Baracaldo
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Barakaldo (; ) is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
located in the
Biscay Biscay ( ; ; ), is a province of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the Bay of Biscay, eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilb ...
province in the Basque Country in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. Located on the
Left Bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terrain alongsid ...
of the
Estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao ( Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this i ...
, the city is part of
Greater Bilbao Greater Bilbao (Basque language, Basque: ''Bilboaldea'', Spanish language, Spanish: ''Gran Bilbao'') is an administrative division of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the se ...
, has a population at 100,881. Barakaldo has an industrial river-port heritage and has undergone significant redevelopment with new commercial and residential areas replacing the once active industrial zones.


History

The
1911 Encyclopædia Britannica Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 Mom ...
original entry on the town stated: Iron mining formed a large part of Barakaldo's industry, making it the endpoint of a mining railway. The steel industry, led by
Altos Hornos de Vizcaya Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, S.A. was a Spanish metallurgy manufacturing company. It was the largest company in Spain for much of the 20th century, employing 40,000 workers at its height. The business began in 1902 in Bilbao with the merger of thre ...
, had an important presence during the 20th century, until the industrial recession hit the region's economy in the 1980s. In recent decades, the industrial zones surrounding Barakaldo have become less prominent, which can be owed to the shuttering of large companies such as
Babcock & Wilcox Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. is an American energy technology and service provider that is active and has operations in many international markets with its headquarters in Akron, Ohio. Historically, the company is best known for their stea ...
. Although several factories remain, areas that were once industrial have been redeveloped into residential properties such as malls and parks. A large exhibition centre. the
Bilbao Exhibition Centre The Bilbao Exhibition Centre (commonly abbreviated as BEC) is an exhibition centre in Barakaldo, Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. The current headquarters of the Feria de Muestras de Bilbao, its facilities are located ...
has recently been built on the outskirts of the town.


Transport

Barakaldo is connected to the rest of the
Greater Bilbao Greater Bilbao (Basque language, Basque: ''Bilboaldea'', Spanish language, Spanish: ''Gran Bilbao'') is an administrative division of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the se ...
metropolitan area by Line 2 of the
Metro Bilbao The Bilbao metro (, ) is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Lines 1 and 2 have a "Y" shape, as they transit both banks of the river Ibaizabal and then combine to form one line that ends in the s ...
. Four stations are in the city: Gurutzeta/Cruces, Ansio,
Barakaldo Barakaldo (; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Biscay province in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country in Spain. Located on the Left Bank (Biscay), Left Bank of the Estuary of Bilbao, the city is pa ...
and Bagatza). The
Cercanías Bilbao Cercanías Bilbao (Basque language, Basque: ''Bilboko Aldiriak'') is a commuter rail network in Bilbao, serving the city and its Bilbao metropolitan area, metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías, as part of RENFE, Renfe, the national railw ...
train line has two stations in Barakaldo (Lutxana and Desertu-Barakaldo). BizkaiBus company provides a bus service, with connections to the rest of Biscay. Locally, an urban bus system named Kbus operates with two lines. A tram line has been proposed to connect local districts. The main motorway is the A-8 motorway, which also goes between Bilbao. It serves as the main road link between Greater Bilbao and the rest of Spain. A boat ferry service connects Barakaldo to the other side of the
Estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao ( Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this i ...
in
Erandio Erandio is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, northern Spain. History In 1415, during the War of the Bands, the ...
. Barakaldo is located from
Bilbao Airport Bilbao Airport is a minor international airport located north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in Biscay. It is the largest airport in the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 6,336,441 passengers in 2023. It is famous for its new ...
.


Demographics

Population peaked in the 1990s to over 100,300. The decline of local industry decreased the population, though, and in 2002, 95,000 people lived in Barakaldo. However, a recent increase has sent the population to 100,502 residents.


Tourism

Tourists visit sites in Barakaldo such as the Botanic Garden, the
Bilbao Exhibition Centre The Bilbao Exhibition Centre (commonly abbreviated as BEC) is an exhibition centre in Barakaldo, Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. The current headquarters of the Feria de Muestras de Bilbao, its facilities are located ...
, the medieval Bridge of Castrexana, and some of the city's street sculptures. In July, the town celebrates "Las Fiestas del Carmen," which includes open-air concerts and large fairs.


Sports

Barakaldo is represented by the Barakaldo Club de Fútbol in Spain's
Primera Federación The Primera Federación, officially the Primera Federación Versus e-Learning for sponsorship reasons (formerly known as Primera RFEF). is the third tier of the Spanish football league system beginning with the 2021–22 season. It is administe ...
. They play home games at the
Estadio Nuevo Lasesarre Lasesarre is a stadium in Barakaldo, Spain. It is currently used for football (soccer), football matches and is the home stadium of Barakaldo CF. The stadium holds 7,960 spectators. References External linksStadium information
. Local league teams include Gurutzeta KFT,
SD Retuerto Sport Sociedad Deportiva Retuerto Sport is a List of football clubs in Spain, football team based in Barakaldo in the autonomous community of Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country. Founded in 1923, the team plays in . The club's home gro ...
, UD Burtzeña, Pauldarrak FKT, Zuazo C.F. and S.C.D. Dosa-Salesianos. Handball has played a part in Barakaldo's tradition. Now, two teams are present in competitions: Club Balonmano Zuazo Femenino, playing in División de Honor Femenina de Balonmano, and Club Balonmano Barakaldo who plays in the
Liga ASOBAL Liga Asobal is the premier professional handball league in Spain. It was founded in 1958 with the name of División de Honor, changing its name to the current name in 1990. The Liga ASOBAL, which is played under EHF rules, currently consists of ...
.
Bizkaia Arena Bizkaia Arena is an indoor arena in Barakaldo, Greater Bilbao. It is the biggest multipurpose hall in Spain, as it can hold up to 26,000 people, and 15,414 for indoor sports. The arena is part of the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC) complex, the Exh ...
is an indoor arena with a capacity of 18,640. It hosted some games of the
2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 17th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the tournament previously known as the FIBA World Championship. The tournament was held from 30 August to 14 September 2014. Hosted by Spain, it was the la ...
.


Notable natives

*
Asier del Horno Asier del Horno Cosgaya (born 19 January 1981) is a retired Spanish footballer who primarily played in the left back position. He initially gained prominence during his stint with Athletic Bilbao, where he featured in 126 official matches over ...
, footballer * Carlos Sobera, actor * David López, cyclist *
Iñaki Lafuente Iñaki Lafuente Sancha (born 24 January 1976) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He appeared in 146 La Liga games over ten seasons, mainly with Athletic Bilbao. He also represented Espanyol and Sporting de ...
, footballer *
Javier Clemente Javier Clemente Lázaro (; born 12 March 1950) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Forced to retire from playing in his early 20s through injury, he embarked on a coaching career with his first managerial ...
, football manager * Javier González Gómez, footballer * Javier Otxoa, cyclist * Josep Lluís Núñez, president of
FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...
between 1978 and 2000 * Unai Expósito, footballer * Antonio Iturmendi Bañales, politician * Begoña Maestre, actress *
Lucía García Lucía García Córdoba (; born 14 July 1998) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward or winger (association football), winger for Liga MX Femenil side C.F. Monterrey (wom ...
, footballer * Esty Quesada, youtuber and podcaster


See also

*'' Barakaldo D.F.'', a Mägo de Oz concert DVD filmed in Barakaldo


References


External links

*
www.i-barakaldo.com
La comunidad virtual de Barakaldo
Official website
(in Basque / Spanish)
BARAKALDO in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)
{{authority control Estuary of Bilbao Municipalities in Biscay