Basque Country

Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa /
Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco

Capital	Vitoria-Gasteiz
Official languages	Basque and Castilian
Area  - total  - % of Spain	Ranked 14th 7 234 km² 1,4%
Population  - Total (2003)  - % of Spain  - Density	Ranked 7th 2 108 281 5,0% 291,44/km²
Demonym  - English  - Basque  - Spanish	Basque euskal herritar, euskaldun vasco/a, vascongado/a
Statute of Autonomy	December 22, 1979
ISO 3166-2	PV
Parliamentary representation  Congress seats  Senate seats	19 3
President	Juan José Ibarretxe Markuartu (PNV)
Eusko Jaurlaritza/Gobierno Vasco

The Basque Country (Basque Euskadi, Spanish País Vasco, formerly Provincias Vascongadas) is an autonomous community of Spain. Its capital is Vitoria (Basque Gasteiz).

It includes the following historical territories, which are equivalent to provinces (Spanish administrative division):

• Álava (Basque Araba), capital Vitoria (Basque Gasteiz)
• Vizcaya (Basque Bizkaia), capital Bilbao (Basque Bilbo)
• Guipúzcoa (Basque Gipuzkoa), capital San Sebastián (Basque Donostia)

The larger Basque Country (the so called Euskal Herria in Basque) is formed by seven historical regions or territories, corresponding more or less with the historical area of the Basque language. The common Basque slogan Zazpiak Bat means Seven make One.

The southern or Spanish Basque regions (the three provinces of the Basque autonomous community, plus Navarre) form Hegoalde. The northern or French Basque regions form Iparralde.

The French Basque regions are all part of the Pyrénées Atlantiques département. They are :

• Labourd (Basque Lapurdi)
• La Soule (Basque Zuberoa)
• Basse-Navarre (Basque Nafarroa Behera)

See also: Basque people, Basque language.

Referenced By