French Basque Country

French Basque Country
Cultural region
The Basque Country, including the Southern Basque Country in Spain
Northern Basque Country in green. From left to right, the historic provinces of Labourd, Lower Navarre, and Soule.
Interactive map of French Basque Country
Coordinates: 43°19′18″N 1°21′00″W
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Area
• Total	2,956 km2 (1,141 sq mi)
Population
• Total	301,389
• Density	102.0/km2 (264.1/sq mi)

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The seven historical provinces usually included in the definition of the greater region of the Basque Country. In the Northern (French) Basque Country, note the historic provinces of Lapurdi (Labourd), Nafarroa Beherea (Lower Navarre), and Zuberoa (Soule).

The modern department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, with the French Basque Country in dark green.

The French Basque Country (French: Pays basque français; Occitan: País Basc francés; Basque: Frantses Euskal Herria), or Northern Basque Country (French: Pays basque nord; Occitan: País Basc nòrd; Basque: Ipar Euskal Herria, or Iparralde, lit. 'the Northern Region'), is a region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 1 January 2017, it constitutes the Basque Municipal Community (Basque: Euskal Hirigune Elkargoa; French: Communauté d'Agglomeration du Pays Basque) presided over by Jean-René Etchegaray.

It includes three former historic French provinces in the north-east of the traditional Basque Country totalling 2,967 km² (1,146 mi²): Lower Navarre (French: Basse-Navarre; Basque: Nafarroa Beherea), until 1789 nominally Kingdom of Navarre, with 1,284 km² (496 sq mi); Labourd (Lapurdi), with 800 km² (310 sq mi); Soule (Zuberoa), with 785 km² (303 sq mi). The population included in the Basque Municipal Community amounts to 309,723 inhabitants distributed in 158 municipalities.

Bilingual directional signage located in Baiona (Bayonne). The directions are displayed in both French and Basque.

It is delimited in the north by the department of Landes, in the west by the Bay of Biscay, in the south by the Southern Basque Country and in the east by Béarn (although in the Béarnese village of Esquiule, Basque is spoken), which is the eastern part of the department. Bayonne, Anglet, and Biarritz form the BAB (Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz) agglomeration, while Saint-Jean-de-Luz is another major town, all included in the Basque Eurocity Bayonne-San Sebastián Euroregion. It is a popular tourist destination and is somewhat distinct from neighbouring parts of the southern Basque Country, since it was not industrialized as Biscay or Gipuzkoa and remained agricultural and a beach destination.