Greater Bilbao

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Map of comarcas of Biscay showing Greater Bilbao comarca in blue.
Map of comarcas of Biscay showing Greater Bilbao comarca in blue.
Gran Bilbao real color image taken by NASA's Landsat satellite.
Gran Bilbao real color image taken by NASA's Landsat satellite.
Infrared image taken July 5th 2000 by ASTER sensor on board NASA's Terra satellite. Reddish areas are vegetation zones, dark blue zones are water bodies, white zones are clouds, their shadows can be clearly seen and greenish pixels denote the densely urbanized areas beside the Nervion river. Source: Earth Observatory (NASA).
Infrared image taken July 5th 2000 by ASTER sensor on board NASA's Terra satellite. Reddish areas are vegetation zones, dark blue zones are water bodies, white zones are clouds, their shadows can be clearly seen and greenish pixels denote the densely urbanized areas beside the Nervion river. Source: Earth Observatory (NASA).

Greater Bilbao (Basque: Bilbo Handia, Spanish: Gran Bilbao) also known as Metropolitan Bilbao is a comarca and metropolitan area of Biscay, Spain. Greater Bilbao is a conurbation consisting of a number of municipalities along the Nervion River, plus some satellite towns.

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[edit] Geography

Greater Bilbao is the sixth most populated metropolitan area in Spain with over 900,000 inhabitants (Bilbao the municipality, has 353,000 residents). Almost 80% of the population of Biscay and 43% of the population of the Basque Country is concentrated in the Greater Bilbao area. The region's municipalities, as defined by the Basque Country's Territorial Directives, are: Abanto y Zierbena, Alonsotegi, Arrankudiaga, Arrigorriaga, Barakaldo, Barrika, Basauri, Berango, Bilbao, Derio, Etxebarri, Erandio, Galdakao, Getxo, Górliz, Larrabetzu, Lejona, Lemoiz, Lezama, Loiu, Muskiz, Ortuella, Plentzia, Portugalete, Santurtzi, Sestao, Sondika, Sopelana, Ugao-Miraballes, Urduliz, Valle de Trápaga-Trapagaran, Zamudio, Zaratamo and Zeberio.

On a wider sense, other towns outside the formal boundaries of Greater Bilbao can be considered part of the metropolitan area. These towns include Mungia, Lemoa, Amorebieta, Durango in Biscay; Laudio in Alava and Castro Urdiales in Cantabria.

The area is structured into different zones:

  • The city of Bilbao: The main business and services hub of the metropolitan area, with roughly 40% of its population.
  • The left bank: Traditionally an industrial, port, and manufacturing zone. It includes Barakaldo, Sestao, Portugalete or Santurce.
  • The right bank: A residential area, including Erandio, Leioa, and the more afluent Getxo,.
  • The mining zone, where the main iron ore resources were located: Muskiz, Gallarta, Ortuella
  • Txoriherri, wide expansion zone where the international airport and the University of the Basque Country are located.
  • Hego Uribe, including Basauri, Galdakao or Arrigorriaga.
  • Uribe-Kosta: the coastal area north of Getxo is being integrated into the metropolitan area in the recent years, with the development of low density residential areas connected by the metro.

[edit] Urban Regeneration

The Bilbao Ria 2000 corporation was founded in 1992 by the Bilbao and Barakaldo municipalities, the Greater Bilbao metropolitan area, and the Basque and Spanish Governments. The corporation's aim was to regenerate the city-planning of Bilbao and its surroundings, which were heavily punished by intense industrial contamination and decay. Among the projects this institution implemented was the recovery of Abandoibarra, once an industrial ground and now the site of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Euskalduna Palace.

In parallel to Bilbao Ria 2000 , the Bilbao Metropoli-30association was constituted in 1991 by the City council of Bilbao, the Biscay and Basque Governments and diverse public and private organizations for the regeneration of Metropolitan Bilbao.

The area is since 1995 fully interconnected by the Metro Bilbao.

[edit] Municipalities of the Bilbao Metropolitan Area

  • Greater Bilbao Area (35 municipalities)
Municipality
Area
Population
Density
Abanto y Zierbena 18.0 km² 9,503 527.9 /km²
Alonsotegi 16.0 km² 2,745 171.6 /km²
Arrankudiaga 20.8 km² 4,018 193.2 /km²
Arrigorriaga 22.8 km² 12000 341 /km²
Barakaldo 24.3 km² 95,260 3,920.2 /km²
Barrika 7.8 km² 1,337 171.4 /km²
Basauri 7.2 km² 44,052 6,118.3 /km²
Berango 8.8 km² 5,904 670.9 /km²
Bilbao 41.3 km² 354,145 8,551.4 /km²
Derio 7.4 km² 5,030 679.7 /km²
Etxebarri 3.3 km² 7,707 2,335.5 /km²
Erandio 18.0 km² 23,338 1,296.6 /km²
Galdakao 31.7 km² 29,594 933.6 /km²
Górliz 10.2 km² 4,882 478.6 /km²
Getxo 11.9 km² 82,687 6,948.5 /km²
Larrabetzu 21.5 km² 1,647 76.6 /km²
Leioa 8.5 km² 28,858 3,395.1 /km²
Lemoiz 14.3 km² 925 64.7 /km²
Lezama 16.5 km² 2,287 138.6 /km²
Loiu 15.3 km² 2,205 144.1 /km²
Muskiz 20.8 km² 6,682 321.3 /km²
Ortuella 7.7 km² 8,554 1,110.9 /km²
Plentzia 6.3 km² 3,949 626.8 /km²
Portugalete 3.2 km² 49,788 15,558.8 /km²
Santurce(Santurtzi) 7.2 km² 47,155 6,549.3 /km²
Sestao 3.5 km² 30,350 8,671.4 /km²
Sondika 6.3 km² 4,300 682.5 /km²
Sopelana 8.4 km² 11,469 1,365.4 /km²
Ugao-Miraballes 5.2 km² 4,060 780.8 /km²
Urduliz 7.8 km² 3,241 415.5 /km²
Trapagaran 13.1 km² 12,580 960.3 /km²
Zamudio 18.1 km² 3,176 175.5 /km²
Zaratamo 10.0 km² 1,624 162.4 /km²
Zeberio 47.1 km² 1,027 21.8 /km²
Total 494.7 km² 907,362 1,832.2 /km²
  • Satellite towns (6 municipalities)
Municipality
Population
Amorebieta 16,800
Castro Urdiales 26,800
Durango 26,131
Laudio 18,623
Lemoa 2,831
Mungia 14,052
Total 98,437
Total Met. Area 1,005,799
View of the region from Rontegi Bridge, Barakaldo.
View of the region from Rontegi Bridge, Barakaldo.

[edit] External links