Economy

The most important port of Spain, Bilbao is known primarily as an economic centre. It started life not as a monastery or a castle (as many of Spain’s other cities did), but as a settlement of seafarers and ironworkers - a tradition which has endured. Ever since medieval times, Bilbao has been a centre of trade and commerce, and the trend continues even today, with a large number of industries being concentrated in the city. Among these, the main industries are metallurgical industries (iron ore is abundant in the surrounding region, and metal-based industries have been a feature of the town since the 1800s), chemicals, textiles, building materials, fisheries, shipbuilding and ship repairing. In addition to these, Bilbao is a centre for financial services and trading.