Guipuscoa
Encyclopedia
Gipuzkoa is a province of Spain
and a historical territory of the Basque Country
. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. It limits with the French
department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
at the northeast, with the province and autonomous community of Navarre
at east, Biscay
at west, Álava
at southwest and the Bay of Biscay
at north. It is located at the easternmost extreme of the Cantabric Sea, in the Bay of Biscay. It has 92 km of coast land.
Its total area of 1.909 km2 makes it the smallest province of Spain. The province has 88 municipalities
and a population of 705.698 inhabitants, from which more than half live in the Donostia-San Sebastián metropolian area
. Apart from the capital, other important cities are Irun
, Errenteria
, Zarautz
, Mondragón
, Eibar
, Hondarribia
, Oñati
, Tolosa
, Besain
and Pasaia
.
Its oceanic climate
gives the province an intense green color with little thermic oscilation. Guipuscoa is the province of the Basque Country where the Basque language
is the most extended.
The full etymology the word Gipuzkoa has not been fully ascertained but links have been made with the Basque word Giputz, containing the root ip- which is related to the word ipar (north), ipurdi (back) and ipuin (tale). According to this, ipuzko (one of the several first known denominations) might refer of something "to the north" or "in the north".
denomination recommended by the Royal Academy of the Basque language
, and it is commonly used on official documents on that language. It is also used on documents in Spanish
, and it is the most used denomination by the media in Spanish in the Basque Country
. It is also the denomination used in the Basque version of the Spanish constitution
and in the Basque version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
.
Gipuzkoa is also the only official denomination approved for the historical territory by the Juntas Generales of the province.
, recommended by the Royal Spanish Academy
. It is used in non-official documents and, in general, by Spanish speakers. It is also the Spanish denomination used in the Spanish version of the Constitution and in the Spanish version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country.
and a population of 705,698 inhabitants (2009), of whom about a quarter live in the capital, San Sebastián
. Other important towns are Irun
, Errenteria
, Zarautz
, Arrasate, Oñati
(with an old university), Eibar
, Tolosa
(during a short time capital of the province), Beasain
, Pasaia
(the main port), Hondarribia
(an old fort town opposite to France).
, nature and mountains on the part of Gipuzkoans. Some mountains steeped in tradition hold an iconic and emblematic significance, their summits being often topped with crosses, memorials and mountaineer postboxes. In addition, pilgrimage
s (which have gradually lost their former religious zeal and taken on a more secular slant) are sometimes held to their summits. Some renowned and iconic mountains to mention but a few are Aiako Harria
, Hernio
, Txindoki
, Aizkorri, Izarraitz, etc.
The rivers of Gipuzkoa show a string of distinctive features differing from other Bay of Biscay
rivers. These rivers, rising in the hilly Basque inland landscape (Basque Mountains), flow in a south to north disposition, shaping narrow close valleys stretching in this direction before joining the ocean. The rivers extend for a short length with a small fluctuation in the volume of water thanks to the stable rainfall all year round, besides showing an abrupt drop between rise and mouth if the length of the river is considered. The rivers, ordered from west to east, are the following: Deba, Urola
, Oria
, Urumea
, Oiartzun and Bidasoa
. But for a narrow strip extending east from the hamlet Otzaurte (Zegama
) and the tunnel of San Adrian
, the province drains its waters to the Atlantic basin.
penetrating in the province via Irun
and turning south-west along the Oria River
towards the province limits at the tunnel of San Adrian. This stretch was in operation up to 1765 when the King's Highway moved to the western Gipuzkoan Deba Valley. A minor St. James route crossed Gipuzkoa east to west along the coast.
Currently, the main road cutting through Gipuzkoa sticks largely to that pattern, i.e. the N-1 E-5 from Irun to Donostia and on to Altsasu all along the Oria for the most part (gateway to Navarre through the pass of Etxegarate). Also, the major Irun-Madrid railway
runs closely clinging to this river up to its very rise on the slopes of Aizkorri (train stop Otzaurte in Zegama
). By 1973 engineering works for the Bilbao-Behobia A-8 E-70 motorway had come to an end, with the new road cutting across the valleys east to west and turning into the main axis between Donostia and Bilbao, besides enabling heavy load traffic to access the west and south of Spain (toll applies). Regional railway network Euskotren
winds down along the coast from east to west too, while this transport proves impractical for long distance on the grounds of its tortuous layout and its serving small towns. The railway network reaches the border town Hendaia (change to SNCF
).
The stretch of the A-15 motorway serving Gipuzkoa and Pamplona opened in 1995 shrouded in controversy after a protest and attack campaign led by ecologists, Basque leftist nationalists
and eventually ETA. Troubles came to a halt after a deal was struck about the definitive layout. Later on, in January 2010, following a scheme drawn up by the regional government of Gipuzkoa to improve provisions for the ever increasing road traffic, the Maltzaga-Urbina AP-1 motorway stretch leading to Gasteiz was placed into operation, providing likewise access to the industrial areas of Arrasate and Bergara
(gateway to Álava
by village Landa). Works for connection between AP-1 and N-1 E-5 are due to conclude in 2010 by means of the highway linking east to west Bergara
and Beasain
. Arrangements for the road network of Donostia's metropolitan area (2nd ring road and Urnieta's bypass) are well under way and due operational by mid-2010.
A scheme exists for a high-speed rail
with an X-type layout and links to the SNCF network in Hendaia (NE), Vitoria (SE), Bilbao (W) and Pamplona
(S) (works due finished by 2016). The appointment of works were made, works are in place despite overdue, while the scheme faces opposition from conservationist, leftist and anti-system groups.
The only airport in Gipuzkoa serving just domestic flights is the San Sebastian Airport
located in Hondarribia
, while the air transportation needs are usually served by the nearby Bilbao
and Biarritz airports.
of the Basque language
spoken in most of the region as well as neighbouring areas of Navarre
, which shows a considerable vitality and holds a prominent position among other dialects. The province's patron saint
s are Ignatius of Loyola
, who was born in the neighborhood of Loyola in the town of Azpeitia
, and Our Lady of Arantzazu
.
The region has produced many famous Basque football players including José Ángel Iribar
, Joseba Etxeberria
, Xabi Alonso
and Mikel Arteta
.
See List of municipalities in Gipuzkoa.
Provinces of Spain
Spain and its autonomous communities are divided into fifty provinces .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. província.*Galician , sing. provincia.*Basque |Galicia]] — are not also the capitals of provinces...
and a historical territory of the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. It limits with the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
at the northeast, with the province and autonomous community of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
at east, Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
at west, Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
at southwest and the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
at north. It is located at the easternmost extreme of the Cantabric Sea, in the Bay of Biscay. It has 92 km of coast land.
Its total area of 1.909 km2 makes it the smallest province of Spain. The province has 88 municipalities
Municipalities of Spain
The municipalities of Spain In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. municipi.*Galician or , sing. municipio/bisbarra.*Basque , sing. udalerria. are the basic level of Spanish local government...
and a population of 705.698 inhabitants, from which more than half live in the Donostia-San Sebastián metropolian area
San Sebastian metropolitan area
San Sebastian metropolitan area is an area in the province of Gipuzkoa which extends into France. It includes, besides the city of San Sebastian, a number of nearby municipalities, some of them bordering. Its total population is 405,099 inhabitants, with its extension of 372.86 square kilometres...
. Apart from the capital, other important cities are Irun
Irun
Irun is a town of the Bidasoa-Txingudi region in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain...
, Errenteria
Errenteria
Errenteria is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, North of Spain, near the French border. The river Oiartzun cuts its way through the town, one that has undergone severe pollution up to recent times on its lower...
, Zarautz
Zarautz
Zarautz is a coastal town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.The town is a popular tourist destination with the population swelling from its usual 22,812 to around 60,000 in summer. The Palace of Narros, located adjacent to Zarautz's 2.8 km long beach,...
, Mondragón
Mondragón
Arrasate or Mondragón - is a town and municipality in Gipuzkoa province, Basque Country, Spain...
, Eibar
Éibar
Eibar is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain. The city was chartered by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1346...
, Hondarribia
Hondarribia
Hondarribia is a town situated on the west shore of Bidasoa river's mouth, in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. The border town is sited on a little promontory facing Hendaye over the Txingudi bay. The town holds an ancient old quarter with walls and a castle...
, Oñati
Oñati
Oñati is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain. It has a population of approximately 10,500 and lies in a valley in the center of the Basque country. It lies about 40 km south of the Bay of Biscay and is about 236 m...
, Tolosa
Tolosa, Spain
Tolosa is a town and municipality to the south of Donostia-San Sebastián in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain. It is located in a valley of the river Oria and overlooked by Uzturre, a white cross-topped mountain.-Famous people from Tolosa:...
, Besain
Besain
Besain is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
and Pasaia
Pasaia
Pasaia is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community of northern Spain. It is a fishing community, commercial port and the birth place of the fighting admiral Blas de Lezo. Pasaia lies approximately 5 km east of Donostia's centre, lying at the...
.
Its oceanic climate
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
gives the province an intense green color with little thermic oscilation. Guipuscoa is the province of the Basque Country where the Basque language
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
is the most extended.
Etymology
The first recorded name of the province was Ipuscoa from a document of the year 1025. During the following years, and on different documents, several similar names appear, as Ipuzcoa, Ipuçcha, Ipuzka, among others.The full etymology the word Gipuzkoa has not been fully ascertained but links have been made with the Basque word Giputz, containing the root ip- which is related to the word ipar (north), ipurdi (back) and ipuin (tale). According to this, ipuzko (one of the several first known denominations) might refer of something "to the north" or "in the north".
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa is the BasqueBasque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
denomination recommended by the Royal Academy of the Basque language
Euskaltzaindia
Euskaltzaindia is the official academic language regulatory institution which watches over the Basque language. It carries out research on the language, seeks to protect it, and establishes standards of use...
, and it is commonly used on official documents on that language. It is also used on documents in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and it is the most used denomination by the media in Spanish in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
. It is also the denomination used in the Basque version of the Spanish constitution
Spanish Constitution of 1978
-Structure of the State:The Constitution recognizes the existence of nationalities and regions . Preliminary Title As a result, Spain is now composed entirely of 17 Autonomous Communities and two autonomous cities with varying degrees of autonomy, to the extent that, even though the Constitution...
and in the Basque version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
The Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country is the legal document organizing the political system of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country' which includes the historical territories of Alava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. It forms the region into one of the autonomous communities envisioned in...
.
Gipuzkoa is also the only official denomination approved for the historical territory by the Juntas Generales of the province.
Guipúzcoa
Guipúzcoa is the denomination in SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, recommended by the Royal Spanish Academy
Real Academia Española
The Royal Spanish Academy is the official royal institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language. It is based in Madrid, Spain, but is affiliated with national language academies in twenty-one other hispanophone nations through the Association of Spanish Language Academies...
. It is used in non-official documents and, in general, by Spanish speakers. It is also the Spanish denomination used in the Spanish version of the Constitution and in the Spanish version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country.
Demography and urban landscape
Its area of 1980 km² (764 sq mi) makes it the smallest province in Spain. The province numbers 88 municipalitiesMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and a population of 705,698 inhabitants (2009), of whom about a quarter live in the capital, San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
. Other important towns are Irun
Irun
Irun is a town of the Bidasoa-Txingudi region in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain...
, Errenteria
Errenteria
Errenteria is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, North of Spain, near the French border. The river Oiartzun cuts its way through the town, one that has undergone severe pollution up to recent times on its lower...
, Zarautz
Zarautz
Zarautz is a coastal town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.The town is a popular tourist destination with the population swelling from its usual 22,812 to around 60,000 in summer. The Palace of Narros, located adjacent to Zarautz's 2.8 km long beach,...
, Arrasate, Oñati
Oñati
Oñati is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain. It has a population of approximately 10,500 and lies in a valley in the center of the Basque country. It lies about 40 km south of the Bay of Biscay and is about 236 m...
(with an old university), Eibar
Éibar
Eibar is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain. The city was chartered by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1346...
, Tolosa
Tolosa, Spain
Tolosa is a town and municipality to the south of Donostia-San Sebastián in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain. It is located in a valley of the river Oria and overlooked by Uzturre, a white cross-topped mountain.-Famous people from Tolosa:...
(during a short time capital of the province), Beasain
Beasáin
Beasain is a town and municipality located in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, northern Spain. It has an important industry of railroad vehicles and related equipment that exports its production to all the world.-External links:* *...
, Pasaia
Pasaia
Pasaia is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community of northern Spain. It is a fishing community, commercial port and the birth place of the fighting admiral Blas de Lezo. Pasaia lies approximately 5 km east of Donostia's centre, lying at the...
(the main port), Hondarribia
Hondarribia
Hondarribia is a town situated on the west shore of Bidasoa river's mouth, in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. The border town is sited on a little promontory facing Hendaye over the Txingudi bay. The town holds an ancient old quarter with walls and a castle...
(an old fort town opposite to France).
Physical geography
Gipuzkoa stands out as a region of hilly and green landscape linking mountain and sea, besides being heavily populated with numerous urban nuclei that dot the whole territory. The conspicuous presence of hills and rugged terrain has added to a special leaning towards hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, nature and mountains on the part of Gipuzkoans. Some mountains steeped in tradition hold an iconic and emblematic significance, their summits being often topped with crosses, memorials and mountaineer postboxes. In addition, pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s (which have gradually lost their former religious zeal and taken on a more secular slant) are sometimes held to their summits. Some renowned and iconic mountains to mention but a few are Aiako Harria
Aiako harria
Aiako Harria in Basque or Peñas de Aya in Spanish, is a massif east of the town of Oiartzun in the Basque Country. The river Oiartzun rises on its north-western face....
, Hernio
Hernio
Hernio is an iconic summit in the Basque Country very popular with the Gipuzkoans and located right at the heart of the province. The peak is the highest point of a massif extending north-west to south-east, the summit rising by the pass of Zelatun...
, Txindoki
Txindoki
Txindoki or Larrunarri is an iconic mountain located in the region of Goierri, Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. Originally Larrunarri or Ñañarri ], the mount took on the popularized name Txindoki by extension after some shepherd huts nearby...
, Aizkorri, Izarraitz, etc.
The rivers of Gipuzkoa show a string of distinctive features differing from other Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
rivers. These rivers, rising in the hilly Basque inland landscape (Basque Mountains), flow in a south to north disposition, shaping narrow close valleys stretching in this direction before joining the ocean. The rivers extend for a short length with a small fluctuation in the volume of water thanks to the stable rainfall all year round, besides showing an abrupt drop between rise and mouth if the length of the river is considered. The rivers, ordered from west to east, are the following: Deba, Urola
Urola
The Urola is a river and valley in Gipuzkoa , Basque Country, Spain.The river is only 55 kilometres in length, and runs from headwaters in the Aizkorri Mountains, near the town of Legazpi to its outflow into the Cantabrian Sea at the town of Zumaia on the Bay of Biscay...
, Oria
Oria River
The Oria is a river in the Basque Country at the north of the Iberian Peninsula. It's one of a series of Basque rivers flowing into the Bay of Biscay and the main river of the province Gipuzkoa in volume , length and basin , the main feature of these rivers aligned south to north being their...
, Urumea
Urumea
The Urumea a" 'thin') is a river in the Basque Country at the north of the Iberian Peninsula. It's one of a series of Basque rivers flowing into the Bay of Biscay and best known for being the river flowing to the sea on the city of San Sebastian...
, Oiartzun and Bidasoa
Bidasoa
The Bidasoa is a river in the Basque Country of northern Spain and southern France that runs largely south to north. Named as such downstream of the small town of Oronoz-Mugairi in the province of Navarre, the river actually results from the merge of several streams near the village Erratzu, with...
. But for a narrow strip extending east from the hamlet Otzaurte (Zegama
Zegama
Zegama is a town and municipality in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, northern Spain...
) and the tunnel of San Adrian
San Adrian (tunnel)
The San Adrian tunnel or Lizarrate represents the most outstanding milestone in the historic inland Basque route of the Way of St. James. It consists of a natural cave carved by water erosion in the rock with an opening on either side north and south; it also holds an hermitage inside...
, the province drains its waters to the Atlantic basin.
Infrastructure
The region shows a communication layout well in step with its geographical features, with the main communication axes following the North to South direction up to recent times along the rivers heading to the ocean. So it was with the Way of St. JamesWay of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
penetrating in the province via Irun
Irun
Irun is a town of the Bidasoa-Txingudi region in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain...
and turning south-west along the Oria River
Oria River
The Oria is a river in the Basque Country at the north of the Iberian Peninsula. It's one of a series of Basque rivers flowing into the Bay of Biscay and the main river of the province Gipuzkoa in volume , length and basin , the main feature of these rivers aligned south to north being their...
towards the province limits at the tunnel of San Adrian. This stretch was in operation up to 1765 when the King's Highway moved to the western Gipuzkoan Deba Valley. A minor St. James route crossed Gipuzkoa east to west along the coast.
Currently, the main road cutting through Gipuzkoa sticks largely to that pattern, i.e. the N-1 E-5 from Irun to Donostia and on to Altsasu all along the Oria for the most part (gateway to Navarre through the pass of Etxegarate). Also, the major Irun-Madrid railway
RENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
runs closely clinging to this river up to its very rise on the slopes of Aizkorri (train stop Otzaurte in Zegama
Zegama
Zegama is a town and municipality in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, northern Spain...
). By 1973 engineering works for the Bilbao-Behobia A-8 E-70 motorway had come to an end, with the new road cutting across the valleys east to west and turning into the main axis between Donostia and Bilbao, besides enabling heavy load traffic to access the west and south of Spain (toll applies). Regional railway network Euskotren
EuskoTren
EuskoTren is a commuter rail service which operates in the Basque Country provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak - Ferrocarriles Vascos...
winds down along the coast from east to west too, while this transport proves impractical for long distance on the grounds of its tortuous layout and its serving small towns. The railway network reaches the border town Hendaia (change to SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
).
The stretch of the A-15 motorway serving Gipuzkoa and Pamplona opened in 1995 shrouded in controversy after a protest and attack campaign led by ecologists, Basque leftist nationalists
Batasuna
Batasuna was a Basque nationalist political party based mainly in Spain, where it was outlawed in 2003, after a court ruling declared proven that the party was financing ETA with public money. Batasuna is included in the "European Union list of terrorist persons and organizations" as a component...
and eventually ETA. Troubles came to a halt after a deal was struck about the definitive layout. Later on, in January 2010, following a scheme drawn up by the regional government of Gipuzkoa to improve provisions for the ever increasing road traffic, the Maltzaga-Urbina AP-1 motorway stretch leading to Gasteiz was placed into operation, providing likewise access to the industrial areas of Arrasate and Bergara
Bergara
Bergara is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain.An Enlightened center of education operated by the Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País , it was the place where Faustino Elhuyar discovered wolfram.During the Carlist...
(gateway to Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
by village Landa). Works for connection between AP-1 and N-1 E-5 are due to conclude in 2010 by means of the highway linking east to west Bergara
Bergara
Bergara is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain.An Enlightened center of education operated by the Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País , it was the place where Faustino Elhuyar discovered wolfram.During the Carlist...
and Beasain
Beasáin
Beasain is a town and municipality located in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, northern Spain. It has an important industry of railroad vehicles and related equipment that exports its production to all the world.-External links:* *...
. Arrangements for the road network of Donostia's metropolitan area (2nd ring road and Urnieta's bypass) are well under way and due operational by mid-2010.
A scheme exists for a high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
with an X-type layout and links to the SNCF network in Hendaia (NE), Vitoria (SE), Bilbao (W) and Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
(S) (works due finished by 2016). The appointment of works were made, works are in place despite overdue, while the scheme faces opposition from conservationist, leftist and anti-system groups.
The only airport in Gipuzkoa serving just domestic flights is the San Sebastian Airport
San Sebastián Airport
San Sebastián Airport is the airport serving San Sebastián in Basque Country, Spain. Despite its name, the facilities are located in the municipality of Hondarribia, with the runway stretching like a spit of land along the river Bidasoa right on the Spanish-French border.The airport serves...
located in Hondarribia
Hondarribia
Hondarribia is a town situated on the west shore of Bidasoa river's mouth, in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. The border town is sited on a little promontory facing Hendaye over the Txingudi bay. The town holds an ancient old quarter with walls and a castle...
, while the air transportation needs are usually served by the nearby Bilbao
Bilbao Airport
Bilbao Airport is a public airport located north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in the Basque Country. It is the most important airport of the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 4,172,903 passengers on 2008...
and Biarritz airports.
Cultural traits
Gipuzkera is a dialectDialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of the Basque language
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
spoken in most of the region as well as neighbouring areas of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
, which shows a considerable vitality and holds a prominent position among other dialects. The province's patron saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s are Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
, who was born in the neighborhood of Loyola in the town of Azpeitia
Azpeitia
Azpeitia is a town and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain, located on the Urola river a few kilometres east of Azkoitia. Its population is 13,708 . It is located 16 miles southwest of Donostia/San Sebastián.Azpeitia is the birth place of Ignatius of Loyola...
, and Our Lady of Arantzazu
Sanctuary of Arantzazu
The Sanctuary of Arantzazu is a Franciscan sanctuary located in Oñati, Basque Country, Spain. The shrine is a much appreciated place among Gipuzkoans, with the Virgin of Arantzazu standing for the main worship figure and patron of the province along with Ignatius of Loyola.The place benefits from...
.
The region has produced many famous Basque football players including José Ángel Iribar
José Ángel Iribar
José Ángel Iribar Cortajarena, nicknamed El Chopo , is a retired Spanish football goalkeeper and manager....
, Joseba Etxeberria
Joseba Etxeberría
Joseba Andoni Etxeberria Lizardi is a retired Spanish footballer who played mostly as a winger.After starting his professional career at only 17, with Real Sociedad, he quickly switched to Basque neighbours Athletic de Bilbao, going on to spend the rest of his extensive career there.Exteberria...
, Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
and Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta Amatriain is a Spanish footballer who plays for Arsenal as a midfielder.Arteta started out as a trainee with FC Barcelona but could not break his way into the first team and was eventually loaned to Paris Saint-Germain in the French league...
.
See List of municipalities in Gipuzkoa.
Notable natives and residents
- Juan de Amézqueta, ambassador to the king in the sixteenth century
- José María Aristrain, steel industrialist
- Jose Miguel BarandiaranJose Miguel BarandiaranJose Miguel Barandiaran Aierbe was a Basque Spanish anthropologist, ethnographer and priest.-Early life:He was born in 1889 as the youngest of nine children to Francisco Antonio Barandiaran and María Antonia Ayerbe in the family baserri Perune-Zarre in Ataun....
, anthropologist, paleontologist - Juan Sebastián de ElcanoJuan Sebastián ElcanoJuan Sebastián Elcano was a Basque Spanish explorer who completed the first circumnavigation of the world. As Ferdinand Magellan's second in command, Elcano took over after Magellan's death in the Philippines.-Early life:Elcano was born to Domingo Sebastián Elcano I and Catalina del Puerto...
, 1st circumnavigator of the globe in 1522 - Pello ErrotaPello ErrotaPedro Jose Elizegi “Pello Errota” was born on the estate of Goikoerrota's Mill near Asteasu, a town in the Basque region of Gipuzkoa, and was one of the best known bertsolaris of all time....
, famed bertsolariBertsolariA bertsolari is a singer of bertso, a musical verse in Basque tradition. The bertolaris are often found in pairs, in which a topic is sung extemporaneously in verses alternatively, but they can stage solo or group verse sessions too. It is usually sung to a slow tempo with long or short verses and...
of the late 19th century - Cándida María de JesúsCandida Maria de JesusSaint Candida Maria of Jesus, F.I., , was a Spanish Religious Sister and educator. She founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus on December 8, 1871 in Salamanca, Spain.-Life:...
, saint and foundress of the Congregation of the Hijas de JesúsCongregation of the Hijas de JesúsThe Congregation of the Hijas de Jesús is a Roman Catholic Congregation founded on December 8, 1871 in Salamanca by Saint Cándida María de Jesús, together with five other women. They were assisted by Jesuit Father Miguel José Herranz...
(Daughters of Jesus) - Blas de LezoBlas de LezoBlas de Lezo y Olavarrieta , also known as "Patapalo" , and later as "Mediohombre" for the many wounds suffered in his long military life, was a Spanish admiral, and one of the greatest strategists and commanders in the history of the Spanish Navy...
, admiral famed for the Battle of Cartagena de IndiasBattle of Cartagena de IndiasThe Battle of Cartagena de Indias was an amphibious military engagement between the forces of Britain under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon and those of Spain under Admiral Blas de Lezo. It took place at the city of Cartagena de Indias in March 1741, in present-day Colombia... - Ignacio de LoyolaIgnatius of LoyolaIgnatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
, saint and founder of the Society of JesusSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a... - Iker Martínez de Lizarduy LizarribarIker MartinezIker Martinez de Lizarduy Lizarribar is a Spanish sailor and olympic champion...
, Olympic sailor - José María OlazábalJosé María OlazábalJosé María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:...
, golfer and winner of Masters tournament - Juan de TolosaJuan de TolosaJuan de Tolosa was a Spanish Basque conquistador, possibly born in or near Tolosa, Spain. He discovered rich silver deposits near the present day city of Zacatecas, Mexico in 1546.-Founder of Zacatecas:...
, founder of the state of ZacatecasZacatecasZacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
in Mexico - Andrés de UrdanetaAndrés de UrdanetaFriar Andrés de Urdaneta, O.S.A., was a circumnavigator, explorer and Augustinian friar. As a navigator he achieved in 1536 the "second" world circumnavigation after first one led by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano in 1522...
, explorer and circumnavigator - Iñaki UrdangarínIñaki Urdangarin-References:-External links:*...
, former professional handball player and husband of Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca - Ignacio ZuloagaIgnacio ZuloagaIgnacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta was a Basque Spanish painter, born in Eibar, near the monastery of Loyola. He was the son of metalworker and damascener Plácido Zuloaga and grandson of the organizer and director of the royal armoury in Madrid.-Biography:In his youth, he drew and worked in his father's...
, painter - Baltasar de Echave Orio, painter
External links
- Official site (Information in BasqueBasque languageBasque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
, SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
)