Bilbao

Bilbao ( Bilbo in Basque) is a city of the north of the Spain of approximately 350 000 inhabitants (900 000 inhabitants in the agglomeration), capital of the province of Biscay ( Bizkaia ) and of comarque of the Large Bilbao. It is the most important city of the Basque Country ( Euskal Herria ) and of the north of the Iberian peninsula. The city the center of the 5th agglomeration of the country and one of its principal economic centers. It is located at the bottom of the estuary of the river Nervión, to 14 km of the Cantabric Mer.

Geography

The town of Bilbao is an important port and industrial center, located on the river nervion, whose suburbs extend to the golf from Biscay.

In north, the city is contiguous with the communes of Erandio, Sondika and Derio, in the east the communes of Zamudio and Etxebarri. The south of the city is bordered by Basauri and Arrigorriaga and in the west, Barakaldo and Alonsotegi. The urbanized part of the city is limited by two small mountains: Pagasarri (in the south) and Artxanda (in north), which gives to the city its nickname, " el botxo" (the French hollow).

Districts

The town of Bilbao is divided into 8 districts:

1st District (Deusto): Deusto, San Ignacio, Ibarrekolanda, Arangoiti, Ribera de Deusto/Zorrozaurre
2nd District (Uribarri): Uribarri, Matiko, Castaños, Zurbaranbarri and Ciudad Garden
3rd District (Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga): Otxarkoaga and Txurdinaga
4th District (Begoña): Begoña, Santutxu and Bolueta
5th District (Ibaiondo): Casco Viejo, Bilbao Vieja, San Francisco, Zabala, Atxuri, Iturrialde, Solokoetxe, Abusu and the newly developed neighborhood off Miribilla.
6th District (Abando): Abando and Indautxu.
7th District (Rekalde): Rekalde, El Peñascal, Ametzola, Iralabarri and San Adrián,
8th District (Basurto-Zorrotza): Basurto, Altamira, Masustegi, Olabeaga and Zorrotza.

Climate

Bilbao has a oceanic climate, generally soft, without temperature extremes. In January the average temperature is of 9°C and 21°C in July. Precipitations are of approximately 1200mm per annum, primarily of the rain, but also 3 days of snow on average each winter.

Extreme heats are also common a few days each summer, mainly when winds of the south blows through the mountain and that the temperatures go up because of the effect of foehn.

The temperatures records observed are of 42.0ºC to the maximum (July 26th 1947) and - 8.6ºC at least (February 3rd 1963). Maximum precipitations observed were of 225.6 mm the February 26th 1983 when important floods were caused by the Nervion river.

Demography

In 1970, it was the sixth most populated city of Spain, with some 410.000 inhabitants, and the 3rd larger metropolitan surface. In 1981, the population reached 433.115 inhabitants, it was more the high level of population reached, then the population decreased to reach 353.173 inhabitants in 2003. The population of the city declined intensely when the surrounding communes which were annexed during the Forties and 60 found their independence.

Waning of population

Whereas the metropolitan surface of Bilbao to a population which continues to increase, the city centers knew a notable fall of its population. This situation is the result of the migration of the populations towards the coastal towns of the suburbs since the beginning of the Nineties resulting from a blaze of the prices of the real estate and to gain in comfort of life for the families. Bilbao is one of the most expensive cities of Spain, fourth after Madrid, Barcelona and Saint- Sebastien. The industrialized zones were forsaken in favor of the coasts. Indeed, on the 18 cities in the neighborhoods of Bilbao of more than 10.000 inhabitants, only eights - Amorebieta-Etxano, Arrigorriaga, Durango, Guernica, Getxo, Leioa, Mungia and Sopelana - increased their number of inhabitant. Sestao even decreased its population from almost 11% in eight years.

Immigration

Since 2001, the number of immigrant increased each year, resulting from the increase in the immigrant population in Spain. In 2000,2% of the population of Bilbao was regarded as immigrant, and it is today of 6.7%. Thus in 2006, there were 23,762 immigrants.

The immigrant populations are mainly present in the old working of the city like San Francisco, Bilbao Vieja and the seven streets ( Casco Viejo ).

History

The city was rested by Don Diego Lopez V of Haro, lord of Biscay (which gives its name to the one of the principal arteries of the city, Gran Via) the June 15th 1300. A village and a port preexisted before this date on Right Bank of the Nervion and of the traces of settlement going back to approximately 2000 years were found close to the Montmalsim headland.

1300-1600

At the time of the foundation of the city, the town of account that three streets around a church (with the site of the current cathedral) surrounded by a wall and a port. The church is built in the honor of St Jacques (Santiago in Castilian) of which one of the ways of pilgrimage which is devoted to him, Camino del Norte Pèlerinage of Saint-Jacques-of-Compostelle, passes by the city. The city grown slowly but without stopped in the current zone of the district of the seven streets, and profit from the privileges granted by the lords of Biscay, at the 15th century the city counts approximately 3.000 inhabitants. In 1511, Jeanne Ire of Spain creates the consulado of Bilbao, a body influencing in charge of the administration of the wearing of Bilbao and thus of the trade which takes place there.

1600-1900

In 1602, the city becomes capital of Biscay succeeding the town of Bermeo. Abundant iron layers are discovered in the hills surrounding the city making it possible the town of diversify its trade which was based before on the products resulting from agriculture. The Industrial revolution, the XIXe century, makes it possible to work the iron mines with large scales making it possible to develop metallurgical and iron and steel industries. The growth of the city and the development of the trade related to the industrial revolution involve the development of the activities of support (creation of Banco of Bilbao in 1857, of Bilbao Stock Exchange in 1890, first railway line for the transport of the ore in 1865…). As regards town planning the growth of the city involves the planning of the construction of a new district, L ensanche , at the time of the annexation of the village of Abando into 1876 which makes it possible to double the surface of the city. Finally in 1886 the University Deusto, the first university of the city is established. The economic richness of the city explains why the city was besieged to four recovery at the time of the wars carlists, but it was never conquered.

the 20th century

At the beginning of the XXe century, the city is one of richest of Spain or of many large companies are established: Euskalduna in 1900 (construction of boat), Hidroeléctrica Ibérica (current Iberdrola, which would bring electrical energy in the city in 1904), Altos Hornos de Viscaya in 1902 (currently belonging to the group Arcelor since the disappearance of Aceralia)… Moreover, the city extends gradually by the annexation from surrounding communes, in particular Deusto in 1925 and of new districts are arranged like Basurto or Begona. The Civil war mets a brake with the virtuous development of the city and the industrial crisis of the Eighties until recently gave to Bilbao the indication of a city polluted and made up of many waste lands industrial consequence of the difficulties of the companies whose activities were based on the metallurgy and the iron and steel industry. The municipality has undertook many program parallels with the economic reconversion towards the lines of business and the industrial activities with stronger value added, to gum this image successfully.

Urban revival

The municipality launched a vast program of urban renewal, in particular in order to revivify the banks of Nervión. The most visible elements of this change are the construction of a subway designed by Norman Foster, that of the museum Guggenheim drawn by Frank Gehry, Palacio Euskalduna in 1999 with the site of the old shipyards Euskalduna, the tram (Euskotren) in 2002 or the Iberdrola tower (sky in construction of César Pelli scrapes which must become the seat of the company Iberdrola).

Currently Bilbao is mainly an administrative center and services, and in fact the surrounding communes shelter the industrial activity (iron and steel industry, naval construction, technological park of Zamudio…). The relief and the hydrography of the area determine the urban and economic development.

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