Busturialdea

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.

Busturialde - Urdaibai
Eskualdea / Comarca
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityBasque Country
ProvinceBiscay
CapitalsBermeo and Gernika
Municipalities
List
Area
 • Total220 km2 (80 sq mi)
Population
 • Total46.000
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Largest municipalityBermeo (17.144)

History
Historical Busturialdea (red) in the context of formation of Biscay (orange)

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
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo
Urdaibai
San Antonio beach, Sukarrieta
Municipality Population Territory km2
Ajangiz 457 7.35
Arratzu 388 10.34
Bermeo 17,144 34.12
Busturia 1,637 19.63
Kortezubi 423 11.91
Ea 886 14.17
Elantxobe 402 1.85
Ereño 278 10.67
Errigoiti 537 16.42
Forua 969 7.94
Gautegiz Arteaga 910 13.57
Gernika-Lumo 16,812 8.47
Ibarrangelu 641 15.56
Mendata 378 22.39
Morga 406 17.6
Muxika 1,468 50.02
Mundaka 1,940 4.15
Murueta 302 5.45
Nabarniz 227 11.75
Sukarrieta 357 2.3

References
  1. Bizkaia maitea. Urdaibai Archived 2009-03-10 at the Wayback Machine Bizkaiko Foru Aldundia - Diputación Foral de Bizkaia
  2. Actividades en la Reserva de la Biosfera de Urdaibai Archived 2007-02-18 at the Wayback Machine UNESO Center of the Basque Country.

43°20′52″N 2°41′33″W

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