Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Quick Summary
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in southwestern France, located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It is known for its diverse geography, encompassing the western Pyrenees Mountains and a coastal area along the Bay of Biscay. The region is characterized by a wet climate, with numerous rivers creating verdant valleys.
The department is home to the cultural region of the Basque Country, distinct for its ancient language and unique identity. Major towns include Pau, a spa and tourism center and administrative capital, and Bayonne, a historic port known for its local products like hams and chocolate. The area also features popular tourist resorts such as Biarritz. Economically, the region supports agriculture, forestry, fishing, and tourism, with some industrial activity in areas like Lacq.123
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
- Basque
âŠpopulation in the dĂ©partement of PyrĂ©nĂ©es-Atlantiques; the area mainly occupied by Basques is called informally the Pays Basque (Basque Country). In physique the Basques are not notably different from the other peoples of western Europe; their language, however, is not Indo-European (see Basque language).
Read MoreâŠpopulation in the dĂ©partement of PyrĂ©nĂ©es-Atlantiques; the area mainly occupied by Basques is called informally the Pays Basque (Basque Country). In physique the Basques are not notably different from the other peoples of western Europe; their language, however, is not Indo-European (see Basque language).
Read More 
Basque languageâŠregion of the dĂ©partement of PyrĂ©nĂ©es-Atlantiques. The Basques derived their self-name, Euskaldunak, from Euskara, the ethnonym for the language.
Read MoreâŠregion of the dĂ©partement of PyrĂ©nĂ©es-Atlantiques. The Basques derived their self-name, Euskaldunak, from Euskara, the ethnonym for the language.
Read More