Basque Country summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Basque Country.

Basque Country, Spanish País Vasco Euskera Euskadi, Autonomous community (pop., 2008 est.: 2,138,453) and historic region, northern Spain. Bounded by the Bay of Biscay, it consists of the provinces of Vizcaya (Biscay), Álava, and Guipúzcoa and has an area of 2,793 sq mi (7,235 sq km). Its capital is Vitoria-Gasteiz. The Pyrenees Mountains separate it from the Basque Country of France. The Basques who inhabit the region have long sought autonomy. A separatist movement succeeded in regaining Basque autonomy in 1936 under the short-lived Republican government, but autonomy was withdrawn by Francisco Franco in 1937. Though limited autonomy was granted in 1979, a campaign of terrorism against the Spanish government continued. Álava is an agricultural region, while metallurgical industry is concentrated around Bilbao.

Frank O. Gehry: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Bilbao Summary

Bilbao, port city, capital of Vizcaya provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of the Basque Country, northern Spain. Bilbao lies along the mouth of the Nervión River, 7 miles (11 km) inland from the Bay of Biscay. It is the largest city in the Basque Country. Bilbao

Spain Summary

Spain, country located in extreme southwestern Europe. It occupies about 85 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with its smaller neighbour Portugal. Spain is a storied country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated cities, all of which have made it a