Karrantza

Karrantza
Municipality
Valley of Karrantza
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Karrantza within Biscay
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	País Vasco
Province	Biscay
Comarca	Enkarterri
Government
• Mayor	Raúl Palacio (KZ)
Area
• Total	137,66 km2 (5,315 sq mi)
Elevation	155 m (509 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	2,794
• Density	0.20/km2 (0.53/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	48891
Website	Official website

Karrantza (in Basque and officially, in Spanish Carranza), also known as Karrantza Harana (Basque for Valley of Karrantza) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country. It is located in the comarca of Enkarterri and it is the westernmost and largest (by area) municipality of the province.

Film director Víctor Erice was born there.

The first recorded appearance of the toponym of Karrantza is on the Chronicle of Alfonso III, dated in the 10th Century, where it appears as Carrantia. According to the text, Carrantia was one of the towns known to be populated during the reign of Alfonso I, King of Asturias. The origin of Carrantia comes from the Cantabrian dialect, meaning "high rocks". From Carrantia it would evolve to Carranza, the current Spanish toponym. Karrantza is the Basque toponym, an adaptation of Carranza following the Basque orthographic rules, and it is the official name of the municipality since 2001.

The first known vestiges of the human presence in the valley of Karrantza are some lithic tools, from the late Middle Paleolithic. In Karrantza is located the sanctuary of Venta Laperra, the oldest of the entire Basque Country, with several forms of Paleolithic art. There is evidence of ancient pastoral activity, as well as art forms belonging to hunter-gatherers from the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.