Ajangiz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ajangiz
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Church of the Ascension in Ajangiz
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 Ajangiz
Location in Basque Country
Ajangiz
Location in Spain
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| Country | Spain | ||
| Autonomous community | Basque Country | ||
| Province | Biscay | ||
| Comarca | Busturialdea | ||
| Founded | 1991 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 7.35 km2 (2.84 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 60 m (200 ft) | ||
| Population
(2018)
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| • Total | 482 | ||
| • Density | 65.58/km2 (169.85/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | ||
| Postal code |
48320
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Ajangiz (also called Ajanguiz in Spanish) is a small town and municipality in the Basque Country, a region in northern Spain. It is part of the Biscay province and is located in an area called Busturialdea. For a while, between 1940 and 1991, Ajangiz was actually part of the nearby town of Gernika-Lumo.
Contents
What's in a Name? (Etymology)
The name Ajangiz is a Basque word. Many Basque place names end with -iz. Experts like Julio Caro Baroja believe that this -iz ending often comes from an old Latin ending, -icus.
So, Ajangiz might have come from a Latin name like Allianus. If you added -icus to Allianus, it would become Allianicus. This could then change over time to Axanguiz, which is the oldest known name for the town.
A Look Back in Time (History)
The area around Ajangiz, called Busturialdea, has been home to people for a very long time. Archeologists have found signs that farmers and people who raised animals lived here during the Neolithic and Bronze Age. These times were between about 5500 and 2800 BC.
The first time Ajangiz was written about was in a document from the year 788. A Friar named Martín de Coscojales wrote about a "Lord of the High Asturias of Oviedo" who came to Biscay. This lord supposedly started a house in a town called Axangiz. Ajangiz is also mentioned in old records about the War of the Bands, which were conflicts between powerful families in the Basque Country.
In the 16th century, Ajangiz had a special legal status called "ledanía" and was the eleventh town to join the Juntas of Gernika. These "Juntas" were like important meetings or assemblies for the region. Later, in the 18th century, Ajangiz became an "elizate". An elizate was a type of local government area in the Basque Country, often centered around a church.
The town had a small hermitage where important church papers were kept until 1844. That's when the main parish church was finally finished. In 1943, Ajangiz became part of Gernika. But in 1991, the town became independent again, managing its own affairs.
Where is Ajangiz? (Geography)
Ajangiz is located in the northern part of the Biscay province, in the northwest of the Basque Country. The town sits on a hillside and is less than 4 kilometers away from Gernika-Lumo. Gernika-Lumo is the main town of the Busturialdea region.
The River Oka forms the border between Ajangiz and Gernika-Lumo. Ajangiz itself is divided into two main neighborhoods: Mendieta and Kanpantxu. The town hall, where local government decisions are made, is located in Mendieta.
See also
In Spanish: Ajánguiz para niños
