Euskal Herria also called Basque Country is an area belonging to Spain. The Basque Country is the land of the Basque people from an identifiable history, culture, language and point of view. It also translates as Basque people, a group of people who have inhabited this land for thousands of years. However, it is divisible into three different legal and political entities:
- The Autonomous Communities of Euskadi Consists of the territories, provinces of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. The main cities are Vitoria, Bilbao and Donostia-San Sebastian, respectively.
- The autonomous community of Navarre ("Navarre in the Basque") with its main city, Pamplona.
- Northern Basque Country (literally, "northern part" in Basque), also known as French Basque Country, or mainland Euskal Herria, includes the territories of Lapurdi (Labourd in French, Soule (Soule)) and Behenafarroa (or Basse Navarre Lower Navarre in France.) The main cities are Baiona, Maule and Donibane Garazi (Bayonne, Maule, and Saint Jean Pied de Port, respectively).
Two of the administrative regions (AC of the Basque Country and AC of Navarre) are within the Hegoalde (literally, the southern part in the Basque language) or the Basque Country peninsula. The southern and northern Basque Country is divided into two countries: Spain and France.
Thus, Euskal Herria is a combination of seven historical Territories divided into three administrative regions.
Although today the term Euskal Herria defines a historical and culturally unified entity rather than a political or administrative region, it shares a considerable amount of common heritage, culture, language, history and identity.
Basque Country Often the term is used to refer only to the autonomous communities of the Basque Country, but this is imprecise. To simplify: Basque Country Euskadi = Northern Navarre Basque Country.
Regions
City
- Victoria-Gasteiz - the capital city of the autonomous community
- Bilbao - the largest city of the region
- Balmaseda
- Getaria - top fresh seafood at this fishing port
- Guernica - today a thriving commercial town with great historical and cultural significance for the Basque people. In 1937 it was destroyed by German troops (German air force) under Nazi command. The bombing was a test for World War II.
- San Sebastian - the capital city of the province around a powerful moon-shaped curved beach surrounded by cliffs
- Hondarribia
- Portugalete - the suburbs of Bilbao with a beautiful old town and port
- Zumaia and Zarautz - glorious sandy beach, not far from San Sebastian
- Pamplona - the ancient capital of the kingdom of Navarre, where the king ruled all the Basques. Today is famous for the holiday and San Fermin Ernest Miller Hemingway festival which has helped spread all over the world.
- Bayonne, Donibane Garazi and Maule - the countryside combines that traditional pure Basque with French ingenuity. For centuries it was the battlefield of many battles.