Editing Bilbao (section)

== Government ==
[[File:Bilbao_-_Diputacion_Foral_de_Vizcaya_2.jpg|thumb|right|Building of the provincial government of Biscay]]
The city of Bilbao is the capital of the [[Provinces of Spain|province]] of [[Biscay]] and as such it is home of the administrative entities that pertain to the provincial administration, both from the [[Autonomous Communities of Spain|autonomous]] and central governments. Settled in the city are the provincial delegations of the different departments of the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque autonomous government]], each coordinated by a representative. In addition, the [[Government of Spain]] has the official [[Government Sub-delegation (Spain)|Government Subdelegation]] in the city.

=== Municipal government ===
{{main|Bilbao City Council}}
[[File:Bilbao_-_Ayuntamiento_24.jpg|thumb|right|The Bilbao City Hall]]
Bilbao is a [[Municipalities of Spain|municipality]] and has a [[Mayor–council government|mayor-council government system]]. The municipal government is elected for four-year terms by [[universal suffrage]] and it is divided into two branches, executive and legislative.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bilbao.net/nuevobilbao/jsp/bilbao/pwepl004.jsp?idioma=i&color=rojo&subtema=10&puntomenu=plc&tema=ep1&padre=EPM | title = Nature, Attributions and Organisation | publisher = Ayuntamiento de Bilbao | access-date = 10 October 2010}}{{dead link|date=April 2011}}</ref> The legislative side consists of a municipal plenum composed of 29 [[councillor]]s. These councillors represent the different political parties elected in the local elections, for which can vote all residents registered in the city who are citizens of Spain or of any member state of the [[European Union]]. The executive branch is composed of the mayor and a board of governors. The number of members of the board cannot be more than a third the number of members of the legislative plenum and the mayor can appoint them at his or her own discretion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bilbao.net/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=3000016190&language=es&pageid=3000016190&pagename=Bilbaonet%2FPage%2FBIO_contenidoFinal |title=La Junta del Gobierno de la Villa de Bilbao: Naturaleza, Atribuciones y Organización |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Bilbao City Hall |publisher=Bilbao Municipal Government |access-date=15 October 2008 |archive-date=15 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515184344/http://www.bilbao.net/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=3000016190&language=es&pageid=3000016190&pagename=Bilbaonet%2FPage%2FBIO_contenidoFinal |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since 1892 the seat of the government has been the [[Bilbao City Hall]], located on the centric [[Ernesto Erkoreka Plaza]] and by the [[Estuary of Bilbao]]. It is the fourth city hall building to have been used since the year 1300. The first three city halls were located by the [[Church of Saint Anthony the Great|San Antón Church]] but were destroyed due to floodings. The current building was designed by the Spanish architect Joaquín Rucoba in [[Baroque architecture|Baroque style]] and was built in the former site of the San Agustín Monastery, which was destroyed during the [[First Carlist War]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bilbao.net/cs/Satellite?c=BIO_Generico_FA&cid=3000787796&language=en&pageid=3000018206&pagename=Bilbaonet%2FBIO_Generico_FA%2FBIO_Generico |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150227182748/https://www.bilbao.net/cs/Satellite?c=BIO_Generico_FA&cid=3000787796&language=en&pageid=3000018206&pagename=Bilbaonet/BIO_Generico_FA/BIO_Generico |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 February 2015 |title=Las ruinas de San Agustín |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Bilbao City Hall |publisher=Bilbao Municipal Government |access-date=27 November 2008 }}</ref> Since the [[Spanish transition to democracy]], the city has been governed by the [[Basque Nationalist Party]], often with support of the [[Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left|Socialist Party of the Basque Country]]. [[Iñaki Azkuna]] served as mayor from 1999 until his passing in 2014, when he was replaced by [[Ibon Areso]]. Azkuna was awarded the World Mayor prize in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldmayor.com/contest_2012/world-mayor-12-results.html |title=Iñaki Azkuna, Mayor of Bilbao, Spain awarded the 2012 World Mayor Prize |last=Vom Hove |first=Tann |date=8 January 2013 |website=World Mayor |access-date=29 August 2018 |archive-date=11 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111083758/http://www.worldmayor.com/contest_2012/world-mayor-12-results.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the 2019 municipal election, the councillors of the plenum have the following political distribution: 14 seats for the Basque Nationalist Party, 5 seats for the Socialist Party of the Basque Country, 4 seats for the [[EH Bildu]] coalition, 3 seats for Udalberri and 3 seats for the [[People's Party (Spain)|People's Party]]. The mayor is [[Juan Mari Aburto]], chosen with 19 votes from the Basque Nationalist Party and the Socialist party.

In 2008 and 2010, Bilbao won the Municipal Transparency Prize, awarded by the Spanish division of [[Transparency International]]. In 2009 it came second, after [[Sant Cugat del Vallés]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bilbao.net/nuevobilbao/jsp/bilbao/ciudadCont.jsp?idioma=i&color=rojo&padre=%7CHA&tema=RP0&subtema=10&padresub=RP1 | title = Reconocimientos y premios 2000–2010 | publisher = Ayuntamiento de Bilbao | access-date = 10 October 2010}}{{dead link|date=April 2011}}</ref>

=== Districts ===

The municipality is divided into eight districts (Basque: ''barrutia'') which are further subdivided into 34 neighbourhoods (Basque: ''auzoa''). Most of the districts and neighbourhoods were former independent municipalities and [[elizate]]s that were eventually annexed into the city. Originally, the city of Bilbao comprised the Old Town and some houses on the left side of the estuary, today known as [[Bilbao la Vieja]]. The first expansion included the annexation of the elizate of [[Begoña]] and the river side of [[Uribarri]]. In the 19th century the merge of [[Abando]] into the city brought along small neighbourhoods of farm houses and hamlets that were clustered close to the former municipality's town hall and the [[Mount Cobetas]], such as [[Errekalde]] and [[Basurto-Zorroza|Basurto]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1= González|first1=Santiago |title=Una expansión organizada |url= http://www.periodistasvascos.com/imagenes/cap_4.pdf|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080724095306/http://www.periodistasvascos.com/imagenes/cap_4.pdf|url-status= dead|archive-date= 24 July 2008|journal=Bilbao 700 |page=120 |access-date=16 October 2008}}</ref> Starting in the 20th century it started annexing the elizates on the right bank of the river, including Begoña and [[Deusto]]. In the decade of 1960 as an effort to stop the increasing problem of [[slum]]s, new neighbourhoods were created from the ground up, among them Otxarkoaga and Txurdinaga, which were joined together as a new district, [[Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga]] in the decade of 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bilbao.net/castella/accion_social/publicaciones/estudio_otxarkoaga.pdf |title=Estudio sobre el barrio de Otxarkoaga |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Bilbao City Hall |publisher=Municipal Government of Bilbao |access-date=16 October 2008 |archive-date=24 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124082742/http://www.bilbao.net/castella/accion_social/publicaciones/estudio_otxarkoaga.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
!  style="width:40px; text-align:center;"| <small>Number</small>
!  style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| <small>District</small>
!  style="width:400px; text-align:center;"| <small>Neighbourhoods</small>
!  style="width:50px; text-align:center;"| <small>Area<br/>(km<sup>2</sup>)</small>
!  style="width:50px; text-align:center;"| <small>Population<br/>(2009)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bilbao.net/castella/relaciones_ciudadanas/publicaciones/bilbao_en_cifras/2009/territorio_climatologia.pdf | title = Territorio y climatología | publisher = Ayuntamiento de Bilbao | access-date = 10 October 2010 | archive-date = 25 July 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110725125528/http://www.bilbao.net/castella/relaciones_ciudadanas/publicaciones/bilbao_en_cifras/2009/territorio_climatologia.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref></small>
!  style="width:300px; text-align:center;"| <small>Location</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>1</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>[[Deusto]]</small>
| style="text-align:left;"| <small>''[[Arangoiti]]'', ''[[Ibarrekolanda]]'', ''[[San Ignacio-Elorrieta]]'', and ''[[San Pedro de Deusto-La Rivera]]''.</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>4.95</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>51,656</small>
| rowspan="8" style="text-align:center;"| {{Image label begin|image=Bilbao blank districts.svg|width=250|float=none}}
{{Image label small|x=0.22|y=0.20|scale=250|text='''[[Deusto]]'''}}
{{Image label small|x=0.54|y=0.25|scale=250|text='''[[Uribarri]]'''}}
{{Image label small|x=0.73|y=0.33|scale=250|text='''[[Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga|Otxarkoaga-<br/>Txurdinaga]]'''}}
{{Image label small|x=0.65|y=0.51|scale=250|text='''[[Begoña]]'''}}
{{Image label small|x=0.51|y=0.73|scale=250|text='''[[Ibaiondo]]'''}}
{{Image label small|x=0.40|y=0.35|scale=250|text='''[[Abando]]'''}}
{{Image label small|x=0.22|y=0.65|scale=250|text='''[[Errekalde]]'''}}
{{Image label small|x=0.16|y=0.41|scale=250|text='''[[Basurto-Zorroza|Basurto-<br/>Zorroza]]'''}}
{{Image label end}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>2</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>[[Uribarri]]</small>
| style="text-align:left;"| <small>''[[Castaños (Bilbao)|Castaños]]'', ''[[Matiko-Ciudad Jardín]]'', ''[[Uribarri (neighbourhood)|Uribarri]]'', and ''[[Zurbaran-Arabella]]''.</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>4.19</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>38,335</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>3</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>[[Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga]]</small>
| style="text-align:left;"| <small>''[[Otxarkoaga]]'' and ''[[Txurdinaga]]''.</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>3.90</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>28,518</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>4</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>[[Begoña]]</small>
| style="text-align:left;"| <small>''[[Begoña]]'', ''[[Bolueta]]'', and ''[[Santutxu]]''.</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>1.77</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>43,030</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>5</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>[[Ibaiondo]]</small>
| style="text-align:left;"| <small>''[[Atxuri]]'', ''[[Bilbo Zarra|Bilbao La Vieja]]'', ''[[Casco Viejo]]'', ''[[Iturralde (Bilbao)|Iturralde]]'', ''[[La Peña, Bilbao|La Peña]]'', ''[[Miribilla]]'', ''[[San Adrián (Bilbao)|San Adrián]]'', ''[[San Francisco (Bilbao)|San Francisco]]'', ''[[Solokoetxe]]'', and ''[[Zabala (Bilbao)|Zabala]]''.</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>9.65</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>61,029</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>6</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>[[Abando]]</small>
| style="text-align:left;"| <small>''[[Abando]]'' and ''[[Indautxu]]''.</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>2.14</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>51,718</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>7</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>[[Errekalde]]</small>
| style="text-align:left;"| <small>''[[Amezola]]'', ''[[Iralabarri]]'', ''[[Iturrigorri-Peñascal]]'', ''[[Errekaldeberri-Larraskitu]]'', and ''[[Uretamendi]]''.</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>6.96</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>47,787</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>8</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>[[Basurto-Zorroza]]</small>
| style="text-align:left;"| <small>''[[Altamira(Bilbao)|Altamira]]'', ''[[Basurto]]'', ''[[Olabeaga]]'', ''[[Masustegi-Monte Caramelo]]'', and ''[[Zorrotza]]''.</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>7.09</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| <small>33,658</small>
|}