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98-401: The riding is located in the southern part of St. John's , encompassing the neighbourhoods of Blackhead , Bowring Park , Freshwater Bay , Kilbride , Shea Heights , Southside , and part of Waterford Valley . On July 5, 2024, Tom Osborne resigned. The by-election to replace him was scheduled for August 22, and was won by Jamie Korab . The district has elected the following members of

196-897: 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

294-576: A state of emergency due to a snowstorm that brought an estimated 76 cm (30 in)—a one-day snowfall record for St. John's—and hurricane force winds up to 130 km/h (81 mph). The following day, the Canadian Army was called in to aid snow removal. The state of emergency ended eight days later. The highest temperature ever recorded in St. John's was 33.9 °C (93.0 °F) on 14 August 1876. The coldest temperature ever recorded

392-477: A Canadian-manned battery of two Lend-Lease 10-inch M1888 guns was at Fort Cape Spear . The base was transferred to Canadian control in 1960 and is now known as CFS St. John's . The Knights of Columbus Hostel fire in December 1942 saw 99 military and civilian lives lost. St. John's, and the province as a whole, was gravely affected in the 1990s by the collapse of the northern cod fishery , which had been

490-459: A Portuguese map by Pedro Reinel in 1519. When the English mariner John Rut visited St. John's in 1527 , he found Norman , Breton and Portuguese ships in the harbour. On 3 August 1527, Rut wrote a letter to King Henry on the findings of his voyage to North America; this was the first known letter sent from North America. St. Jehan is shown on Nicolas Desliens's world map of 1541, and San Joham

588-563: A change of 2% from its 2016 population of 208,418. With a land area of 931.56 km (359.68 sq mi), it had a population density of 228.2/km (591.0/sq mi) in 2021. Apart from St. John's, the CMA includes 12 other communities: the city of Mount Pearl and the towns of Conception Bay South , Paradise , Portugal Cove-St. Philip's , Torbay , Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove , Pouch Cove , Flatrock , Bay Bulls , Witless Bay , Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove and Bauline . Also as of

686-483: A lack of hotel rooms and office space has seen proposals put forward that do not meet the current height regulations. Heritage advocates argue the current regulations should be enforced while others believe the regulations should be relaxed to encourage economic development. To meet the need for more office space downtown without compromising the city's heritage, the city council amended heritage regulations, which originally restricted height to 15 m (49 ft) in

784-607: 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

882-569: 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,

980-438: A population of 110,525 living in 49,298 of its 54,067 total private dwellings, a change of 1.5% from its 2016 population of 108,860. With a land area of 446.02 km (172.21 sq mi), it had a population density of 247.8/km (641.8/sq mi) in 2021. At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the St. John's CMA had a population of 212,579 living in 89,999 of its 97,429 total private dwellings,

1078-596: 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. 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

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1176-755: A seasonal lag in the climate. The city is also one of the areas of the country most prone to tropical cyclone activity, as it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, where tropical storms (and sometimes hurricanes) travel from the United States. With an annual average 60.58 inches of precipitation, the city is one of the wettest in Canada outside of coastal British Columbia. This is partly due to its propensity for tropical storm activity as well as moist, Atlantic air frequently blowing ashore and creating precipitation. Of major Canadian cities, St. John's

1274-669: A second Dutch attack in 1673, when it was defended by Christopher Martin, an English merchant captain. Martin landed six cannons from his vessel, the Elias Andrews , and constructed an earthen breastwork and battery near Chain Rock commanding the Narrows leading into the harbour. With only 23 men, the valiant Martin beat off an attack by three Dutch warships. The English government planned to expand these fortifications ( Fort William ) in around 1689, but construction did not begin until after

1372-519: A series of catastrophic coincidences caused the fire to spread and devour virtually all of the east end of the city, including much of its major commercial area, before being extinguished. St. John's is along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, on the northeast of the Avalon Peninsula in southeast Newfoundland. The city is North America's most easterly city, excluding Greenland ; it is 475 km (295 mi) closer to London, England than it

1470-436: A single storm), and strong winds. In winter, two or more types of precipitation (rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow) can fall from passage of a single storm. Snowfall is heavy, averaging approximately 363.4 cm (143.1 in) per winter season. However, winter storms can bring changing precipitation types. Heavy snow can turn into heavy rain, melting the snow cover, and possibly back to snow or ice (perhaps briefly) all in

1568-411: A total of 446.04 km (172.22 sq mi) (larger than Montreal ), but the majority of its area remains covered by undeveloped woods. Coniferous trees such as black spruce , white spruce , and balsam fir dominate the native vegetation. The largest deciduous tree is white birch ; species of lesser stature include alder , cherry and mountain ash. Of introduced tree species, sycamore maple

1666-705: 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 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

1764-584: Is an autonomous community in northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Araba , Bizkaia , and Gipuzkoa . It also surrounds an enclave called Treviño . 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

1862-615: 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

1960-617: 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

2058-527: Is found in João Freire's Atlas of 1546. On 5 August 1583, an English Sea Dog , Sir Humphrey Gilbert , claimed the area as England's first overseas colony under Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I . There was no permanent population, however, and Gilbert was lost at sea during his return voyage, thereby ending any immediate plans for settlement. Bernard Drake's Newfoundland Expedition in 1585 landed at Saint John's, re-establishing England's claim on

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2156-583: Is most abundant and Norway maple is common. Blue spruce , common horsechestnut , European beech and littleleaf linden are among the other non-native species grown. St. John's has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb ) with smaller seasonal variation than normal for the latitude, which is due to Gulf Stream moderation. Mean temperatures range from −4.7 °C (23.5 °F) in February to 16.5 °C (61.7 °F) in August, showing somewhat of

2254-545: Is that a fishing village with the same name existed without a permanent settlement for most of the 16th century. Indicated as São João on a Portuguese map from 1519, it is one of the oldest cities in North America. It was officially incorporated as a city in 1888. With a metropolitan population of approximately 212,579 (as of 9 February 2022), the St. John's Metropolitan Area is Canada's 20th-largest metropolitan area and

2352-528: Is the easternmost city in North America (excluding Greenland ). The closest European settlement is Fajã Grande , Azores , Portugal , about 2,000 km (1,200 mi) away. Its name has been attributed to the belief that John Cabot sailed into the harbour on the Nativity of John the Baptist in 1497, although it is most likely a legend that came with British settlement. A more realistic possibility

2450-508: Is the foggiest (124 days) and windiest (24.3 km/h (15.1 mph) average speed). Precipitation is frequent and often heavy, falling year-round. On average, summer is the driest season, with only occasional thunderstorm activity. June is the driest month, averaging 88.2 mm (3.47 in) of precipitation. The wettest months are from October to January, with December the wettest single month, with about 174 mm (6.85 in) of precipitation on average. This winter precipitation maximum

2548-483: Is to Edmonton, Alberta . It is also closer to all of Ireland than to Miami, also on the east coast of North America. The city is the largest in the province and the second largest in the Atlantic Provinces after Halifax, Nova Scotia . Its downtown area lies to the west and north of St. John's Harbour, and the rest of the city expands from the downtown to the north, south, east and west. The city covers

2646-645: Is unusual for humid continental climates, which typically have a late spring or early summer precipitation maximum (for example, most of the Midwestern United States ). Most heavy precipitation events in St. John's are the product of intense mid-latitude storms from the Northeastern United States and New England states, and these are most common and intense from October to March, bringing heavy precipitation (commonly 40 to 80 mm (1.6 to 3.1 in) of rainfall equivalent in

2744-877: The "United Irish Uprising" occurred when 19 Irish soldiers who were part of the British garrison stationed in Newfoundland mutinied . The mutineers, who were suspected to be members of the Society of United Irishmen , fled to the countryside after the mutiny failed, and were apprehended in a matter of weeks and court-martialled . Of the 17 mutineers captured, 8 were executed, 4 were let go while 5 were sentenced to penal transportation . The 18th century saw major changes in Newfoundland: population growth, beginnings of government, establishment of churches, reinforcement of commercial ties with North America and development of

2842-485: 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

2940-531: 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

3038-470: 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

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3136-543: 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

3234-464: 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

3332-678: The 18th and 19th centuries. The final battle of the Seven Years' War in North America (known as the French and Indian War in the US) was fought in 1762, in St. John's. Following a surprise capture of the town by the French early in the year, the British responded and, at the Battle of Signal Hill , the French surrendered St. John's to British forces under the command of Colonel William Amherst . In

3430-594: 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

3528-482: The 2021 census, there are 178,427 people in the St. John's population centre . There are 52,410 total private dwellings in St. John's with an occupancy rate of 90.9%. The median value of a private dwelling in St. John's is $ 309,631, lower than the national median value of $ 341,556 but higher than the provincial median value of $ 219,228. St. John's has a median age of 40.5 compared to 41.2 nationally and 46.0 in Newfoundland and Labrador. Children under 15 make up 13.9% of

3626-489: 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

3724-591: The Atlantic annually to fish the waters off the Avalon Peninsula. In the Basque Country , it is a common belief the name of St. John's was given by Basque fishermen because the bay of St. John's is very similar to the Bay of Pasaia in the Basque Country, where one of the fishing towns is called St. John (in Spanish, San Juan, and in Basque , Donibane). The earliest record of the location appears as São João on

3822-457: 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

3920-501: 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

4018-594: 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

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4116-654: 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

4214-506: The Basque country now comes from abroad, chiefly from South America. As of 2018, there were 151,519 foreigners in 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

4312-533: 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

4410-459: 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,

4508-799: The English-controlled coast. As a result, the town of St. John's was not established as a permanent community until after the 1630s. With respect to the oldest surviving permanent English settlements in North America, it was preceded by Jamestown, Virginia (1607), the Cuper's Cove colony at Cupids in Newfoundland (1610), St. George's, Bermuda (1612), and the Bristol's Hope colony at Harbour Grace in Newfoundland (1618). Each of these English settlements were far later than other European settlements in North America, such as St. Augustine, Florida established by Spain in 1565. On 24 April 1800,

4606-550: The French admiral Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville captured and destroyed the town in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign (1696). When 1500 English reinforcements arrived in late 1697, they found rubble where the town and fortifications had stood. The French attacked St. John's again in 1705 ( Siege of St. John's ), and captured it in 1708 ( Battle of St. John's ), devastating civilian structures with fire on each instance. The harbour remained fortified through most of

4704-907: 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

4802-624: The House of Assembly : This article about a Canadian electoral district is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . St. John%27s, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador . It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland . The city spans 446.04 km (172.22 sq mi) and

4900-481: 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

4998-422: The area of land on Water Street between Bishop's Cove and Steer's Cove, to create the "Commercial Central Retail – West Zone". The new zone will allow for buildings of greater height. A 47 m (154 ft), 12-storey office building, which includes retail space and a parking garage, was the first building to be approved in this area. In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada , St. John's had

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5096-464: The area. St. John's became a base for his operations, where his ships gathered supplies and fresh water. This expedition virtually wiped out the Spanish and Portuguese fishing-industries in the area, and so set the stage for subsequent English and French influence in the region. By 1620, the fishermen of England's West Country controlled most of Newfoundland's east coast. In 1627, William Payne, called St. John's "the principal prime and chief lot in all

5194-607: 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, and very severe deterioration of its sociolinguistic status for much of

5292-538: 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,

5390-434: The buildings in its path aided by the large quantities of seal oil that were stored in the merchants' premises. The fire was also aided by an attempt to blow up a house on Water Street which scattered burning embers across the city. The final major conflagration of the nineteenth century began on the afternoon of 8 July 1892 atop Carter's Hill on Freshwater Road. Initially, the fire did not cause any widespread panic; however,

5488-522: 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 . 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

5586-406: The city was white, 10.1% were visible minorities and 3.3% were Indigenous. The largest visible minority groups were South Asian Canadian (2.8%), followed by Black Canadians (2.3%), Chinese Canadians and Arab Canadians (1.3% each). English is the mother tongue spoken by the majority of residents of St. John's (92.9%), whereas Chinese is the second most common language in the province, being

5684-554: The city). During the Second World War , the harbour supported Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy ships that were engaged in anti-submarine warfare . It was the site of an American Army Air Force base, Fort Pepperrell , that was established as part of the " Lend-Lease " Destroyers for Bases Agreement between the United Kingdom and United States. The base included several US-manned coast defence guns , and

5782-622: 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

5880-540: The driving force of the provincial economy for hundreds of years. After a decade of high unemployment rates and depopulation, the city's proximity to the Hibernia , Terra Nova and White Rose oil fields led to an economic boom that spurred population growth and commercial development. As a result, the St. John's area now accounts for about half of the province's economic output . As of 2012, St. John's contained 21 National Historic Sites of Canada . St. John's

5978-464: 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

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6076-420: 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, 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 ,

6174-500: 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

6272-401: 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 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

6370-415: 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

6468-417: The hilly terrain and steep maze of residential streets, in St. John's is typically painted in bright colours, hence the nickname Jelly Bean Row for downtown row housing . The city council has implemented strict heritage regulations in the downtown area, including restrictions on the height of buildings. These regulations have caused much controversy over the years. With the city experiencing an economic boom

6566-476: The homes of about a thousand men, women, and children, were consumed before the conflagration was stayed. There were two citywide fires in 1817 "known jointly as 'The Great Fire of 1817'. Then in 1819 fire "destroyed 120 houses". There was a further major fire in 1846 , which started at the shop of a cabinetmaker named Hamlin, located on George Street off Queen Street, when a glue pot boiled over. The fire spread along Water and Duckworth Streets destroying all of

6664-442: The homes of fishermen, sheds, storage shacks, and wharves constructed out of wood. Like many other cities of the time, as the Industrial Revolution took hold and new methods and materials for construction were introduced, the landscape changed as the city grew. The Great Fire of 1892 destroyed most of the downtown core, and most residential and other wood-frame buildings date from this period. Often compared to San Francisco due to

6762-496: 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

6860-418: 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

6958-463: The late 1700s Fort Amherst and Fort Waldegrave were built to defend the harbour entrance. There has been some controversy regarding which European settlement is the oldest in Anglophone North America. As mentioned above, while English fishermen had set up seasonal camps in St. John's in the 16th century, they were expressly forbidden by the English government, at the urging of the West Country fishing industry, to establish permanent settlements along

7056-524: 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

7154-404: 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

7252-562: The mother tongue of 1.1% of the population. French is the mother tongue of 0.6% of the population. 99.5% of the population speak French or English or both. According to the 2021 census, religious groups in St. John's included: Basque Country (autonomous community) The Basque Autonomous Community [ / b æ s k , b ɑː s k / A.C.] ( Basque : Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa (EAE) ; Spanish : Comunidad Autónoma Vasca (CAV) , French : Communauté Autonome du Pays Basque (CAPV) ), also officially called Euskadi [ /eus̺kadi/ ],

7350-738: 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 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

7448-623: The national rate of 7.7%. The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 7,515 persons or 7.0% of the total population of St. John's. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were United Kingdom (805 persons or 10.7%), Philippines (625 persons or 8.3%), United States of America (510 persons or 6.8%), India (485 persons or 6.5%), Syria (455 persons or 6.1%), China (420 persons or 5.6%), Nigeria (310 persons or 4.1%), Bangladesh (195 persons or 2.6%), Pakistan (155 persons or 2.1%), and Eritrea (150 persons or 2.0%). As of 2021, approximately 86.5% of

7546-519: 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

7644-652: 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 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

7742-434: 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

7840-463: 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

7938-416: The population while people 65 and over make up 16.5%. 70.6% of residents aged 25 to 65 have a post secondary certificate, diploma or degree, while 20.6% have a secondary school diploma or equivalent, 7.4% have an apprenticeship or trades certificate, and 8.8% hold no certificates, diplomas or degrees. The city has an unemployment rate of 8.9%, much lower than the provincial rate of 15.6% but somewhat higher than

8036-453: 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 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

8134-666: 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

8232-476: The same storm, resulting in little or no net snow accumulation. Snow cover in St. John's is variable, and especially early in the winter season, may be slow to develop, but can extend well into the spring months (March, April). The St. John's area is subject to freezing rain events (called " silver thaws "), the worst of which paralysed the city in April 1984 and April 2017. On 17 January 2020, St. John's declared

8330-639: The seal, salmon and Grand Banks fisheries. St. John's population grew slowly. Although it was primarily a fishing station, it was also a garrison , a centre of government and a commercial hub. St. John's served as a naval base during the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 . Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in St. John's on 12 December 1901 from his wireless station in Poldhu , Cornwall. St. John's

8428-481: The second-largest Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in Atlantic Canada , after Halifax . The city has a rich history, having played a role in the Seven Years' War , the American Revolutionary War , and the War of 1812 . Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in St. John's. Its history and culture have made it into an important tourist destination. St. John's

8526-477: The service of England, became the first Europeans to sail into the harbour, on the morning of 24 June 1494 (per British and French historians , in 1497), the feast day of Saint John the Baptist . However, the locations of Cabot's landfalls are disputed. A series of expeditions to St. John's by Portuguese from the Azores took place in the early 16th century, and by 1540, French, Spanish and Portuguese ships crossed

8624-546: The summers with the arrival of migratory fishermen. In 1680, fishing ships (mostly from South Devon ) set up fishing rooms at St. John's, bringing hundreds of Irish men into the port to operate inshore fishing boats. The town's first significant defences were likely erected due to commercial interests, following the temporary seizure of St. John's by the Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter in June 1665. The inhabitants fended off

8722-556: 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, 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

8820-477: 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

8918-413: 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

9016-563: The whole country". Sometime after 1630, the town of St. John's was established as a permanent community. Before this, English fishermen were expressly forbidden by the English government, at the urging of the West Country fishing industry, to establish permanent settlements along the English-controlled coast. The population grew slowly in the 17th century: St. John's was Newfoundland's largest settlement when English naval officers began to take censuses around 1675. The population grew in

9114-750: 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

9212-560: Was destroyed by major fires in 1816, 1817, 1819, 1846 and 1892, when each time a large part of the city was destroyed. The most famous was the Great Fire of 1892 . On 12 February 1816: ...about eight o'clock, a fire broke out in a house in a part of the town in St. John's in Newfoundland known by the name of the King's Beach, and speedily communicated to the houses adjoining, and burnt with so much fury, that one hundred and twenty houses,

9310-420: 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

9408-537: Was referred to as Baile Sheáin (Johnstown), in the poetry of Donnchadh Ruadh Mac Conmara (1715–1810), and among speakers of the Irish language in Newfoundland . St. John's was used by fishermen setting up seasonal camps in the early 1500s. Sebastian Cabot declared in a handwritten Latin text in his original 1545 map that St. John's earned its name when he and his father, the Venetian explorer John Cabot , in

9506-492: Was the starting point for the first non-stop transatlantic aircraft flight, by Alcock and Brown in a modified Vickers Vimy IV bomber, in June 1919, departing from Lester's Field in St. John's and ending in a bog near Clifden , Connemara , Ireland. In July 2005, the flight was duplicated by American aviator and adventurer Steve Fossett in a replica Vickers Vimy aircraft, with St. John's International Airport substituting for Lester's Field (now an urban and residential part of

9604-412: Was −29.4 °C (−20.9 °F) on 16 February 1875. St. John's architecture has a distinct style different from the rest of Canada, and its major buildings are remnants of its history as one of the first British colonial capitals. Buildings took a variety of styles according to the means available to build them. Starting as a fishing outpost for European fishermen, St. John's consisted mostly of

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