Gipuzkoa is the province of theBasque Country in which theBasque language is the most extensively used since 49.1% of its population spoke Basque in 2006.[2]
The first recorded name of the province wasIpuscoa in a document from the year 1025.[3] During the following years, and in various documents, several similar names appear, such asIpuzcoa,Ipuçcha,Ipuzka, among others.
The full etymology the word Gipuzkoa has not been fully ascertained, but links have been made with the Basque wordGiputz,[3] containing the rootip- which is related to the wordipar (north),ipurdi (back) andipuin (tale). According to this,ipuzko (one of the several first known denominations) might refer to something "to the north" or "in the north".[3]
Gipuzkoa is theBasque spelling recommended by theRoyal Academy of the Basque Language, and it is commonly used in official documents in that language. The Basque spelling is also mandatory in official texts from the various Spanish public administrations, even in documents written in Spanish. It is the spelling most frequently used by the Spanish-language media in theBasque Country.
Guipúzcoa is the spelling in Spanish, and it has been determined by theAssociation of Spanish Language Academies as being the only correct use outside official Spanish documents in which the Basque spelling is mandatory.[nb 1] It is also the Spanish spelling used in the Spanish version of the Constitution and in the Spanish version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country.
Gipuzkoa is hilly and green linking mountain and sea, and heavily populated with numerous urban nuclei that dot the whole territory. The conspicuous presence of hills and rugged terrain has added to a special leaning towardshiking, nature and mountains on the part of Gipuzkoans. Some mountains have an emblematic or iconic significance in the local tradition, their summits being topped with crosses, memorials and mountaineer postboxes. In addition,pilgrimages which have gradually lost their former religious zeal and taken on a more secular slant are sometimes held to their summits. Some renowned mountains areAiako Harria,Hernio,Txindoki,Aizkorri andIzarraitz, amongst others.
The rivers of Gipuzkoa are distinctly different from otherBay of Biscay rivers. They arise in the hillyBasque inland landscape (Basque Mountains), flow in a south- north direction, forming close, narrow valleys before joining the ocean. The rivers extend for a short length with only a small fluctuation in the volume of water thanks to the stable rainfall all year round, and they show an abrupt drop between origin and mouth as far as the length of the river is concerned. From west to east the rivers are theDeba,Urola,Oria,Urumea,Oiartzun andBidasoa. Except for a narrow strip extending east from the hamletOtzaurte (Zegama) and thetunnel of San Adrian, the province drains its waters to the Atlantic basin.
Gipuzkoa has anoceanic climate, characterized by its low variation in temperature, with cool summers, moderate winters and abundant rain throughout the year. The climate promotes the growth of lush vegetation.
The area is windy for most of the year with those from the north-northwest bringing significant moisture from the ocean. Rainfall is abundant due to the wind direction and hilly region of the province, with rainfall ranging between 1200 and 1700 mm per year. Cloud cover is also high.
The climate is oceanic, with few thermal fluctuations and abundant rainfall (1400 mm per year). The rainfall and relief have a hydrography defined by rivers of short length, although large and regular; The main ones are the Bidasoa, the Oyarzun, the Urumea, the Oria, the Urola and the Deva. Their agricultural utility, as a consequence of the rainfall, is minimal, although they have been the basis of an industry that has ended up contaminating its waters. The predominant vegetation, also conditioned by the climate, is the boreal forest, with deciduous species that alternate with meadows.
Inlet to the harbour of PasaiaSan Sebastian and Pasaia flanked at either side by MountsJaizkibel andLarrunView to the SW from Ganbo Txiki inAralar, withAratz and theAizkorri ridge in the backgroundMeadows near the Arlaban mountain pass
The region's communication layout is in step with its geographical features, with the main lines of infrastructure along a north -south axis up to recent times along the rivers heading to the ocean. Accordingly, the inlandWay of St. James, i.e. the Tunnel Route penetrated the province viaIrun and turned south-west along theOria River towards the provincial limits at the tunnel of San Adrian. This stretch was in operation up to 1765 when the Royal Road moved to the westernDeba Valley. A minor St. James route crossed Gipuzkoa east to west along the coast.
Currently,[when?] the main road cutting through Gipuzkoa largely follows that layout, i.e. the N-1 E-5 from Irun to Donostia and on toAltsasu all along the Oria River for the most part (gateway to Navarre through the pass of Etxegarate). Also, the majorIrun-Madrid railway runs close to the river up to its very origin on the slopes ofAizkorri at train stop Otzaurte inZegama. By 1973 engineering works for the Bilbao-Behobia A-8 E-70 motorway had been completed, with the new road cutting across the valleys east to west and turning into the main axis between Donostia and Bilbao, besides enabling heavy load traffic to access the west and south of Spain as a toll road. The regional railway networkEuskotren Trena also follows along the coast from east to west, while it proves impractical for long distance on the grounds of its tortuous layout and as it serves small towns. The railway network reaches the border townHendaia before it changes toSNCF. Within theDonostialdea region, theSan Sebastián Metro provides service.
The stretch of the A-15 motorway serving Gipuzkoa and Pamplona opened in 1995 embroiled in controversy under protest and an attack campaign led by ecologists,Basque leftist nationalists and eventually ETA. Conflict resolved after a deal about the definitive layout was struck. In January 2010, following a scheme drawn up by the regional government of Gipuzkoa to improve provisions for the ever-increasing road traffic, the Maltzaga-Urbina AP-1 motorway stretch leading toGasteiz was completed, providing likewise access to the industrial areas ofArrasate andBergara, the gateway toÁlava by village Landa. AP-1 and N-1 E-5 are connected by a highway east to west fromBergara andBeasain. European traffic to south of Spain avoidsDonostia's metropolitan area by means of the southern outer road ring.
The AVEhigh-speed rail is currently under construction, with an Y-type layout and links to the SNCF network in Hendaia (NE), Vitoria (SE), Bilbao (W) andPamplona (S) to be completed by 2022. Contractors were appointed, works are in place although past schedule, while strong opposition (ecologists, Basque leftist nationalists,...) and serious financial tensions made its future uncertain.
The only airport in Gipuzkoa serving just domestic flights is theSan Sebastian Airport located inHondarribia, while the air transportation needs are usually served by the nearbyBilbao andBiarritz airports.
Gipuzkera, adialect of theBasque language spoken in most of the region, shows a considerable vitality and holds a prominent position among other dialects. A 2021 survey found that 51.8% of the population spoke Basque.[5]
The Basque cultural element is apparent, including traditional dances and singing,bertsolaritza,trikiti andtxistu music,baserris dotting the rural landscape, town festivals, and its signature heavy sculptures (stone, steel, iron) from the industrial tradition, all blending with the latest Basque, Spanish and international pop culture events and design trends centred in major urban areas (Donostia, Tolosa, etc.).
Martín de Murúa, friar and chronicler, made the earliest illustrated history ofPeru.
Martín Ignacio de Loyola, Franciscan friar and missionary, first person to complete the world circumnavigation twice - first time in both eastwards and westwards.
^The change in the official Spanish policy regarding the naming of Gipuzkoa dates only from 2011, and the last (and first) edition of thePanhispanic dictionary of doubts dates from 2005. The specific case of the spelling ofGuipúzcoa is therefore not included. However, the articles forLéridaArchived 2018-05-03 at theWayback Machine andGerona indicate that will be the criterion followed for the Guipúzcoa article in the edition that is currently under elaboration.
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