Durangaldea

Durangaldea
comarca
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Basque Country
Province	Biscay
Capital	Durango

Durangaldea (Spanish: Duranguesado) is a comarca of Biscay located in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas or regions that compose the province of Biscay. The capital city of Durangaldea is Durango.

Durangaldea is located at the southeast of the province of Biscay, limiting with the provinces of Gipuzkoa and Álava. It spans the territory between Oiz mountain and the border with the province of Álava in the south. Its total extension is 240,13 km².

Most of the towns that compose the comarca are located on a great valley formed by the Ibaizabal river, that crosses it from east to west. Otxandio is the only town that belongs to Durangaldea but is not part of the valley.

Durangaldea (also known by its Spanish name, Duranguesado) was during the Middle Ages a district apart from Biscay (the Señorío) and a dependency of Navarre, but was conquered by Castile in 1200. It remained separate from Biscay until 1630, and it held its own compilation of laws, with its regional council joining in Gerediaga, Abadiño. Its lords founded four chartered towns, namely Ermua, Elorrio, Durango, and Otxandio.

Durangaldea is divided into twelve municipalities, being Durango the capital city. The municipalities that compose the comarca are the same ones that made the merindad of Durango, the previous administrative division. Ermua and Mallabia belong to the province of Biscay, but are not part of Durangaldea, being part of other comarca, which is part of Gipuzkoa.

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