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Bilbao.
Bilbao Bilbo (Basque) | |
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Website | Official website |
Is Basque a good language to learn in Bilbao?
If you’re heading off for a holiday in the Spanish city of Bilbao, it’s not your Spanish that you’ll need to brush up on, it is in fact Basque, or Euskara as it is locally known. Unlike any other European language, Basque does not have its roots in Latin or Germanic languages and can be quite tricky to learn.
What is the difference between Bilbao and Bilbo?
Euskaltzaindia, the official regulatory institution of the Basque language, has agreed that between the two possible names existing in Basque, Bilbao and Bilbo, the historical name is Bilbo, while Bilbao is the official name.
How to translate English into Basque?
You need an online translator for translating English into Basque. We honestly hope that our automatic translator will help and simplify English - Basque translation of texts. Our site can help you both as a translator and a dictionary for the whole text. All you need to do is copy and paste the desired text.
Who is the mayor of Bilbao?
The mayor is Juan Mari Aburto, chosen with 19 votes from the Basque Nationalist Party and the Socialist party. In 2008 and 2010, Bilbao won the Municipal Transparency Prize, awarded by the Spanish division of Transparency International. In 2009 it came second, after Sant Cugat del Vallés.
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What is the official name of Bilbao?
The official name of the town is Bilbao , as known in most languages of the world. Euskaltzaindia, the official regulatory institution of the Basque language, has agreed that between the two possible names existing in Basque, Bilbao and Bilbo , the historical name is Bilbo, while Bilbao is the official name.
Where did the name Bilbao come from?
The symbols of their patrimony are the tower and church used in the shield of Bilbao to this day. One possible origin was suggested by the engineer Evaristo de Churruca. He said that it was a Basque custom to name a place after its location. For Bilbao this would be the result of the union of the Basque words for river and cove: Bil-Ibaia-Bao. The historian José Tussel Gómez argues that it is just a natural evolution of the Spanish words bello vado, beautiful river crossing. On the other hand, according to the writer Esteban Calle Iturrino, the name derives from the two settlements that existed on both banks of the estuary, rather than from the estuary itself. The first, where the present Casco Viejo is located, would be called billa, which means stacking in Basque, after the configuration of the buildings. The second, on the left bank, where now Bilbao La Vieja is located, would be called vaho, Spanish for mist or steam. From the union of these two derives the name Bilbao, which was also written as Bilvao and Biluao, as documented in its municipal charter. An -ao ending is also present in nearby Sestao and Ugao, that could be explained from Basque aho, "mouth".
How many districts are there in Bilbao?
The municipality is divided into eight districts (Basque: barrutia) which are further subdivided into 34 neighbourhoods (Basque: auzoa ). Most of the districts and neighbourhoods were former independent municipalities and elizates that were eventually annexed into the city. Originally, the city of Bilbao comprised the Old Town and some houses on the left side of the estuary, today known as Bilbao la Vieja. The first expansion included the annexation of the elizate of Begoña and the river side of Uribarri. In the 19th century the merge of Abando into the city brought along small neighbourhoods of farm houses and hamlets that were clustered close to the former municipality's town hall and the Mount Cobetas, such as Errekalde and Basurto. Starting in the 20th century it started annexing the elizates on the right bank of the river, including Begoña and Deusto. In the decade of 1960 as an effort to stop the increasing problem of slums, new neighbourhoods were created from the ground up, among them Otxarkoaga and Txurdinaga, which were joined together as a new district, Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga in the decade of 1990.
What happened to Bilbao after the Francoist era?
After the end of Francoist Spain and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, in a process known in Spain as the transition, Bilbao was able to hold democratic elections again. This time Basque nationalists rose to power.
How many tourists visit Bilbao?
Thereafter tourist arrivals registered a continued upward trend, reaching over 932,000 visitors in 2018. The trend was exponential considering that in 1995, Bilbao only counted 25,000 tourists. Bilbao also hosts 31% of the total Basque Country visitors, being the top destination of this autonomous community, outranking San Sebastián. The majority of tourists are domestic visitors, coming from Madrid and Catalonia. International travellers are predominantly French, crossing the border just to the east. The others arrive from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. Tourism generates about 300 million euros yearly for the Biscayan GDP. Bilbao also draws business tourism, having been equipped with facilities like the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall, and the Bilbao Exhibition Centre, in nearby Barakaldo.
What is Bilbao made of?
The soil is predominantly composed of mesozoic materials ( limestone, sandstone, and marl) sedimented over a primitive paleozoic base.
When was Bilbao founded?
Bilbao was one of the first towns founded in the fourteenth century, during a period in which approximately three-quarters of the Biscayan cities were developed, among them Portugalete in 1323, Ondarroa in 1327, Lekeitio in 1335, and Mungia and Larrabetzu in 1376. Diego López V de Haro, then third Lord of Biscay, founded Bilbao through a municipal charter dated in Valladolid on 15 June 1300 and confirmed by King Ferdinand IV of Castile in Burgos, on 4 January 1301. Diego López established the new town on the right bank of the Nervión river, on the grounds of the elizate of Begoña and granted it the fuero of Logroño, a compilation of rights and privileges that would prove fundamental to its later development.
Meanings for Bilbao
A City in Spain, which is famous for its attractive tourist destination.
Trending news on Bilbao
Staring impassively out from the murky waters of Bilbao's River Nervion, the eerily lifelike face of a young girl drowning in the tide has been unsettling people in the Spanish city since sh.. View article
How are Basque words pronounced?
Basque Pronunciation. Basque words always pronounce their vowels just like in Spanish or Italian (crisp and open, even if unstressed) In the phonetic transcription ‘dd’ is an intervocalic consonant as pronounced in quick American English.
What is the Basque language?
The Basque language is a rare and special language that is worth learning about. Firstly, it doesn’t have a home in the political sense of the word. What is known as the Basque Country is actually a term used to describe the geographical location where Basque is spoken. What’s so fascinating about the Basque language is how little we know about ...
Where is Basque spoken?
The Basque language is spoken along the Spanish-French border near the Bay of Biscay. The Basque Country consists of seven different historical regions, which simply put, means the land where the Basque language is spoken – not to be confused with being a sovereign state.
How many people speak Basque?
Almost 2.9 million people live in the Basque Country, yet the Basque language is spoken by 537,860 people, with 464,000 of those living in Spain.
What is the name of the Basque region in Euskara?
The name of the Basque region in Euskara is called Euskal Herria. The word herri can be translated in many different ways including nation; country, land; people, population and town, village, settlement. Paired with Euskal, an adjective, it literally means the”country/nation/people/settlement of the Basque language”.
Why is the Basque alphabet the same as the English alphabet?
Because the Latin alphabet was used , the Basque alphabet uses the same letters as the English alphabet with the addition of the letter ñ which is used after the letter n and before the letter o. Some letters are only used in loan words and not in genuine Basque words and are only used to preserve the spelling of foreign words.
When was the first book in Basque?
The first printed book in Basque wasn’t published until 1545. At one point in its history, speaking the Basque language or mentioning its culture was almost entirely forbidden during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) with thanks to the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.
A tumultuous history
Though but a tiny blip on the linguistic radar of Europe, especially when compared with neighboring languages Spanish and French, the Basque language boasts perhaps a more fascinating history than nearly any other language on the continent.
Where is Basque spoken today?
If you’re visiting one of the Basque Country’s “big three” cities —San Sebastian, Bilbao, or Vitoria—it’s unlikely that you’ll hear much Basque being spoken out and about.
Why learn Basque?
We’re not saying you have to learn enough Basque to maintain a vivid, fluent conversation with the adorable grandpas propping up the bar in the tiniest, furthest-flung village in the region where Spanish is all but an anomaly.
Basque pronunciation & spelling
Despite its quirks, Basque is a fairly easy language to get the hang of as far as pronunciation and spelling are concerned. Once you familiarize yourself with a few basic rules, you’ll be well on your way to speaking confidently—and avoiding the awkwardness of “ Non dago [badly mispronounced Basque place name]?” when asking a local for directions.
Useful Basque phrases
Now for the fun part—it’s time to put your Basque language skills to the test in San Sebastian (or wherever in the Basque Country you may find yourself)! Try out a few of these simple Basque phrases and words, and you’ll be well on your way to winning the hearts of locals throughout the region.

Overview
Transport
Bilbao is a relevant transport hub for northern Spain. Bilbao is connected to three major motorways and a series of minor roads of national and provincial level. The city lies on two international roads, the European route E70 that follows the coast of the Bay of Biscay and the cities of Santander and Gijón to the west and with Eibar, San Sebastián and Bordeaux to the east. The European rout…
Etymology
The official name of the town is Bilbao, as known in most languages of the world. Euskaltzaindia, the official regulatory institution of the Basque language, has agreed that between the two possible names existing in Basque, Bilbao and Bilbo, the historical name is Bilbo, while Bilbao is the official name. Although the term Bilbo does not appear in old documents, in the play The Merry Wives of …
History
Remains of an ancient settlement were found on the top of Mount Malmasín, dating from around the 3rd or 2nd century BC. Burial sites were also found on mounts Avril and Artxanda, dated 6,000 years old. Some authors identify the old settlement of Bilbao as Amanun Portus, cited by Pliny the Elder, or with Flaviobriga, by Ptolemy.
Geography
Bilbao is located near the northern edge of the Iberian Peninsula, about 16 kilometres (10 mi) from the Bay of Biscay. It covers an area of 40.65 square kilometres (15.70 sq mi), of which 17.35 square kilometres (6.70 sq mi) are urban and the remaining 23.30 square kilometres (9.00 sq mi) consist of the surrounding mountains. The official average altitude is 19 metres (62 ft), althou…
Demographics
According to the Basque Statistics Office, the population of Bilbao is 342,397 people as of 2017, distributed on a land area of 40.59 km (16 sq mi), making Bilbao the largest city by population of the Basque Autonomous Community and of the Basque Country as a whole. Bilbao makes the main component of the Bilbao metropolitan area, with a population of 1,037,847 people.
Government
The city of Bilbao is the capital of the province of Biscay and as such it is home of the administrative entities that pertain to the provincial administration, both from the autonomous and central governments. Settled in the city are the provincial delegations of the different departments of the Basque autonomous government, each coordinated by a representative. In addition, the Government of Spain ha…
Economy
The Bilbao metropolitan area comprises about 47% of the total population of the Basque autonomous community, out of which a 15% is registered in the municipality of Bilbao. The comarca of Greater Bilbao, in which the city occupies a central position, has a GDP per capita of €30,860, higher than the Spanish and European Union averages. The Bilbao metropolitan area has a nominal GDP a…