Use the background section of these Net Notes. Have an Atlas ready.

Complete the outline map below to find out where Bilbao is located, and why its situation has many advantages.

• Put the following labels in the right places on the map below.

• Select the true statements from the list by ticking them.

1. Bilbao is close to the centre of Spain.
2. There is an estuary where the River Nervion flows into the Bay of Biscay.
3. The Cantabrian Mountains keep Bilbao a bit cut off from the rest of Spain.
4. Bilbao is sheltered from the SW winds that bringing stormy seas to other parts of this region.
5. The nearest other country is Switzerland.
6. It is easier for ships from Bilbao to trade with the UK than ships from Barcelona.
7. The steel industry in Bilbao and other nearby towns used local iron ore, limestone and coal.
8. Bilbao’s main industry until about 1950 was car making, which used local supplies of aluminium and rubber.
9. The region around Bilbao is called the Basque country, where many people want independence from Spain.
10.Bilbao is the main city of the Catalan region of Spain, and its people are very loyal to the government based in Madrid.