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Bilbao - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bilbao

Flag Coat of Arms

La Muy Noble y Muy Leal e Invicta

("The most noble and most loyal and undefeated")

Location

Location of Bilbao in Spain and Biscay

Coordinates : 43,15° n. 2,58° w.

Time Zone : CET (GMT +1)

- summer: CEST (GMT +2)

General information

Native name Bilbao (Basque)

Spanish name Bilbao

Nickname El Botxo ("the hole")

Founded 15 June 1300

Postal code 480XX

Area code 34 (Spain) + 94 (Bilbao)

Website http://www.bilbao.net/

Administration

Country Spain

Autonomous Community Basque Country

Province Biscay

Comarca Greater Bilbao

Administrative Divisions 8

Neighborhoods 36

Mayor Iñaki Azkuna (PNV)

Geography

Land Area 41,3 km²

Altitude 19 m AMSL

Population

Population 354,000 (2003)

- rank in Spain: 10

Density 8,615 hab./km² (2003)

Bilbao, sometimes referred to as Bilbo (another Basque variant), in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay (Basque: Bizkaia). The city has over 350,000 inhabitants (2004) and is the most economically and industrially active part of Greater Bilbao, the zone in which almost half of the Basque Country’s population lives. Greater Bilbao’s 946,829 inhabitants are spread along the length of the Nervion River, whose banks are home also to numerous business and factories, which during the industrial revolution brought heightened prosperity to the region.

Contents

1 Geography

1.1 Districts

1.2 Climate

2 History

2.1 1300-1600

2.2 1600-1900

2.3 The 20th century

2.4 Regeneration and renewal

3 Tourism and Monuments

3.1 Old Town or "Casco Viejo"

3.2 Museums

3.3 Churches

3.4 Civil buildings

4 Population

4.1 Decreasing population

4.2 Immigration

5 Infrastructure and Transportation

5.1 Road

5.2 Underground

5.3 Bus

5.4 Rail

5.5 Airport

5.6 By sea

5.7 Transportation links

6 Sports

7 Sister cities

8 Famous people from Bilbao

9 External links

Geography

A major seaport and industrial centre, the city is located on the river Nervión, and its suburbs extend to the Bay of Biscay. Population of the city of Bilbao proper was 354,000 as of 2003 estimates. Population of the urban area was 935,000 as of 2004 estimates. Population of the metropolitan area or Greater Bilbao (urban area plus satellite towns) was 947,000 as of 2003 estimates, ranking as the sixth-largest metropolitan area of Spain. As of 2006, the mayor of Bilbao is Iñaki Azkuna.

In the north, Bilbao’s city edge is considered to be around the towns of Erandio, Sondika and Derio, in the east it is encompassed by Zamudio and Etxebarri. The southern border passes outside Basauri and Arrigorriaga and in the west, Barakaldo and Alonsotegi are the furthest extremes. The urban area is enclosed by two small mountain ranges called Pagasarri (to the south) and Artxanda (to the north).

Districts

The city of Bilbao is divided into eight different districts, including the following neighbourhoods:

Location of the urban districts and some major neighbourhoods1st District (Deusto): Deusto, San Inazio, Ibarrekolanda, Arangoiti, Zorrozaurre

2nd District (Uribarri): Uribarri, Matiko, Castaños, Zurbaranbarri and Ciudad Jardin

3rd District (Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga): Otxarkoaga and Txurdinaga

4th District (Begoña): Begoña, Santutxu and Bolueta

5th District (Ibaiondo): Zazpikaleak, Bilbo Zarra, San Frantzisko, Zabala, Atxuri, Iturrialde, Solokoetxe, Abusu and the newly developed neighbourhood of Miribilla.

6th District (Abando): Abando and Indautxu.

7th District (Errekalde): Errekalde, Peñascal, Ametzola, Irala and San Adrian,

8th District (Basurtu-Zorrotza): Basurto, Altamira, Masustegi, Olabeaga and Zorrotza.

Climate

Blizzard in Bilbao, Jan 1985. Strong blizzards covered Bilbao in snow for 2 weeks.

Climate of BilbaoBilbao has an oceanic climate, generally mild, with not too extreme temperatures. January average temperature is 9ºC and July average 21ºC. Precipitation is around 1200mm per year, almost entirely rain, although every winter it snows one or two days. Extreme heat is also common a few days each summer, mainly when strong winds from the south blow through the mountains and temperatures rise because of the Föhn wind.[1]

History

Bilbao's Cathedral of Santiago.

Bilbao in 1575.Bilbao was founded by Don Diego Lopez de Haro V, Lord of Biscay, on 15 June 1300 in the place of an existing fishing settlement. The name of the city has unclear origins, some think it may come from "bel vado", ancient Spanish for "good river crossing" while others say that it comes from Basque "bi albo" meaning "two river banks".

1300-1600

Don Diego gave the city rights and privileges along with land for growth. At first there were only three streets: Somera ("Upper"), Artekale ("middle street") and Tendería ("Shopkeeper's"), following the pattern of three parallel streets found in other Basque towns, and the Santiago church, surrounded by a city wall. Bilbao was in the northern branch of the Way of Saint James, thus the name of Santiago (Saint James') church.

The city grew slowly but steadily. In the 15th century wars between noble families disrupted the city, which had reached a population of almost 3000. Three floods and a fire shook the city, and Santiago Church was almost totally destroyed. But once again the city recovered and it grew beyond the wall.

In 1511 the Consulate of Bilbao was granted to the city by the Spanish Crown, this allowed Bilbao to be the main export port for Merino wool from Castile to the northern European cities, like Antwerpen. Bilbao became the most important commercial and financial hub of the Spanish north coast during the Spanish Empire era.

1600-1900

The following centuries saw a constant increase of the city's wealth, specially after the discovery of extensive iron resources in the surrounding hills. The 19th century's industrial revolution was crucial for Bilbao, with the developing of strong mining, steel and shipbuilding industries.

1876 Extension plan for Bilbao, designed by Achucarro and Hoffmeyer architects.At the beginning of the 20th century Bilbao was the wealthiest city of Spain, where the main banks (BBVA) and insurance companies were established. Bilbao was besieged four times by the Carlists during the Carlist Wars, but due to the defenders (the regular Spanish army and local Liberal volunteers), it was never conquered, as is recorded in the city's title ("undefeated").

In 1886 the University of Deusto was established by the Company of Jesus and a major plan for the city was announced after the village of Abando was annexed. The Achucarro and Hoffmeyer "Ensanche" (extension) project of 1876 almost doubled the city's area and was developed during the following decades, as it happened in other cities like Barcelona at that time.

The 20th century

The beautiful Teatro Arriaga opera house.In 1925, the village of Deusto was annexed and several other parts of the city were developed including Basurto and Begoña.

Bilbao sided with the Republican Government in the Spanish Civil War and was the capital of the first Basque Autonomous Government led by José Antonio Aguirre. A defensive ring, called "Cinturón de Hierro" (Iron Belt) was built around the city , with heavy artillery and a good number of bunkers linked by kilometers of tunnels. Despite all the efforts in June 19, 1937 Bilbao succumbed to Franco's troops' siege, the bridges were destroyed but the city survived relatively intact.

In 1983 heavy floods struck the city, killing many people in the province and causing great damage to the old part of the city, remarkably the old Arriaga Theater was devastated. Since then the "Casco Viejo" (the old district) has been renewed, along with the general trend of renewal seen all around the city.

Regeneration and renewal

Euskalduna Palace, one of the major developments in the former industrial district of Abandoibarra, which is now characterised by parks, residential buildings and landmarks such as the Guggenheim Museum.The city has recently undergone major urban renewal, in order to move away from the region’s industrial history and instead focus on tourism and services. The developments are centred around the new metro system by Sir Norman Foster (see Metro Bilbao) and, most of all, the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum by Frank Gehry. A new tram line(EuskoTran) was introduced in 2002. The Port of Bilbao, formerly on the river, has been moved and expanded downstream on the Bay of Biscay, opening a great deal of central real estate on the river that has been the site of most of the new building. Other new landmarks include the Santiago Calatrava- designed Zubizuri Bridge and the Euskalduna Palace, a cultural centre, further downstream. The two points are linked by a new riverside passageway opposite University of Deusto, which provides an open green space for the city’s inhabitants to relax.

A major landmark tower, designed by César Pelli, to house the Iberdrola electric company will also be built and there are ambitious plans to regenerate the peninsula on the river known as Zorrozaurre.

Bilbao Ria 2000 Regeneration of the Metropolitan Bilbao

Bilbao Metropoli 30

Euskalduna Congress Centre

Tourism and Monuments

The new Calatrava bridge, Zubizuri.Bilbao is a bubbling city with a good selection of hotels and restaurants surrounded by beautiful countryside and high interest for visitors.

As well as the famous Guggenheim Museum, the city acts as home for the Fine Arts Museum recognised as one of Spain’s finest art museums and recently refurbished) and the Maritime Museum on the Nervion’s banks, which recently hosted the RMS Titanic exhibition which has been touring Europe. These only represent a small portion of what the city has to offer.

Since the inauguration of the Guggenheim museum in 1997, eight new hotels have been opened in the city, reflecting the increasing interest for the city.

Bilbao was briefly featured at the start of the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.

City Hall's Tourism site

Old Town or "Casco Viejo"

Plaza Berria

Casco viejo, Zamudioko Atea

The market Erriberako Merkatua

Erribera kalea

Museums

The internationally acclaimed Guggenheim Museum.Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Fine Arts Museum

Basque Museum

Maritime Museum

Churches

Santiago Cathedral

Saint Anton church

Basilica of Begoña

Saint Nicholas of Bari church

Santos Juanes church

Saint Vincent church

Fine Arts Museum.

Civil buildings

Arriaga Theater

Bizkaia Delegation Palace

City Hall

Chavarri Palace (Moyúa square)

Plaza Nueva

Ribera Market

San Mamés Stadium

University of Deusto

Zubizuri Bridge

Population

Historical populations

Census year & Population

1842 10,243

1860 17,969

1877 35,227

1887 51,314

1897 74,076

1900 81,956

1910 92,116

1920 115,014

1930 156,920

1940 192,351

1950 216,417

1960 294,174

1970 405,908

1981 433,115

1991 369,839

2001 349,972

2003 353,173

Demographics of Bilbao (1900-2005)In 1970, it was the sixth most populated city in Spain, with roughly 410,000 inhabitants, and the third-highest ranked metropolitan area. In 1981, population reached 433,115. This was the highest level for several years as the population began to decrease, in 2003, Bilbao’s official figures counted 353,173 inhabitants.

However some parts annexed during the Franco dictatorship have gained independence. Such is the case of towns like Erandio, Loiu, Derio, Sondika and Zamudio. That has lead to a bigger decrease in population.

Decreasing population

Whilst the overall region’s population continues to climb, the city centre has noticed a drop in residents. This is a result of the steady and seemingly unbreakable trend of the city’s people flocking to the coastlines which has been underway since the 1990s, caused mainly by high real-estate prices in Bilbao. Bilbao is one of the most expensive cities in Spain, along with other Basque cities such as Donostia and Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Industrialised areas are been left in favour of the coast. In fact, of the 18 towns around Bilbao with more than 10,000 inhabitants, only eight - Amorebieta, Arrigorriaga, Durango, Gernika, Getxo, Leioa, Mungia and Sopelana – have increased their number of inhabitants. Sestao has been worst hit, losing nearly 11% of its population in eight years.

Immigration

Since 2001, the number of immigrants in the city has risen steadily each year as a result of increasing migration into Spain. In 2000, 2% of Bilbao's population consisted of immigrants, but this currently stands at around 5%. As of 2005, there were 16,634 immigrants in the city. This has helped to reverse the falls in population.

Infrastructure and Transportation

The new tram going down Navarra street.

Estación de Santander, the main station for the FEVE trains

Bilbao-Loiu airport terminal.

Road

The city has 13 bridges connecting both sides of the river, it is connected to the european road network and the north of Spain by the A8 motorway and to the rest of Spain by the A68 motorway.

Underground

The underground network (Metro Bilbao), inaugurated in 1995, is used by more than 78 million passengers every year. It has 2 lines that connect both banks of the Bilbao Metropolitan Area. There is a project under way to build a third line.

Bus

The city has 30 Bilbobus bus lines, 25 for normal buses and 5 "micro-buses" for zones of the city that a normal bus can't access. The inner-city bus network has recently won a prize for its efficiency and quality of service. In addition, there are more than 100 BizkaiBus bus lines, connecting Bilbao with almost every point in Biscay and part of Alava.

Rail

Abando, main station of RENFEThe Spanish state railway network operates four commuter rail lines from the city. Renfe (Spanish Railway Network) has 3 Cercanías lines in metropolitan Bilbao; Bilbao-Orduña, Bilbao-Santurtzi and Bilbao-Muskiz. FEVE (Spanish Narrow Gauge Railways) has one; Bilbao-Balmaseda. The Basque railway network, EuskoTren, runs three lines; Bilbao-Lezama, Bilbao-Ermua and Bilbao-Bermeo. In 2002, the new tramway, EuskoTran, was inaugurated. It has one line connecting Atxuri with Basurto. Plans are afoot to greatly expand the network over the coming decade.

Airport

A new airport terminal was opened in 2000, expanding the capacity of the former facility, and allowing growth in tourism fuelled by low-cost flights by airlines such as easyJet and Vueling. The airport handled nearly 4 million passengers in 2005.

By sea

Pride of Bilbao ferry.A P&O ferry service links Bilbao to Portsmouth (UK). The Pride of Bilbao ferry departs from the port of Bilbao, 15 km west of the city centre. A service operated by Acciona Trasmediterranea has served the same route since May 16, 2006.

Transport in and around Bilbao

Transportation links

Metro Bilbao

Euskotran, Tramway

Bizkaibus

Bilbobus

Euskotren

Renfe Cercanias - Bilbao

FEVE

Bilbao Transport Consortium

Sports

San Mamés stadium, home of Athletic de Bilbao.Club Sport League Venue Logo

Athletic Club de Bilbao Football Spanish 1st division San Mamés stadium

Lagun Aro Bilbao Basket Basketball Spanish ACB league La Casilla pavilion

Sister cities

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Rosario, Argentina

Qingdao, Shandong, People's Republic of China

Tbilisi, Georgia

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Famous people from Bilbao

Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, classical composer.

Sabino Arana, politician from Abando.

Miguel de Unamuno , writer and philosopher.

Evaristo de Churruca y Brunet, engineer.

Alberto Palacio, architect and engineer.

Gabriel Aresti, poet

Joaquin Almunia , politician.

Kepa Junkera , folk composer.

Álex de la Iglesia , movie director.

Rafael Alkorta , football player.

Blas de Otero, poet

Amaya Uranga, singer of Mocedades

Municipalities of Biscay Province

End of Wikipedia article, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilbao

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