The Basque Country
The Basque Country or Euskal Herria, as the locals call it, is a unique nation that flows into both France and Spain, with the Pyrenees Mountains lying in between the French and Spanish Basque Country. It’s a nation with a tale as old as time, in fact some records show that Basque tribes were around as far back as Roman times, if not further.
Most of the Basque Country lies in Spain, which includes The Bay of Biscay, Alava, and Guipuzcoa in the North of the country. The French Basque Country lies in the extreme South West of France, bordering the Aquitaine region. Within the region is Bayonne, an important town since Roman times, and the glamorous resort of Biarritz, once a hot spot for rich Europeans in the 19th Century. There are many other fishing villages, market towns, and historical hotspots in the surrounding area, each with their own story to tell. Some of these stories feature historical figures, such as Jeanne D’Albret, Mother to Henry IV, who had a house in the market town of Orthez. Other tales recount the Basque Separatist Movement of the early 1900’s, particularly during The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), which largely involved terrorist acts by the Spanish Basques, as they fought for, but failed to gain, total control of their nation. The Basque Country was also open to invasions, and the history books cover attempts by the Romans, Visigoths (An East Germanic tribe), Arabs, French, and Spanish, all of which The Basque Country survived.
As the Basque Country survived, so did the culture and traditions of its people. The most important of these was the Basque Language, an ancient tongue, which stands out as being different from virtually every other European tongue. The Basque people have long had the freedom to educate and speak in their native Euskara, and it’s now a language that specialists all over the world enjoy learning.
There is a strong sense of pride in the Basque Language, and a sense of friendship/respect among the people that speak it. Of course local traditions also form an important part of life.
While tourism is one of the major focuses of industry and employment today, the Basque people have always been known as fine fishermen, and have also been heavily involved in herding and farming. With such a strong tradition in agriculture, it’s hardly surprising that the region also produces some fine food/cuisine too. Basque chillies, peppers stuffed with salt cod, cheeses, and cured hams are just some of the delicacies on offer, and there’s plenty of wines to match with your meals too, including local speciality the Txacolí, a light white wine.
Food, industry, language, and of course religion, all play their part in Basque life, as does sport. The nation is home to a vast family of ball games, generally known as Pilota. They also have a national football team, Athletic Bilbao on the Spanish side of the nation, while sports like the world famous Bull Runs are practised throughout many of the Basque towns and villages.
The Basque people and Basque country have played an important part in both the history of France and Spain, and all the Basque people hold true to the values on which their foundations were built, and the local traditions and culture that has been built up since, and it’s all of this that makes them a unique part of European life.
