Misplaced Pages

#485514

114-527: Esquivel is a surname of Basque origin as well as a place name . The last name Esquivel (or Esquibel) has its origins in the village of Esquivel, located in the ayuntamiento of Mendoza, Álava , in Euskadi . Usually surnames were originated in the Basque Country as name of houses, being families known by the name of the house they inhabited once. Esquivel was originally spelled Ezkibel and evolved from

228-657: A Jewish community composed mainly of Sephardi Jews fleeing from the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions . There were also important Jewish and Muslim communities in Navarre before the Castilian invasion of 1512–21. Nowadays, according to one single opinion poll, only slightly more than 50% of Basques profess some kind of belief in God , while the rest are either agnostic or atheist . The number of religious skeptics increases noticeably for

342-534: A federation , even though in many respects the country can be compared to countries which are undeniably federal. The unique resulting system is referred to as "Autonomous state", or more precisely "State of Autonomies". With the implementation of the Autonomous Communities, Spain went from being one of the most centralized countries in the OECD to being one of the most decentralized; in particular, it has been

456-553: A "Statute of Autonomy" during the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1936). Otherwise, the constitution required the approval of three-fourths of the municipalities involved whose population would be at least the majority of the electoral census of each province, and required the ratification through a referendum with the affirmative vote of the absolute majority of the electoral census of each province (that is, of all registered citizens, not only of those who would vote). While

570-502: A Christian veneer to pagan worship have remained speculative. At any rate, Mari (Andramari) is one of the oldest worshipped Christian icons in Basque territories. Mari's consort is Sugaar . This chthonic couple seems to bear the superior ethical power and the power of creation and destruction. It's said that when they gathered in the high caves of the sacred peaks, they engendered the storms. These meetings typically happened on Friday nights,

684-456: A co-official language in Catalonia, making it the only autonomous community whose name has three official variants (Spanish: Cataluña , Catalan: Catalunya , Occitan: Catalonha ). PP (Since July 2024) PP (Since July 2024) PP (Since July 2024) PP (Since July 2024) PP (Since July 2024) RA: Regionally Appointed DE: Directly Elected DE: Directly Elected Spain

798-675: A federal system in all but name, or a "federation without federalism". The official names of the autonomous communities can be in Spanish only (which applies to the majority of them), in the co-official language in the community only (as in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands), or in both Spanish and the co-official language (as in the Basque Country, Navarre and Galicia). Since 2006, Occitan —in its Aranese dialect —is also

912-409: A few decades ago the Basque language had all but disappeared. Nowadays, the number of Basque speakers is maintaining its level or increasing slightly. Traditionally Basques have been mostly Catholics . In the 19th century and well into the 20th, Basques as a group remained notably devout and churchgoing. In recent years church attendance has fallen off, as in most of Western Europe. The region has been

1026-640: A first mention of the—for the period—unusual position of women: "Women could inherit and control property as well as officiate in churches." The evidence for this assertion is rather sparse however. This preference for female dominance existed well into the 20th century: Autonomous Community Spanish : comunidad autónoma Aragonese : comunidat autonoma Asturian : comunidá autónoma Basque : autonomia erkidegoa Catalan : comunitat autònoma Galician : comunidade autónoma Occitan : comunautat autonòma The autonomous communities ( Spanish : comunidad autónoma ) are

1140-483: A geographical orientation or other locally meaningful identifying features. Such surnames provide even those Basques whose families may have left the land generations ago with an important link to their rural family origins: Bengoetxea "the house of further down", Goikoetxea "the house above", Landaburu "top of the field", Errekondo "next to the stream", Elizalde "by the church", Mendizabal "wide hill", Usetxe "house of birds" Ibarretxe "house in

1254-457: A goddess called Mari . A number of place-names contain her name, which would suggest these places were related to worship of her such as Anbotoko Mari who appears to have been related to the weather. According to one tradition, she travelled every seven years between a cave on Mount Anboto and one on another mountain (the stories vary); the weather would be wet when she was in Anboto, dry when she

SECTION 10

#1732855183486

1368-644: A great many enterprising figures of Basque origin who went into the world to earn their way, from Spanish conquistadors such as Lope de Aguirre and Francisco Vásquez de Coronado , to explorers, missionaries and saints of the Catholic Church, such as Francis Xavier . A widespread belief that Basque society was originally matriarchal is at odds with the current, clearly patrilineal kinship system and inheritance structures. Some scholars and commentators have attempted to reconcile these points by assuming that patrilineal kinship represents an innovation. In any case,

1482-417: A legendary people which explains the disappearance of a people of Stone Age culture that used to live in the high lands and with no knowledge of iron. Many legends about them tell that they were bigger and taller, with a great force, but were displaced by the ferrons , or workers of ironworks foundries, until their total fade-out. They were pagans, but one of them, Olentzero , accepted Christianity and became

1596-523: A major concentration of Basques, most notably in the San Joaquin Valley between Stockton , Fresno and Bakersfield . The city of Bakersfield has a large Basque community and the city has several Basque restaurants, including Noriega's which won the 2011 James Beard Foundation America's Classic Award. There is a history of Basque culture in Chino, California . In Chino, two annual Basque festivals celebrate

1710-692: A province of France in 1620. Nevertheless, the Basques enjoyed a great deal of self-government until the French Revolution (1790) and the Carlist Wars (1839, 1876), when the Basques supported heir apparent Carlos V and his descendants. On either side of the Pyrenees, the Basques lost their native institutions and laws held during the Ancien régime . Since then, despite the current limited self-governing status of

1824-409: A provisional period of 5 years, after which they could assume further powers, upon negotiation with the central government. However, the constitution did not explicitly establish an institutional framework for these communities. They could have established a parliamentary system like the "historical nationalities", or they could have not assumed any legislative powers and simply established mechanisms for

1938-530: A separate entity, called in present-day Basque Nafarroako Foru Erkidegoa , in Spanish Comunidad Foral de Navarra (the autonomous community of Navarre). The government of this autonomous community is the Government of Navarre. In historical contexts Navarre may refer to a wider area, and that the present-day northern Basque province of Lower Navarre may also be referred to as (part of) Nafarroa , while

2052-601: A single agglomeration community was established for the Basque Country in France . The Basque region is divided into at least three administrative units, namely the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre in Spain, and the arrondissement of Bayonne and the cantons of Mauléon-Licharre and Tardets-Sorholus in the département of Pyrénées Atlantiques , France. The autonomous community (a concept established in

2166-415: A sort of Basque Santa Claus . They gave name to several toponyms, as Jentilbaratza . Historically, Basque society can be described as being somewhat at odds with Roman and later European societal norms. Strabo 's account of the north of Spain in his Geographica (written between approximately 20 BC and 20 AD) makes a mention of "a sort of woman-rule—not at all a mark of civilization" (Hadington 1992),

2280-506: A source of missionaries like Francis Xavier and Michel Garicoïts . Ignatius Loyola , founder of the Society of Jesus , was a Basque. California Franciscan Fermín Lasuén was born in Vitoria . Lasuén was the successor to Franciscan Padre Junípero Serra and founded 9 of the 21 extant California Missions along the coast. A sprout of Protestantism in the continental Basque Country produced

2394-575: A uniform decentralization of entities with the same powers and an asymmetrical structure that would distinguish the nationalities. Peripheral nationalist parties wanted a multinational state with a federal or confederal model, whereas the governing Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) and the People's Alliance (AP) wanted minimum decentralization; the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)

SECTION 20

#1732855183486

2508-685: A variety of local customs, laws, languages and currencies until the mid 19th century. From the 18th century onwards, the Bourbon kings and the government tried to establish a more centralized regime. Leading figures of the Spanish Enlightenment advocated for the building of a Spanish nation beyond the internal territorial boundaries. This culminated in 1833, when Spain was divided into 49 (now 50) provinces , which served mostly as transmission belts for policies developed in Madrid. Spanish history since

2622-534: A written and printed one used in present-day forms of publication and communication, as well as a language spoken and used in a very wide range of social and cultural contexts, styles, and registers. Basques have a close attachment to their home ( etxe(a) 'house, home'), especially when this consists of the traditional self-sufficient, family-run farm or baserri (a) . Home in this context is synonymous with family roots. Some Basque surnames were adapted from old baserri or habitation names . They typically related to

2736-554: Is a Basque version of the Woodwose . There is a trickster named San Martin Txiki ("St Martin the Lesser"). It is unclear whether Neolithic stone structures called dolmens have a religious significance or were built to house animals or resting shepherds. Some of the dolmens and cromlechs are burial sites serving also as border markers. The jentilak (' Giants '), on the other hand, are

2850-555: Is a diverse country made up of several different regions with varying economic and social structures, as well as different languages and historical, political and cultural traditions. While the entire Spanish territory was united under one crown in 1479, this was not a process of national homogenization or amalgamation. The constituent territories—be they crowns, kingdoms, principalities or dominions—retained much of their former institutional existence, including limited legislative, judicial or fiscal autonomy. These territories also exhibited

2964-503: Is again on the rise due to favorable official language policies and popular support. Currently about 33 percent of the population in the Basque Autonomous Community speaks Basque. Navarre has a population of 601,000; its administrative capital and main city, also regarded by many nationalist Basques as the Basques' historical capital, is Pamplona ( Iruñea in modern Basque). Only Spanish is an official language of Navarre, and

3078-402: Is derived from an ancient Basque verb enautsi "to say" (compare modern Basque esan ) and the suffix -(k)ara ("way (of doing something)"). Thus, euskara would mean literally "way of saying" or "way of speaking". One item of evidence in favour of that hypothesis is found in the Spanish book Compendio Historial , written in 1571 by the Basque writer Esteban de Garibay . He records the name of

3192-620: Is no conflict, I am proud of both. ... I have friends who are involved in the political side of things but that is not for me. My only interest is the culture, the Euskera language, the people, our history and ways." As a result of state language promotion, school policies, the effects of mass media and migration, today virtually all Basques (except for some children below school age) speak the official language of their state (Spanish or French). There are extremely few Basque monolingual speakers: essentially all Basque speakers are bilingual on both sides of

3306-482: Is vested in the nation as a whole, represented in the central institutions of government, the nation has, to varying degrees, devolved power to the communities. This unique framework of territorial administration has been labeled by the Constitutional Court as the "State of Autonomous Communities", to avoid implying either a unitary or federal model. Some scholars have referred to the resulting system as

3420-777: The Basque words Ezki , which means lime tree, and Gibel , which means behind. Therefore, Esquivel means the house behind the lime trees . Basques The English word Basque may be pronounced / b ɑː s k / or / b æ s k / and derives from the French Basque ( French: [bask] ), itself derived from Gascon Basco (pronounced [ˈbasku] ), cognate with Spanish Vasco (pronounced [ˈbasko] ). Those, in turn, come from Latin Vascō (pronounced [ˈwaskoː] ; plural Vascōnēs —see history section below). The Latin / w / generally evolved into

3534-615: The Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre as settled by the Spanish Constitution, many Basques have attempted higher degrees of self-empowerment (see Basque nationalism ), sometimes by acts of violence. Labourd , Lower Navarre , and Soule were integrated into the French department system (starting 1790), with Basque efforts to establish a region-specific political-administrative entity failing to take off to date. However, in January 2017,

Esquivel - Misplaced Pages Continue

3648-570: The Ebro and Garonne rivers was known as Vasconia , a vaguely defined ethnic area and political entity struggling to fend off pressure from the Iberian Visigothic kingdom and Arab rule to the south , as well as the Frankish push from the north. By the turn of the first millennium, the territory of Vasconia had fragmented into different feudal regions, such as Soule and Labourd , while south of

3762-620: The Generalitat , Catalonia's mediaeval institution of government, was restored. The constitution of 1931 envisaged a territorial division for all Spain in "autonomous regions", which was never fully attained—only Catalonia , the Basque Country and Galicia had approved " Statutes of Autonomy "—the process being thwarted by the Spanish Civil War that broke out in 1936, and the victory of the rebel Nationalist forces under Francisco Franco . During General Franco's dictatorial regime , centralism

3876-603: The Spanish Constitution of 1978 ) known as Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa or EAE in Basque and as Comunidad Autónoma Vasca or CAV in Spanish (in English: Basque Autonomous Community or BAC), is made up of the three Spanish provinces of Álava , Biscay and Gipuzkoa . The corresponding Basque names of these territories are Araba , Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa , and their Spanish names are Álava , Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa . The BAC only includes three of

3990-541: The bilabials / b / and / β̞ / in Gascon and Spanish, probably under the influence of Basque and the related Aquitanian (the Latin /w/ instead evolved into / v / in French , Italian and other Romance languages ). Several coins from the 2nd and the 1st centuries BC found in the Basque Country bear the inscription barscunes . The place in which they were minted is not certain but is thought to be somewhere near Pamplona , in

4104-401: The euskaldunak , singular euskaldun , formed from euskal- (i.e. "Basque (language)") and -dun (i.e. "one who has"); euskaldun literally means a Basque-speaker. Not all Basques are Basque-speakers. Therefore, the neologism euskotar , plural euskotarrak , was coined in the 19th century to mean a Basque person, whether Basque-speaking or not. Alfonso Irigoyen posits that the word euskara

4218-455: The "nationalities". After a massive rally in support of autonomy, a referendum was organized for Andalusia to attain autonomy through the strict requirements of article 151, or the "fast route"—with UCD calling for abstention, and the main party in opposition in Parliament, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) calling for a vote in favour. These requirements were not met, as in one of

4332-479: The "norm", was established in article 143. This route could be taken—via the first transitory disposition—by the "pre-autonomic regimes" that had been constituted in 1978, while the constitution was still being drafted, if approved by two-thirds of all municipalities involved whose population would sum up to at least the majority of the electoral census of each province or insular territory. These communities would assume limited powers ( Spanish : competencias ) during

4446-557: The "pre-autonomic regime" of Castile and León—were granted autonomy as single provinces with historical identity, a move supported by the majority of their populations. The "autonomic pacts" give both Cantabria and La Rioja the option of being incorporated into Castile and León in the future, and required that the Statutes of Autonomy of all three communities include such a provision. León, a historical kingdom and historical region of Spain, once joined to Old Castile to form Castile and León,

4560-651: The BAC" are commonly though not universally employed. In particular in common usage the French term Pays Basque ("Basque Country"), in the absence of further qualification, refers either to the whole Basque Country ("Euskal Herria" in Basque), or not infrequently to the northern (or "French") Basque Country specifically. Under Spain's present constitution, Navarre ( Nafarroa in present-day Basque, Navarra historically in Spanish) constitutes

4674-529: The Basque Country to settle in the rest of Spain, France or other parts of the world in different historical periods, often for economic or political reasons. Historically the Basques abroad were often employed in shepherding and ranching and by maritime fisheries and merchants. Millions of Basque descendants (see Basque American and Basque Canadian ) live in North America (the United States; Canada, mainly in

Esquivel - Misplaced Pages Continue

4788-519: The Basque have been a major if not the strongest influence in the country's cultural and economic development. Basque place names are to be found, such as Nueva Vizcaya (now Chihuahua and Durango , Mexico), New Navarre (now Sonora and Sinaloa , Mexico), Biscayne Bay (United States), and Aguereberry Point (United States). Nueva Vizcaya was the first province in the north of the Viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico) to be explored and settled by

4902-478: The Basque language as enusquera . That may, however, be a writing mistake. In the 19th century, the Basque nationalist activist Sabino Arana posited an original root euzko , which he thought came from eguzkiko ("of the sun", related to the assumption of an original solar religion ). On the basis of that putative root, Arana proposed the name Euzkadi for an independent Basque nation, composed of seven Basque historical territories. Arana's neologism Euzkadi (in

5016-555: The Basque language is only co-official in the province's northern region, where most Basque-speaking Navarrese are concentrated. About a quarter of a million people live in the French Basque Country . Nowadays Basque-speakers refer to this region as Iparralde (Basque for North), and to the Spanish provinces as Hegoalde (South). Much of this population lives in or near the Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz (BAB) urban belt on

5130-614: The Basque nationalists. A large number of regional and local nationalist and non-nationalist representatives have waged a campaign for years advocating for the creation of a separate Basque département , while these demands have gone unheard by the French administration. There are 2,123,000 people living in the Basque Autonomous Community (279,000 in Alava, 1,160,000 in Biscay and 684,000 in Gipuzkoa). The most important cities in this region, which serve as

5244-406: The Basque people than the " antioqueños ". Also, writer Arturo Escobar Uribe said in his book " Mitos de Antioquia " (Myths of Antioquia) (1950): "Antioquia, which in its clean ascendance predominates the peninsular farmer of the Basque provinces, inherited the virtues of its ancestors. ... Despite the predominance of the white race, its extension in the mountains ... has projected over Colombia's map

5358-580: The Basques is called Basque or Euskara , spoken today by 25%-30% of the region's population. An idea of the central place the language has in cultural terms is given by the fact that Basques identify themselves by the term euskaldun and their country as Euskal Herria , literally "Basque speaker" and "Country of the Basque Language" respectively. The language has been made a political issue by official Spanish and French policies restricting its use either historically or currently; however, this has not stopped

5472-460: The Canary Islands in that, although they took the "slow route", through the subsequent approval of specific organic laws, they were to assume full autonomy in less than 5 years, since they had started a process towards the "fast route" prior to the approval of the "autonomic pacts". On the other hand, Cantabria and La Rioja, although originally part of Old Castile —and both originally included in

5586-502: The Constitution not setting a mandatory legislative chamber framework, all autonomous communities have chosen unicameralism . All such governments have legislative and executive branches of government but not judicial. The Spanish model is generally considered by foreign political scientists and scholars as "a federal system with certain peculiarities". However it is also described as a decentralised unitary country. While sovereignty

5700-671: The Mexican/Texan border, many Basque surnames can be found. The largest concentration of Basques who settled on Mexico's north-eastern "frontera", including the states of Chihuahua , Durango , Coahuila , Nuevo León , and Tamaulipas , also settled along Texas' Rio Grande from South Texas to West Texas . Many of the historic hidalgos , or noble families from this area, had gained their titles and land grants from Spain and Mexico; they still value their land. Some of North America's largest ranches, which were founded under these colonial land grants, can be found in this region. California has

5814-399: The Parliament approved an amendment to the law that regulated referendums, and used a prerogative of article 144c of the constitution, both actions which combined would allow Andalusia to take the fast route. They also agreed that no other region would take the "fast route", but that all regions would establish a parliamentary system with all institutions of government. This opened a phase that

SECTION 50

#1732855183486

5928-649: The Pyrenees the Castile , Pamplona and the Pyrenean counties of Aragon , Sobrarbe , Ribagorça (later Kingdom of Aragon ), and Pallars emerged as the main regional entities with Basque population in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Kingdom of Pamplona, a central Basque realm, later known as Navarre , underwent a process of feudalization and was subject to the influence of its much larger Aragonese, Castilian and French neighbours. Castile deprived Navarre of its coastline by conquering key western territories (1199–1201), leaving

6042-487: The Spanish Basque Country, Basques that don't have a sense of Spanish identity make up an important part of the population. As with many European states, a regional identity, be it linguistically derived or otherwise, is not mutually exclusive with the broader national one. For example, Basque rugby union player for France, Imanol Harinordoquy , has said about his national identity: "I am French and Basque. There

6156-517: The Spanish. It consisted mostly of the area which is today the states of Chihuahua and Durango (the original Durango is a known city in Biscay). In Mexico most descendants of Basque emigrees are concentrated in the cities of Monterrey , Saltillo , Reynosa , Camargo , and the states of Jalisco , Durango , Nuevo León , Tamaulipas , Coahuila , and Sonora . The Basques were important in the mining industry; many were ranchers and vaqueros ( cowboys ), and

6270-669: The United States is in the area around Boise, Idaho , home to the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, host to an annual Basque festival, as well as a festival for the Basque diaspora every five years. Reno, Nevada , where the Center for Basque Studies and the Basque Studies Library are located at the University of Nevada , is another significant nucleus of Basque population. Elko, Nevada , sponsors an annual Basque festival that celebrates

6384-616: The Western half of Europe, especially along the Western fringe of the continent. Basque tribes were mentioned in Roman times by Strabo and Pliny, including the Vascones , Aquitani , and others. There is enough evidence to support the hypothesis that at that time and later they spoke old varieties of the Basque language (see: Aquitanian language ). In the Early Middle Ages , the territory between

6498-561: The above criteria, in that the Spanish Parliament could: The constitution also established two "routes" to accede to autonomy. The "fast route" or "fast track", also called the "exception", was established in article 151, and was implicitly reserved for the three "historical nationalities" — Catalonia , the Basque Country and Galicia , regions with strong regional identities —in that the very strict requirements to opt for this route were waived for those territories that had approved

6612-493: The administration of the powers they were granted. The constitution also explicitly established that the institutional framework for these communities would be a parliamentary system , with a Legislative Assembly elected by universal suffrage , a cabinet or "council of government", a president of such a council, elected by the Assembly, and a High Court of Justice. They were also granted a maximum level of devolved powers. While

6726-457: The approval of the Spanish Parliament, which would exercise its prerogatives to grant autonomy to other entities besides provinces. However one aspect of this asymmetry in powers between regions is a cause of friction, namely that the Basque-speaking areas ( Basque Country and Navarra ) can raise their own taxes and negotiate a transfer to Madrid to pay for common services and hence, unlike

6840-463: The autonomous communities were created, Article 145 prohibits the "federation of autonomous communities". This was understood as any agreement between communities that would produce an alteration to the political and territorial equilibrium that would cause a confrontation between different blocks of communities, an action incompatible with the principle of solidarity and the unity of the nation. The so-called "additional" and "transitory" dispositions of

6954-414: The border. Spanish or French is typically the first language of citizens from other regions (who often feel no need to learn Basque), and Spanish or French is also the first language of many Basques, all of which maintains the dominance of the state tongues of both France and Spain. Recent Basque Government policies aim to change this pattern, as they are viewed as potential threats against mainstream usage of

SECTION 60

#1732855183486

7068-450: The cider is in season. At the end of the 20th century, despite ETA violence (ended in 2010) and the crisis of heavy industries, the Basque economic condition recovered remarkably. They emerged from the Franco regime with a revitalized language and culture. The Basque language expanded geographically led by large increases in the major urban centers of Pamplona, Bilbao, and Bayonne, where only

7182-446: The cities of Ceuta and Melilla were constituted as "autonomous cities" without legislative powers, but with an autonomous assembly not subordinated to any other province or community. The creation of the autonomous communities was a diverse process, that started with the constitution, was normalized with the autonomic pacts and was completed with the Statutes of Autonomy. It is, however, an ongoing process; further devolution—or even

7296-582: The coast (in Basque these are Baiona , Angelu and Miarritze ). The Basque language, which was traditionally spoken by most of the region's population outside the BAB urban zone, is today rapidly losing ground to French. The French Basque Country's lack of self-government within the French state is coupled with the absence of official status for the Basque language in the region. Attempts to introduce bilingualism in local administration have so far met direct refusal from French officials. Large numbers of Basques have left

7410-412: The constitution allowed for some exceptions to the above-mentioned framework. In terms of territorial organization, the fifth transitory disposition established that the cities of Ceuta and Melilla , Spanish exclaves located on the northern coast of Africa, could be constituted as "autonomous communities" if the absolute majority of the members of their city councils would agree on such a motion, and with

7524-405: The constitution did not establish how many autonomous communities were to be created, on 31 July 1981, Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo , then the prime minister of Spain and Felipe González , leader of the opposition in Parliament, signed the " First Autonomic Pacts " ( Primeros pactos autonómicos in Spanish), in which they agreed to the creation of 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities, with

7638-534: The constitution was still being drafted, and self-government seemed likely to be granted only to the "historical nationalities", there was a popular outcry in Andalusia , demanding self-government as well, which led to the creation of a quicker process for that region, which eventually self-identified as a "historical nationality" as well. In the end, the right to self-government was extended to any other region that wanted it. The "slow route" or "slow track", also called

7752-566: The country where the incomes and outcomes of the decentralized bodies (the Autonomous Communities) has grown the most, leading this rank in Europe by 2015 and being fifth among OECD countries in tax devolution (after Canada, Switzerland, the United States and Austria). By means of the State of Autonomies implemented after the Spanish Constitution of 1978, Spain has been quoted to be "remarkable for

7866-565: The dance, cuisine and cultures of the Basque peoples of Spanish, French and Mexican nationalities who have arrived in Nevada since the late 19th century. Texas has a large percentage of Hispanics descended from Basques who participated in the conquest of New Spain . Many of the original Tejanos had Basque blood, including those who fought in the Battle of the Alamo alongside many of the other Texans. Along

7980-544: The dance, cuisine, and culture of the peoples. The surrounding area of San Bernardino County has many Basque descendants as residents. They are mostly descendants of settlers from Spain and Mexico. These Basques in California are grouped in the group known as Californios . Basques of European Spanish-French and Latin American nationalities also settled throughout the western U.S. in states like Louisiana , New Mexico , Arizona , Utah , Colorado , Wyoming , Montana , Oregon , and Washington . The identifying language of

8094-478: The day of historical akelarre or coven . Mari was said to reside in Mount Anboto ; periodically she crossed the skies as a bright light to reach her other home at Mount Txindoki . Legends also speak of many and abundant genies, like jentilak (equivalent to giants ), lamiak (equivalent to nymphs ), mairuak (builders of the cromlechs or stone circles, literally Moors ), iratxoak ( imps ), sorginak ( witches , priestess of Mari), and so on. Basajaun

8208-476: The demands of the peripheral nationalists. The Prime Minister of Spain , Adolfo Suárez , met with Josep Tarradellas , president of the Generalitat of Catalonia in exile. They agreed to restore the Generalitat and transfer limited powers while the constitution was still being written. Shortly after, the government allowed the creation of "assemblies of members of parliament" made up of deputies and senators of

8322-415: The difference between "nation" and "nationality"; and it does not specify which are the "nationalities" and which are the "regions", or the territories they comprise. Rather than imposing, it enables a process towards a decentralized structure based on the exercise that these "nationalities and regions" would make of the right to self-government that they were granted. As such, the outcome of this exercise

8436-463: The different interpretations of what is considered Christianisation. Early traces of Christianity can be found in the major urban areas from the 4th century onwards, a bishopric from 589 in Pamplona and three hermit cave concentrations (two in Álava , one in Navarre ) that were in use from the 6th century onwards. In this sense, Christianity arrived "early". Pre-Christian belief seems to have focused on

8550-425: The different territories of Spain, so that they could constitute "pre-autonomic regimes" for their regions as well. The Fathers of the Constitution had to strike a balance between the opposing views of Spain—on the one hand, the centralist view inherited from monarchist and nationalist elements of Spanish society, and on the other hand federalism and a pluralistic view of Spain as a "nation of nations"; between

8664-491: The earliest modern humans who colonised Europe. Partly for these reasons, anthropological and genetic studies from the beginning and the end of the 20th century theorized that the Basques are the descendants of the original Cro-Magnons . But although they are genetically distinctive in some ways due to isolation, the Basques are still very typically European in their Y-DNA and mtDNA sequences, and in some other genetic loci . These same sequences are widespread throughout

8778-472: The eight provinces, Almería , votes in favour — although the plurality — did not amount to half of the electoral census as required. Yet, in general, the results of the referendum had been clear and unequivocal. After several months of discussion, the then prime minister of Spain, Adolfo Suárez and the leader of the opposition , Felipe González , reached an agreement to resolve the Andalusian issue, whereby

8892-471: The first translation of the new Testament into Basque by Joanes Leizarraga . Queen Jeanne III of Navarre , a devout Huguenot , commissioned the translation of the New Testament into Basque and Béarnese for the benefit of her subjects. By the time Henry III of Navarre converted to Catholicism in order to become king of France, Protestantism virtually disappeared from the Basque community. Bayonne held

9006-507: The first-level administrative divisions of Spain , created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978 , with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Spain. There are 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities ( Ceuta and Melilla ) that are collectively known as " autonomies ". The two autonomous cities have the right to become autonomous communities. The autonomous communities exercise their right to self-government within

9120-452: The heartland of the area that historians believe was inhabited by the Vascones . Some scholars have suggested a Celtic etymology based on bhar-s- , meaning "summit", "point" or "leaves", according to which barscunes may have meant "the mountain people ", "the tall ones" or "the proud ones", and others have posited a relationship to a Proto-Indo-European root *bar- meaning "border", "frontier", "march". In Basque, people call themselves

9234-463: The indissoluble unity of the Spanish Nation, the common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards; it recognizes and guarantees the right to self-government of the nationalities and regions of which it is composed and the solidarity among them all. The constitution was rather ambiguous on how this was to take place. It does not define, detail, or impose the structure of the state; it does not tell

9348-546: The kingdom landlocked. The Basques were ravaged by the War of the Bands , bitter partisan wars between local ruling families. Weakened by the Navarrese civil war, the bulk of the realm eventually fell before the onslaught of the Spanish armies (1512–1524). However, the Navarrese territory north of the Pyrenees remained beyond the reach of an increasingly powerful Spain. Lower Navarre became

9462-517: The late 19th century has been shaped by a dialectical struggle between Spanish nationalism and peripheral nationalisms, mostly in Catalonia and the Basque Country, and to a lesser degree in Galicia . In a response to Catalan demands, limited autonomy was granted to the Commonwealth of Catalonia in 1914, only to be abolished in 1925. It was granted again in 1932 during the Second Spanish Republic , when

9576-458: The limits set forth in the constitution and organic laws known as Statutes of Autonomy , which broadly define the powers that they assume. Each statute sets out the devolved powers ( Spanish : competencia ) for each community; typically those communities with stronger local nationalism have more powers, and this type of devolution has been called asymmetrical which is on the whole seen as advantageous, able to respond to diversity. Despite

9690-672: The minority tongue. The Basque language is thought to be a genetic language isolate in contrast with other European languages, vast majority of which belong to the broad Indo-European language family . Another peculiarity of Basque is that it has probably been spoken continuously in situ , in and around its present territorial location, for longer than most other modern European languages, which are typically thought to have been introduced in historic or prehistoric times through population migrations or other processes of cultural transmission. However, popular stereotypes characterizing Basque as "the oldest language in Europe" and "unique among

9804-459: The neighboring communities and produce from the sea and the land. A 20th-century feature of Basque culture is the phenomenon of gastronomical societies (called txoko in Basque), food clubs where men gather to cook and enjoy their own food. Until recently, women were allowed entry only one day in the year. Cider houses ( Sagardotegiak ) are popular restaurants in Gipuzkoa open for a few months while

9918-417: The other regions, do not contribute to fiscal equalisation across Spain. These two regions or communities are known as "chartered" territories, In all other communities, all taxes are levied and collected by or for the central government and then redistributed among all. The Statutes of Autonomy of the Basque Country and Catalonia were sanctioned by the Spanish Parliament on 18 December 1979. The position of

10032-466: The party in government, the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), was that only the three "historical nationalities" would assume full powers, while the rest would accede to autonomy via article 143, assuming fewer powers and perhaps not even establishing institutions of government. This was firmly opposed by the representatives of Andalusia , who demanded for their region the maximum level of powers granted to

10146-471: The pre-existing 50 provinces of Spain , a territorial division of the liberal centralizing regime of the 19th century created for purely administrative purposes (it also recognized the municipalities that integrated the provinces). These provinces would serve as the building blocks and constituent parts of the autonomous communities. The constitution stipulated that the following could be constituted as autonomous communities: It also allowed for exceptions to

10260-510: The prototype of its race; in Medellín with the industrial paisa , entrepreneur, strong and steady ... in its towns, the adventurer, arrogant, world-explorer. ... Its myths, which are an evidence of their deep credulity and an indubitable proof of their Iberian ancestor, are the sequel of the conqueror's blood which runs through their veins". Bambuco , a Colombian folk music, has Basque roots. The largest of several important Basque communities in

10374-618: The provinces of Newfoundland and Quebec ), all over Latin America, South Africa, and Australia. Miguel de Unamuno said: "There are at least two things that clearly can be attributed to Basques: the Society of Jesus and the Republic of Chile ." Chilean historian Luis Thayer Ojeda estimated that 48 percent of immigrants to Chile in the 17th and 18th centuries were Basque. Estimates range between 2.5 and 5 million Basque descendants live in Chile ;

10488-568: The provinces' administrative centers, are Bilbao (in Biscay), San Sebastián (in Gipuzkoa), and Vitoria-Gasteiz (in Álava). The official languages are Basque and Spanish. Knowledge of Spanish is compulsory under the Spanish constitution (article no. 3), and knowledge and usage of Basque is a right under the Statute of Autonomy (article no. 6), so only knowledge of Spanish is virtually universal. Knowledge of Basque, after declining for many years during Franco's dictatorship owing to official persecution,

10602-470: The recognition of a pluralistic vision of Spanish nationhood. When Franco died in 1975, Spain entered into a phase of transition towards democracy . The most difficult task of the newly democratically elected Cortes Generales (the Spanish Parliament) in 1977 acting as a Constituent Assembly was to transition from a unitary centralized state into a decentralized state in a way that would satisfy

10716-461: The regularized spelling Euskadi ) is still widely used in both Basque and Spanish since it is now the official name of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country . The distinctiveness noted by studies of classical genetic markers (such as blood groups ) and the pre-Indo-European of the Basque language has resulted in a popular and long-held view that Basques are "living fossils" of

10830-558: The rest of the family (unlike in England, with strict primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited everything and often did not provide for others). Even though they were provided for in some way, younger siblings had to make much of their living by other means. Mostly after the advent of industrialisation, this system resulted in the emigration of many rural Basques to Spain, France or the Americas. Harsh by modern standards, this custom resulted in

10944-606: The rest opened small shops in major cities such as Mexico City , Guadalajara and Puebla . In Guatemala , most Basques have been concentrated in Sacatepequez Department , Antigua Guatemala , Jalapa for six generations now, while some have migrated to Guatemala City . In Colombia, a large number of Basques settled mainly in Antioquia and the Coffee Axis . In 1955, Joaquín Ospina said: "Is there something more similar to

11058-430: The return of transferred powers—is always a possibility. This has been evidenced in the 2000s, at the beginning with a wave of approval of new Statutes of Autonomy for many communities, and more recently with many considering the recentralization of some powers in the wake of the economic and financial crisis of 2008. Nonetheless, Spain is now a decentralized country with a structure unlike any other, similar but not equal to

11172-779: The same institutions of government, but different competences. By 1983, all 17 autonomous communities were constituted: Andalusia , Aragon , Asturias , the Balearic Islands , the Basque Country , the Canary Islands , Cantabria , Castile and León , Castile–La Mancha , Catalonia , the Community of Madrid , Extremadura , Galicia , La Rioja , Navarra , the Region of Murcia and the Valencian Community . The two autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla were constituted in 1995. Once

11286-700: The seven provinces of the currently called historical territories. It is sometimes referred to simply as "the Basque Country" (or Euskadi ) by writers and public agencies only considering those three western provinces, but also on occasions merely as a convenient abbreviation when this does not lead to confusion in the context. Others reject this usage as inaccurate and are careful to specify the BAC (or an equivalent expression such as "the three provinces", up to 1978 referred to as "Provincias Vascongadas" in Spanish) when referring to this entity or region. Likewise, terms such as "the Basque Government" for "the government of

11400-415: The social position of women in both traditional and modern Basque society is somewhat better than in neighbouring cultures, and women have a substantial influence in decisions about the domestic economy. In the past, some women participated in collective magical ceremonies. They were key participants in a rich folklore, today largely forgotten. Basque cuisine is at the heart of Basque culture, influenced by

11514-464: The teaching, speaking, writing, and cultivating of this increasingly vibrant minority language. This sense of Basque identity tied to the local language does not only exist in isolation. For many Basques, it is juxtaposed with a sense of either Spanish or French identity tied with the use of the Spanish and French languages among other Basques, especially in the French Basque Country. Regarding

11628-654: The term "High Navarre" ( Nafarroa Garaia in Basque, Alta Navarra in Spanish) is also encountered as a way of referring to the territory of the present-day autonomous community. There are three other historic provinces parts of the Basque Country: Labourd , Lower Navarre and Soule ( Lapurdi, Nafarroa Beherea and Zuberoa in Basque; Labourd, Basse-Navarre and Soule in French), devoid of official status within France's present-day political and administrative territorial organization, and only minor political support to

11742-408: The territorial arrangements, while enshrining in the constitution the right to autonomy or self-government of the "nationalities and regions", through a process of asymmetric devolution of power to the "autonomous communities" that were to be created. The starting point in the territorial organization of Spain was the second article of the constitution, which reads: The Constitution is based on

11856-466: The then prime minister of Spain Felipe González from PSOE and the leader of the opposition, José María Aznar from the newly created People's Party (PP) successor of the People's Alliance party . Through these agreements new powers were transferred, with the reforms to many Statutes of Autonomy of the "slow-route" communities with the aim of equalizing them to the "fast route" communities. In 1995,

11970-441: The topic of some discussion. There are, broadly speaking, two views. According to one, Christianity arrived in the Basque Country during the 4th and 5th centuries but according to the other, it did not take place until the 12th and 13th centuries. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says that the Basques were not Christianized until the tenth century, however, and that their earlier animism survives in their folklore. The main issue lies in

12084-596: The valley", Etxeberria "the new house", and so on. In contrast to surrounding regions, ancient Basque inheritance patterns, recognised in the fueros , favoured survival of the unity of inherited land holdings. In a kind of primogeniture, these usually were inherited by the eldest male or female child. As in other cultures, the fate of other family members depended on the assets of a family: wealthy Basque families tended to provide for all children in some way, while less-affluent families may have had only one asset to provide to one child. However, this heir often provided for

12198-406: The world's languages" may be misunderstood and lead to erroneous assumptions. Over the centuries, Basque has remained in continuous contact with neighboring western European languages with which it has come to share numerous lexical properties and typological features; it is therefore misleading to exaggerate the "outlandish" character of Basque. Basque is also a modern language, and is established as

12312-400: The younger generations, while the older ones are more religious. Catholicism is, by far, the largest religion in Basque Country . In 2019, the proportion of Basques that identify themselves as Roman Catholic was 60%, while it is one of the most secularized communities of Spain: 24.6% were non-religious and 12.3% of Basques were atheist . The Christianisation of the Basque Country has been

12426-439: Was denied secession to be constituted as an autonomous community on its own right. During the second half of the 1980s, the central government seemed reluctant to transfer all powers to the "slow route" communities. After the five years set up by the constitution, all "slow route" communities demanded the maximum transfer guaranteed by the constitution. This led to what has been called the "second autonomic pacts" of 1992, between

12540-449: Was dubbed as café para todos , "coffee for all". This agreement was eventually put into writing in July 1981 in what has been called the "first autonomic pacts". These "autonomic pacts" filled in the gap left by the open character of the constitution. Among other things: In the end, 17 autonomous communities were created: Special provisions were made for the Valencian Community and

12654-521: Was in Aloña , or Supelegor , or Gorbea . One of her names, Mari Urraca possibly ties her to an historical Navarrese princess of the 11th and 12th century, with other legends giving her a brother or cousin who was a Roman Catholic priest. So far the discussions about whether the name Mari is original and just happened to coincide closely with the Christian name María or if Mari is an early Basque attempt to give

12768-469: Was not predictable and its construction was deliberately open-ended; the constitution only created a process for an eventual devolution , but it was voluntary in nature: the "nationalities and regions" themselves had the option of choosing to attain self-government or not. In order to exercise this right, the constitution established an open process whereby the "nationalities and regions" could be constituted as "autonomous communities". First, it recognized

12882-414: Was sympathetic to a federal system. In the end, the constitution, published and ratified in 1978, found a balance in recognizing the existence of "nationalities and regions" in Spain, within the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation". In order to manage the tensions present in the Spanish transition to democracy, the drafters of the current Spanish constitution avoided giving labels such as 'federal' to

12996-410: Was vigorously enforced as a way of preserving the "unity of the Spanish nation". Peripheral nationalism, along with communism and atheism, were regarded by his regime as the main threats. His attempts to fight separatism with heavy-handed but sporadic repression, and his often severe suppression of language and regional identities backfired: the demands for democracy became intertwined with demands for

#485514