The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people. It is made up of the communities of the Southern Basque Country (Euskadi or Hegoalde), Navarre and the Northern Basque Country (Iparralde). These are located in Spain and France. The people living in the Basque Country are called Basque people (Euskaldunak) and the language is called Basque (Euskera).

 

 

 

 

The Ikurrina is the Basque flag.

 

 

 

 

Language

 

Basque: Euskera

 

Euskera is the ancestral language of the Basque people .It is spoken by 25.7&percent; of the population. A standardized form of the Basque language, called Euskara Batua, was developed by the Basque Language Academy in the 1960s. It was created so that Basque language could be used in formal situations, and this is its main use nowadays.

 

Sports

 

The Basque Country has a high popularity in some sports such as, football, cycling, , basketball and surfing . However, the originary sports in Euskal Herria are jai-alai (pelota) and the rural sports, such as stone lifting (harrijasotzea) and trunk chopping (aizkolaritza).

 

 

 

This is the jai-alai game in the Basque Country.

 

 

 

Traditions

 

Olentzero is a Basque Christmas tradition. According to Basque traditions Olentzero comes to town late at night on the 24th of December to drop off presents for children. It’s a Basque type of Santa Claus.