Basque Provinces lie on the border with France and consists of three
provinces. Bilbao, capital of Vizcaya prov., is the largest Basque city and one
of the chief industrial centres of Spain. Other cities include San Sebastian,
capital of Guipuzcoa prov.; Vitoria, capital of Alava prov.; and historic
Guernica. Although Basque was recognized as the official language of the region
in 1978, most Basques speak French or Spanish.
With a mild pleasant climate and abundant rainfall this region is
characterised by lush green valleys and orchards. Numerous fishing villages are
dotted along the Basque coast with stunning cliffs rising above them. The most
popular is the picturesque city of San Sebastian, which is a fishing village,
turned into holiday resort. There is an almost constant round of festivals with
the best known being Tamborada, Semana Santa and Semana Grande. West of San
Sebastian the coast offers some of the best surfing in Europe, where some of
international surfing competition take place.
In the densely populated coastal provinces of Vizcaya and Guipuzcoa the chief
occupations are mining of iron, lead, copper, and zinc and metalworking,
shipbuilding, and fishing. Alava is primarily agricultural; corn and sugar beets
are grown, and wine and apple cider are made. Tourism is also
important.Traditional Basque farming culture has given way to industrial
development and emigration to France and the Americas. Shortly after the
outbreak of civil war in 1936 the Spanish government granted the three provinces
autonomy. In 1937, the new Franco regime abolished Basque autonomy. Basque
nationalism remained strong, however, and the region achieved autonomy again in
1980 when it elected its first parliament.
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