Andoni Iraola]], [[Aritz Aduriz]], [[Xabi Prieto]] and [[Ander Herrera]]. Both Athletic and Real Sociedad have won the Spanish league, including dominating the competition in the early 1980s, with the last title won by a Basque club being Athletic's [[1983–84 La Liga|1984 title]].

At international level, Basque players were especially prominent in [[Spain national football team|Spanish selections]] prior to the Civil War, with all of those at the [[Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads#Spain|1928 Olympics]], and the majority of the [[Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads#Spain|1920 Olympics]] and [[1934 FIFA World Cup squads#Spain|1934 World Cup]] squads, born in the region. There is an [[Basque Country national football team|unofficial 'national' team]] which plays occasional friendlies, however its squads pick players from the wider territory including Navarre and the French Basque Country. Cycling as a sport is popular in the Basque Country. [[Abraham Olano]] has won the [[Vuelta a España]] and the [[UCI Road World Championships|World Championship]]. The [[UCI World Tour]] {{UCI team code|MOV}} hails from the Basque Country.<ref>{{cite news|title=2009 Riders and teams Database - Cyclingnews.com |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/teams/2009/caisse-depargne|access-date=14 August 2009}}</ref> Also previously known as Caisse d'Épargne, the Movistar team traces its history back to the '''Banesto''' team that included [[Miguel Induráin]]. The region is home to the [[Tour of the Basque Country]] stage race and the [[Clásica de San Sebastián]] one day race. The {{UCI team code|EUS}} team was also part of the World Tour until its disbandment in 2014. It was an unofficial Basque national team and was partly funded by the Basque Government. Its riders were either Basque, or at least grown up in the Basque cycling culture, and former members of the team have been strong contenders in the [[Tour de France]] held annually in July and [[Vuelta a España]] held in September. Team leaders have included riders such as [[Iban Mayo]], [[Haimar Zubeldia]], [[Samuel Sánchez]], [[David Etxebarria]], [[Igor Antón]], [[Mikel Landa]] and [[Mikel Nieve]]. The team was revived in 2020 at [[UCI ProTeam]] level when Euskaltel reinstated its sponsorship.

==Notable people== Some notable Basque people from this administrative jurisdiction include:

* [[Francisco de Vitoria]], philosopher who set the theories of just war, [[international law]] and freedom of commerce * [[Juan Sebastián Elcano]], completed first circumnavigation of the Earth * [[Ignatius of Loyola]], founder of the Jesuits * [[Don Juan de Oñate]], explorer of the great plains and Colorado river * [[Blas de Lezo]], naval strategist, best remembered for his defensive tactics at the [[Battle of Cartagena de Indias]] * [[Jorge Oteiza]] and [[Eduardo Chillida]], sculptors * [[Paco Rabanne]], fashion designer * [[Cristóbal Balenciaga]], fashion designer * [[Xabi Alonso]], [[Mikel Arteta]], [[Pako Ayestaran]], [[Andoni Iraola]], [[Unai Emery]], [[Julen Lopetegui]], and [[José Luis Mendilibar|Jose Luis Mendilibar]], footballers * [[Edurne Pasaban]], first woman to climb all of the fourteen eight-thousand peaks in the World * [[Elena Arzak]], best female chef in the world (2012) * [[Jon Kortajarena]], male model * [[Jose-Maria Cundin]], artist * [[Fernando Savater]] philosopher * [[Miguel de Unamuno]], essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, and philosopher * [[Jon Rahm]], golfer

==See also== {{Portal|Spain}} * [[Basque Country (greater region)]] * [[Basque mythology]] * [[Basque breeds and cultivars]] * [[Livestock in the Basque Country]] * [[Vineyards of the Basque Country]]

==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} * Pierson, Peter (1999). ''The History of Spain''. Westport, Connecticut: [[Greenwood Publishing Group]]. {{ISBN|0-313-30272-3}}. * Trask, Robert Lawrence (1997). ''The History of Basque''. London: [[Routledge]]. {{ISBN|0-415-13116-2}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Basque Autonomous Community}} {{EB1911 poster|Basque Provinces}} *{{wikivoyage inline|Basque Country}} *[http://www.euskadi.eus/ Basque Government] * José Aranda Aznar, [http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=199623 "La mezcla del pueblo vasco"], en ''Empiria: Revista de metodología de ciencias sociales'', {{ISSN|1139-5737}}, Nº 1, 1998, págs. 121–180.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basque Country (Autonomous Community)}} [[Category:Basque Country (autonomous community)| ]] [[Category:Basque]] [[Category:Green Spain]] [[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union]] [[Category:Regions of Europe with multiple official languages]] [[Category:States and territories established in 1978]] [[Category:Autonomous communities of Spain]]