Labourd

Labourd, or Lapurdi in Basque, is a historic province of the Basque Country in the western Pyrenees, located in what is now the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of southwestern France. Its capital and main urban center was Bayonne. The province occupies the Basque coast from Hendaye in the west to Biarritz and Anglet in the east, and extends inland along the Nive river valley toward the Pyrenees; the Adour estuary forms its southern boundary near Bayonne. Other major towns include Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Ciboure and Urrugne.

Historically, Labourd was one of the sovereign Basque provinces, with fueros that granted local autonomy under the Kingdom of Navarre. It maintained a strong maritime and mercantile tradition centered on Bayonne, a major Atlantic port and commercial hub. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, French centralization reduced its autonomous institutions, and after the French Revolution Labourd was incorporated into the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department as part of the centralized state.

Today, Labourd survives as a cultural and linguistic region within the French Basque Country. Basque language and traditions remain visible in schools, culture and festivals such as the Fêtes de Bayonne. The economy combines port activities, industry, agriculture and tourism, with coastal resorts like Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz contributing to the regional identity.