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Durangaldea | |
|---|---|
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| Country | Spain |
| Autonomous community | Basque Country |
| Province | Biscay |
| Capital | Durango |
Durangaldea (Spanish: Duranguesado) is a comarca of Biscay located in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven eskualdeak/comarcas or regions that compose the province of Biscay. The capital city of Durangaldea is Durango.
Durangaldea is located at the southeast of the province of Biscay, limiting with the provinces of Gipuzkoa and Álava. It spans the territory between Oiz mountain and the border with the province of Álava in the south. Its total area is 240.13 square kilometres (92.71 sq mi).
Most of the towns that compose the comarca are located on a great valley formed by the Ibaizabal river, that crosses it from east to west. Otxandio is the only town that belongs to Durangaldea but is not part of the valley.
Durangaldea (also known by its Spanish name, Duranguesado) was during the Middle Ages a district apart from Biscay (the Señorío) and a dependency of Navarre, but was conquered by Castile in 1200. It remained separate from Biscay until 1630, and it held its own compilation of laws, with its regional council joining in Gerediaga, Abadiño. Its lords founded four chartered towns, namely Ermua, Elorrio, Durango, and Otxandio.
Durangaldea is divided into twelve municipalities, of which Durango is the capital city. The municipalities that compose the comarca are the same ones that made the merindad of Durango, the previous administrative division. Their areas and populations are set out below. Ermua and Mallabia belong to the province of Biscay, but administratively are not part of Durangaldea, being part of another comarca, Debabarrena, which is part of Gipuzkoa.
| # | Municipality | Population | Land area in km2 |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Abadiño | 7,599 | 36.06 |
 | Amorebieta-Etxano | 19,329 | 58.46 |
 | Atxondo | 1,366 | 23.21 |
 | Berriz | 4,623 | 30.07 |
 | Durango | 29,729 | 10.91 |
 | Elorrio | 7,372 | 37.32 |
 | Garai | 327 | 7.12 |
 | Ermua | 15,880 | 6.49 |
 | Izurtza | 255 | 4.28 |
 | Iurreta | 3,662 | 18.84 |
 | Mallabia | 1,158 | 23.79 |
 | Mañaria | 515 | 17.73 |
 | Otxandio | 1,314 | 12.43 |
 | Zaldibar | 3,043 | 11.84 |
The economy of Durangaldea is mainly industrial, although the primary sector is also important.
It is the second most important sector of the economy in the region after the industry. The animal husbandry is specially important, as well as the wood production. The minery is also an important section of the economy, currently being produced limestone and marble. Mines of iron, lead and copper have also been exploited.
The siderurgy has been one of the most developed type of industries in Durangaldea. Besides it, other industries like paper producers or tool producers also exist.
Durangaldea is connected to the three Basque provinces by roads, Álava in the south by the BI-623 and Bilbao and Donostia by the road N-634. The Cantabric Highway also crosses the comarca, and can be accessed from Durango and connects the city with Bilbao, Donostia and the French border.
EuskoTren also operates in the region, offering commuter rail services. The train line connects with Bilbao and other comarcas of the province and also with Gipuzkoa. EuskoTren has train stations in Abadiño, Amorebieta-Etxano, Berriz, Durango and Zaldibar. The bus company BizkaiBus also operates in the region, connecting all the municipalities with others on different comarcas.
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Vascongadas, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
Euskotren Trena, formerly known just as Euskotren is a commuter, inter-city and urban transit train-operating company that operates local and inter-city passenger services in the provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the four commercial brands under which Euskotren operates, as a public company managed by the Basque government. The entire 181.1-kilometre (112.5 mi) network uses 1,000 mm narrow gauge rail tracks which have been owned by the Basque Government since their transferral from the Spanish government; the rail tracks and stations were part of the FEVE network until its transferral. Euskotren Trena also operates the Donostia/San Sebastián metro under the brand Metro Donostialdea.
Garai is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Garai is part of the comarca of Durangaldea and has a population of 318 inhabitants as of 2009 according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
Eibar is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain. It is the capital of the eskualde / comarca of Debabarrena.
Durango is a town and municipality of the historical territory and province of Biscay, located in the Basque Country, Spain. It is the main town of Durangaldea, one of the comarcas of Biscay. Because of its economical activities and population, Durango is considered one of the largest towns in Biscay after the ones that compose the conurbation of Greater Bilbao.
Atxondo is a municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Atxondo is part of the comarca of Durangaldea and has a population of 1,447 inhabitants as of 2007 according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
Dima is a town and municipality of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Dima is part of the comarca of Arratia-Nerbioi and had a population of 1,313 inhabitants in 2010 according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
Elorrio is a town and a municipality located in the eastern part of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, in northern Spain. As of 2017, it has a population of 7,307 inhabitants. It covers an area of 37.20 square kilometers and it has a population density of 193.58 people per square kilometer. It holds the medieval title of Most Loyal and Noble Villa.
Ermua is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. In 2019, Ermua had 15,880 inhabitants.
Izurtza is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Izurtza is part of the comarca of Durangaldea and has a population of 270 inhabitants as of 2010 and according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
Mallabia is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. Mallabia is part of the comarca of Durangaldea and has a population of 1.135 inhabitants as of 2006 and according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
Mañaria is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Mañaria is part of the comarca of Durangaldea and has a population of 459 inhabitants as of 2006 according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
Otxandio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque autonomous community, Spain. Otxandio is part of the comarca of Durangaldea and has a population of 1,269 inhabitants as of 2010 according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
Zaldibar is an elizate, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Zaldibar is part of the comarca of Durangaldea and has a population of 3,043 inhabitants as of 2019 and according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
Biscayan, sometimes Bizkaian, is a dialect of the Basque language spoken mainly in Biscay, one of the provinces of the Basque Country of Spain.
Lea-Artibai is an eskualdea/comarca of the province of Biscay (Bizkaia), in the Basque Country, Spain. Lea-Artibai is the heir of the historical merindad of Markina, which was one of the merindades of Biscay. Currently, Lea-Artibai is one of the seven comarcas that compose the province. Its capital city is Markina-Xemein.
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.
Arratia-Nerbioi is a comarca of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is formed by the valleys of the Arratia river and the Nervión river. It is one of the seven eskualdeak or comarcas that compose the province of Biscay.
Debabarrena is an eskualdea / comarca located in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country (Spain). It has an area of 180,3 km2. It is north from the comarca of Debagoiena, east from the province of Biscay, and south from the Gulf of Biscay.
The autonomous community of the Basque Country within Spain contains several comarcas or eskualdeak in the Basque language, referring to local districts, grouped into its three long-established provinces.
