Lower Navarre

Lower Navarre ( in French Basse- Navarre, in Basque Nafarroa Behera ) is a historical region in the French part of the Basque Country.

The area was formed together with today Comunidad Foral de Navarra (formerly Alta Navarra) in Spain to 1512, the Kingdom of Navarre. In 1512, Lower Navarre was conquered by Ferdinand the Catholic and annexed by the Kingdom of Castile. Due to continuing unrest in the region, the invaders moved in 1530 back over the Pyrenees. Since then, there were two kingdoms named Navarre until the Navarre and the French crown were united in 1620.

However, within the French monarchy Navarra was able to maintain its independence and privileges to the French Revolution. As the needle in Alta Navarra did not feel obliged the French kings and was to collect more benefits of Castile, was the integration Alta Navarre in the total Spanish monarchy without major problems. Lower Navarre was, however, in the reorganization of France in 1789, a part of the department of Basses- Pyrénées ( Pyrénées- Atlantiques today ).

Today, Lower Navarre has 28,000 inhabitants. The most important place is Saint -Jean -Pied -de-Port ( in Basque Donibane Garazi ) with 1417 inhabitants.

Official language is French, but the Basque language is very common. More than 61% of the population speak Basque as their mother tongue. The population lives mainly on agriculture and tourism.