Bilbao - Industrial Region

The industrial region round Bilbao now extends for some 18km/11mi from Galdácano, to the east of the city, along both banks of the Río Nervión down to its mouth. Within this region there are 28 independent communes, including Barracaldo, Portugalete, Sestao and Las Arenas which have developed into industrial towns and grown together into a conurbation with a population approaching the million mark. The left bank of the river is traditionally dominated by iron and steel, shipbuilding and engineering, to which in recent years the chemical industry and an oil refinery have been added. In this area the blocks of flats in which the workers live are frequently sited next door to the industrial installations. The right bank is less heavily industrialized, with small and medium sized establishments, residential areas and a number of small seaside resorts. Bilbao has become an administrative and banking center.