Gipuzkoa

Gipuzkoa (in Basque and also the official form since 2011; in Spanish Guipúzcoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques at the northeast, with the province and autonomous community of Navarre at east, Biscay at west, Álava at southwest and the Bay of Biscay to its north. It is located at the easternmost extreme of the Cantabric Sea, in the Bay of Biscay. It has 66 km of coast land.

With a total area of 1,909 square kilometers, Gipuzkoa is the smallest province of Spain. The province has 88 municipalities and a population of 705,698 inhabitants, from which more than half live in the Donostia-San Sebastián metropolian area. Apart from the capital, other important cities are Irun, Errenteria, Zarautz, Mondragón, Eibar, Hondarribia, Oñati, Tolosa, Beasain and Pasaia.

The oceanic climate gives the province an intense green color with little thermic oscilation. Gipuzkoa is the province of the Basque Country where the Basque language is most extensively used.

Etymology
The first recorded name of the province was Ipuscoa from a document of the year 1025. During the following years, and on different documents, several similar names appear, as Ipuzcoa, Ipuçcha, Ipuzka, among others.

The full etymology the word Gipuzkoa has not been fully ascertained but links have been made with the Basque word Giputz, containing the root ip- which is related to the word ipar (north), ipurdi (back) and ipuin (tale). According to this, ipuzko (one of the several first known denominations) might refer of something "to the north" or "in the north".

Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa is the Basque spelling recommended by the Royal Academy of the Basque language, and it is commonly used on official documents on that language. The Basque spelling is also of mandatory use in official texts from the different Spanish public administrations, even if it's documents written in Spanish. It is the most used spelling by the media in Spanish in the Basque Country. It is also the spelling used in the Basque version of the Spanish constitution and in the Basque version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country.

Gipuzkoa is also the only official spelling approved for the historical territory by the Juntas Generales of the province.

Guipúzcoa
Guipúzcoa is the spelling in Spanish, and it's determined by the Association of Spanish Language Academies as being the only correct use outside official Spanish documents, where the use of the Basque spelling is mandatory. It is also the Spanish spelling used in the Spanish version of the Constitution and in the Spanish version of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country.

Demography and geography
Its area of 1980 km2 makes it the smallest province in Spain. The province numbers 88 municipalities and a population of 705,698 inhabitants (2009), of whom about a quarter live in the capital, San Sebastián. Other important towns are Irun, Errenteria, Zarautz, Arrasate, Oñati (with an old university), Eibar, Tolosa (during a short time capital of the province), Beasain, Pasaia (the main port), Hondarribia (an old fort town opposite to France).

Gipuzkoa stands out as a region of hilly and green landscape linking mountain and sea, besides being heavily populated with numerous urban nuclei that dot the whole territory. The conspicuous presence of hills and rugged terrain has added to a special leaning towards hiking, nature and mountains on the part of Gipuzkoans. Some mountains steeped in tradition hold an iconic and emblematic significance, their summits being often topped with crosses, memorials and mountaineer postboxes. In addition, pilgrimages (which have gradually lost their former religious zeal and taken on a more secular slant) are sometimes held to their summits. Some renowned and iconic mountains to mention but a few are Aiako Harria, Hernio, Txindoki, Aizkorri, Izarraitz, etc.

The rivers of Gipuzkoa show a string of distinctive features differing from other Bay of Biscay rivers. These rivers, rising in the hilly Basque inland landscape (Basque Mountains), flow in a south to north disposition, shaping narrow close valleys stretching in this direction before joining the ocean. The rivers extend for a short length with a small fluctuation in the volume of water thanks to the stable rainfall all year round, besides showing an abrupt drop between rise and mouth if the length of the river is considered. The rivers, ordered from west to east, are the following: Deba, Urola, Oria, Urumea, Oiartzun and Bidasoa. But for a narrow strip extending east from the hamlet Otzaurte (Zegama) and the tunnel of San Adrian, the province drains its waters to the Atlantic basin.

Infrastructure
The region shows a communication layout well in step with its geographical features, with the main communication lines following the north to south direction up to recent times along the rivers heading to the ocean. Accordingly, the inland Way of St. James (the Tunnel Route) penetrated in the province via Irun and turned south-west along the Oria River towards the province limits at the tunnel of San Adrian. This stretch was in operation up to 1765 when the Royal Road moved to the western Deba Valley. A minor St. James route crossed Gipuzkoa east to west along the coast.

Currently, the main road cutting through Gipuzkoa sticks largely to that layout, i.e. the N-1 E-5 from Irun to Donostia and on to Altsasu all along the Oria River for the most part (gateway to Navarre through the pass of Etxegarate). Also, the major Irun-Madrid railway runs closely clinging to this river up to its very rise on the slopes of Aizkorri (train stop Otzaurte in Zegama). By 1973 engineering works for the Bilbao-Behobia A-8 E-70 motorway had come to an end, with the new road cutting across the valleys east to west and turning into the main axis between Donostia and Bilbao, besides enabling heavy load traffic to access the west and south of Spain (toll applies). Regional railway network Euskotren winds down along the coast from east to west too, while this transport proves impractical for long distance on the grounds of its tortuous layout and its serving small towns. The railway network reaches the border town Hendaia (change to SNCF).

The stretch of the A-15 motorway serving Gipuzkoa and Pamplona opened in 1995 shrouded in controversy after a protest and attack campaign led by ecologists, Basque leftist nationalists and eventually ETA. Conflict came to a halt after a deal was struck about the definitive layout. In January 2010, following a scheme drawn up by the regional government of Gipuzkoa to improve provisions for the ever increasing road traffic, the Maltzaga-Urbina AP-1 motorway stretch leading to Gasteiz was completed, providing likewise access to the industrial areas of Arrasate and Bergara (gateway to Álava by village Landa). Works for connection between AP-1 and N-1 E-5 were due to conclude in 2010 by means of the motorway linking east to west Bergara and Beasain. Arrangements for the road network of Donostia's metropolitan area (2nd ring road and Urnieta's bypass) are well under way and due operational by mid-2010.

A scheme exists for a high-speed rail with an X-type layout and links to the SNCF network in Hendaia (NE), Vitoria (SE), Bilbao (W) and Pamplona (S) (works due to be finished by 2016). Contractors were appointed, works are in place despite overdue, while strong opposition (ecologists, Basque leftist nationalists,...) and serious financial tensions make its future uncertain.

The only airport in Gipuzkoa serving just domestic flights is the San Sebastian Airport located in Hondarribia, while the air transportation needs are usually served by the nearby Bilbao and Biarritz airports.

Cultural traits
Gipuzkera, a dialect of the Basque language spoken in most of the region, shows a considerable vitality and holds a prominent position among other dialects. The Basque cultural element is apparent, including traditional dances and singing, bertsolaritza, trikiti and txistu music, baserris dotting the rural landscape, town festivals, and its signature heavy sculptures (stone, steel, iron) from the industrial tradition, all blending with the latest Basque, Spanish and international pop culture events and design trends centred in major urban areas (Donostia, Tolosa, etc.).

Traditionally a catholic province, its patron saints are Ignatius of Loyola, born in the neighborhood of Loyola (Azpeitia) and founder of the Society of Jesus, and Our Lady of Arantzazu. The region has produced many famous Basque football players including José Ángel Iribar, Joseba Etxeberria, Xabi Alonso and Mikel Arteta.

Notable natives and residents

 * Lope de Aguirre, conquistador, known for his final expedition, down the Amazon river, in search of the mythical El Dorado
 * Xabi Alonso, footballer
 * Luis Arconada, footballer
 * Karlos Arguiñano, chef, TV presenter and producer, and Basque pelota businessman
 * Bernardo Atxaga, writer
 * Jose Miguel Barandiaran, anthropologist, paleontologist
 * Juan Sebastián Elcano, 1st circumnavigator of the globe in 1522
 * Katalina Erauso, nun and soldier in the 17th century
 * Mariano Juaristi Atano III, Basque-pelota player
 * Cándida María de Jesús, saint and foundress of the Congregation of the Hijas de Jesús (Daughters of Jesus)
 * Blas de Lezo, admiral famed for the Battle of Cartagena de Indias
 * Ignacio de Loyola, saint and founder of the Society of Jesus
 * Iker Martínez de Lizarduy Lizarribar, Olympic sailor
 * Koldo Mitxelena, linguist
 * Abraham Olano, road racing cyclist, 1995 World Road Champion, 1998 World Time Trial Champion
 * José María Olazábal, golfer and winner of Masters tournament
 * Juan de Tolosa, founder of the state of Zacatecas in Mexico
 * Andrés de Urdaneta, explorer and circumnavigator
 * Ignacio Zuloaga, painter
 * Tomás de Zumalacárregui, Carlist general