Indigenous Tribe - Basque in Spain and France

About / Demographics

• Indigenous tribe

• Oldest surviving group in Europe

Location

• Northern Spain

• Religion(s): Roman Catholic - 98%

Protestant - 1%

Independent - 1%

Events

• Southern France

• East / South of Bay of Biscay and Atlantic Ocean

{Pyrenees}

• Language(s): Spanish, French, Eurskera / Basque

1968: Fight for Independence

• The Basque don't like being considered Spanish or French though they're inhabitants of the Northwestern region of Spain and the Southwestern region of France. In 1968, ETA and several others began what would turn out to be a 43 year long protest for the Basque's right in hopes of becoming one independent country. Since 1968, hundreds have died and places like Madrid have been bombed numerous times amongst other occurrences.

• 1959: ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna / "Basque Homeland and Freedom"), a national and separatist organization, was formed

- Goal: fight for Basque self-determination

• 1968: Fight for Independence

• September 1985 Madrid car bomb / June 1987 Barcelona supermarket bomb

• October 20, 2011 - ETA announces the end of its struggle to gain independence (1968 - 2011)

• February 20, 2014 - Handed over weapons and bomb-making equipment used in fight for independence <-- ETA gave up

• Population: 3, 000, 000

- French: 262, 000

- Spanish: 2, 738, 000

Origin

Multiple Theories:

Originated (at around the same time as)...

• 40,000 years ago

- Cro-Magnon people first arrived in

Europe

• c. 1300 BCE

- Part of the migration into

Western Europe

• Before the Romans

• Before Christ

• Spanish Basque Country

Purpose

Basques - Geographically lucky?

French Basque Country

Spanish Basque Country

• French Basque Country

(February 20 - 27, 2015) Students from Grades 9 through 12 traveled to several international countries as well as to local places within Egypt. Those who stayed in Cairo had the option of staying at school or traveling within the city. In this project, we will be linking the Basque in Spain and France to Jared Diamond's theory of geographic luck in "Guns, Germs, and Steel". Are the Basques geographically lucky?

• Bordered by Bay of Biscay

• Bordered by Atlantic Ocean

• (Spain) Not too far away from North Africa / Cyprus

• (France / Spain) Not too far away from Mediterranean Sea

• Fishermen

• Sailors

• Etc.

• Southwestern France

• Smaller and poorer part of Basque Country; 12% of total land and 9% of total Basque population

• Population: 262, 000

• Lapurdi, Zuberoa, Benafarroa

• Northwestern Spain

• Bigger and wealthier part of Basque Country

• 5% of Spain's overall population

• Population: 2, 738, 000

• Gizpuzkoa , Bizkaia, Araba, Nafarroa

Verdict: GEOGRAPHICALLY LUCKY

<-- sufficient supply of food, water, etc. (ECONOMY)

Culture

Food: - Fish (cod, bream, hake)

- Squid w/ onion and peppers

- Lamb and steak

Livestock used to make shoes, coats, clothes, etc.

Common occupations: sailor, fisherman, etc. due to being in close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and (somewhat) Mediterranean Sea

BASQUE IN SPAIN AND FRANCE

By Youssef Fouda and Maya Abou El Nasr