Biscay

Biscay Bizkaia (Basque) Vizcaya (Spanish)
Province
Historical Territory of Biscay1
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 43°15′N 2°59′W / 43.250°N 2.983°W / 43.250; -2.983
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Basque Country
Capital	Bilbao
Government
• Deputy General	Elixabete Etxanobe (PNV)
Area
• Total	2,217 km2 (856 sq mi)
Population  (2023)
• Total	1,153,282
• Density	520/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
• Ranked	9
• Percent	2.47%
Demonyms	Biscayne, Biscayan, bizkaitar(ra), vizcaíno/a
Official languages	Basque • Spanish
Parliament	Juntas Generales
Congress seats	8
Senate seats	4
Juntas Generales de Vizcaya	51
Website	Diputación Foral de Vizcaya
1.^ Complete official names: Bizkaiko Lurralde Historikoa (Basque) and Territorio Histórico de Bizkaia (Spanish)

Biscay (/ˈbɪskeɪ, ˈbɪski/ BISK-ay, BISK-ee;^[1][2] Basque: Bizkaia [bis̻kai.a]; Spanish: Vizcaya [biθˈkaʝa]) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Vascongadas, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.

Biscay is one of the most renowned and prosperous provinces of Spain, historically a major trading hub in the Atlantic Ocean since medieval times and, later on, one of the largest industrial and financial centers of the Iberian peninsula. Since the extensive deindustrialization that took place throughout the 1970s, the economy has come to rely more on the services sector.