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Dr. Jon Aske 
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| Basque Page |
As I explain in my personal page, I am a Basque, albeit perhaps not a typical one, in more ways than one. I have lived in the United States for more than half my life, but home for me is still the Basque Country.
From the Free Encarta Concise Encyclopedia Article
From Encarta Concise (free encyclopedia) This article in Deluxe has 3 times as many words. Search Basque.
"Basques, people living in north central Spain, primarily in two autonomous regions, the Basque Country (País Vasco) and Navarra, and in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of southwestern France. Although possessing certain marked physical traits, the Basques are not considered a distinct race by most modern ethnologists. Their ancient language, customs, and traditions, however, distinguish them from all other peoples of Europe. Most Basques are devout Roman Catholics [this, of course, is nonsense; nowadays most Basques, just like most Europeans, are not religious at all].
The Basques first appeared in written history late in the 1st century BC, when they successfully withstood the Roman invaders of Spain. They maintained their independence throughout the period of Roman rule of the Iberian Peninsula. The Basques adopted Christianity between the 3rd and the 5th centuries. Late in the 6th century, groups of Spanish Basques migrated northward across the Pyrenees to Aquitania, which thereafter was known as Gascony. Those who remained in Spain withstood the Moors, who dominated most of the peninsula from the 8th to the 11th century. The Spanish Basques preserved their tradition of autonomy throughout the Middle Ages (5th century to 15th century).
When a Spanish kingdom was established late in the 15th century, the Basque provinces preserved their customs, laws, and diplomatic relations with other countries with slight variation until 1876, when the provinces were absorbed by Spain. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), an autonomous Basque state was established by the Republican government, but the victory of the Nationalists under General Francisco Franco ended this regime. Between 1979 and 1983 the Spanish government granted limited autonomy, including an elected parliament, to the Basque Country and 16 other autonomous regions."
Up to the topWhat is the Basque Country?
The Basque Country, Euskal Herria in the Basque language, can be seen as a nation without a State in Western Europe, between Spain and France, at the western end of the Pyrenees. Others would say it's an ethnic group with very old roots, some of which are Spanish citizens (some would even say Spaniards), and some of which are French citizens (some would even say French).
Many people have a preconceived idea that the lines in the maps divide not just "countries" (that is, states), but also peoples, languages, and cultures. Actually, the lines on the map show divisions of states (not in the American sense of states, but in the sense of "a politically unified people occupying a definite territory; nation" (Random House Webster's).
But those states are a very recent development in the history of the world. By and large those states, the 185 states represented at the United Nations (as of 1995), are multi-ethnic, multilingual, and multinational political entities. The idea of the homogeneous nation-state is definitely not the norm. Just consider that there are over 6000 languages in the world. So some states must hold more than one language. This doesn't mean that most states (that is, their leaders) do no try, more or less hard, to become nation-states, so that the state becomes a nation, by homogenizing the population as much as possible.
At any rate, the Basque Country (Euskal Herria in Basque) was a unified political entity for a very brief time in its history. But for the most part, different regions went their own way. Being a small people between two powerful states (Castile-Spain and France), different areas joined politically with whoever it felt it was appropriate to do so.
But since the 18th century, Spain and, particularly, France got this great idea, very much emulated in other quarters since then, that a state should have a homogeneous people with a single language, culture, and so on. That may make some kind of sense, until you think about what that does to people's who do not belong to the chosen language and culture.
There is no simple solution to this problem and the problem is quite widespread. It won't disappear by wishing it so. So you might as well learn a little bit about it while you're here. Consider it part of your education.
In the United States it is generally known hat some states are multinational or multiethnic. Thus, people often refer to people from Scotland as Scots or Scottish, and people from England as English, rather than bunch them all up as Britts. But not many people know that almost all of the world's states are also composed of people's which would like to retain their identity as much as people from Scotland or from Wales.
Coming back to the Basque case, it should be clear that the historical conflict here was not one between a beleaguered, unified Basque people desperately trying to hold on to its language and culture and a cruel Spanish state or people trying desperately to assimilate them. Life is rarely that simple and that is definitely not the best way to characterize the situation. Plenty of people, and in particular the elites, were more than happy to embrace the new Spanish and French states and their unifying influence. Again, labeling these people as traitors to their people is a useless enterprise. First of all, not everything that came from Spain and France was a bad influence, not at all. And at the time that this was happening, it could be seen as gaining something, without necessarily seeing what was going to be lost.
Basque links
In case you're interested, here are some select links to Basque topics:
http://www.buber.net/Basque/ 
Blas Uberuaga, a physicist of Basque origin at the University of Washington, was the first to create a web site with information about the Basques. He still has some of the best links. Good job, Blas! Don't miss the Collected Postings by Larry Trask
Egunkaria - the Basque language newspaper
See their links pages to Basque topics: Basque language related, Basque culture related, Basque institutions.
Meet Euskal Herria, the Basque Country
In this page there is general information about the Basque Country and the Basques.
North American Basque Organizations
A federation of thirty-one Basque Organizations of the United States of America. It includes an article on the origins of the Basques.
http://www.buber.net/Basque/
Blas Uberuaga, a physicist of Basque origin at the University of Washington, was the first to create a web site with information about the Basques. He still has some of the best links. Good job, Blas!
Kaixo! Internet
The (humble) Basque Portal. A search service for sites in the Basque Country. A kind of Basque Yahoo! (though not quite; and most sites are in Spanish only).
Basque Links Page @ EuskoNews & Media
Basque-Spanish, Spanish-Basque dictionary
Gune euskaldunak Interneten
Basque places on the Internet. By Josu Azanza. In Basque.
Fiestas in the Basque Country
English-Basque-Spanish; http://come.to/jaiak
Basque tourism
In Spanish. http://come.to/euskadi
General Information about the Basque Country
In English. http://move.to/basquesite
Basque Home Page at Georgetown University.
Basque Cultural Society
In Vancouver, Canada (English). There you'll find their newsletter, events, and links.
Center for Basque Studies
At the University of Nevada, Reno.
Basque Houses around the world
There may be a Basque Club, Euskal Etxea in Basque, near you. Complete listing, US listing.
Gauden Bat Basque Dance Group Home Page
From Chino, California. Take their online Basque language course.
Check the weather in the Basque Country
Miarritze (Biarritz), Bilbo (Bilbao), Donostia (San Sebastián), Gasteiz (Vitoria), Iruña (Pamplona)
Megadenda: Basque Music, Videos and Books
Site in the Basque Country. In Basque.
Get To Know Donostia-San Sebastian-Gipuzkoa
History, Culture and Customs of Gipuzkoa and Donostia-San Sebastián / Guidebook to Donostia-San Sebastián / Routes Through Gipuzkoa. The electronic book "Get to Know San Sebastián-Gipuzkoa" is an original idea of the Basque Country University (UPV/EHU) supported by the editors and authors of the "paper book" version.
Larry Trask's Basque Page
"Welcome to my Basque page. I'm a linguist with a special interest in the Basque language, and I've tried to make available here some useful information on Basque. I think I can guarantee that the information you'll find here is accurate and free of the errors, misconceptions, and just plain lunacies that so often turn up in published sources of information on the language." Don't miss Some Important Basque Words (And a Bit of Culture)
Elkarri
Basque social movement for dialogue and agreement. Since December 1992, has been working to transform the conflict and violence situation in the Basque Country into a dialogue and agreement situation. In short, transforming it in a positive and non-violent way. Elkarri Magazine
/ Abizenaren bilaketa / Basque last name search
Pays Basque
A virtual guide to Iparralde, the Basque Country on the French side of the (rapidly disappearing) border. Multilingual.
paysbasque.com
Another virtual guide to the Basque Country on the French side of the border. Multilingual.
Euskal Museoa (arqueológico y etnográfico de Bilbao)
KORRIKA
A sort of runathon for the Basque language. "The Korrika is the most important event in favour of [the] Basque [language]. It is a ten-day [uninterrupted] relay run, which covers the whole Basque Country, held once every two years .... Every time The Korrika passes through a village or town thousands of people take part and the runners who carry a wooden baton pass it on to the next group of participants. This baton carries a message inside that will be read out once the event reaches it's end. Along with The Korrika itself, thousands of cultural events are organised in every nook and cranny of the Basque Country." Here are two pictures from the first day of the 1999 Korrika (March 19):
Newsgropus
Books
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The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky. Hardcover - 387 pages (October 1999) Walker & Co; ISBN: 0802713491. (At Barnes&Noble: $25; At amazon.com: $25.00.) |
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Travel Guide to Basque America : Families, Feasts, and Festivals (Basque Series) by Nancy Zubiri. Paperback - 428 pages (August 1998) Univ of Nevada Pr; ISBN: 0874172896. (At Barnes&Noble: $15.16; At amazon.com: $15.16.) |
Images
These are maps of the traditional, or historical, Basque area, borrowed from different places. (Click on them to see larger versions).
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Satellite image of the Basque Country
Historical maps of the Kingdom of Pamplona and it's successor, the Kingdom of Navarre, which were the unified political instantiations of an independent Basque Country in the Middle Ages, before its dismemberment: click here.