The English word Basque derives from the French term Basque, which itself comes from Gascon Basco and Spanish Vasco. These terms trace back to Latin Vascōnēs, a plural form used by Roman writers to describe tribes in the region.
The Basques lost their traditional laws during the Carlist Wars of 1839 and 1876 after supporting claimant Carlos V. This period marked significant political changes for the region following centuries of feudal fragmentation.
The Basque Autonomous Community includes Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa provinces with populations totaling 2,123,000 people. About 33 percent of the population in this autonomous community speaks Basque today.
The Basque region spans parts of north-central Spain and south-western France along the Bay of Biscay. Three administrative units exist today: the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre in Spain, plus the arrondissement of Bayonne and cantons of Mauléon-Licharre and Tardets-Sorholus in Pyrénées Atlantiques, France.
Chilean historian Luis Thayer Ojeda estimated that 48 percent of immigrants arriving between the 17th and 18th centuries were Basque. Estimates place Basque descendants in Chile between 2.5 and 5 million influencing cultural and economic development significantly.