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Basques Basques (Vascos, Euskadunak, Aquitanian) are an ancient people inhabiting the Pyrennes Mountains and Spanish-French coastline along the Bay of Biscay. They are completely unrelated, either genetically or linguistically, to the Celts, Romans, Germanic, Gaelic, Goth, Moor, or other tribes that later entered (and now dominate) the Iberian Peninsula. Many Spanish and French families have Basque surnames, leading to the popular misconception that Basques are related to the Spanish or French. Not true, except for intermarriage. Anthropologists classify Basques as proto-European, meaning they were there first (in situ) and their origin is unknown. Thus, their language is not Indo-European (who originated outside of Europe) and is unrelated to any other language. Other pre-Indo-European lanuages include Iberian, Etruscan, Magyar (Hungarian) and Finno-Ugric (Finnish). The first two languages are dead, and while Basque and the remaining two share a few common words, linguists attribute this to a coincidence rather than a possible relationship. There are many more Basques living outside of Basque Country (pais vasco, Bizkaia) than in the Basque Country itself. This is because geographical, political, and cultural forces, such as the French Revolution and Spanish Civil War, led many Basques to seek opportunity elsewhere. The first significant migration of Basques was with the Spanish galleon as it conquered the New World and supported an important trade route to Manila. While the Spanish soldiers (leatherjackets) that accompanied the conquistadors were Catalonian, most of the sailors (and captains and navigators) with the fleet, and many of the missionaries, were Basque. Basque surnames (Aguirre, Ochoa, Salazar, etc.) are scattered throughout the old Spanish empire. Basques, many of whom were seafarers, made up much of the Spanish fleet during the days of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, the Caribbean, and the Far East. Basque whalers were also known to venture across the Atlantic and as far as North America before Columbus. Subjugated by Spanish and French monarchs after the fall of the Roman Empire, many Basques converted to Catholicism (St Francis Xavier and Ignatius of Loyola come to mind) and assimilated into their occupying societies, but there was also a significant migration to North and South America. Outside of Spain and France, the largest Basque populations are in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and the United States (mostly in Nevada, Idaho, and California). The Basque language survived the Franco years and today is widely spoken in the Basque Country of Spain, and to a lesser extent in France. The U.S. is the only other country where Basques actively use their language. |