Álava
Encyclopedia
Álava (ˈalaβa in Spanish
; in Basque
Araba aɾaba and officially Araba/Álava) is a province of Spain
and a historical territory of the Basque Country
, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz
which is also the capital of the autonomous community
. It limits with the Basque provinces of Biscay
and Gipuzkoa at north, the community of La Rioja at south, the province of Burgos (in the community of Castile and León
) at west and the community of Navarre
at east, northern Spain
.
It is the largest of the three Basque provinces, with 2.963 km2
, and also the least populated with 317.352 inhabitants. The County of Treviño
is an exclave of the province of Burgos (Castile and León
) surrounded by Alavese land.
(possibly the current village of Albeniz near Agurain), it has sometimes been argued the name may stem from that landmark. However, according to the Royal Academy of the Basque Language
, the origin may be another: The name is first found on Muslim chronicles of the 8th century referring to the Alavese Plains (Spanish Llanada Alavesa, Basque Arabako Lautada), laua in old Basque (currently lautada) with the Arab article added (al
+ laua), developing into Spanish Álava and Basque Araba (a typical development of l to r between vowels).
, a population of 315,5256 inhabitants in an area of 3037 km² (1,173 sq mi), with an average of 104,50 inhab/km². The vast majority of the population clusters in the capital city of Álava, Vitoria-Gasteiz
, which also serves as the capital of the Autonomous Community, but the remainder of the territory is sparsely inhabited with population nuclei distributed into seven counties (cuadrillas): Añana
; Ayala
; Campezo
; Laguardia
; Salvatierra; Vitoria-Gasteiz
; Zuya
.
River. According to the relief and landscape characteristics, the territory is divided into five main zones:
Unlike Biscay and Gipuzkoa, but for Ayala and Aramaio, the waters of Álava pour into the Ebro
and hence to the Mediterranean by means of two main waterways, i.e. the Zadorra
(main axis of Álava) and Bayas Rivers. In addition, the Zadorra Reservoir System harvests a big quantity of waters that supply not only the capital city but other major Basque towns and cities too, like (Bilbao
, etc.).
While in 1950 agriculture and farming shaped the landscape of the territory (42.4% of the working force vs 30.5% in industry and construction), the trend shifted gradually during the 60s and 70s on the grounds of a growing industrial activity in the Alavese Plains (Llanada Alavesa), with the main focus lying on the industrial estates of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Gamarra, Betoño and Ali Gobeo) and, to a lesser extent, Salvatierra-Agurain
and Araia
. At the turn of the century, only 2% of the working Alavese people was in agriculture, while a 60% was in the third sector and 32% in manufacturing. Industry associated to iron and metal developed earlier in the Atlantic area much in tune with Bilbao's economic dynamics, with droves of people flocking to and clustering in Amurrio
and Laudio, which have since become the third and second main towns of Álava.
The title is attributed to the Castilian kings after 1332.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
; in Basque
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
Araba aɾaba and officially Araba/Álava) is a province of Spain
Provinces of Spain
Spain and its autonomous communities are divided into fifty provinces .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. província.*Galician , sing. provincia.*Basque |Galicia]] — are not also the capitals of provinces...
and a historical territory of 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....
, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a population of 235,661 people. It is the second largest Basque city...
which is also the capital of the autonomous community
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....
. It limits with the Basque provinces 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 Gipuzkoa at north, the community of La Rioja at south, the province of Burgos (in the community of Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
) at west and the community of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
at east, northern 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 largest of the three Basque provinces, with 2.963 km2
Square kilometre
Square kilometer, symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units.1 km2 is equal to:* 1,000,000 m2* 100 ha * 0.386302 square miles* 247.105381 acresConversely:...
, and also the least populated with 317.352 inhabitants. The County of Treviño
Condado de Treviño
Condado de Treviño is a municipality in the province of Burgos, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. This municipality and the geographically smaller La Puebla de Arganzón make up the enclave of Treviño...
is an exclave of the province of Burgos (Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
) surrounded by Alavese land.
Etymology
Built around the Roman mansion Alba located on the ab Asturica BurdigalamAb Asturica Burdigalam
Ab Asturica Burdigalam was a Roman road that linked the towns of Asturica Augusta in Gallaecia and Burdigala in Aquitania....
(possibly the current village of Albeniz near Agurain), it has sometimes been argued the name may stem from that landmark. However, according to the Royal Academy of the Basque Language
Euskaltzaindia
Euskaltzaindia is the official academic language regulatory institution which watches over the Basque language. It carries out research on the language, seeks to protect it, and establishes standards of use...
, the origin may be another: The name is first found on Muslim chronicles of the 8th century referring to the Alavese Plains (Spanish Llanada Alavesa, Basque Arabako Lautada), laua in old Basque (currently lautada) with the Arab article added (al
Al-
is the definite article in the Arabic language; a particle whose function is to render the noun on which it is prefixed definite. For example, the word kitāb 'book' can be made definite by prefixing it with al-, resulting in al-kitāb 'the book'...
+ laua), developing into Spanish Álava and Basque Araba (a typical development of l to r between vowels).
Demography and rural landscape
The province numbers 51 municipalitiesMunicipality
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...
, a population of 315,5256 inhabitants in an area of 3037 km² (1,173 sq mi), with an average of 104,50 inhab/km². The vast majority of the population clusters in the capital city of Álava, Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a population of 235,661 people. It is the second largest Basque city...
, which also serves as the capital of the Autonomous Community, but the remainder of the territory is sparsely inhabited with population nuclei distributed into seven counties (cuadrillas): Añana
Añana
Añana is a valley and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain, with the main population nucleus being the village Salinas de Añana. The town is renowned for its old salt flats dating at least from the times of the Romans, an industry much in decay but...
; Ayala
Ayala
-Places:*Ciudad Ayala, Morelos, Mexico*Ayala, a town in Álava province, Spain*Ayala Center, the Philippines*Ein Ayala, Israeli moshav-Organizations and companies:*Ayala Corporation, a holding company operating in the Philippines*Ayala & Co., champagne producer...
; Campezo
Campezo
Campezo is a municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.This municipality lies on the western side of the Codés mountain range.-Villages:* Antoñana* Bujanda* Orbiso* Oteo...
; Laguardia
Laguardia, Álava
Laguardia is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.The site of a 10th century castle, of which two towers remain, the present village has medieval walls dating back to the 15th century surrounding the houses and old cobblestoned streets.The...
; Salvatierra; Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a population of 235,661 people. It is the second largest Basque city...
; Zuya
Zuya
Zuya is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.The towns in the municipality are:* Ametzaga* Aperregi* Aretxaga* Bitoriano* Domaikia* Gilierna-Guillerna* Jugo* Lukiano* Markina...
.
Physical and human geography
Álava is an inland territory and features a largely transitional climate between the humid, Atlantic neighbouring northern provinces and the dry and warmer lands south of the EbroEbro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
River. According to the relief and landscape characteristics, the territory is divided into five main zones:
- The GorbeaGorbeaGorbea or Gorbeia is a mountain and massif, the highest in Biscay and Alava , with a height of 1,481 m AMSL. The massif covers a wide area between the two provinces. The main mountain is a round grass-covered summit where a 20-metre-tall metallic cross has been constructed to reach the altitude of...
Foothills: Green hilly landscape. - The Valleys: Low valleys, drier, sparsely populated.
- The Plains: Heartland of Álava comprising Vitoria and Salvatierra-Agurain, with a central urban area and crop landscape prevailing around and bounded south and north by the Basque MountainsBasque mountainsThe Basque Mountains are a mountain range situated in the northern Iberian Peninsula. Geographically it is considered as the eastern section of the larger Cantabrian Range...
. - The Alavese Mountains: Higher forest lands.
- The Alavese Rioja: Oriented to the south on the left bank of the EbroEbroThe Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
River, perfect for vineyards. - Ayala: The area clustering around the NerviónNerviónThe river Nervión runs through the city of Bilbao, Spain into the Cantabrian Sea .It is also known as Estuary of Bilbao on its final tract, from the joining with Ibaizabal river to the sea.-Geography:...
River, with AmurrioAmurrioAmurrio is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* Information available in Spanish...
and Laudio as its major towns. The region shows close bonds with Bilbao and Biscaye and an industrial landscape.
Unlike Biscay and Gipuzkoa, but for Ayala and Aramaio, the waters of Álava pour into the Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
and hence to the Mediterranean by means of two main waterways, i.e. the Zadorra
Zadorra
The Zadorra is a river tributary of the Ebro in the Basque Country at the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The river flows across province Álava all along till it pours into the Ebro near Miranda de Ebro in Burgos' lands. The river's water volume is the largest in Álava, with its basin being the...
(main axis of Álava) and Bayas Rivers. In addition, the Zadorra Reservoir System harvests a big quantity of waters that supply not only the capital city but other major Basque towns and cities too, like (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...
, etc.).
While in 1950 agriculture and farming shaped the landscape of the territory (42.4% of the working force vs 30.5% in industry and construction), the trend shifted gradually during the 60s and 70s on the grounds of a growing industrial activity in the Alavese Plains (Llanada Alavesa), with the main focus lying on the industrial estates of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Gamarra, Betoño and Ali Gobeo) and, to a lesser extent, Salvatierra-Agurain
Salvatierra
Salvatierra may refer to:* Salvatierra, Guanajuato, a municipality in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico* Salvatierra/Agurain, a municipality in the province of Álava, Basque Country, Spain* Juan María de Salvatierra , Catholic missionary...
and Araia
Aspárrena
Asparrena is a municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. The municipality comprises various population nuclei, the main one being the town of Araia.-External links:*...
. At the turn of the century, only 2% of the working Alavese people was in agriculture, while a 60% was in the third sector and 32% in manufacturing. Industry associated to iron and metal developed earlier in the Atlantic area much in tune with Bilbao's economic dynamics, with droves of people flocking to and clustering in Amurrio
Amurrio
Amurrio is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* Information available in Spanish...
and Laudio, which have since become the third and second main towns of Álava.
Lordship of Álava
List of rulers (modern Spanish names):- Eylon, up to 866
- RodrigoRodrigo of CastileRodrigo was the first count of Castile, reigning from about 850 to his death. Some Iberian Muslim writers refer to a brother or brother-in-law of Ordoño I, while others assign the same role to a Ruderick without stating a relationship, and the references have been interpreted as referring to the...
c.867–870, count of Castile - Vela Jiménez 870–c.887
- Munio Velaz c.887–c.921
- Álvaro Herrameliz c.921–931, also count of Cerezo and Lantarón
- Fernán González 931–970, also count of Castile, Álava feudatary of Castile until 1030
- Munio González 1030–1043
- Fortunio Íñiguez 1043–1046
- Munio Muñoz (co-lord) 1046–1060, Álava feudatary of Navarre, 1046–1085
- Sancho Maceratiz (co-lord) 1046–1060
- Ramiro 1060–1075
- Marcelo 1075–1085
- Lope ÍñiguezLope ÍñiguezLope Íñiguez succeeded his father Íñigo López to become the second Lord of Biscay in 1076.Íñigo died shortly after the assassination of his overlord Sancho IV of Navarre and the subsequent takeover of Biscay, Álava, part of Guipúzcoa and La Rioja by Alfonso VI of Castile...
1085–?, Álava feudatary of Castile until 1123 - Lope Díaz the White ?–1093
- Lope González 1093–1099
- Lope Sánchez 1099–1114
- Diego López I 1114–1123
- Ladrón ÍñiguezLadrón ÍñiguezLadrón Íñiguez , also known as Ladrón Navarro, was one of the most illustrious noblemen of the Kingdom of Navarre during the reign of García Ramírez , whose accession he was instrumental in bringing about. He is regularly titled count , the highest rank in the kingdom, after 1135...
1123–1158, Álava feudatary of Navarre until 1199 - Vela Ladrón 1158–1175
- Juan Velaz 1175–1181
- Diego LópezDiego LópezDiego López may refer to:*Diego López , Spanish Renaissance painter*Diego López Garrido, Spanish politician*Diego López Rodríguez, Spanish football goalkeeper*Luis Diego López, Uruguayan football defender...
II 1181–1187 - Íñigo de Oriz 1187–1199
- Diego López de Haro I 1199–1214, Álava feudatary of Castile until personal union of 1332
- Lope Diaz de Haro I 1214–1240
- Nuño González de Lara 1240–1252
- Diego López de Haro II 1252–1274
- Fernando de la Cerda 1274–1280
- Lope Díaz de Haro II 1280–1288
- Juan Alonso de Haro 1288–1310
- Diego López de Salcedo 1310–1332
The title is attributed to the Castilian kings after 1332.
See also
- AntoñanaAntoñanaAntoñana is a town located in the Campezo/Kanpezu municipality, Álava Province, in the Basque Country autonomous community, northern Spain.-External links:*...
- Basque Economic AgreementBasque Economic AgreementThe Economic Agreement is a juridical instrument that regulates the taxation and financial relations between the General Administration of the State of Spain and the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country.- First Stage: 1878-1937 :...
- List of municipalities in the province of Álava
- Natura 2000Natura 2000Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union.-Origins:In May 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. This legislation is called the...