Bilbao, << bihl BAH oh >> (pop. 346,405), is a city in north-central Spain. It is the capital of Vizcaya province. Bilbao is a manufacturing and trading center in a rich iron-mining region. It is an important seaport, though it lies 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the Bay of Biscay. The Nervión River flows through Bilbao to the bay.
Bilbao’s exports include animal hides, flour, glass, iron and steel, paper, and wine. Bilbao also has an important banking industry. The Guggenheim Museum, designed by the American architect Frank Gehry, is a popular tourist attraction. World-famous restaurants and an exciting street life also contribute to the city’s appeal. In addition, a number of music, film, and other kinds of festivals take place in and around Bilbao.
Bilbao has long been the most important city of the Basque region. Founded around 1300, the city became an important trade port and shipbuilding center. Beginning in the 1870’s, Bilbao developed a thriving economy based on the production and export of iron and steel. In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, Bilbao was the seat of the Basque autonomous (independent) government. During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, from 1939 to 1975, the area attracted hundreds of thousands of Spaniards seeking better jobs. From the late 1960’s to the early 2000’s, the Basque nationalist group ETA—which stands for Euskadi ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Freedom)—carried out terrorist attacks in Bilbao and other parts of the Basque region. Hundreds of people were killed.
From the 1960’s to the 1980’s, economic crises led to factory closures and severe job losses in the Bilbao area. City leaders began to transform the area’s economy from one based on heavy industry to one based on technology, tourism, and other service industries. Since the opening of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997, the city has been celebrated as a center for architecture and public art.
