Page 2 - XARMANTA EXPERIENCES

ABOUT

BASQUE COUNTRY

The Basque Country may be small but it has a big
identity. With over 5,000 years of history, it conserves a
unique culture and the oldest language in Europe
Today it's a modern country with a human
development rating that places it in eighth place in
the world, according to the United Nations (PNUD).

Located at the eastern end of the Cantabrian coast, it
O
covers an area of 7,234 km² and its position makes it
the nexus of the European Atlantic axis. It has a
population of over 2 million people, with a density of A
over 300 inhabitants per square kilometre.
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The capital of the Basque Country is Vitoria-Gasteiz,
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where the Basque parliament and the seat of the
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Basque government are located. Its degree of
B
autonomy in policy areas including education,
industry, culture, health and social security and
services has enabled it to achieve a high rating in the
human development index: eighth place in the world.
The official languages are Basque and Spanish.
There are also three historic regions in the Basque
Country: Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. The
institutional architecture of each of them is based on
executive bodies known as Diputaciones Forales and
the legislative chambers known as Juntas Generales.
The origins of these institutions date back to the 15th
century.