Eibar | |||
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Municipality | |||
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Location of Eibar within the Basque Autonomous Community | |||
Coordinates: 43°11′N 2°28′W / 43.183°N 2.467°WCoordinates: 43°11′N 2°28′W / 43.183°N 2.467°W | |||
Country | Spain | ||
Autonomous community | Basque Country | ||
Province | Gipuzkoa | ||
Comarca | Debabarrena | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | Miguel de los Toyos (PSE-EE) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 24.78 km2 (9.57 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 121 m (397 ft) | ||
Population (2013) | |||
• Total | 27,439 | ||
• Density | 1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi) | ||
Website | Official website |
Eibar (Basque: Eibar, Spanish: Éibar) is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain. It is the head town of Debabarrena, one of the comarcas of Gipuzkoa.
Eibar has 27,439 inhabitants (INE, 2013). Its chief industry is metal manufacturing, and has been known since the 16th century for the manufacture of armaments, particularly finely engraved small arms. It was also the home of Serveta scooters.
It is home to the SD Eibar football team in La Liga.
Eibar lies at an altitude of 121m above sea level, in the west of the province of Gipuzkoa, right next to Biscay. Eibar has an oceanic climate. The town lies in a narrow valley in a mountainous area, the highest mountains are between 700 and 800 metres high. Eibar is traversed by river Ego, which is a tributary of the Deba.
Apart from the urban area, the municipality consists of five rural neighbourhoods: Otaola-Kinarraga, Aginaga, Arrate, Mandiola and Gorosta.
The city was chartered by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1346, receiving the name of Villanueva de San Andrés de Heybar.
The feudal families that dominated the territory engaged in the War of the Bands. Eibar, like the rest of settlements in the valley, had an industry based on finery forges and the manufacture of arms. In 1766, Eibar got engaged in a social revolt known as the Machinada, and years later, in 1794, it was attacked by the French, who destroyed the town.