Regional Structure of Basque Speakers and Its Causing Factors in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country

Abstract

In the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, situated in northern Spain, the geographical distribution of ethno-linguistic groups is characterized by a clear spatial pattern. This pattern is defined by a bipolar spatial structure. There is one zone with a high concentration of Basque speakers in the northeastern part of the Autonomous Community, extending from Gipuzkoa to central Bizkaia. There is also a zone in which Spanish speakers, dominate which extends from the western to the southern part of the area, from the western part of Bizkaia to all of Alava.In recent years, the proportion of Basque speakers has been rising gradually, especially in the contact area of the two geo-linguistic zones, and a remarkable increase in the number of Basque speakers can be observed in the predominantly Spanish speaking zone. This phenomenon cannot be explained simply by the diffusion of ethno-linguistic elements through geographical mobility.This recent increase in the number of Basque speakers is correlated with the remarkable spread of new Basque speakers who have recently acquired sufficient competence in the Basque language, although their mother tongue is not Basque. The number of new Basque speakers has sharply increased, especially within the younger generation. This phenomenon is a product of the introduction and the implementation of a bilingual educational system since the 1980s. This means that a program of effective institutional support instituted by the administration is functioning successfully for the revival and the maintenance of the Basque language.