Bayonne is a city and commune and one of the two sub-prefectures of the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Aquitaine region of south-western France. It is located at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers in the northern part of the cultural region of Basque Country as well as the southern part of Gascony where the Aquitaine basin joins the beginning of the Pre-Pyrenees. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Bayonnais or Bayonnaises.
Bayonne is an important part of the Basque Bayonne-San Sebastián Eurocity and it plays the role of economic capital of the Adour basin. Modern industry—metallurgy and chemicals—are established to take advantage of procurement opportunities and sea shipments through the harbour. It is now mostly business services which today represent the largest source of employment. Bayonne is also a cultural capital, a city with strong Basque and Gascon influences and a rich historical past. Its heritage lies in its architecture, the diversity of collections in museums, its gastronomic specialties, and traditional events such as the famous Fêtes de Bayonne.
