Pasaia

It is a fishin commonty, commercial port an the birthplace o the fechtin admiral Blas de Lezo. Pasaia is approximately 5 km east o Donostia's centre, leein at the feet o Munt Ulia an the Jaizkibel massif. The municipality nummers 16,056 indwallers (2008 estimates), clusterin aroond the Bay o Pasaia in fower nuclei, namely Pasai San Pedro, Pasai San Juan (or Donibane in Basque), Antxo an Trintxerpe, wi each pairt showin distinctive featurs.

Pasaia is mentioned in documentar records for the first time in 1203 as Oiarso. The name o the veelage wis later chyngit tae "Pasage", which means 'port' in Gascon. The Gascons haed come tae inhabit the aurie side bi side wi the Basque fowk at the beginnin o the 13t century. The current name is first attestit in the 15t century, when it wis cried the abuin "Pasage". In 1770 the destrict o Donibane receivit municipal richts frae Charles IV o Spain.

Historically the aurie wis controlled bi twa competin baronies, that o Hondarribia, who controlled the Donibane destrict, an Donostia, who controlled the San Pedro destrict. Donibane wis detached frae the Hondarribia barony in 1770, while San Pedro wis separatit frae the Donostia barony in 1805. The Antxo destrict wis formit in 1890, when the Irun-Madrid railwey came throu. Trintxerpe, next tae San Pedro, wis the last destrict tae be formit. Trintxerpe an Antxo actually form a conteenous urban strip wi the eastren destricts o the ceety o Donostia.