 The area that is now the URDAIBAI Biosphere Reserve has played a major role in the social and political organisation of Bizkaia for centuries: it was in the shade of the Tree of Gernika and at the chapel of Santa María la Antigua (where the Assembly Hall now stands) that the General Assemblies of Bizkaia were held and the Lords of Bizkaia swore to uphold the area’s ancient laws.
 In the Middle Ages Bermeo was one of the most important trading ports on the Bay of Biscay coast, though nowadays its fame is based on tuna and anchovy fishing and the associated fish canneries. In Gernika agriculture has given way to industry.
The population of the area currently stands at around 45,000, 80% of them concentrated in the towns of Gernika and Bermeo. The economy is based on metallurgy, fishing/ maritime activities and forestry, and on the exploitation of local resources (arable and cattle farming). There is also a tourist trade, centred mainly on the local beaches, the historical towns and the natural environment, with a network of agri-tourism establishments and hotels scattered throughout the area.
| Occupation rates |
|
| Primary sector (farming & fishing) |
14% |
| Industry |
28% |
| Construction |
8% |
| Services |
50% |
Sustainable development
Sectors of activity
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