Host of 1st EC for women and juniors
The country that will have the honour to inaugurate our new section is a complete newcomer on the FutNet scene, but one of the most active members since their accession to EFTA. At the same time, it is a country where 1st European Championship under the auspices of EFTA is going to take place on 4 and 5 June. And with all this we suppose you already know that we are talking about BASQUE COUNTRY.
Before we jump to FutNet, it would be good to have some basic facts about Basque Country because for many it may be an unknown territory. And since 1st European FutNet Championship is going to take place in its capital Vitoria, it will be useful to have a look also at some practical information.
The Basque Country (Euskadi is the Basque name, País Vasco is the name in Spanish) is an autonomous region in the north of Spain with a great degree of autonomy (similarly to Catalonia) which is based on the Statute of Autonomy.
The autonomous region is composed of the following provinces:
* Álava, capital Vitoria-Gasteiz.
* Vizcaya, capital Bilbao.
* Guipúzcoa, capital Donostia-San Sebastián.
The capital of the Basque Country Vitoria-Gasteiz (Vitoria in Spanish, Gasteiz in Basque) has been named European Green Capital 2012.
The largest city, Bilbao, with its world famous Guggenheim Museum, has the population of almost 400 000 inhabitants. Its international airport offers direct flights to France, Germany, England, etc.
San Sebastián is a popular tourist resort with beautiful beaches and architecture and a famous film festival.
Spanish is widely spoken in the Basque Country, but the Basques have also their own language euskera which is completely different from Romanic languages such as Spanish or Italian and it is said to be related to Caucasian languages. Both Spanish and euskera are official in the Basque Country.
To see how different is euskera from Spanish have a look at these examples (first expression is euskera, second Spanish):
Kaixo – Hola – Hi
Egunon – Buenos días – Good morning
Eskerrik Asko – Gracias – Thanks
Agur – Hasta luego – Goodbye
Bai – Sí – Yes
Ez – No – No
Basque Country is famous for its cuisine which is said to be one of the best in the world. Traditional cooking is based on the quality of the products and their simple preparation, an important role is played by seafood as well as meat. Typical snacks pintxos are popular with locals and tourists alike.
To learn more about Basque Country, visit, for example, this webpage.