Busturialdea, also named Busturialde - Urdaibai is a comarca

Comarcas of Spain

In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing comarca.*Galician , sing. comarca....

 of the province of Biscay

Biscay

Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...

, in the Basque Country

Basque Country (autonomous community)

The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. It is the heir of "Busturia", one of the original merindades that used to compose the province of Biscay

Biscay

Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...

, which should not be confused with Busturia

Busturia

Busturia is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...

, which is a municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 located in this region. Busturialdea is a diminished portion of the same original subregion and has two capital cities; Bermeo

Bermeo

Bermeo is a town and municipality in the sub-region of Busturialdea and the wider province of Biscay, part of the autonomous region of the Basque Country, in Northern Spain. Bermeo has 17,026 inhabitants and is the most important fishing port of the Basque Country. The town was founded in 1236 and...

 and Gernika-Lumo. It is one of the seven comarcas that compose the province of Biscay.

History

Busturia used to be one of the merindades of Biscay

Biscay

Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...

 and included a larger territory than the current one of Busturialdea, as it reached the province of Gipuzkoa.

Busturialdea was historically the core of Biscay: the capitals of the province, Bermeo

Bermeo

Bermeo is a town and municipality in the sub-region of Busturialdea and the wider province of Biscay, part of the autonomous region of the Basque Country, in Northern Spain. Bermeo has 17,026 inhabitants and is the most important fishing port of the Basque Country. The town was founded in 1236 and...

 and Gernika, were located in it; the village of Mundaka

Mundaka

Mundaka is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. On the coast, Mundaka is internationally-renowned for its surfing scene....

, also belonging to this region, had the privilege of speaking always first in the sessions of its parliament and for some time, the harbour of Bermeo

Bermeo

Bermeo is a town and municipality in the sub-region of Busturialdea and the wider province of Biscay, part of the autonomous region of the Basque Country, in Northern Spain. Bermeo has 17,026 inhabitants and is the most important fishing port of the Basque Country. The town was founded in 1236 and...

 was the main portuary facility, until Bilbao

Bilbao

Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...

 was founded in 1300.

Busturialdea and its lush estuary was also important in prehistory

Prehistory

Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...

. Particularly significative is its site of Santimamiñe

Santimamiñe

Santimamiñe cave, Kortezubi, Biscay, Basque Country, Spain, is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Basque Country, including a nearly complete sequence from the Middle Paleolithic to the Iron Age....

 cave, that yielded a full sequence of human habitation from Neanderthal

Neanderthal

The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...

s to the Iron Age

Iron Age

The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

, and beautiful Magdalenian

Magdalenian

The Magdalenian , refers to one of the later cultures of the Upper Paleolithic in western Europe, dating from around 17,000 BP to 9,000 BP...

 cave paintings.

Geography

Busturialdea is located at the north of the province of Biscay

Biscay

Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...

, limiting with the comarcas of Lea-Artibai

Lea-Artibai

Lea-Artibai is a comarca of the province of Biscay, 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...

 on the east, Uribe and Greater Bilbao on the west and Durangaldea

Durangaldea

Durangaldea is a comarca of Biscay located in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas or regions that compose the province of Biscay. The capital city of Durangaldea is Durango.- Geography :...

 on the south. The Bay of Biscay

Bay of Biscay

The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...

 limits at north.

The comarca is located along the Urdaibai

Urdaibai

The Urdaibai estuary is a natural region and a Biosphere Reserve of Biscay, Basque Country. It is also referred as Mundaka or Gernika estuary....

 estuary, which has been named Biosphere Reserve

Biosphere reserve

The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...

 by UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 in 1984

Municipalities

	Municipality	Population	Territory km²
	Ajangiz Ajangiz Ajangiz is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	450	7,35
	Arratzu Arratzu Arratzu is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	379	10,34
	Bermeo Bermeo Bermeo is a town and municipality in the sub-region of Busturialdea and the wider province of Biscay, part of the autonomous region of the Basque Country, in Northern Spain. Bermeo has 17,026 inhabitants and is the most important fishing port of the Basque Country. The town was founded in 1236 and...	17.026	34,12
	Busturia Busturia Busturia is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	1.762	19,63
	Kortezubi Kortezubi Kortezubi is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. It has 412 inhabitants.-External links:*...	419	11,91
	Ea	897	14,17
	Elantxobe Elantxobe Elantxobe is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	439	1,85
	Ereño Ereño Ereño is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	258	10,67
	Errigoiti Errigoiti Errigoiti is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	529	16,42
	Forua Forua Forua is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, Basque Country, Spain.-External links:*...	1.012	7,94
	Gautegiz Arteaga Gautegiz Arteaga Gautegiz Arteaga or Gautéguiz de Arteaga is a town in Biscay, in the northern Spanish autonomous community of the Basque Country.It's located on the right bank of the Urdaibai estuary...	869	13,57
	Gernika-Lumo	16.295	8,47
	Ibarrangelu Ibarrangelu Ibarrangelu is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	614	15,56
	Mendata Mendata Mendata is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	390	22,39
	Morga Morga Morga is a municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	419	17,6
	Muxika Muxika Muxika is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	1.466	50,02
	Mundaka Mundaka Mundaka is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. On the coast, Mundaka is internationally-renowned for its surfing scene....	1.938	4,15
	Murueta Murueta Murueta is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	308	5,45
	Nabarniz Nabarniz Nabarniz is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	234	11,75
	Sukarrieta Sukarrieta Sukarrieta is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...	352	2,3