Busturialdea Explained

Busturialde - Urdaibai
Native Name Lang:es
Settlement Type:Eskualdea / Comarca
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Spain
Subdivision Type1:Autonomous community
Subdivision Name1:Basque Country
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Biscay
Seat Type:Capitals
Seat:Bermeo and Gernika
Parts Type:Municipalities
Parts Style:list
P1:Bermeo, Mundaka, Sukarrieta, Busturia, Murueta, Forua, Gernika, Errigoiti, Morga, Ajangiz, Mendata, Arratzu, Muxika, Nabarniz, Kortezubi, Gautegiz Arteaga, Ibarrangelu, Elantxobe, Ereño, Ea
Area Total Km2:220
Population Total:46.000
Blank Info Sec1:Bermeo (17.144)
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Area Code Type:Dialing code

Busturialdea, also named Busturialde - Urdaibai is a comarca of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is the heir of "Busturia", one of the original merindades that used to compose the province of Biscay – this should not be confused with Busturia, a municipality located in this region. Busturialdea is a diminished portion of the same original subregion and has two capital cities; Bermeo and Gernika-Lumo. It is one of the seven comarcas that compose the province of Biscay.

History

Busturia used to be one of the merindades of Biscay and included a larger territory than the current one of Busturialdea, as it reached the province of Gipuzkoa.

Busturialdea was historically the core of Biscay: the capitals of the province, Bermeo and Gernika, were located in it; the village of Mundaka, also belonging to this region, had the privilege of speaking always first in the sessions of its parliament and for some time, the harbour of Bermeo was the main portuary facility, until Bilbao was founded in 1300.

Busturialdea and its lush estuary was also important in prehistory. Particularly significant is its site of Santimamiñe cave, that yielded a full sequence of human habitation from Neanderthals to the Iron Age, and beautiful Magdalenian cave paintings.

Geography

Busturialdea is located at the north of the province of Biscay, limiting with the comarcas of Lea-Artibai on the east, Uribe and Greater Bilbao on the west and Durangaldea on the south. The Bay of Biscay limits at north.

The comarca is located along the Urdaibai estuary, which has been named Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1984[1] [2]

Municipalities

MunicipalityPopulationTerritory km2
Ajangiz4577.35
Arratzu38810.34
Bermeo17,14434.12
Busturia1,63719.63
Kortezubi42311.91
Ea88614.17
Elantxobe4021.85
Ereño27810.67
Errigoiti53716.42
Forua9697.94
Gautegiz Arteaga91013.57
Gernika-Lumo16,8128.47
Ibarrangelu64115.56
Mendata37822.39
Morga40617.6
Muxika1,46850.02
Mundaka1,9404.15
Murueta3025.45
Nabarniz22711.75
Sukarrieta3572.3

External links

43.3478°N -2.6925°W

Notes and References

  1. http://www.bizkaia.net/Bizkaia_Informazioa/bmaitea/Bizkaia_Informazioa/Castellano/informacion_general/rutas_y_lugares/ca_URDAIB.asp Bizkaia maitea. Urdaibai
  2. http://www.unescoeh.org/base/ingurumena.php?id_atala=5&id_azpiatala=592&hizk=es Actividades en la Reserva de la Biosfera de Urdaibai