H I S T O R Y O F
B A S Q U E
Basque (Basque: Euskara, pronounced 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 (665,800 out of 2,589,600). Of these, 614,000 live in the Spanish part of the Basque country and the remaining 51,800 live in the French part.
guage had, at least until the 1990s, all but disappeared from most of Álava, western parts of Biscay and central and southern areas of Navarre. In southwestern France, the ancient Basque-populated provinces were Labourd, Lower Navarre, and Soule. They and other regions were consolidated into a single département in 1790 under the name Basses-Pyrénées, a name which persisted until 1970.
In academic discussions of the distribution of Basque in Spain and France, it is customary to refer to three ancient provinces in France and four Spanish provinces. Native speakers are concentrated in a contiguous area including parts of the Spanish Autonomous Communities of the Basque Autonomous Community (Spanish: País Vasco; Euskara: Euskadi) and Navarre and in the western half of the French Département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The Autonomous Community of País Vasco/Euskadi is an administrative entity within the binational ethnographic Basque Country incorporating the traditional Spanish provinces of Biscay, Gipuzkoa, and Álava, which retain their existence as politico-administrative divisions.
A standardized form of the Basque language, called Euskara Batua, was developed by the Basque Language Academy in the late 1960s. Euskara Batua was created so that Basque language could be used—and easily understood by all Basque speakers. This standard Basque is taught and used as a teaching language (as an option, together with standard Spanish) at most educational levels in the Spanish part of the Basque Country, while the intensity, status and funding by state bodies to Basque language instruction varies depending on the area.
These provinces and many areas of Navarre are heavily populated by ethnic Basques, but the Euskara lan-
2 .
In France, the Basque language school Seaska and the association for a bilingual (Basque and French) schooling Ikasbi meet a wide range of Basque language educational needs up to the Sixth Form. while often struggling to surmount financial and administrative constraints.
. 3
Y R O T S I H
Basque (Basque: Euskara, pronounced 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 (665,800 out of 2,589,600). Of these, 614,000 live in the Spanish part of the Basque country and the remaining 51,800 live in the French part. In academic discussions of the distribution of Basque in Spain and France, it is customary to refer to three ancient provinces in France and four Spanish provinces. Native speakers are concentrated in a contiguous area including parts of the Spanish Autonomous Communities of the Basque Autonomous Community (Spanish: País Vasco; Euskara: Euskadi) and Navarre and in the western half of the French Département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The Autonomous Community of País Vasco/Euskadi is an administrative entity within the binational ethnographic Basque Country incorporating the traditional Spanish provinces of Biscay, Gipuzkoa, and Álava, which retain their existence as politicoadministrative divisions. These provinces and many areas of Navarre are heavily populated by ethnic Basques, but the Euskara language had, at least until the 1990s,
all but disappeared from most of Álava, western parts of Biscay and central and southern areas of Navarre. In southwestern France, the ancient Basque-populated provinces were Labourd, Lower Navarre, and Soule. They and other regions were consolidated into a single département in 1790 under the name Basses-Pyrénées, a name which persisted until 1970. A standardized form of the Basque language, called Euskara Batua, was developed by the Basque Language Academy in the late 1960s. Euskara Batua was created so that Basque language could be used—and easily understood by all Basque speakers. This standard Basque is taught and used as a teaching language (as an option, together with standard Spanish) at most educational levels in the Spanish part of the Basque Country, while the intensity, status and funding by state bodies to Basque language instruction varies depending on the area. In France, the Basque language school Seaska and the association for a bilingual (Basque and French) schooling Ikasbi meet a wide range of Basque language educational needs up to the Sixth Form. while often struggling to surmount financial and administrative constraints.
Y R O T S I H
e d is th ounce n o o r h p w , eople, uskara sque p que: E s a ing a n B B n ( e a h p t e e of ion s g g Basqu a e r u g a try, hwestral lan d sout e Coun n u ancest a q s a in ques Spa the B of Bas astern % e inhabit h .7 t 5 r 2 o y ). Of a in n 89,60 0 oken b p ,5 s 2 an are f is o It f the out ance. part o 65,80 0 h 6 ( is ern Fr n s a ie live Sp erritor in the 51,80 0 g e v in in all t li in 0 a 614,0 0 the rem these, try and n u o c e of Basqu rt. ution nch pa distrib e r e F h t e y f h ar to s o in t custom ussion c is is it d , e ce and anc demic and Fr in Fran In aca s in e a c p in rs are ov e in S ient pr speake ing c Basqu n e a iv t e a d N o thre a inclu iinces. refer t us are h prov o un is u n m ig a t m p s Co a con u four S o in m o d unity uton trate Comm nish A s concen a u p o S m i) and utono of the Euskad nch que A parts : s a a r B a usk f the the Fre sco; E ties o alf of h aís Va n P r e Au: e t h ues. Th e wes h iq t (Spanis t n in la -At adi is e and rénées o/Eusk y c s P Navarr a f V o País tional ement nity of e bina u h t Départ m in m ating ous Co e entity with corpor in tonom iv y t r cay, inistra Count of Bis s e an adm hic Basque c in rov xistrap their e nish p a p in S a ethnog t l e r a which adition ions. the tr Álava, e divis d n iv t a a , r t a o is k z in m Gipu ico-ad s polit ence a
are avarre s of N e a e r a t bu th ny nd ma sques, a , a s s B e 0 c 9 ic 9 e 1 ethn provin ntil th d by u e These n t t r s e la a t u s e t le pop lava, w had, a heavily st of Á guage o areas n m n la r e m a d fro south e t r Euskar d a n e a p ancien ral disap e, the d cent c n n a all but a r w y F o a ern rd, L f Bisc thwest Labou u e o parts o r s s e n w io g arre. In d provinces ther re of Nav te and o la nt in y u e e p h o m T p e eoule. épart S d Basqu e d le n g sin a nam arre, a into a nées, é d r e er Nav y t P a d es onsoli e Bass were c e nam h t r . e 0 nd ge, 197 1790 u langua d until e e t u is q s s r Ba pe the which d by of the form velope e d 0s. d e 6 9 iz s te 1 dard , wa la n a a u t e t s a h t B A nin a que la demy Euskar at Bas e Aca h g t called d a o o u o s t g ted ders e Lan s crea ily un a s Basqu w a is e a e u u d q an a Bat rd Bas used— Euskar standa as an ld be is ( u h o e T c . g ngua akers e la t guage p s g e in ch at mos Basqu s a tea anish) a p by all e S d h e t d s r f da and u part o h stan taught anish p and her wit t S s e u g e t o a h t t t , ity, s s ls in option n e e v t le ge ine in ional langua hile th e w u , educat q y s r t a n B e Cou dies to rea. Basqu tate bo n the a s o y g b in g d aska n in e d fun s dep ool Se h ie c r s a v e d n g que an langua structio al (Bas asque u f B g o e in e h il g t ran r a b nce, e o a f r id F n w io In he ciat et a p to t bi me e asso eeds u g Ikas and th n n nt li l u o a o o n urm catio ) sch g to s n e edu French li g g a g u u g str e lan often aints. Basqu while constr . e m iv r t o a F tr Sixth dminis l and a ia c n a fin
H I S T O R Y O F
B A S Q U E
Basque (Basque: Euskara, pronounced 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 (665,800 out of 2,589,600). Of these, 614,000 live in the Spanish part of the Basque country and the remaining 51,800 live in the French part. In academic discussions of the distribution of Basque in Spain and France, it is customary to refer to three ancient provinces in France and four Spanish provinces. Native speakers are concentrated in a contiguous area including parts of the Spanish Autonomous Communities of the Basque Autonomous Community (Spanish: País Vasco; Euskara: Euskadi) and Navarre and in the western half of the French Département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The Autonomous Community of País Vasco/Euskadi is an administrative entity within the binational ethnographic Basque Country incorporating the traditional Spanish provinces of Biscay, Gipuzkoa, and Álava, which retain their existence as politicoadministrative divisions.
areas of Navarre. In southwestern France, the ancient Basque-populated provinces were Labourd, Lower Navarre, and Soule. They and other regions were consolidated into a single département in 1790 under the name Basses-Pyrénées, a name which persisted until 1970. A standardized form of the Basque language, called Euskara Batua, was developed by the Basque Language Academy in the late 1960s. Euskara Batua was created so that Basque language could be used—and easily understood by all Basque speakers. This standard Basque is taught and used as a teaching language (as an option, together with standard Spanish) at most educational levels in the Spanish part of the Basque Country, while the intensity, status and funding by state bodies to Basque language instruction varies depending on the area. In France, the Basque language school Seaska and the association for a bilingual (Basque and French) schooling Ikasbi meet a wide range of Basque language educational needs up to the Sixth Form. while often struggling to surmount financial and administrative constraints.
These provinces and many areas of Navarre are heavily populated by ethnic Basques, but the Euskara language had, at least until the 1990s, all but disappeared from most of Álava, western parts of Biscay and central and southern
2 .
. 3
H I S T O R Y O F
B A S Q U E
Basque (Basque: Euskara, pronounced 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 (665,800 out of 2,589,600). Of these, 614,000 live in the Spanish part of the Basque country and the remaining 51,800 live in the French part.w In academic discussions of the distribution of Basque in Spain and France, it is customary to refer to three ancient provinces in France and four Spanish provinces. Native speakers are concentrated in a contiguous area including parts of the Spanish Autonomous Communities of the Basque Autonomous Community (Spanish: País Vasco; Euskara: Euskadi) and Navarre and in the western half of the French Département of PyrénéesAtlantiques. The Autonomous Community of País Vasco/Euskadi is an administrative entity within the binational ethnographic Basque Country incorporating the traditional Spanish provinces of Biscay, Gipuzkoa, and Álava, which retain their existence as politico-administrative divisions.
Labourd, Lower Navarre, and Soule. They and other regions were consolidated into a single département in 1790 under the name Basses-Pyrénées, a name which persisted until 1970. A standardized form of the Basque language, called Euskara Batua, was developed by the Basque Language Academy in the late 1960s. Euskara Batua was created so that Basque language could be used—and easily understood by all Basque speakers. This standard Basque is taught and used as a teaching language (as an option, together with standard Spanish) at most educational levels in the Spanish part of the Basque Country, while the intensity, status and funding by state bodies to Basque language instruction varies depending on the area. In France, the Basque language school Seaska and the association for a bilingual (Basque and French) schooling Ikasbi meet a wide range of Basque language educational needs up to the Sixth Form. while often struggling to surmount financial and administrative constraints.
These provinces and many areas of Navarre are heavily populated by ethnic Basques, but the Euskara language had, at least until the 1990s, all but disappeared from most of Álava, western parts of Biscay and central and southern areas of Navarre. In southwestern France, the ancient Basque-populated provinces were
2 .
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HISTORY OF BASQUE
Basque (Basque: Euskara, pronounced 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 (665,800 out of 2,589,600). Of these, 614,000 live in the Spanish part of the Basque country and the remaining 51,800 live in the French part. In academic discussions of the distribution of Basque in Spain and France, it is customary to refer to three ancient provinces in France and four Spanish provinces. Native speakers are concentrated in a contiguous area including parts of the Spanish Autonomous Communities of the Basque Autonomous Community (Spanish: País Vasco; Euskara: Euskadi) and Navarre and in the western half of the French Département of PyrénéesAtlantiques. The Autonomous Community of País Vasco/Euskadi is an administrative entity within the binational ethnographic Basque Country incorporating the traditional Spanish provinces of Biscay, Gipuzkoa, and Álava, which retain their existence as politico-administrative divisions.
France, the ancient Basque-populated provinces were Labourd, Lower Navarre, and Soule. They and other regions were consolidated into a single département in 1790 under the name Basses-Pyrénées, a name which persisted until 1970. A standardized form of the Basque language, called Euskara Batua, was developed by the Basque Language Academy in the late 1960s. Euskara Batua was created so that Basque language could be used—and easily understood by all Basque speakers. This standard Basque is taught and used as a teaching language (as an option, together with standard Spanish) at most educational levels in the Spanish part of the Basque Country, while the intensity, status and funding by state bodies to Basque language instruction varies depending on the area. In France, the Basque language school Seaska and the association for a bilingual (Basque and French) schooling Ikasbi meet a wide range of Basque language educational needs up to the Sixth Form. while often struggling to surmount financial and administrative constraints.
These provinces and many areas of Navarre are heavily populated by ethnic Basques, but the Euskara language had, at least until the 1990s, all but disappeared from most of Álava, western parts of Biscay and central and southern areas of Navarre. In southwestern
2 .
. 3
H I S T O R Y O F
B A S Q U E
Basque (Basque: Euskara, pronounced 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 (665,800 out of 2,589,600). Of these, 614,000 live in the Spanish part of the Basque country and the remaining 51,800 live in the French part. In academic discussions of the distribution of Basque in Spain and France, it is customary to refer to three ancient provinces in France and four Spanish provinces. Native speakers are concentrated in a contiguous area including parts of the Spanish Autonomous Communities of the Basque Autonomous Community (Spanish: País Vasco; Euskara: Euskadi) and Navarre and in the western half of the French Département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The Autonomous Community of País Vasco/Euskadi is an administrative entity within the binational ethnographic Basque Country incorporating the traditional Spanish provinces of Biscay, Gipuzkoa, and Álava, which retain their existence as politico-administrative divisions. These provinces and many areas of Navarre are heavily populated by ethnic Basques, but the Euskara lan-
2 .
guage had, at least until the 1990s, all but disappeared from most of Álava, western parts of Biscay and central and southern areas of Navarre. In southwestern France, the ancient Basque-populated provinces were Labourd, Lower Navarre, and Soule. They and other regions were consolidated into a single département in 1790 under the name Basses-Pyrénées, a name which persisted until 1970. A standardized form of the Basque language, called Euskara Batua, was developed by the Basque Language Academy in the late 1960s. Euskara Batua was created so that Basque language could be used—and easily understood by all Basque speakers. This standard Basque is taught and used as a teaching language (as an option, together with standard Spanish) at most educational levels in the Spanish part of the Basque Country, while the intensity, status and funding by state bodies to Basque language instruction varies depending on the area. In France, the Basque language school Seaska and the association for a bilingual (Basque and French) schooling Ikasbi meet a wide range of Basque language educational needs up to the Sixth Form. while often struggling to surmount financial and administrative constraints.
. 3