Basque Country (Spanish region)

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Autonomous community of central northern Spain, created in 1979, including the provinces of Vizcaya, Álava, and Guipúzcoa; area 7,261 sq km/2,803 sq mi; population (2002 est) 2,067,600. The region is bordered by the Bay of Biscay to the north and separated from the French part of the Basque Country cultural region by the Pyrenees. Bilbao, the capital of Vizcaya province, is the region's largest city and one of Spain's main industrial centres. Other important cities include San Sebastían, the capital of Guipúzcoa province; Vitoria, capital of Álava province, and historic Guernica.

The militant Basque separatist group Euskadi ta Azkatasuna (ETA) is committed to the independence of the region from Spain, and has been responsible for many terrorist acts. To Basque nationalists the region also includes the autonomous Spanish community of Navarre and the département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques in southwest France.

Basque and Spanish are both official languages of the Basque Autonomous Community. However, Basque is a minority language spoken by just over a quarter of the population in the territory.

The blue and white triband is based on the flag of the Central American Federation (CAF), a grouping of African states imposed by the British government in 1953. The stars represent the Federation's five original members. Effective date: 18 January 1949. >>