Quality of Life in the Basque Country

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Quality of Lifein the Basque Country

Photography:© Mikel Arrazola© Martin Presumido Szymczak

Index

1 Introduction 4

2 Human Development Index (HDI) 5

2.1 HDI: Health sub-index 6

2.2 HDI: Knowledge sub-index 8

2.3 HDI: Standard of living sub-index 10

3 Other indicators: Public safety 12

4 The Basque Country at a glance 14

4.1 A modern, strategically-located region 14

4.2 Health system 18

4.3 Scientific environment 19

4.4 Schooling and education 22

4.5 Nature and the environment 24

4.6 Culture, leisure and sports 26

5 Conclusions 31

6 Useful links 32

Sources 33

Table 1. Basic indicators of the Human Development Index. 5

Table 2. Causes of Death by region.Crude death rate (per 100,000 inhabitants) in 2006. 7

Table 3. Educational levels of the labour force. 9

Table 4. Crime Rate in the European Union (per 1000 people). 13

Figure 1. Human Development Index (HDI). 5

Figure 2. Life Expectancy at Birth. 6

Figure 3. Victims in road accidents: deaths per million inhabitants 2006. 8

Figure 4. Education Index. 8

Figure 5. Population with tertiary education. 9

Figure 6. GDP per capita (PPP US$) 10

Figure 7. GDP per capita (USD/Population) in the European regions. 10

Figure 8. GDP yearly growth in the European regions. 1995-2005. 11

Figure 9. Employment rates in the European regions. 11

Figure 10. Unemployment rates in the European regions. 11

Figure 11. Productivity per worker in Europe (EU 27 average=100). 11

Figure 12. Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population. 12

Figure 13. Regional crime against the property: Europe 13

“Quality of life” is a broad concept used to measure thewell-being of a society using a number of differentindicators. The fundamental aim of this study is to provideinformation on some of these indicators with referenceto the Basque Country and to give an idea of the widerange of opportunities offered by this territory.

Quality of life in Spain has improved greatly over recentyears, with huge increases in its economic and socialindicators.

The Basque Country, which stradles the border betweenFrance and the rest of Spanish territory, is known as oneof the wealthiest autonomous regions in the country andis famous for its important R&D achievements, highproductivity, the important developments in its educationalsystem, high GDP per capita, high quality health care, andits extensive offer of leisure and sport activities.

Being considerably different from other Spanish regions,the Basque Country's high quality of life and socialconnectedness are highly appreciated and make it anattractive place to live and work.

The following document analyses different social andeconomic indicators in order to compare the quality of lifein the Basque Country with other developed countries.

Section 2 describes the Human Development Index andits components and compares this with other Europeancountries and regions. Section 3 sets out the public safetyindicators, and section 4 describes several aspects of thedaily life in the Basque Country. Finally, section 5 containsa number of concluding remarks.

Quality of Life in the Basque Country. Introduction

4

1. Introduction

SPAIN BASQUE COUNTRY

In order to measure the level of world development, theUnited Nations’ global development programme (UNDP)created the Human Development Index (HDI), a compositeindicator that measures a country’s or region’s averageachievements in basic aspects of human development.UNDP publishes an annual comparative study of nearly180 countries, measuring social and economic wellbeingof the population, evaluating quality-of-life levels usingnon-market activities. Using the same methodology,EUSTAT (Basque Statistics Institute) calculates the HDIand sub-indices for the Basque Country.

The HDI is made up of three basic indicators: health (lifeexpectancy at birth), knowledge (adult literacy rate, grossenrolment ratio), and standard of living (GDP per capita).

According to the 2007 human development classification,the Basque Country is among the most developed countriesin the world (Figure 1) [1]. It ranks second in the EuropeanHDI classification behind Norway, with only 0.004 pointsof difference. The region's indicator, 0.964, exceeds thoseof such high-ranking countries as Sweden, France or theUK (0.956, 0.952 and 0.946 respectively).

The Basque Country has made considerable efforts toincrease the quality of life of the population over the lastfew years: the HDI rose from 0.940 in 2001 (below Norway,Luxemburg, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, theNetherlands, Finland, and Denmark) to 0.964 in 2007, withnotable progress in all its components.

Quality of Life in the Basque Country. Human Development Index (HDI)

5

Source: Data for selected countries from UNDP report 2007(data corresponds to year 2005)Data for the Basque Country from Eustat 2007 (data corresponds to year 2005).

NorwayBasque Country

IrelandSweden

SwitzerlandNetherlands

FranceFinland

SpainDenmark

AustriaUK

BelgiumLuxembourg

ItalyGermany

Greece

0.900 0.910 0.920 0.930 0.940 0.950 0.960 0.970

Source: Data for selected countries from UNDP report 2007(data corresponds to year 2005.)Data for the Basque Country from EUSTAT 2007 (data corresponds to year 2005).

Basque Country 80.80 0.988 34,026Switzerland 81.30 0.,946 35,633Spain 80.50 0.987 27,169Sweden 80.50 0.978 32,525Italy 80.30 0.958 28,529France 80.20 0.982 30,386Norway 79.80 0.991 41,420Austria 79.40 0.966 33,700Netherlands 79.20 0.988 32,684Germany 79.10 0.953 29,461United Kingdom 79.00 0.970 33,238Finland 78.90 0.993 32,153Grecee 78.90 0.970 23,381Belgium 78.80 0.977 32,119Ireland 78.40 0.993 38,505Luxembourg 78.40 0.942 60,228Denmark 77.90 0.993 33,973

2. Human Development Index (HDI)

Consistently good results in the three areas covered bythe Human Development Index have led to the region'shigh position among developed countries.

As can be seen in Table 1, life expectancy at birth in theBasque Country is one of the highest in Europe, standingat 80.8 years, bettered only by Switzerland with 81.3 years.The longevity indexes of the Basque Country come closeto Iceland (81.5) and Australia (80.9), although all of themare below Japan, which has the highest index in the worldwith 82.3 years.

The high education levels measured in terms of adultliteracy and combined primary, secondary and tertiary grossenrolment ratio, place the Basque education index aheadof many developed countries, falling just short of an indexof 1.

The Basque Country is also among the countries with thehighest GDP per capita in Europe: measured in purchasingpower parity US dollars (PPP US $) the Basque GDP perinhabitant amounts to 34,026 US $ per year, being abovethe GDP per capita of the UK (33,238 US$), Finland (32,153US $), or Germany (29,461 US $). The most advancedcountry in terms of GDP per capita is Luxembourg (60,228US $), which doubles the results of all European countries.

Figure 1. Human Development Index (HDI) Table 1. Human Development Index basic indicators

Life expectancyat birth

Educationindex

Per CapitaGDP PPP (US$)

[1] In order to make meaningful international comparisons anddue to data availability, the Basque Country will be referredindistinctly as a country or a region in what follows.


6

The health indicator determines the quality of life of acountry and is a primary condition for developing a welfarestate. The health sub-index is measured by life expectancyat birth as an indicator of the health and longevity of thepopulation.

In many developed countries access to preventive healthcare is an essential right, which makes European longevityone of the highest in the world.

In the following subsections the three sub-indices areanalysed in more detail.


SwitzerlandBasque Country

SpainSweden

ItalyFrance

NorwayAustria

NetherlandsGermany

UKFinlandGreece

BelgiumLuxembourg

IrelandDenmark

77 78 79 80 81 82

Life expectancy at birth in the Basque Country is 80.8years (Figure 2), the sixth highest rate in the world.Switzerland, which, traditionally, is the country with thehighest life expectancy indicator, is only 0.5 years ahead.Other developed countries famous for their high quality oflife have a lower longevity rate. According to the table,Sweden (80.5), Italy (80.3) and France (80.2) have lifeexpectancy rates below that of the Basque Country.

According to the Basque Statistics Institute (EUSTAT), lifeexpectancy at birth has increased progressively over thelast ten years. Thus, in 1995, Basque longevity was 76.1years (72.4 years for men and 79.7 years for women)compared to 80.8 years in 2005, showing an increase inlife expectancy at birth of 4.7 years.

There are several reasons that explain such a high index.First, the Basque Country has one of the lowest deathrates in the European Union, so the region's crude deathrate per 100,000 inhabitants is 873.5, below the 941.4 ratefor EU15.

Table 2 shows death rates due to the 22 main causes byregion per 100,000 inhabitants in 2006. These show thatneoplasm and diseases of the circulatory system are themost common causes of death in all European countries.Death rates in the Basque Country due to diseases of thecirculatory system and provoked by external causes(including transport accidents, suicide or intentional self-harm, and homicide or assault) are especially low. Comparedto EU15, the Basque Country has lower death rates dueto alcohol abuse, diseases of the circulatory system, injuryand poisoning, transport accidents, suicide and intentionalself-harm, homicide and assaults.

2.1. HDI: Health sub-index

Figure 2. Life expectancy at birth

Doña Casilda park (Bilbao)


7

Behaviour involving health risks such as the consumptionof drugs, activities involving a risk of injury, excessiveconsumption of alcohol, the inappropriate consumption ofmedicines, self inflicted injuries and violent aggressionstowards others, are the causes of emerging healthproblems. The mortality indicators for these categories inthe Basque Country are low compared with other Europeancountries. For example, 7 out of every 100,000 inhabitantsdied because of suicide or intentional self-harm. Thisnumber is lower than the EU27 average of 11.7 deathsand well below the death rates for this cause in Finland(20.1), Switzerland (17.5), France (16.8) or Sweden (13.2).

Regarding transport accidents, the Basque Country ranksamong the regions with the lowest European mortality forthis cause (7.2 per 100.000 inhabitants compared to 10 inEU27). Finland, France, Italy and Portugal have highertransport accident rates than the Basque Country. Roadaccidents are considered to be one of the most importantcauses of premature deaths on a global scale. With regardto deaths caused by road accidents, Figure 3 shows thatthe Basque Country, along with other two regions of Spain(Madrid and Cantabria), has a low number of victims inroad accidents (less than 60 per million of inhabitants).This death rate is comparable to some regions of centraland northern Europe.

Source: European Regional Health Statistics (EUROSTAT)

Table 2. Causes of death by region. Crude death rate (per 100,000 inhabitants) in 2006.

6.4

209.8

1.1

11.2

51.0

3.4

0.1

60.8

379.4

40.4

45.7

0.6

5.4

8.9

0.1

1.4

3.5

5.4

82.4

8.4

20.1

2.0

913.5

16.3

249.8

3.5

30.8

26.6

4.9

0.3

43.7

234.9

49.3

37.3

2.9

5.6

13.5

0.1

2.4

2.5

54.3

59.7

8.0

16.8

0.8

833.2

15.0

263.5

2.5

32.3

17.2

5.6

0.8

23.6

435.8

66.6

52.2

0.8

2.8

18.3

-

1.7

1.8

24.2

39.1

6.5

11.9

0.6

997.4

3.8

187.0

2.0

16.7

13.8

2.0

2.1

16.4

226.8

93.4

23.8

1.6

4.4

16.3

-

2.6

3.8

2.2

30.3

6.8

9.2

0.9

644.9

12.5

286.2

4.4

40.0

15.1

0.4

0.7

32.8

373.4

60.7

39.2

1.5

5.2

15.4

-

2.0

2.3

15.9

41.2

10.4

6.3

0.9

947.7

11.8

248.2

2.9

26.0

42.7

1.2

0.1

23.6

255.2

84.0

33.2

2.2

5.5

19.3

0.1

2.5

3.4

35.0

32.8

4.8

9.3

0.8

828.2

15.9

229.4

3.0

24.5

34.5

4.0

0.5

29.5

314.4

85.0

27.3

1.8

5.1

20.2

0.1

2.5

2.9

37.3

51.5

5.9

11.4

1.0

884.9

23.8

214.1

2.8

42.7

3.7

0.9

0.1

22.6

310.6

108.6

40.5

2.0

2.1

24.2

-

1.8

1.9

119.3

42.9

10.6

8.2

1.6

963.6

16.3

230.5

2.8

26.1

27.4

0.7

0.2

35.6

273.7

89.6

43.9

2.5

7.6

21.3

-

2.1

2.1

23.9

36.6

10.3

7.4

0.9

842.0

15.3

251.3

3.0

26.6

51.5

3.2

0.2

32.4

423.5

62.2

33.5

1.5

4.7

12.9

0.1

1.4

3.0

31.5

50.9

5.6

13.2

0.9

1005.1

8.3

216.0

2.2

22.1

37.4

2.2

0.6

37.5

299.2

49.3

33.3

1.3

6.5

8.2

0.1

2.2

3.5

28.7

49.7

5.4

17.5

0.6

805.5

Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)

Neoplasms (C00-D48)

Deseases of the blood, immunological disorders (D50-D89)

Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E90)

Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)

Alcoholic abuse (including alcoholic psychosis) (F10)

Drug dependence, toxicomania (F11-F16, F18-F19)

Diseases of the nervous system and the sense organs (G00-H95)

Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99)

Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)

Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K93)

Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L99)

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system/connective tissue (M00-M99)

Diseases of the genitourinary system (N00-N99)

Complications of pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium (O00-O99)

Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)

Congenital malformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)

Symptoms, signs, abnormal findings, ill-defined causes (R00-R99)

External causes of injury and poisoning (V01-Y89)

Transport accidents (V01-V99)

Suicide and intentional self-harm (X60-X84)

Homicide, assault (X85-Y09)

All causes of death (A00-Y89)

BasqueCountry Finland France Germany Ireland Italy Nether. Norway Portugal Spain Sweden Switzer.

18.5

263.4

3.0

25.1

39.0

0.4

-

44.3

265.0

82.2

44.8

1.8

7.5

17.9

-

1.8

2.2

24.2

32.7

7.2

7.0

0.4

873.5

EU25EU15 EU27

13.3

255.4

2.8

29.5

23.5

2.9

0.7

30.3

358.4

80.6

42.7

1.8

5.3

16.6

0.1

2.2

2.5

32.6

43.8

8.7

10.6

0.8

941.4

12.2

255.8

2.6

27.8

20.8

3.0

0.6

27.8

382.8

76.0

44.0

1.6

4.8

15.9

0.1

2.3

2.6

33.8

48.4

9.7

11.6

1.0

959.3

12.1

253.5

2.5

27.1

19.7

3.0

0.6

26.7

407.8

74.9

44.9

1.6

4.5

15.7

0.1

2.5

2.6

32.7

48.9

10.0

11.7

1.1

977.7

Education and knowledge are the essential building-blocksof a highly-developed society and one of the most importantquality-of-life indicators. The country's economy, R&D,social conditions and scientific achievements are dependentupon the number of highly-trained specialists and workers.Modern society requires advanced and efficient educationalsystems in order to face market demands and respondefficiently to a rapidly changing world economy.

The educational component of the HDI consists of adultliteracy rates and the combined gross enrolment ratio forprimary, secondary and tertiary schooling, weighted to giveadult literacy more significance in the statistic. The BasqueCountry has one of the highest education rates in theworld. Regarding the HDI education index (Figure 4), theregion has outstanding results. With a score of 0.988 itsurpasses France, Sweden and Germany and falls shortof the indicators of only four European countries: Ireland,Finland, Denmark and Norway.


8

Source: This table appears in pag. 21 of “Regions of the EU. A statistical portrait- 2009Edition”, EUROSTAT.

Last but not least, the high longevity index of the BasqueCountry relates to the quality of its health system. TheBasque Country allocates a large part of its GDP (21.7 %in 1997) to its social security system, increasing its capacityto respond to the increasing demand of the population forhealth services. The Basque Country is a developingcommunity which is constantly evolving and renewingitself. The high levels of health are the result of theinteraction of its social and economic conditions.

Victims in road accidents,by NUTS 2 regions, 2006 (1)(number of deaths per million inhabitants)

<=60>60 and <=95>95 and <=130>130Data not available

(1) Bulgaria, Denmark and Slovenia, country level;Scotland (UKM), level1;Italy 2003;Denmark, Ireland, Sweden and UK, 2004;Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, France, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Slovenia, 2005.

Data source: Directorate General for Transport and Energy (CARE database),Eurostat (tran_r_safe and tran_r_safe_cc)©Eurogeographics Association, for the administrative boundariesCartography: Eurostat - GISCO, 10/2008

Figure 3. Victims in road accidents:deaths per million inhabitants 2006 2.2. HDI: Knowledge sub-index


IrelandFinland

DenmarkNorway

Basque CountryNetherlands

SpainFrance

SwedenBelgium

UKGreeceAustria

ItalyGermany

SwitzerlandLuxembourg

0.900 0.920 0.940 0.960 0.980 1.000

Figure 4. Education index.

The high score of the Basque Country in the HDI educationindex is due in part to the importance of tertiary educationin the population. As can be seen in Figure 5, the Europeanareas with the highest percentage of individuals with auniversity education (above 35%) are London, Paris, Osloand the Basque Country. The countries with the highestpercentage of individuals with a higher tertiary educationare Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, England,some regions of France and Spain, the Basque Countrybeing the most significant region.


Source: OECD Regional Statistics. 2006.

Moreover, the labour force of the Basque Country has thehighest percentage of tertiary education qualifications inEurope. Table 3 shows that 47.6% of the Basque labourforce has a tertiary education qualification.

Figure 5. Population with tertiary education.

34.3

24.3

13.8

Popu

lati

on w

ith

tert

iary

edu

cati

on (5

-6) (

%)

Source: OECD 2006

Elementaryeducation

(as % of labourforce)

Secondaryeducation


Tertiaryeducation


Basque CountryFinlandFranceGermanyIrelandItalyNetherlandsNorwayPortugalSpainSwedenSwitzerland

30.719.027.317.826.640.226.211.771.245.216.614.8

21.747.043.158.338.444.743.255.715.223.353.755.4

47.634.027.123.832.115.029.632.513.631.529.729.9

Table 3. Educational levels of the labour force.

Main building of the University of Deusto (Bilbao)

GDP per capita is not only high but has increasedconsistently over the last ten years: the average yearlygrowth rate between 1995 and 2005 was 3.04% accordingto the OECD Regional Statistics data (Figure 8). The constantefforts of the government and citizens of the BasqueCountry at an economic level and their attitude to industrialinnovation have helped to increase this indicator.

GDP per capita is an economic indicator used extensivelyto measure the wealth of a country. This indicatordetermines quality-of-life levels from an economic viewpoint.

Standard of living is measured in the HDI by GDP per capitaexpressed in US dollars and differences in price levels areaccounted for by using the purchasing power parity (PPPUS$) as exchange rate.

The Basque Country ranks sixth with a GDP per capita of34.026 US$, ahead of most European countries (Figure 6).Moreover, the Basque Country ranks even higher in termsof HDI than in terms of GDP per capita, as can be seenfrom a comparison of the results shown in Figures 1 and5. This fact indicates that that the level of human

Source: Data for selected countries from UNDP report 2007(the data corresponds to year 2005.)Data for the Basque Country from EUSTAT 2007 (the data corresponds to year 2005).

LuxembourgNorwayIreland

SwedenSwitzerland

Basque CountryDenmark

AustriaUK

NetherlandsFinland

BelgiumFrance

GermanyItaly

SpainGreece

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000

2.3. HDI: Standardof living sub-index

Figure 6. GDP per capita (PPP US$)


10


Figure 7. GDP per capita (USD/Population)of European regions.

GD

P pe

r ca

pita

(US

D/P

op)

38853.0

25881.0

7890.0

development achieved is higher than in othercountries/regions with the same GDP per capita.

OECD Regional Statistics data (Figure 7) shows that theBasque Country has one of the highest GDP per capitarates in Europe and enjoys one of the strongest positionsof any Spanish region.

Shopping area in Bilbao City Center

The high GDP per capita has been accompanied by a highemployment rate (67.4% in 2006), one of the highest ofany Spanish region, and a low unemployment rate (7.3%in 2006) as shown in Figures 9 and 10.

Finally, the high rate of employment has gone hand in handwith high productivity rates per worker, allowing the BasqueCountry to attain the high GDP per capita shown in Figure6. Productivity per worker in the Basque Country is similarto the figure for Ireland and only substantially below thatof Luxembourg (Figure 11). It is 35.4 points higher thanthe EU27 average and 3.7 times higher than Bulgarianproductivity.

Source: “Euskadi in the EU 27”, EUSTAT.

LuxembourgIreland

Basque CountryBelgium

FranceAustria

SwedenNetherlands

FinlandUK

ItalyDenmarkGermany

SpainGreeceEU 27

180160140120100806040200


11


Figure 8. GDP yearly growth in the Europeanregions. 1995-2005.

GD

P Ye

arly

Gro

wth

199

5-20

05 (%

)

4,0

2,6

1,1


Figure 9. Employment rates in the Europeanregions.

Empl

oym

ent

Rat

e (%

)

76,3

64,4

48,0


Figure 10. Unemployment rates in the Europeanregions.

Une

mpl

oym

ent

Rat

e (%

)

17,4

8,2

Figure 11. Productivity per worker in Europe(EU 27 average=100).

1 The data should be considered with due caution since legislation variesfrom country to country.

Quality of Life in the Basque Country. Other indicators: Public safety

12

3. Other indicators: Public safety

HDI cannot be used to express the full extent of humandevelopment or any other of the composite indices.Accordingly, this and the next section are devoted to otheraspects of a society's well-being.

The security of every member of society is an importantcondition for developing healthy community relations. Itis one of the primary parameters when talking about thequality of life of a country. A low crime rate is an importantindicator that shows the maturity of social relations andindicates the integrity of different groups of citizens in thesocial system. The sense of security helps to create ahealthy social environment, enabling people to live freelywithout fear, creating a strong community.

With regard to crime, intentional homicide can be consideredto be the worst offence. According to the United Nations,the intentional homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants isquite high in most countries. Europe is one of the safestplaces in the world with only 0-3 intentional homicides per100,000 inhabitants (see Figure 12).

But homicide rates are not the only important indicator ofsecurity levels. Table 4 shows crimes reported to the policeper 1000 inhabitants (the final source is the Basque Policeweb site). According to this data, the Basque Country hasone of the lowest crime and offences rate of any Europeancountry. For example, it is about 4 times lower than inSweden (2003) or 3.2 times compared to England's (2003).Moreover, this indicator has remained fairly stable overrecent years1 .

Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). 2006

Figure 12. Intentional homiciderate per 100,000 inhabitants

The boundaries and designationsused on this map do not implay

endorsement or acceptance by theUnited Nations

0-33-55-1010-2020-25>25Data not available

With regard to crimes against property (forgery, arson,burglary, theft, fraud, robbery and malicious damage toproperty), Figure 13 shows that the Basque rate is belowthe Spanish average, indicating therefore a high degree ofsafety for an urban region, which usually have higher ratesof crimes against property than in rural areas.

Source for demographic data: EUROSTAT / INE / EUSTATSource for crime offenses: Home Office UK/ Country police / Ministerio de Interior /Departamento Interior G.V. / Conselleria Interior Generalitat. Table obtained fromwww.ertzaintza.net

Ireland 22.60 27.29 26.08 24.57 24.74

Basque Country 35.37 37.17 35.04 36.17 36.87

Italy 37.98 39.15 42.86 41.77 44.12

Spain 49.76 51.35 49.49 48.94 51.12

Luxembourg 51.59 58.65 58.36 59.58 55.65

France 68.79 69.32 66.40 61.57 60.40

Finland 69.27 69.68 70.56 67.89 64.65

Austria 65.17 73.35 79.40 79.07 73.75

Holland 85.07 88.17 85.22 81.19 76.97

Germany 77.36 78.93 79.63 80.37 77.47

Denmark 88.48 91.56 90.31 87.89 79.96

England/Wales 105.53 112.22 112.41 106.84 92.52

Belgium 96.29 101.08 99.12 97.85 94.45

Sweden 133.90 138.60 140.41 139.13 137.81

Greece 40.22 40.22 40.14 36.74 -

Portugal 36.29 37.91 40.10 39.75 -

EU Average 70.03 72.45 72.49 70.30 69.69

Quality of Life in the Basque Country. Other indicators: Public safety

13

Table 4. Crime rate in the EuropeanUnion (per 1,000 people).

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Source: OECD Regions at a Glance, 2007. Per inhabitant, as a percentage of the nationalaverage. 2003.

Figure 13. Regional crimeagainst property: Europe

Higher than 130%Between 110% and 130%Between 95% and 110%Between 80% and 95%Between 65% and 80%Lower than 85%

Campo Volantín - Riverfront walk (Bilbao)

Air transportThe Basque Country boasts one of the most advancedairport infrastructures of the Spanish state. There areairports in each of three main cities: Loiu Airport in Bilbao,Foronda Airport in Vitoria and Hondarribia Airport in SanSebastian.

The Basque Country is well-known as an internationalconnectivity hub with a modern communicationsinfrastructure. Its railways, roads and air transport enable fast, easy connections with the rest of the territory andEurope.

In 2007, these three airports recorded total traffic amountingto 4,927,000 passengers, 88,078 aircraft and 38,543 tonsof cargo. Each of these is specialised in different types of

This section focuses on different aspects of life in theBasque Country, all of which have an effect on the qualityof life and attractiveness of a location for living.

Quality of Life in the Basque Country. The Basque Country at a glance

14

4. The Basque Country at a glance

4.1. A modern,strategically-located region

traffic. San Sebastian airport is a small airport situated veryclose to France and specialised in passenger traffic. Vitoriaairport is the third Spanish airport in terms of the volumeof cargo and represents an important hub for goodstransport in the north of the country. It possesses one ofthe best perishable goods terminals in Europe, and is theair freight consolidation centre of DHL for the IberianPeninsula and north of Africa. Bilbao airport, specialised inpassenger traffic, is the biggest airport in the BasqueCountry and is the most important in the Cantabrian area.This airport is also famous for its modern facilities and itsnew terminal of futurist design, one of the symbols of therenewal and modernization of the city of Bilbao.

The airline companies operating out of these three airportsare: Aer Lingus, Air Berlin, Air Europa, Air France, AirNostrum, Alitalia, Andalus Líneas Aéreas, Brussels Airlines,Clickair, Easyjet, Iberia, Iberworld, Lufthansa, NordjetAirlines, SAS Scandinavian Airline, Spanair, Swiftair, TAPPortugal, TUIfly and Vueling Airlines. In an average of 1or 2 hours it is possible to fly to major European cities likeFrankfurt, Düsseldorf, London, Paris, Brussels, Milan,Munich and Stuttgart. This direct connection with theprincipal European airports allows passengers to fly on todestinations all over the world.

Bilbao 's Airport Terminal

Apart from the airports of the Basque Country, Santanderairport (province of Cantabria) is just 85 km from Bilbaoand Biarritz airport (France) is 158 km away.

Sea transportBilbao and Pasajes are the two main commercial ports ofthe Basque Country. These offer modern facilities andrepresent major centres for the entry and exit of goodswith a total annual traffic of almost 44 million tons goodsof all kinds from all over the world.

High speedrailways

Direct flights


The Port of Bilbao is one of the most important transportand logistics centres along the Atlantic coastline. It has aprivileged geographical situation offering links to the maininternational ports and is provided with modern facilitiesand large-scale port services. It is one of the few portswith docks with draughts of up to 32 metres and is operative24 hours a day, 365 days per year. The port is well equippedwith modern facilities: 350 ha of land surface, 1,971 ha offlotation surface, 17 km of docks and 252 ha of warehousingsurface. It also has excellent direct transport connectionswith the national railway network and national and Europeanmotorway networks.

Bilbao is also used as a port for passenger vessels. Thecompany P&O runs a regular ferry service ('Pride of Bilbao')between Bilbao and the city of Portsmouth in SouthernEngland. A large number of tourists call in at Bilbao duringcruises along the Cantabrian coast.

The port of Pasaia is situated close to San Sebastian, onlyan hour away from France. It is smaller than the port ofBilbao. Its docks are about 4,500 meters long and are usedby fishing boats and merchant vessels, while the rest isused for other activities. The port is used as an importanttrade centre for scrap, iron and steel products, cars, coal,wood, paper and other types of cargo.

Apart from its two main ports, the Basque Country hasa large number of smaller ports, distributed along theentire Basque coast, engaged in activities relating totrade, fishing and sailing.

Railway networkThe Basque Country is endowed with a highly-developedrailway infrastructure with nearly 600 km of routes. SpanishRailroads´ National Network (RENFE) connects the BasqueCountry with the rest of the Spanish state and the mainEuropean cities. From Bilbao-Abando station there aredaily train departures to cities such as Madrid, Barcelona,Lisbon, Porto and Paris. Within the Basque Country thereis a large network of commuter trains (FEVE) as well asa specific network on the right bank of the Bilbao riverestuary (Euskotren).

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Bilbao underground (Basque Country)

Road networkThe Basque Country has more than 4,250 kilometres ofm o t o r w a y s , g e n e r a l a n d r e g i o n a ldual-carriageways and modern access roads to the townsand cities. It communicates with the rest of Europe alongroutes E-05 (Paris - Madrid- Algeciras), E-70 (A-8) (Bilbao-Bordeaux- Lyon- Turin) and E-80 (A-68) (Lisbon- Madrid-Toulouse- Rome).

For communications within the Basque Country and withthe rest of the Spanish state, there is a dense road networkwith multiple accesses to roads such as the Bilbao-Saragossa motorway (AP-68), the Bilbao-Behobia motorway(A-8) and the Eibar-Vitoria-Gasteiz motorway (AP-1).

Connectivity with the entire worldRegarding the supporting communications infrastructurefor the Scientific environment, the i2Basque Network(backbone of the Basque R&D&I community) and the IRISnetwork (Spanish network for interconnection), providetop-level support for access to the main research andinternational commercial networks. This network offersexternal connectivity with other research and academicnetworks in Europe and takes part in the GÉANT pan-European IP network project.

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One of the most ambitious projects of the Basque railroadinfrastructure is the high speed train. The project expectsto connect the three most important cities of the regionin only half an hour. It plans to reduce travelling times withthe main cities of the Spanish state and some Europeancities: Bilbao - Madrid (2 hours 10 minutes), Bilbao -Bordeaux (2 hours 18 minutes), Bilbao - Paris (5 hours 47minutes), Madrid - Paris (7 hours 25 minutes), Madrid -Bordeaux (4 hours 20 minutes).

The Bilbao Underground is an important connectivityinfrastructure that allows easy, fast travelling within themetropolitan area of the capital of Bizkaia. It is 38.2kmlong and has two lines that connect the centre of Bilbaowith the coast. The Bilbao underground was designed in1995 by Sir Norman Foster and is one of the most modernin the world. Characterised by their innovative, modernand functional style, the underground stations andentrances, made from glass and steel, have becomeimportant features in the city.

Bilbao's tramway

Health is a key element to guarantee the individual andcollective well-being of a community. The Basque Countryenjoys a wide network of health services and hospitals,offering a specializing health care focused on the satisfactionof the health needs of our citizens with equity, quality andefficiency.

As an autonomous region of Spain, the Basque Countryhas independent powers in the field of medical services.As a result, the public Basque Health Service Osakidetzawas created, known as the best quality health service ofany Spanish autonomic region.

Osakidetza is the public Basque Health Service assignedto the Department of Health that provides the necessarypublic services to satisfy the health needs of the population.Osakidetza stands out for its professionalism, innovationand continuous progress, efficiency and patient orientation.It has a special health public programme in preventivemedicine and is famous for introducing the use of aninnovative electronic health card.


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4.2. Descriptionof the health system

Health services

According to statistics for 2006, the Basque Country has45 hospitals: 30 short-term, 5 long and medium term and10 psychiatric hospitals. The three main hospitals are inthe Bilbao area (Basurto hospital, Galdakao-Usansolo andCruces hospital), one hospital in San Sebastian area(Donostia hospital) and two hospitals in Vitoria (Santiagohospital and Txagorritxu hospital).

According to statistics for 2006, the total number of healthservice workers is about 20,797, of which 4,330 are doctors,5,969 are nurses and 10,498 with other medical and nonmedical profiles. In total, our hospitals have 8,049 beds(3.8 beds per 1000 inhabitants), 49 doctors and 86.7 nursesper 100 occupied beds. There are surgical, intensive care,life support and other services. Also, our hospitals areprovided with operating rooms for programmed and urgentoperations. There are nearly 292,104 hospitalisations and2,388,131 hospital stays per year, 224,104 surgicaloperations, more than 1,099,874 emergency cases,2,343,699 consultations in hospitals and ambulatories and20,233 births. In 2006, expenditure on health in the BasqueCountry was 1,651.4 million Euros.

Over recent years, policies to improve the health of thepopulation have been a priority. As a result, importantmeasures have been adopted to reform the health modelin a highly efficient public health system, in order to improveand modernise the service.

Cruces Hospital (Bizkaia)


Electronic health cardThe ONA card is a new electronic card that replaces theindividual health card and provides multiple civil uses. Thecard provides access to general, statutory and municipalservices in different fields. Health services include thereservation of medical appointments, second medicalopinions, etc. The major advantage of this card is theflexibility that it offers, being operative 24 hours a day and365 days a year.

4.3. Scientificenvironment

Decisive steps have been taken to transform the BasqueCountry into an example of innovation in Europe. TheBasque Science, Technology and Innovation System hasbeen promoted to combine the efforts of all public andprivate entities that encourage the use of ScienceTechnology and Innovation to improve businesscompetitiveness.

The Basque Country has organised its research aroundeight spheres of knowledge that are closely linked withits business and social fabric. Together they make up apoint of reference in Europe, and participating actively inthe construction of the European research space, theleading international consortia at the highest level.Knowledge communities embrace, in fact, all of theorganisations and institutional agents that carry out activitiesdesigned to generate and disseminate knowledge thatserves as the basis for the processes of social andcommercial innovation,and is the driving force behindeconomic development.

The basis of a successful science, technology, andinnovation system is a well-formed critical mass. TheBasque System offers highly qualified jobs in different

Bikaia Technology Park

Business locationBasque Country is a perfect location for foreign businessesdue to its high industrial development and productivity, itsstrategic location, its communications network and itstechnological and energy infrastructure.

Most investment comes from European Union countries,although in recent years, the USA is becoming relevant inthe ranking of investing countries. There are presentlymore than 700 companies in the Basque Country with asignificant, or majority, participation of foreign companies

disciplines, both in the pubic and private sectors. Theresearch and technology carried out are founded oncollaboration and cooperation and are organised in the so-called knowledge communities, which generate new typesof innovation.

Today, the Basque Country has the most extensive networkof science and technology agents in the Spanish state,with more than 12,500 researchers and backup staff; aninterconnected network of more than 90 entities betweentechnology and sector centres, laboratories, business units,universities, and around technological scientific knowledgecommunities-understood as multipartite spheres ofcooperation consisting of local groups both in universitiesand in research centres and industry. These communitiesfocus on the following disciplines: biosciences,nanosciences, materials, neutron sciences, energy,manufacturing, information sciences, social sciences, andhumanities.

Of special relevance are the 18 technology centres thatcarry out technological development activities of anindustrial, pluri-technology, and pluri-sector nature;knowledge generation work and training; and thedissemination of their own technologies, not only for theirassociate members or collaborators but also for any entity.

Moreover, in the region there are a number of CooperativeResearch Centres (CIC), multi-partite cooperation platformsengaged in the medium-to-long term development ofcapabilities in strategic areas of research for the BasqueCommunity. Universities, together with the technology


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centres, participate in the configuration of the CICs, whichconstitute the Basque Country's new scientificcompetences in emerging niches. The companiesthemselves participate directly in the managing bodies ofmost of the technological research and developmentcentres, guaranteeing that their activities are orientatedtowards the requirements of local companies and promotingtheir competitiveness on a global scale.

Today, there are six centres in the following disciplines:biosciences, biomaterials, manufacturing, nanotechnology,microtechnology and tourism, and a seventh is under wayin renewable energies.

It is also possible to find three Basque Excellence ResearchRenters (BERC): Basque Centre for Climate Change, BasqueCentre for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) and BasqueCentre on Cognition Brain and Language (BCBL).

Fiscal benefits designed to attract talentAll taxable persons subject to VAT, established in theprovince of Bizkaia, can obtain VAT refunds or compensationby ordinary procedure. This can occur once an activity hasbegun or even before, which is important with regard tothe acquisition of capital goods.

Even business people and professionals not establishedin the territory in which the tax is applied may exercisetheir right to a refund of any VAT that they have paid or, ifappropriate, collected in the aforementioned territory. Thisregime might be of interest in the case of operationscarried out by business people and professionals of third-party countries involved in the ESS operation.

With regard to income tax, we should point out that thereare discounts as a measure to promote and attract talent.Specifically, those persons who take up residence in theBasque Country can pay taxes during a number of yearsas if they were not residents, being liable to 24% taxation.

Talent attractionThe Basque Country has two organizations: Ikerbasque(Basque Science Agency) and Bizkaia: Xede, to facilitatethe incorporation of highly qualified personnel into the jobmarket. The main aim of both organizations is to help todevelop scientific research in the Basque Country byattracting researchers and providing them with support tosettle in this country.

ESS-Bilbao Welcome Service will coordinate the differentdemands and offers relating to ESS-Bilbao.


The Basque Country considers educational developmentto be of prime importance and is one of the most importantregions in Spain at an educational level. Schooling isvoluntary for children from 0 to 6 years of age and mandatoryfrom 6 to 16. It is distributed into three stages:

1. Voluntary Infant education, for schoolchildren from 0 to6, in two stages (0-3 and 3-6).

2. Compulsory Primary education, for schoolchildren from6 to 12.

3. Compulsory Secondary education, for schoolchildrenfrom 12 to 16.

Regarding primary and secondary education, the BasqueCountry offers a large number of public and private schools.At present, practically 100% of children up to 16 yearsreceive primary and secondary compulsory education. Bothprimary and secondary public schools are free and offera high-quality education including the study of English,Spanish and Basque.


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4.4. Schooling and education

The German School San Bonifacio(www.dsbilbao.org)Created in 1917 in Bilbao, this centre follows the GermanGymnasium system. The Students receive classes inGerman; there are also classes of English, French, Latin,Spanish, and Basque languages. The school prepares itsstudents to Abitur examination which gives access toGerman universities.

The German School San Alberto Magno(www.colegioaleman.net)This is a private educational centre located in San Sebastianfor children and young people from 2 to 18. The schooloffers an extensive range of activities throughout thedifferent school stages. There study German, English,Spanish and Basque languages.

St. George's English School of Bilbao(www.st-george.com)Founded in 1956, the school reproduces the methodologyand operation of British schools and gives special importanceto English language and culture. The school seeks toestablish the foundations of a truly bilingual educationthrough linguistic immersion consolidated throughout thestudent's school life.

American School of Bilbao (www.asob.es)The school was founded in 1967. It is accredited by theNew England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)and the Council of International Schools (ECIS). TheAmerican School of Bilbao offers students an American-style educational programme taught in English.

French School of Bilbao(www.c-francaisbilbao.com)Created in 1933, the lyceum is a mixed centre that educateschildren aged 3 to 16. The fundamental target of the lyceumis bilingualism based on the study of French and Spanish

Schools

The Basque Country boasts several foreign languagescentres that provide educational experience comparableto those provided in the respective home countries. Thereare the following international schools:


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cultures. Currently, the school has 1000 students of Frenchand Spanish origin, as well as foreign nationals from othercountries.

University of the Basque Country (EHU-UPV)(www.ehu.es)The UPV-EHU is distributed into three campuses, one ineach Basque province: Alava, Vizcaya and Guipuzkoa.These three sites house 31 faculties and schools and 104departments covering a wide variety of subjects. It has awide offer of tertiary studies.

University of Mondragon(www.mondragon.edu)The Mondragon Unibertsitatea was created in 1997 as acooperative university with a clear human vocation andcommitment to our environment, our society and our time.It has around 4,000 students and offers a total of 22 degreecourses. On the other hand, the range of postgraduatecourses includes 15 Masters and 8 university specialisationcourses.

University of Deusto (www.deusto.es)The University of Deusto was inaugurated in 1886. TheUniversity has two campuses: one in Bilbao and anotherin San Sebastian. It is famous in the field of BusinessAdministration and Management, the Deusto BusinessSchool being one of the best education centres in theSpanish state. Other Faculties in Deusto include: theFaculties of Law, Engineering ESIDe, Philosophy andEducation Sciences FICE, Arts, Political Science andSociology, Humanities and Theology. The university alsohas 3 Schools, 11 Institutes, 9 Chairs and other centres.The University is widely recognised for its academicexcellence and high quality education.

University of Navarra (www.tecnun.es)The School of Engineering of San Sebastian, of theUniversity of Navarra, aims to contribute to the professional,scientific and human education of prospective engineers.Since its inception, the School has striven to strike a balancebetween teaching, research and service to society, makingthese activities complementary to each other. At presentthe School offers 5 official degrees recognised by theMinistry of Education and Science, both at undergraduate

The pupils who from 16 years want to learn a specificprofession can choose a Vocational Training course followingpost compulsory secondary education. There areapproximately 140 different types of professional training,subdivided in a middle and top grade and consistent in atheoretical-practical knowledge in a professional field. Theduration of the Formative Cycles is variable: from anacademic course and one trimester up to two academiccourses.

Vocational Training

Today, the Spanish network of universities consists of 74universities, among which there are both public and privatecentres. These centres provide excellent opportunities inboth the variety and quality of educational offerings.Moreover, Spanish universities enjoy a leading role inEurope in the field of research. In particular, the BasqueCountry has four main universities: University of the BasqueCountry, Deusto University, Mondragón University, andTECNUN. These universities comprise 28 faculties, 3 highertechnical schools, and 11 university schools. More thanone-third of the Basque population of between 18 and 25years attend university and about 46.6% of the labourforce of Basque Country has a tertiary education.

Universities

Broad plains, mountain ranges, green woods, spectacularcliffs, abundant wetlands and marshes and relaxing beaches.Lovers of natural spaces have a great deal to discover inthe Basque Country. The diversity and beauty of itslandscapes have been preserved not only in its protectedareas but in a large part of the territory. Visitors can enjoynatural spaces and ecosystems located very near urbancentres and cities. In the Basque Country, nature is just astone's throw away from civilisation.

Protection and conservationThe Basque Country has nine natural parks, five protectedbiotopes and a biosphere reserve, Urdaibai, where thecliffs and beaches of the coast and the reserve's woods,


and postgraduate level: Industrial Engineering,Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical, Electronic andControl Engineering, Industrial Management Engineeringand Materials Engineering.

Moreover, neighbouring autonomous communities offerthe Universities of Cantabria, Public University of Zaragoza,University of Zaragoza, University of La Rioja, and Universityof Valladolid. There are also leading universities in theautonomous communities of Madrid, Catalonia, Communityof Valencia, Galicia, and Andalusia.

The Basque Country promotes the connection betweencompanies and universities in technological research,development and innovation. University centres have along history of collaboration within the R&D investigations,contributing to the innovation of the region and givingpupils a chance to do internships in big companies. Thehigh grade of tertiary education shows the importance thatthe country gives to the development of the potential ofits young people, offering them access to high qualitysubsidised education.

4.5. Nature andthe environment

Sukarrieta (Basque Country)

wetlands and inland rivers make up the greatest diversityof landscapes and ecological resources in our territory.

In total, 14% of the surface area of the Basque Countryis protected in accordance with one of these schemes(above the European average of 12.3%). Additionally, atechnical design proposal has been drawn up for a networkof ecological corridors to ensure the viability of thepopulations of flora and fauna of the Basque Country. Onthe other hand, it is interesting to note that more than20% of the surface area of the Basque Country is includedin the European Natura 2000 network.

Sea, rivers, coastline and beachesThe 252 km of Basque coastline is one of the mostimportant tourist destinations thanks to the natural beautyof its surroundings, where beaches of fine sand areinterspersed with steep cliffs, river estuaries and a numberof wetlands and marshes of great ecological interest.Inland, you can discover a large number of recreationaland leisure areas by rivers and reservoirs, some of whichrepresent veritable inland seas which are bound to surpriseyou.

The Cantabrian sea is home to a large number of marinemammals and one can see a wide variety of cetaceans


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(dolphins, fin whales, sperm whales, etc.) during the voyageof the Bilbao-Portsmouth ferry, which offers crash courseson marine fauna.

Wealth of flora and faunaDue to the strategic biogeographical position of the BasqueCountry, placed between the Eurosiberian andMediterranean systems, the climatic gradient that runsfrom the coast towards the interior, together withdifferences in altitude of more than 1000 m, there is agreat wealth of flora and fauna. In this way, more than3000 species of plants and almost 40 invertebrates live inthe extensive network of natural spaces in the BasqueCountry, a land where nature coexists in harmony withhuman beings.

Environmental managementThrough the Environment and Territorial PlanningDepartment, the public administration of the BasqueCountry develops and manages one of the most advancedenvironmental protection and conservation policies inEurope.

Based on a strategy of long-term sustainable development(2002-2020 Basque Sustainable Development Strategy)

Mundaka and the Unesco Biosphere Natural Reserve of Urdaibai (Bizkaia)

The Basque Country -or Euskadi as it called by the locals-is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is famousfor its culture, architecture, gastronomy, leisure and sportsand its wonderful natural spaces. The country has anunforgettable miscellany of traditional and modern life andoffers a wide range of tourist activities. Visitors can enjoyits museums and concerts, take a walk in its beautifulnatural parks and beaches, practice different types of sportsand enjoy its exquisite cuisine. The Basque Country offersmodern innovative infrastructures but at the same time itretains the charm of its traditional culture.


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the struggle against climate change, the preservation ofbiodiversity and the prevention and control of contamination,are just a few of its areas of activity. There is a specificaction plan for each area (2007-2010 Basque Plan to Fightagainst Climate Change; 2009-2014 Biodiversity Strategy;etc.), which aim to achieve continuous environmentalimprovement.

The development of these policies has been strengthenedthrough the firm support given to environmental R&D&Iover recent years in the Basque Country. The BC3 (BasqueCentre for Climate Change), the CIC energyGUNE(Cooperative Research Centre in Renewable Energies),the Torre Madariaga Biodiversity Observatory Unit and theEnvironmental Economics Unit (University of the BasqueCountry) are a few of the research centres whose workhelps to raise an awareness of environmental problemsand more efficient solutions to help in their eradication.

4.6. Culture, leisureand sports

Sorginetxe dolmen (Basque Country)

Due to its privileged geographical position and the influenceof the Atlantic Ocean, the Basque Country enjoys amoderate, gentle climate. The average annual temperatureis about 14.3ºC, the region has 11 days of frost and 2 ofsnow a year and 132 hours of sunshine per month. Themean minimum temperature is 4.7ºC (January) and meanmaximum temperature is 25.5ºC (August), however in thesummer months the temperature can reach more than30ºC. The mean rainfall in winter is about 129 mm andthe mean rainfall in summer is about 70 mm per month.

Culture

The Basque Country is especially famous for its offer ofcultural activities. The San Sebastian Film Festival, VitoriaJazz Festival, the Artium Museum in Vitoria, the Fine Artsmuseum in San Sebastian and Guggenheim museum ofBilbao, with its outstanding modern architecture, are a fewof the huge number of cultural choices.

Cooking is deeply rooted in Basque culture: the area hasproduced world-renowned chefs and schools that haverevolutionised the concept of fine cuisine. The BasqueCountry has one of the highest concentrations of hautecuisine restaurants in the world, and there is a host ofsmall restaurants that serve traditional recipes in uniquelyattractive settings ("pintxos").

Sports

The Basque people are very fond of sports. Themountainous relief of the region, the proximity of the sea,its forests and the natural beauty of the environmentdetermine the character of its people and make the BasqueCountry a perfect place for the practice of diverse rangeof sporting activities. The most popular sports in this regioninclude mountaineering, surfing, sailing, swimming, hiking,climbing, handball, tennis, hockey, soccer, rugby, basketball,golf, etc.


Arriaga Theater (Bilbao)

Main citiesThe Basque Country has a lot of picturesque sightseeingfamous all over the world. Its castles, small villages andbig cities – the most important being Bilbao, San Sebastianand Vitoria-Gasteiz - are of special interest. The small sizeof the region makes it easy to travel trough and thehospitality of its people makes a newcomer feel like home.

The principal cities of the Basque Country are an exampleof sustainable urban development, offering both to itsinhabitants and visitors a nice environment with a wideoffer of green spaces of public recreation.


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the first magnitude, has made Bilbao a focus of internationalattraction. With the creation of new infrastructures suchas the underground and tram, the rehabilitation of numerousbuildings, the enlargement of the port, the expansion ofthe city's green spaces and the birth of the MuseumGuggenheim and the Euskalduna Palace, Bilbao hasundergone a major transformation over recent years.Although these improvements have made the city morehabitable, a great deal of work has also been done topreserve its delightful old part.

Architects from all over the world have taken part in effortsto redefine the city, including Santiago Calatrava, Sir NormanFoster, Frank Ghery, Robert Stern, Arata Isozaki, ZahaHadid, Rob Krier, and Federico Soriano. The EuskaldunaPalace, the Zubi-Zuri (White Bridge), the Bilbao underground,the Uribitarte Towers and the Guggenheim Museum aresome of the constructions that give to the city its personality,charisma and avant-garde appeal.

Bilbao is one of the most beautiful and modern cities ofthe Atlantic coast. The city's offer of cultural activities, of

Bilbao

Bilbao town hall (Basque Country)

Casco Viejo, Bilbao (Basque Country)

Located on the banks of the Cantabrian sea and surroundedby green mountains, San Sebastian offers a myriad ofbreath-taking views that captivate both its inhabitants andvisitors alike. The beautiful bay in the shape of shell thatopens the metropolis to the sea is undoubtedly the mostfamous image of the city.


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San Sebastian One of the most interesting places in the city is its oldquarter, made up of narrow streets full of bars andrestaurants. In terms of historical architecture, San Sebastianhas a number of beautiful cathedrals, and the city isespecially famous for its conference centre, the Kursaal,the work of Rafael Moneo, the Comb of the Wind, withthe sculptures of Eduardo Chillida, etc.

San Sebastian Jazz Festival (Basque Country)

Kursaal, San Sebastian (Basque Country)


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highest percentage of natural spaces of any Spanish city:20 m2 of green areas per inhabitant. Moreover, Vitoria-Gasteiz is surrounded by a green ring composed by fourimmense parks of high ecological and landscape value(Olarizu, Armentia, Salburua and Zabalgana), which serveas transition between the urban and the rural environment.

Thanks to the city's pedestrian precincts and extensivegreen spaces, the quality of life of the inhabitants of Vitoria-Gasteiz is one of the highest in Europe. The city has the

Vitoria-Gasteiz

Virgen Blanca Square, Vitoria (Basque Country)

Vitoria (Basque Country)

Together, the social, cultural, geographical, and economicconditions of the Basque Country offer a broad range ofattractive opportunities. Indicators such as the HumanDevelopment Index (HDI), which takes a wide range ofaspects into account, such as life expectancy at birth,literacy levels of the adult population, educational leveland income levels, are extremely favourable.

The region ranks third in the world according to the HumanDevelopment Index in aspects such as life expectancy atbirth, which stands at 80.8 years, one of the highest inEurope and the combined enrolment rates of its primary,secondary and tertiary education are among the best inEurope due to the high quality of Basque education centres.

The region's high GDP per capita and employment rates,the low unemployment and crime rates, compared to otherEuropean countries, which have not varied substantiallyover recent years, makes the Basque Country an attractive,safe place to live and work.

The Basque Country is an integrated system of citieslocated in a strategic place in Europe, making it a veritableEuro-City. It has modern communications, road, train andair transport infrastructures that allow for easy and flexibleconnections with the rest of Spain and Europe. Locatedon the international Lisbon-Stockholm euro-Atlantic axis,Bilbao airport is the most important passenger traffic centrein the North of Spain.

The Basque Country is tradition and modernity. The diversityof its landscapes and peoples, together with its love oftradition, and the wish to advance forward, have fashionedan open society in which individual customs and ways oflife can coexist alongside the most modern manifestationsof art, culture and architecture.

It has successfully preserved its internationally-recognizednatural scenery: broad social diversity, an ambitious offerof art and cultural activities, as well as an extensive varietyof leisure and sports pursuits. It is a country open to newtrends thanks to its international festivals, including film,music and other artistic forms. It has world-class culturalinfrastructures and is international headquarters of majorscientific, economic and business conferences.

ESS-Bilbao represents the culmination of 20 years ofcontinued efforts to place the Basque Country at theforefront of the scientific, technological and businessdevelopment of Spain and Southern Europe as a whole.

As a site, Bilbao represents a safe bet as the metropolitanarea of the city represents, moreover, an internationalcultural, financial and business centre of the highest level.All this in an unparalleled natural environment, withinnumerable opportunities for leisure and culture and forthe enjoyment of life.

Quality of Life in the Basque Country. Conclusions

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5. Conclusions

General information:

www.euskadi.netwww.eustat.eswww.turismoa.euskadi.netwww.destinospaisvasco.com

Connectivity:

www.bilbaoport.eswww.puertopasajes.netwww.aena.eswww.renfe.eswww.feve.eswww.euskotren.eswww.termibus.eswww.metrobilbao.net

Education:

www.dsbilbao.orgwww.colegioaleman.netwww.st-george.comwww.asob.eswww.c-francaisbilbao.comwww.ehu.eswww.dipc.ehu.eswww.ehu.es/biofisicawww.mondragon.eduwww.tecnun.eswww.deusto.es

Culture and arts:

www.guggenheim-bilbao.eswww.museobilbao.comwww.museoreproduccionesbilbao.orgwww.euskal-museoa.orgwww.museomaritimobilbao.orgwww.eduardo-chillida.comwww.teatroarriaga.com

Social activities:

www.sansebastianfestival.comwww.heinekenjazzaldia.comwww.jazzvitoria.comwww.bilbaobbklive.com/2009www.athletic-club.netwww.realsociedad.comwww.alaves.comwww.euskalsurf.comwww.ligaact.comwww.fipv.netwww.fundacioneuskadi.comwww.fvpyc.org

Tourist information, Main Cities:

www.bilbao.netwww.visitbilbao.infowww.sansebastianturismo.comwww.vitoria-gasteiz.org/turismo

Tourist information, Small cities:

www.bakio.comwww.bermeokoudala.netwww.balmaseda.netwww.durango-udala.netwww.durangaldea.comwww.gernika-lumo.netwww.getxo.netwww.gordexola.netwww.gorliz.netwww.portugalete.com

Quality of Life in the Basque Country. Useful links

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6. Useful links

• Report of public health 2006, Department of Health of the Basque Country

• Investing in the Basque Country, SPRI

• OECD Regions at a Glance, OECD 2007

• Regional report: Basque Science, edition of Nature 12 June 2008

• AENA annual report 2007

• EUSTAT (Basque Statistic Institute), Human development index 2007

• Euskadi in the EU-27, 2008

• UNDP 2007 Human Development Report

• Web site Spanish Airports and Air Navigation (www.aena.es)

• Web site Bilbao Port (www.bilbaoport.es)

• Web site Pasaia Port (www.puertopasajes.net)

• Web site Metro Bilbao (www.metrobilbao.net)

• Web site RENFE (www.renfe.es)

• Web site FEVE (www.feve.es)

• Web site Euskotren (www.euskotren.es)

• Web site Termibus (www.termibus.es)

• Web site Basque Government, Department of Transports and Public Works(http://www.garraioak.ejgv.euskadi.net/r41-430/es/contenidos/informacion/4429/es_4081/es_15725.html)

• Web site Basque Government, Health Department

• Web site Spanish-Living (www.spanish-living.com)

• Web site German School San Bonifacio (www.dsbilbao.org)

• Web site German School San Alberto Magno (www.colegioaleman.net)

• Web site St. George's English School of Bilbao (www.st-george.com)

• Web site American School of Bilbao (www.asob.es)

• Web site French School of Bilbao (www.c-francaisbilbao.com)

• Web site University of the Basque Country (EHU–UPV) (www.ehu.es)

• Web site DIPC (EHU-UPV) (www.dipc.ehu.es)

• Web site UB (EHU–UPV/CSIC) (www.ehu.es/biofisica)

• Web site University of Mondragon (www.mondragon.edu)

• Web site University of Deusto (www.deusto.es)

• Web site University of Navarra (www.tecnun.es)

Quality of Life in the Basque Country. Sources

Sources

Quality of Life in the Basque Country

Documents

Transcript of Quality of Life in the Basque Country