Markina-Xemein
Markina-Xemein is a toun an municipality locatit in the province o Biscay, in the Basque Kintra, locatit in northren Spain. The oreegin o the toun's name lees in its geographic location. The last toun in the province o Biscay, Markina lees atween Gipuzkoa an Biscay. Comin frae the Spaingie wird "marca" meanin "mark", Markina-Xemein marks the location whaur the Gipuzkoanos (the fowk o Guipuzcoa province) aften battled the Bizkainos (the fowk o Biscay province).
Markina-Xemein | |
|---|---|
| Markina-Xemein | |
 Coat airms | |
| Motto(s): Muy Noble y Muy Leal Villa Markina-Xemein (The vera noble an lyal veelage o Markina-Xemein) | |
 Location o Markina-Xemein in Bizkaia. | |
  Markina-Xemein Location in Spain | |
| Coordinates: 43°16′8″N 2°29′47″W / 43.26889°N 2.49639°WCoordinates: 43°16′8″N 2°29′47″W / 43.26889°N 2.49639°W | |
| Kintra |  Spain |
| Autonomous commonty |  País Vasco |
| Province | Biscay |
| Comarca | Lea-Artibai |
| Foondit | 1952 |
| Govrenment | |
| • Alcalde | Juan Jose Txurruka Txurruka (Bildu) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 44.79 km2 (17.29 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 85 m (279 ft) |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Total | 4,804 |
| • Density | 110/km2 (280/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Marquinés/a, Markinarra Jemeindarra, Xemeindarra |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 48270 |
| Website | Offeecial wabsteid |
Geografie
eeditMarkina-Xemein is locatit in the north east o Biscay, an it is next tae the border wi Gipuzkoa. Awtho the veelage centre is plain, it is surroondit by hills an muntains, maist o thaim 400 tae 700 metres heich. Oiz, locatit tae the soothwast, is 1,026 metres heich.
The main river is Artibai, which passes throu Markina-Xemein frae soothwast tae northeast. Near the veelage centre, it is jyned bi anither river frae the sootheast, Urko.
Markina-Xemein enjoys a mild climate throuoot the year, thanks tae bein locatit anerly 10 kilometers frae the coast. Winters tend tae be a little bit ceul and wet, but no snawy. Awtho simmers are relatively hot, temperaturs hardly iver go abuin 35º Celsius. Apairt frae that, aw the saisons are wet an rainy, so yearly rainfaw is abuin 1550 mm.
History
eeditThe veelage o Markina (cried, in that time, Villaviciosa de Marquina in Spaingie) wis foondit bi Don Tello, Laird o Biscay (Bizkaia), on 6 Mey 1355. Don Tello gae permission tae the local nobility (jauntxoak in Basque or hidalgos in Spaingie) tae create an defend the new veelage frae the attacks o the Gipuzkoan nobility.
Ane o the maist astonishing aspects o that foondation wis that Markina wis no gien a pairish kirk for itsel. Mairower, it haes haed tae uise the existin kirk o Xemein, which, at that time, wis a unthirlt toun (an elizate). The patronage o that kirk wis a hot point in their relations, especially in the Middle Ages, an several disputes teuk places atween local nobility. On 29 September 1952, Markina an Xemein jyned ilk ither tae foond wha we ket the day as the toun o Markina-Xemein.
A further enlairgement teuk place on 1969, when Ziortza-Bolibar (a smawer toun locatit tae the soothwast o Markina-Xemein) jyned the veelage. That union lasted till 1 Januar 2005, when aw the pairts concerned reached a greement bi which Ziortza-Bolibar become a unthirld toun.
See an aw
eedit- 1980 Markina attack: a attack bi the Basque separatist group ETA which killed fower fowk in the toun.