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117-649: The Basque Country was granted the status of 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 on Southern Basque Country . Parallelly, Navarre , which narrowly rejected a joint statute of autonomy in 1932,

234-893: A 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 Gernika Statute . 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 . The Parliament

351-505: A nation state . By the beginning of the nineteenth century, though, the Spanish government had become strongly centralised, as was the case in certain other European nations. The State did not recognise the nation's regional diversity. Later during this same century, Catalonia and the Basque Country became rapidly industrialised and were areas of swift progress in establishing commercial capitalism. These changes occurred much more slowly in

468-638: A Statute of Autonomy that was, however, rejected by the General Courts (the Spanish Parliament). The Commonwealth of Catalonia was dissolved during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera in 1923. In 1931, the Second Spanish Republic was established, and a new liberal constitution allowed the "regions" of Spain to attain self-government. It created the "autonomous region" as a first-order administrative division. Catalonia

585-491: A dialectical struggle between the center and the periphery. During the final stages of the turno pacífico , a staged pacific alternation of power between liberals and conservatives in the Spanish Parliament, Catalonia was granted a limited form of self-government. The Commonwealth of Catalonia ( Catalan : Mancomunitat de Catalunya ) was established in 1913, with its own Regional Assembly. The Assembly drafted

702-518: A distinct and independent linguistic tradition. Activists worked to revive use of both the Catalan and the Basque languages , including publication of literature in these languages. A similar revival began of the Galician language . Scholars began to explore the histories of these regions, to tell their own founding stories: Catalonia rediscovered her prowess as a Mediterranean Medieval empire within

819-683: A large fiscal deficit, whereas in Galicia and Andalusia, which are among the biggest net beneficiaries of such centrally managed funding, no such demand has been made. The "nationalities" have also played a key role in national (or "State-wide") politics. On the few occasions where no major party has achieved an absolute majority in the Congress of Deputies, there have been agreements with the so-called "nationalist" (i.e. "regionalist" or "peripheral nationalist") parties present there. On these occasions, no coalitions for government have been made, but instead

936-563: A large flag of Spain and Catalonia. Continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents ( North America , Europe , and Asia ), typically in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 or 60 degrees north), often within large landmasses, where prevailing winds blow overland bringing some precipitation, and temperatures are not moderated by oceans. Continental climates occur mostly in

1053-607: 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 's ceasefire in 2011, this autonomous community shows

1170-460: A los montañeses nos liga a Castilla, sin que seamos, ni nadie nos llame castellanos, podrá la extensa y riquísima zona cántabro-asturiana formar una entidad tan una y enérgica como la de Cataluña, luz y espejo hoy de todas las gentes ibéricas! And who knows whether before too long, when both provinces are officially linked, breaking the illogical division by which we highlanders are linked to Castile, without which no one would call us Castilian. Can

1287-462: A minority government has been formed that receives support from the "nationalist" parties to approve the budget and other laws. This has sometimes led to further concessions being made to the peripheral nationalities. The new framework of "autonomies" has served to legitimise the Spanish state even within the "nationalities", more so in Catalonia and Galicia than in the Basque Country. (Legitimacy

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1404-465: A movement for further recognition of the distinctiveness of the "historical nationalities" as "nations", often resuscitating the debate between "nationality" and "nation" or the concept of a "plurinational State". In the Basque Country in 2003, the regional government proposed a plan whereby the autonomous community would become a "free associated State" of Spain, which was later rejected by

1521-511: A percentage slightly higher than the EU average (10.8%), but still ahead of the Spanish overall unemployment rate of around 16.55%, the second highest in the EU. Unemployment rate (December data) (%) 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,

1638-403: A prearranged amount to the central government. The other communities are considered to be " common regime "; currently, they administer their own taxes only partially. The taxes collected from "common regime" communities are administered centrally and distributed among them all to achieve fiscal equalisation. The "autonomic process", whereby the nationalities and regions would accede to autonomy,

1755-425: A provisional period of five years. After this period, there was to be a progressive transference of competencies, with the aim of roughly equalizing all communities. One particular exception was granted to both the Basque Country and Navarre : their fueros or "medieval charters", which had granted them fiscal autonomy, were restored. Despite having a Basque-speaking minority, the province of Navarre chose not to join

1872-401: A rapid process. This opened a phase that was dubbed in Spanish as " café para todos ", "coffee for all", meaning that all regions would be "served the same": that all nationalities and regions would accede to self-government in roughly the same degree, if at different paces. Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia acceded to autonomy via the fast-track route established in the 151st article of

1989-402: A specific set of requirements. Thus the process was purposely intended to be asymmetrical in nature. The autonomous communities were to be formed from the existing provinces , a division of the centralising regime of the early nineteenth century: an autonomous community could be created by a province or group of provinces with common historical, cultural and economical features. Yet, the outcome

2106-470: A strong historically constituted identity; or, more specifically, certain autonomous communities whose statute of autonomy —their basic institutional legislation—recognizes their historical and cultural identity. In Spanish jurisprudence, the term nationality appears for the first time in the current constitution, approved in 1978 after much debate in the Spanish Parliament . Although it

2223-538: 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). 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

2340-516: Is a diverse country integrated by contrasting entities with varying economic and social structures, languages, and historical, political and cultural traditions. The Spanish constitution responds ambiguously to the claims of historic nationalities (such as the right of self-government) while proclaiming a common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards. The terms nationalities and historical nationalities , though never officially defined, refer to territories whose inhabitants have

2457-615: 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

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2574-579: Is defined as a chartered community in the re-institution of its medieval charters, and the Community of Madrid is defined as neither a nationality nor a region, but a community created in the nation's interest as the seat of the nation's capital. Catalonia was originally defined as a "nation" in the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006 . However, the Constitutional Court of Spain declared that unconstitutional. The court considered that

2691-618: 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 nationalists as the core of the Basque nation. There are also two enclaves surrounded by Basque territory— Treviño (Basque: Trebiñu ) and Valle de Villaverde (Basque: Villaverde-Turtzioz )—which belong to

2808-468: 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

2925-697: Is somewhat more stable than winter weather. Continental climates are considered as temperate climate varieties due to their location in the temperate zones, but are classified separately from other temperate climates in the Köppen climate classification system where they are identified by their first letter, a capital D . In the Trewartha climate classification , they are identified as Dc . Continental climate has at least one month averaging below 0 °C (32 °F) and at least one month averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). Annual precipitation in this zone

3042-482: Is still a question amongst some Basque nationalists: the Basque Country was the only community where the Spanish Constitution in 1978 was not approved by the majority of its constituents in the national referendum.) In practical terms, the majority of the population has been satisfied with the framework of devolution since the restoration of democracy, even if some still aspire for further recognition of

3159-669: Is usually between 600 millimetres (24 in) and 1,200 millimetres (47 in), The timing of intermediate spring-like or autumn-like temperatures in this zone vary depending on latitude and/or elevation. For example, spring may arrive as soon as March (in Northern hemisphere , September in Southern hemisphere ) in the southern (in Northern hemisphere, northern in Southern hemisphere), parts of this zone or as late as May (November) in

3276-513: Is widely known as Greater Bilbao . With 28.2% of the Basque Country population born outside this region, immigration is crucial to Basque demographics. Over the 20th century most of this immigration came from other parts of Spain, typically from 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. As of 2018, there were 151,519 foreigners in

3393-485: The 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 ). 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

3510-549: The Catalan Parliament and for early elections to be held on 25 November 2012. Before its dissolution, the Catalan parliament approved a bill calling for the next legislature to allow Catalonia to exercise its right of self-determination by holding a "referendum or consultation" during the next four years in which the people would decide whether to become a new independent and sovereign State. This parliamentary decision

3627-527: The Crown of Aragon , and the Basque Country focused on the mystery of its origins. Under medieval charters, both Catalonia and the Basque provinces had exercised a considerable level of independence, even in the period of Habsburg Spain ; however, later Bourbon Spain such independence was lost and the Basque Country and Navarre exercised only fiscal autonomy. The larger economic development that occurred in these historically delimited ethnic communities enhanced

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3744-531: 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. 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. The main backbones of road transport are the AP-8 motorway which links Bilbao, San Sebastián and

3861-467: The European Union and 30% higher than Spain's average in 2016 at €34,400. In 2019, the community showed a surplus in public finances, at 0.3% of the GDP. 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

3978-541: The Provincias Vascongadas since 1833 . The political structure of the new autonomous community is defined in the 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 " by The Economist . As regards

4095-709: The Zadorra River and Bayas River . 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. The Plaiaundi Ecology Park is a 24-hectare coastal wetland lying where the Bidasoa River meets the sea in the Bay of Biscay . The nature of Plaiaundi consists of

4212-464: 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

4329-594: 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 services sector and new technologies. Today, the strongest industrial sectors of the Basque Country's economy are the 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

4446-489: 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

4563-457: 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

4680-401: The Basque Country has its headquarters in the city of Bilbao . Whilst Vitoria-Gasteiz is the largest municipality in area, with 277 km (107 sq mi), Bilbao is the largest in population, with 353,187 people, located in the province of Biscay within a conurbation of 875,552 people. The term Basque Country may also refer to the larger cultural region (Basque: Euskal Herria ), the home of

4797-500: The Basque Country are: BBVA , one of the largest 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 vehicle manufacturer CAF and Gamesa , the world's second largest wind turbine manufacturer. Eight out of ten Spanish municipalities with

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4914-593: 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% (8.43% in Gipuzkoa ), second lowest in Spain after Navarre , at

5031-654: 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 Education and Health Systems, and has

5148-442: The Basque country, 7% of the population. Roman Catholicism is, by far, the largest religion in Basque Country. In 2019, the proportion of Basques that identify themselves as Roman Catholic was 60%, while it is one of the most secularised communities of Spain: 24.6% were non-religious and 12.3% of Basques were atheist . Spanish and Basque are co-official in all territories of the autonomous community. The Basque-speaking areas in

5265-512: The Basque people, which includes the autonomous community. The following provinces make up the autonomous community: 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 (the Ebro River ) to the south. The territory has three distinct areas, which are defined by

5382-533: 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 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. The provinces in

5499-402: 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. 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%). In 2016,

5616-897: The French border and the A-1 motorway which links San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz with central Spain. Other important routes include the AP-68 motorway which links Bilbao with the Mediterranean. 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. Metro Bilbao operates two metro lines that serve

5733-649: The Greater Bilbao area while Euskotren operates a third which opened in 2017. Euskotren operates a metro-like service in the San Sebastián area. The Spanish government owns two main RENFE 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. Nationalities and regions of Spain Spain

5850-616: The Northern Hemisphere due to the large landmasses found there. Most of northeastern China , eastern and southeastern Europe , much of Russia south of the Arctic Circle , central and southeastern Canada , and the central and northeastern United States have this type of climate. Continentality is a measure of the degree to which a region experiences this type of climate. In continental climates, precipitation tends to be moderate in amount, concentrated mostly in

5967-479: 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. 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

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6084-586: The Spanish Parliament. In 2006, the Catalan Parliament, in approving a new Statute of Autonomy, chose to define Catalonia not as a "nationality" but explicitly as a "nation", by a large majority. Similar proposals were made in Andalusia. The Spanish Parliament, which must ratify all Statutes of Autonomy, removed the article that defined Catalonia as a "nation", but made a reference in the Preamble of

6201-546: The Spanish State became one of the most important challenges for the newly elected Parliament. In fact, the writing of the second article, in which the "nationalities and regions" of Spain were recognized, was the most hotly debated in the Parliament. Its acceptance was not smooth: the right vigorously opposed it, while the nationalists and the left firmly objected to leaving it out. The natural corollary to debating

6318-410: The Spanish nationhood. After Franco died, Spain entered into a phase of transition towards democracy . All democratic groups were forced to face the Catalan, Basque and Galician question. On 11 September 1977, more than one million people marched in the streets of Barcelona (Catalonia) demanding " llibertat, amnistia i estatut d'autonomia ", "liberty, amnesty and [a] Statute of Autonomy", creating

6435-706: The autonomous community defines itself, a dilution that is welcomed by some political parties at the national level. In fact, other communities are also identified as "historical nationalities", including Andalusia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, and the Valencian Community. Also, most communities that do not enjoy fiscal autonomy: the "common regime communities" typically tend to follow Catalonia's lead in their demands for more competencies or self-government. This has caused

6552-489: The biggest demonstration in post-war Europe. A law was passed that allowed for the creation of pre-autonomías , "pre-autonomies" or provisional regional governments for all regions, the "historical nationalities" included. Catalonia was the first to be so constituted, and it again revived the Generalitat . The Basque Country quickly followed suit. In the 1977 election to the first democratically elected Parliament since

6669-465: The bounds to the Spanish Constitution, Basque nationalists cite the fact that in the 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 (the Basque Nationalist Party had endorsed abstention on the grounds that the Constitution was being forced upon them without any Basque input). To this,

6786-710: 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. 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

6903-498: The community of Castile-La Mancha , to which it naturally belonged. Some peripheral nationalists still complain that the creation of many regions was an attempt to break down their own 'national unity' by a sort of gerrymandering , thus blurring the distinctiveness of their own nationalities. As competencies were eventually transferred to all communities in roughly the same degree, some nationalists see little practical distinction between "nationality" and "region", regardless of how

7020-399: The constitution, with all competencies granted, because in the past they had approved a Statute by referendum and they had already established a pre-autonomic provisional government. Andalusia began this process after a referendum in 1980. The other regions had the opportunity to accede to autonomy via the slower route established in the 143rd article, with a lower level of competencies, during

7137-407: The different communities. On the one hand, politicians in some communities that are not "nationalities", mostly governed by the centre-right Popular Party , are considering the return of some devolved powers back to the central government. On the other hand, in Catalonia, the strenuous fiscal situation and the severe austerity measures enacted by the regional government have caused great discontent in

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7254-621: The different national identities (Basque, Catalan and Galician). A negotiation between 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 . Provincial councils provided with actual relevant attributions (taxation, etc.) were restored to these provinces (called therefore diputación foral ), but Navarre detached from

7371-455: The distinctiveness of the nationalities or for the expansion of their self-government. In all three "historical nationalities", there is still a sizable minority, more so in Catalonia than in the Basque Country and Galicia, calling for the establishment of a true federal State in Spain or advocating for their right to self-determination and independence. Since it began in 2008, the Spanish economic crisis has produced different reactions in

7488-446: The document to the "fact" that the Catalan Parliament had chosen to so define Catalonia, but that the constitution recognises her "national reality" as a "nationality". The existence of two chartered communities with fiscal autonomy has led to discontent in Catalonia, which demands the same privilege and transparency. It is one of the main net contributors of fiscal equalization to which only communities of common-regime are subject: it has

7605-489: The extensive and rich Cantabro-Asturian region form an entity as unified and energetic as Catalonia, today the light and mirror of all the Iberian peoples! The province of Madrid was also separated from New Castile and constituted as an autonomous community. This was partly in recognition of Madrid's status as the capital of the nation, but also because it was originally excluded from the pre-autonomic agreements that created

7722-524: The fact that the Spanish government favored their integration in the larger Castile-León , the local population overwhelmingly supported the new entities. In Cantabria, one of the leading intellectual figures in 19th-century Spain, Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo , had already rejected a Castilian identity for his region as far back as 1877, instead favouring integration with its western neighbour, Asturias : ¡Y quién sabe si antes de mucho, enlazadas hasta oficialmente ambas provincias, rota la ilógica división que

7839-464: 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. The Basque Autonomous Community ranks first in Spain in terms of per capita product , it's the most 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

7956-497: The future. 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 in 1199–1200. The new king upheld their institutional system issued from the consuetudinary law prevalent in Basque and Pyrenean territories. This limited self-government, similar to

8073-601: The highest rate of police per 100 inhabitants in Western Europe by 2018. As agreed with the Spanish premier Zapatero in 2004, Urkullu intends to increase the figure of ertzainas , while the Spanish 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

8190-495: The language, in Biscay 30.6%, and in Álava 22.4% did 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

8307-418: 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 – Ahal Dugu accounting for 11 seats (14.66% of the total). However, the leading party PNV renewed its traditional alliance with the PSE to form government. During the 2017 Catalan referendum crisis, the parliament showed its sympathy and support to

8424-524: The late 1990s, Basque nationalists ideologically closer to ETA refused to turn out in the Basque parliament, a significant wedge of the parliament. Currently, the Basque Government is headed by Iñigo Urkullu ( PNV ). 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 Donostia , 2011–2015). In

8541-414: The latter so desired, which were to be constituted as autonomous communities, yet making an implicit distinction between the two groups in the level of competencies that were to be devolved, and in the way they were to attain self-government. The three "historic nationalities" (Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country) were granted a simplified "fast-track" process, while the rest of the regions had to follow

8658-402: 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. 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. In 2013

8775-551: 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, and very severe deterioration of its sociolinguistic status for much of

8892-515: The nation became openly multilingual, declaring Castilian:that is, Spanish as the official language of the entire country, but declaring that the "other Spanish languages" will also be official in their respective autonomous communities. The third article ends up declaring that the "richness of the distinct linguistic modalities of Spain represent a patrimony which will be the object of special respect and protection." The constitution aimed to devolve self-government to both nationalities and regions, if

9009-518: 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 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

9126-472: The north (south). Summers are warm or hot while winters are below freezing and sustain lots of frost. Continental climates exist where cold air masses infiltrate during the winter from shorter days and warm air masses form in summer under conditions of high sun and longer days. Places with continental climates are as a rule either far from any moderating effect of oceans or are so situated that prevailing winds tend to head offshore. Such regions get quite warm in

9243-434: 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 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

9360-609: The opposition, in the Catalan Parliament, in the Cortes Generales , and from the Socialist Party, do not support Catalan secession, but instead favor changing the constitution to modify the current taxation system and to create a true federal system in Spain, to "better reflect the singularities" of Catalonia. In December 2012, an opposing rally was organised by the Partido Popular and Ciutadans, which drew 30,000-160,000 people in one of Barcelona's main squares under

9477-462: 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 Sanchez agreed to lift the public prosecutor's block on the law in exchange for altering its content. Right-wing parties in Spain, Vox , PP, and Ciudadanos , sent one MP out of 18 to

9594-474: The people, as opposed to the monarch. Some activists sought a uniform centralised State, while others preferred decentralization or republicanism. Spain experimented with decentralisation during the First Spanish Republic (1873-1874), but social and political chaos, which had started even before the change of regime with a change of monarchical houses, led to its failure. At the beginning of

9711-464: The poll, with nearly as many favoring the establishment of a true federal system in Spain. This surge in support for independence was evidenced during the celebration of the National Day of Catalonia on 11 September 2012, when about 600,000 to two million people marched on the streets of Barcelona rallying for independence , one of the largest demonstrations in Spanish history. Following

9828-438: The population, many of whom view the "unfairness" of the large fiscal deficit as aggravating the situation. This, in turn, has led many who are not necessarily separatist but who are enraged by the financial deficit to support secession. In recent polls, support for independence has doubled from the mid-20% in 2008 to nearly 50% by September 2012, although support for independence drops to the mid-30% if more options are given in

9945-453: The pre-provincial historical regions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which in turn reflected to some extent some of the historical medieval kingdoms or administrative regions of the past. On the other hand, some autonomous communities are new creations. For example, autonomy was granted to Cantabria and La Rioja , both of which were historically part of Castile . Despite the lack of historical basis for both communities, and

10062-500: The proximity to the ocean however, the Ebro part of the Basque Country is moderate compared to areas further inland. Almost half of the 2,155,546 inhabitants of the Basque Autonomous Community live in the Bilbao metropolitan area , almost the entirety of the 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

10179-664: The public debt of the Basque Autonomous Community stood at 13.00% of its GDP, totalling €3,753 per capita, as compared to Spain's overall 93.90%, totalling €20,383 per capita. 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

10296-410: The rally, the president of Catalonia , Artur Mas , in a previously scheduled meeting with the prime minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy , requested and was denied (on the basis of its purported unconstitutionality), a change in the taxation system in Catalonia that would have made it similar to that of the two communities of chartered regime . The week after the meeting, Mas called for the dissolution of

10413-427: The references made, in the preamble of the statute, to Catalonia to a nation "lack legal effectiveness". The formation of Spain can be viewed as an alliance and progressive union of several peninsular kingdoms, and nationalist or regionalist tradition in Spain has historical roots in such beginnings. No serious attempt was made to centralise the administration until the reforms of the eighteenth century, to become

10530-464: The regions' own identities. In the early twentieth century, nationalist discourse in Galicia, Catalonia and especially in the Basque country was infused with racialist elements, as these ethnicities defined themselves as distinct from the peoples of the center and south of Spain. With the growth of nationalistic sentiments, demands by these groups for self-government also grew. In some sectors, activists demanded outright independence. The appearance of

10647-458: The rest of the country, which remained largely agricultural. Nationalistic sentiments began to grow in the more industrialized areas. Some writers of the time expressed their concepts of a Catalan or Basque fatherland, or even nationhood. These two nationalist movements had much in common, in that both arose in areas that enjoyed higher levels of prosperity and literacy, were the only areas in the country to develop modern industry, and each possessed

10764-421: The so-called peripheral nationalism in the aforementioned regions of Spain occurred in a period when Spaniards began to look into their own concepts of nationhood. In the traditionalist view, religion had been integral to defining the Spanish nation, intrinsically and traditionally Catholic, and strongly monarchical. In a later, liberal view, sovereignty was considered to reside in the nation and to be expressed in

10881-419: The soon-to-be formed autonomous community of the Basque Country. Instead, it followed a different route of devolution due to the reinstitution of the medieval charters, and is thus known as a "chartered community", as opposed to an "autonomous community". Both the Basque Country and Navarre are considered " communities of chartered regime ", meaning they have fiscal autonomy: they collect their own taxes and send

10998-569: The summer, achieving temperatures characteristic of tropical climates but are colder than any other climates of similar latitude in the winter. In the Köppen climate system, these climates grade off toward temperate climates equator-ward where winters are less severe and semi-arid climates or arid climates where precipitation becomes inadequate for tall-grass prairies and shrublands. In Europe these climates may grade off into oceanic climates ( Cfb ) or subpolar oceanic climates ( Cfc ) in which

11115-414: The term "nationalities" was debating the term "nation". At the end of the spectrum there were those who thought the term "nationalities" was unnecessary, or that there was only one "nation" and "nationality"—Spanish—while at the opposite end of the spectrum there were those who advocated for defining Spain as a plurinational State, that is, a State integrated by several nations. In the end, the second article

11232-400: The term "nationalities" was to acquire in Spanish politics, in reference to regions, created some confusion with the concept of "nationality" with regard to citizenship . The matter was especially confused when the latter was defined in the 11th article of the constitution. It was suggested that the term "nationality" be changed to "citizenship" in the 11th article, but it was considered that

11349-535: The term, despite the diverse meanings and interpretations that its proponents and opponents had—ranging from "an expression of historical and cultural identities [...] in the superior unity of Spain" (Landelino Lavilla, from the Union of the Democratic Centre ), "communities with a prominent cultural, historical or political personality" ( Rafael Arias-Salgado , from the Union of the Democratic Centre ), all

11466-547: The terms nationality and citizenship are not completely synonymous, as it is common in other European legislations. The Preamble to the constitution explicitly stated that it is the Nation's will to protect "all Spaniards and the peoples of Spain in the exercise of their human rights, cultures traditions, languages and institutions". This was a significant move, since for the "historical nationalities" part of their distinctiveness lies on their own regional languages. Furthermore,

11583-470: The times of the Republic, regional Catalan socialists ( Socialists' Party of Catalonia ) and Basque nationalists ( Basque Nationalist Party ) both won significant positions in representing their regions and their aspirations. This newly elected Parliament was entrusted to formulate a new constitution. The demands for the recognition of the distinctiveness of Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia, within

11700-477: 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

11817-403: The twentieth century, the two political discourses of Spanish nationalism, the traditional and the liberal, continued to be present and opposing, advocating for different political regimes. However, the appearance of peripheral nationalisms, namely the Basque and Catalan nationalistic movements, produced the unification of many Spanish nationalists as a counter-force, and Spanish nationalism became

11934-679: The two parallel ranges of the Basque Mountains . The main range of mountains forms the watershed between the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins. The highest point of the range is in the Aizkorri massif (1551 m). The three areas are: Formed by many valleys with short rivers that flow from the mountains to the Bay of Biscay , like the Nervión , Urola or Oria . The coast is rough, with high cliffs and small inlets. The main features of

12051-407: The war, Franco's regime (1939–1975) forcefully enforced centralism in an effort to establish and preserve the unity of the Spanish nation. His attempts to fight separatism with heavy-handed but sporadic repression and his oftentimes severe suppression of language and regional identities backfired: the demands for democracy became intertwined with demands for the recognition of a pluralistic vision of

12168-580: The warmer months. Only a few areas—in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest of North America and in Iran , northern Iraq , adjacent Turkey , Afghanistan , Pakistan , and Central Asia —show a winter maximum in precipitation. A portion of the annual precipitation falls as snowfall, and snow often remains on the ground for more than a month. Summers in continental climates can feature thunderstorms and frequent hot temperatures; however, summer weather

12285-526: The way to making it equivalent to "nation", ( Manuel Fraga from the People's Alliance , in stern opposition to the term " nationalities " precisely because of its alleged synonymity with "nation ") or defining it as a "nation without a State [...] within the plurinational reality of Spain [...] as a Nation of nations" ( Miguel Roca Junyent , from the Convergence and Union ). The particular meaning that

12402-403: The words of one of the seven fathers of the Constitution , Jordi Solé Tura it was "[...] an authentic point of encounter between different concepts of the Spanish nation [...] In it, two great notions of Spain merge." It aimed to give an answer to the nationalistic aspirations that had been silenced during the four decades of Franco's dictatorial regime. The constitution itself did not define

12519-826: The writers of the current Spanish Constitution have said that the concept of nationality is synonymous with nation . However, the Spanish Constitutional Court has explicitly ruled against this interpretation. Currently, the term "nationality" is used in reference to Aragon , Valencian Community , the Balearic Islands , the Canary Islands and Andalusia . The rest of the autonomous communities ( Castile-La Mancha , Murcia , La Rioja , Extremadura ) are defined as historical regions of Spain. Asturias , Cantabria , and Castile and León are referred to as "historical communities". Navarre

12636-478: Was approved by a large majority of deputies: 84 voted affirmative, 21 voted negative and 25 abstained. The deputy prime minister of Spain, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría , declared that the central government would exercise all "legal instruments" (current legislation requires the executive government or the Congress of Deputies to call for or sanction a binding referendum ) to block any such attempt. The leaders of

12753-681: 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

12870-455: Was called the "State of Autonomies". Though highly decentralised, this system is not a federation , in that there was still ambiguity with regards to the power attributed to the regions, even though they can still negotiate them with the central government. While the constitution was still being drafted, there was a demonstration in Andalusia, which sought to be recognised as a "nationality" as well, and to be granted self-government also through

12987-596: Was explicitly understood that the term referred to Galicia , the Basque Country , and Catalonia , the constitution does not specify any communities by name. Between the strong centralist position inherited from Franco's regime and the nationalist position of the Galicians, Basques, and Catalans, a consensus developed around this term. It was applied in the respective statutes of autonomy once all nationalities and regions acceded to self-government or autonomy, and were constituted as autonomous communities. Several of

13104-600: 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 Palace of Ajuria Enea ). The High Court of Justice of

13221-420: 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

13338-436: Was not predictable; the constitution created a process for devolution , but it differed from other legislations in two main aspects. First, it did not specify the name or number of the autonomous communities that would integrate the Spanish nation, and secondly, the process was voluntary in nature: the regions themselves had the option of choosing to attain self-government or not. This unique process of territorial administration

13455-515: Was partially concluded in 1983, when 17 autonomous communities covering the entire territory of Spain were created. (The process finally concluded with the creation of two autonomous cities in Northern Africa, Ceuta and Melilla .) All autonomous communities follow the provincial limits established in the 1833 territorial division of Spain : no province has been partitioned between communities. Moreover, many communities roughly coincide with

13572-540: Was passed along with the term "nationalities" but firmly stressing the indivisible unity of the Spanish nation. It reads: The Constitution is based on the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation, the common and indivisible country of all Spaniards; it recognises and guarantees the right to autonomy of the nationalities and regions of which it is composed, and the solidarity amongst them all The article united two historical trends in Spain: centralism and federalism, and in

13689-529: Was the first to approve a Statute of Autonomy, later sanctioned by the Spanish Parliament. Its Generalitat , the Catalan institutions of government that had operated since medieval times until the early eighteenth century, was restored. The Basque Country and Galicia each sought autonomy in 1936, but only the Statute of Autonomy of the first was approved before the Spanish Civil War erupted. After

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