Basque Country

(Local Name: Pais Vasco) The Basque provinces of Guipúzcoa, Vizcaya and Alava occupy the eastern part of the Cantabrian Mountains, between the valley of the Nervión, which reaches the sea at Bilbao, and the Pyrenees. This is an upland region of medium height, with only a few peaks rising higher, like the Peña de Gorbea. The coastal hills are separated from the main ridge of the Cantabrian Mountains by longitudinal valleys through which east-west traffic passes. Under the influence of the moist north and north-west winds this coastal tract produces a rich growth of vegetation. At the higher altitudes there are forests of oak, beech and chestnut or, where these have been destroyed, a dense growth of bracken or