The Basques have inhabited the southwestern part of Europe since long before Indo-European people arrived in the region, around 5,000 years ago. They have a legend that they originally came from a sunken archipelago of seven islands in the Atlantic, from which their sea-faring ancestors arrived in the Bay of Biscay.
The Basque Country is generally described as the area encompassing “seven provinces” in a region that stretches between modern-day northern Spain and southern France, with a unique culture, language, and many traditions that differ greatly from their Spanish and French neighbors. More from Robert Sepehr, author and anthropologist.
