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United States Auto Club

The United States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500. USAC serves as the sanctioning body for a number of racing series, including the Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Cars, National Midgets, Speed2 Midget Series, .25 Midget Series, Stadium Super Trucks, and Pirelli World Challenge. Seven-time USAC champion Levi Jones is USAC's Competition Director.

History
When the American Automobile Association (AAA) withdrew from auto racing after the 1955 season, citing the Le Mans disaster and the death of Bill Vukovich at Indianapolis as contributing factors, both the SCCA and NASCAR were mentioned as its potential successor. Ultimately, USAC was formed by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman. It became the arbiter of rules, car design, and other matters for what it termed championship auto racing, the highest level of USAC racing. For a while there was a separate series of specifications for championship cars designed to be run on dirt, rather than paved, tracks. Today, USAC sanction open-wheel racing series such as the Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Car Series, National Midget Series, and Quarter Midgets.

Triple crown
The "triple crown" is earned in USAC racing when a driver claims all three national championships (silver crown, sprint car, and midget car). Only two drivers, Tony Stewart (1995) and J. J. Yeley (2003), have achieved the triple crown in a single season. Five other drivers, Pancho Carter (1972–78), Dave Darland (1997–2001), Jerry Coons Jr. (2006–08), Tracy Hines (2000, 2002, 2015), and Chris Windom (2016, 2017, 2020) have claimed each of the three championships at least once in their careers. In 2012 Mike Curb and Cary Agajanian became the only car owners to win the triple crown by winning all three championships in the same year.

National championship
USAC had awarded a national championship until A. J. Foyt won his seventh title in 1979. It has announced that it will begin awarding a national championship starting in 2010. A driver's best 25 finishes are counted toward the championship and the 2010 winner received $40,000. Points are accumulated in the three national series: sprints, midgets, and silver crown. Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Indiana claimed the inaugural championship, topping runner-up Levi Jones by 14 points.

As of 2013 it has been known as the Mike Curb "Super License" National Championship Award.

USAC national drivers champions
 * 2010 – Bryan Clauson; Noblesville, Indiana
 * 2011 – Bryan Clauson; Noblesville, Indiana
 * 2012 – Bryan Clauson; Noblesville, Indiana
 * 2013 - Tracy Hines; New Castle, Indiana
 * 2014 - Tracy Hines; New Castle, Indiana
 * 2015 - Dave Darland; Kokomo, Indiana
 * 2016 - Brady Bacon; Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
 * 2017 - Justin Grant; Ione, California
 * 2018 - Tyler Courtney; Indianapolis, Indiana
 * 2019 - Tyler Courtney; Indianapolis, Indiana
 * 2020 - Chris Windom; Canton, Illinois
 * 2021 - Justin Grant; Ione, California
 * 2022 - Justin Grant; Ione, California

1978 plane crash
On April 23, 1978, returning from a race at the Trenton Speedway in New Jersey, eight USAC officials, plus the pilot, were killed when their 10-seat Piper Navajo Chieftain crashed during a thunderstorm 25 miles southeast of Indianapolis.

Killed were:
 * Ray Marquette, USAC's vice-president of public affairs and a former sportswriter for The Indianapolis Star
 * Frank Delroy, chairman of USAC technical committee
 * Shim Malone, starter for USAC races and head of its midget racer division
 * Judy Phillips, graphic artist and publication director of USAC's newsletter
 * Stan Worley, chief registrar
 * Ross Teeguarden, assistant technical chairman
 * Don Peabody, head of the sprint division
 * Dr. Bruce White, assistant staff doctor
 * Don Mullendore, owner and pilot of the plane.

The incident closely followed the death of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman.

End of championship car sanctioning
The plane crash came at a time when Indy car owners and drivers were demanding changes from USAC. Aside from the Indianapolis 500, USAC events were not well attended, and the owners felt that USAC poorly negotiated television rights. The owners also wanted increases in payouts, especially at Indy. Though some think the plane crash was used as an opportunistic way to force change in the sport, it was merely an unfortunate coincidence. The seed of dissent had been growing for several years before the accident, and claims the crash was an immediate cause for the 1979 CART/USAC "split" are considered for the most part unfounded.

Also unpopular were the attempts of USAC to keep the aging Offenhauser engine competitive with the newer, and much more expensive, Cosworth DFX engine using boost-limiting "pop off valves" and limiting the amount of fuel that could be used.

Finally, most car owners banded together to form Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1978, with the first race to be run in 1979. USAC tried unsuccessfully to ban all CART owners from the 1979 Indianapolis 500, finally losing in court before the race began. Both the USAC and CART ran multi-race schedules in 1979.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway president John Cooper was instrumental in forming a joint body of CART and USAC with the creation of the Championship Racing League in March 1980. However, in mid-1980, Cooper forced USAC to renounce their agreement with the CRL if they wanted to keep officiating the Indy 500. After USAC's attempt at a 500-mile race at Pocono Raceway – which was boycotted by the CART teams, forcing USAC to fill the field with silver crown cars – USAC and CART eventually settled into a relatively peaceful co-existence, with USAC continuing to sanction the Indianapolis 500 and no other Championship car races, and CART including the race in its schedule between other CART-sanctioned races. USAC continued to sanction the Indy 500 until 1997, when the Indy Racing League (itself product of the second American open-wheel split in 1996) terminated the sanctioning agreement following two consecutive scoring errors that year; subsequent Indy 500s were sanctioned by the IRL itself, which was renamed the IndyCar Series in 2011.

Road racing expansion
Since 2022, the United States Auto Club has sanctioned the USF Juniors, USF2000 Championship, and USF Pro 2000 Championship series, which serve as a ladder series to Indy NXT, along with the Radical Sportscars North American Championships, Skip Barber Racing School, as well as continued sanctioning of the GT World Challenge America and Porsche Sprint Challenge North America under the newly formed Road Racing Division under the direction of Randy Hembrey.

USAC Silver Crown Series
Beginning in 1971, all dirt races were split from the National Championship. From 1971 to 1980, the series was named "National Dirt Car Championship", then renamed "Silver Crown Series" in 1981.

 * Champions

* As of the end of the 2022 season
 * Race winners

USAC National Sprint Car Championship
From 1956 to 1960, USAC's National Sprint Car Championship was divided into two regional divisions in the Midwest and the East.

 * Champions

* As of the end of the 2020 season
 * Race winners

USAC National Midget Championship

 * Champions

 * Race winners

USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
The USAC/CRA AMSOIL Sprint Car Series debuted in 2004 utilizing the same cars and 410ci engines that race in USAC's AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship at dirt oval tracks across California and Arizona. The series also features combination races with the AMSOIL USAC Sprint Car National Championship.

Champions

Source:

USAC Western States Midget Series
USAC started the Western States Midgets in 1982 utilizing the same cars & engines that race in the USAC National Midgets. The series solely races on dirt ovals across California and Arizona but in past raced on pavement ovals as well. The series does run co-sanctioned races with USAC's National Midget Series (including the historic Turkey Night Grand Prix race) and the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets.

Champions Source:

USAC 360 Sprint Car Series
USAC sanctions several regional 360 c.i.d. non-wing sprint car series across the country. USAC's West Coast Sprint Car Series was launched in 2009 by Santa Maria Speedway promoter Chris Kearns, and joined forces with USAC in 2010. The West Coast series primarily races at tracks across California while also having special event races in Nevada. USAC's Southwest Sprint Car Series was launched in 1991 as the Arizona Sprint Car Racing Association. The series joined forces with USAC in 2012. The Southwest series primarily races at tracks in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico while also having special event races in Arkansas, Kansas & Oklahoma. The Southwest series was put on hold after the 2019 season and has not made its way back into the sport since then.

USAC and URC Sprint Car Series promoter Curt Michael joined forces to create the USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series, with the first season beginning in 2018.

Champions

USAC Speed2 Midget Series
USAC formed the Speed2 Midget Series (formerly known as the Ford Focus Midget Series, Ignite Midget Series and HPD Midget Series) in 2002 with several regional divisions running across the United States on both dirt & pavement oval tracks. With exception to the engine, the cars used are the same as National & Western States Midget cars. The powerplants currently used are 4-cylinder production-based engines with stock internal dimensions to save costs for competitors. The series started out as a spec engine class, originally with Ford supplying their Zetec engine from 2002 to 2012, and then HPD supplying their K24 engine starting in 2013.

National Championship

The Speed2 Midget Series National Champion has been determined in a variety of ways. The inaugural championship, 2005, was decided by a two-race series (one dirt, one pavement). Subsequent national champions were determined by a single "national championship race" held at various locations. This format was used until 2010. In 2011, a points system was instituted to determine the national champion. Counting only a drivers twelve best finishes, the system allowed drivers from multiple regions to compete under a common points structure for a season-long championship. The 2012 season did not award a national champion, however the respective regional champions were honored at USAC Night of Champions.

National Champions
 * 2005: Robbie Ray; Davenport, IA;
 * 2006: Michael Faccinto; Hanford, CA ; Scelzi #4x
 * 2007: James Robertson; Indianapolis, IN; Steele #1
 * 2008: Alex Bowman; Tucson, AZ; Bowman #55
 * 2009: Kyle Hamilton; Danville, IN; Steele #1
 * 2010: Nick Drake; Mooresville, NC; Cline #55
 * 2011: Nick Drake; Mooresville, NC; Cline #55

Regional Champions

USAC Lightning Sprint National Championship
USAC started the Speedway Motors Lightning Sprint National Championship in 2017 for local tracks running Lightning Sprint cars. The points format counts the 12 best races at USAC sanctioned tracks.

GT World Challenge America
Pirelli World Challenge, was started in 1990 and switched to USAC sanctioning in 2017. The championship currently races on road and street courses across the United States and Canada with seven different classes for GT cars & Touring cars. Founded by WC Vision, the series is presently owned by SRO Group.

Off-road racing
The Stadium Super Trucks series was founded in 2013 by former NASCAR driver Robby Gordon. It is sanctioned by USAC, though Gordon and sponsorship marketing company The Elevation Group co-own the series.

The USAC also sanctions the American Rally Association, Nitro Rallycross, King of the Hammers and Great American Shortcourse.

USAC Gold Crown Series
Starting in 1981, USAC scaled back their participation in Indy car racing outside of the Indianapolis 500. The preeminent national championship season was instead being sanctioned by CART. USAC developed a split-calendar season, beginning in June, and ending in May with the Indy 500. After 1983, however, the Gold Crown schedule would consist of only one event per season (Indy 500), and the Gold Crown title would be regarded largely as ceremonial. The winner of the Indianapolis 500 would be the de facto Gold Crown champion, as it was the lone points-paying event. The title and the "series" were retired after the 1994–1995 season with the advent of the Indy Racing League.

USAC Stock Cars
USAC featured a stock car division from 1956 to 1984.

* The inaugural season featured two subtitles: Pacific Coast (won by Sam Hanks) and Short Track (Troy Ruttman).

USAC Road Racing Championship
From 1958 until 1962, USAC sanctioned a road racing championship. It was held for sports cars from 1958 to 1961, and adopted Formula Libre rules in 1962.

TORC: The Off-Road Championship
TORC: The Off-Road Championship was founded in 2009 by motocross racer Rick Johnson and it was managed the race operations and officiated the events. USAC took over complete management of the series in 2010. The complete management ended in August 2013 season when it was sold to The Armory. USAC returned to officiation/race control and the series was renamed "TORC: The Off Road Championship" for 2014.
 * 2009 Pro 4x4: Rick Huseman, Pro 2WD: Rob MacCachren
 * 2010 Pro 4x4: Johnny Greaves, Pro 2WD: Ricky Johnson
 * 2011 Pro 4x4: Ricky Johnson, Pro 2WD Bryce Menzies
 * 2012 Pro 4x4: Ricky Johnson, Pro 2WD Bryce Menzies
 * 2013 Pro 4x4: Johnny Greaves, Pro 2WD: Bryce Menzies
 * 2014 Pro 4x4: Johnny Greaves, Pro 2WD: CJ Greaves

title: United States Auto Club


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Basque Country (greater region)

The Basque Country (Euskal Herria; País Vasco; Pays basque) is the name given to the home of the Basque people. The Basque Country is located in the western Pyrenees, straddling the border between France and Spain on the coast of the Bay of Biscay.

Comprising the Autonomous Communities of the Basque Country and Navarre in Spain and the Northern Basque Country in France, the region is home to the Basque people (Euskaldunak), their language (Euskara), culture and traditions. The area is neither linguistically nor culturally homogeneous, and certain areas have a majority of people who do not consider themselves Basque, such as the south of Navarre. The concept is still highly controversial, and the Supreme Court of Navarre has upheld a denial of government funding to school books that include the Navarre community within the Basque Country area.

Etymology

The name in Basque is Euskal Herria. The name is difficult to accurately translate into other languages due to the wide range of meanings of the Basque word herri. It can be translated as nation; country, land; people, population and town, village, settlement. The first part, Euskal, is the adjectival form of Euskara "the Basque language". Thus a more literal translation would be "country/nation/people/settlement of the Basque language", a concept difficult to render into a single word in most other languages.

The two earliest references (in various spelling guises) are in Joan Perez de Lazarraga's manuscript, dated around 1564–1567 as eusquel erria and eusquel erriau and heuscal herrian ('in the Basque Country') and Heuscal-Herrian in Joanes Leizarraga's Bible translation, published in 1571.

Territory
The term Basque Country refers to a collection of regions inhabited by the Basque people, known as Euskal Herria in Basque language, and it is first attested as including seven traditional territories in Axular's literary work Gero (he goes on to suggest that Basque language is spoken "in many other places"), in the early 17th century. Some Basques refer to the seven traditional districts collectively as Zazpiak Bat, meaning "The Seven [are] One", a motto coined in the late 19th century.

Northern Basque Country
The Northern Basque Country, known in Basque as Iparralde (literally, "the northern part"), is the part of the Basque Country that lies entirely within France, specifically as part of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France, and constitutes the Basque Municipal Community. As such it is usually known as French Basque Country (Pays basque français in French). In most contemporary sources, it is defined as covering the arrondissement of Bayonne and the cantons of Mauléon-Licharre and Tardets-Sorholus, but sources disagree on the status of the village of Esquiule. Within these conventions, the area of Northern Basque Country (including the 29 km² of Esquiule) is 2,995 km².

The French Basque Country is traditionally subdivided into three provinces:
 * Labourd, historical capital Ustaritz, main settlement today Bayonne
 * Lower Navarre, historical capitals Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais, main settlement today Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
 * Soule, historical capital Mauléon (also current main settlement)

This summary presentation suggests difficulty in justifying the inclusion of a few communes in the lower Adour region. Jean Goyhenetche suggests it would be more accurate to depict the region as the reunion of five entities: Labourd, Lower Navarre, Soule but also Bayonne and Gramont.

Southern Basque Country
The Southern Basque Country, known in Basque as Hegoalde (literally, "the southern part"), is the part of the Basque region that lies completely within Spain. It is frequently known as Spanish Basque Country (País Vasco español in Spanish). It is the largest and most populated part of the Basque Country. It includes two main regions: the Basque Autonomous Community (Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital) and the Chartered Community of Navarre (capital city Pamplona).

The Basque Autonomous Community (7,234 km²) consists of three provinces, specifically designated "historical territories":

 * Álava (capital: Vitoria-Gasteiz)
 * Biscay (capital: Bilbao)
 * Gipuzkoa (capital: Donostia-San Sebastián)

The Chartered Community of Navarre (10,391 km²) is a single-province autonomous community. Its name refers to the charters, the Fueros of Navarre. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 states that Navarre may become a part of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country if it is so decided by its people and institutions (the Disposicion transitoria cuarta or "Fourth Transitory Provision"). To date, there has been no implementation of this law. Despite demands for a referendum by minority leftist forces and Basque nationalists in Navarre, it has been opposed by mainstream Spanish parties and the Navarrese People's Union, which was the ruling party until 2015. The Union has repeatedly asked for an amendment to the Constitution to remove this clause.

In addition to those, two enclaves located outside of the respective autonomous community are often cited as being part of both the Basque Autonomous Community and also the Basque Country (greater region).
 * The Treviño enclave (280 km²), a Castilian enclave in Álava
 * Valle de Villaverde (20 km²), a Cantabrian exclave in Biscay
 * Navarre holds two small administrative strips in Aragon, organised as Petilla de Aragón.

Climate
The Basque Country region is dominated by a warm, humid and wet oceanic climate. The coastal area is part of Green Spain and by extension, the climate is similar for Bayonne and Biarritz as well. Inland areas in Navarre and the southern regions of the autonomous community are transitional, with continental Mediterranean climate, with somewhat wider temperature swings between seasons. The list only sources locations in Spain, but Bayonne/Biarritz have a very similar climate to nearby Hondarribia on the Spanish side of the border. The values do not apply to San Sebastián, since its weather station is at a higher elevation than the urban core, where temperatures are higher year-round and similar to those in Bilbao and Hondarribia.

Ancient period
According to some theories, Basques may be the least assimilated remnant of the Paleolithic inhabitants of Western Europe (specifically those of the Franco-Cantabrian region known as Azilian) to the Indo-European migrations. Basque tribes were mentioned by Greek writer Strabo and Roman writer Pliny the Elder, including the Vascones, the Aquitani, and others. There is considerable evidence to show their Basque ethnicity in Roman times in the form of place-names, Caesar's reference to their customs and physical make-up, the so-called Aquitanian inscriptions recording names of people and gods (approx. 1st century, see Aquitanian language), etc.

Geographically, the Basque Country was inhabited in Roman times by several tribes: the Vascones, the Varduli, the Caristi, the Autrigones, the Berones, the Tarbelli, and the Sibulates. Some ancient place-names, such as Deba, Butrón, Nervión, Zegama, suggest the presence of non-Basque peoples at some point in protohistory. The ancient tribes are last cited in the 5th century, after which track of them is lost, with only Vascones still being accounted for, while extending far beyond their former boundaries, e.g. in the current lands of Álava and most conspicuously around the Pyrenees and Novempopulania. The territory of the Cantabri encompassed probably present-day Biscay, Cantabria, Burgos and at least part of Álava and La Rioja, i.e. to the west of Vascon territory in the Early Middle Ages, but the ethnic nature of this people, often at odds with and finally overcome by the Visigoths, is not certain. The Vascones around Pamplona, after much fighting against Franks and Visigoths, founded the Kingdom of Pamplona (824), inextricably linked to their kinsmen the Banu Qasi.

All other tribes in the Iberian Peninsula had been, to a great extent, assimilated by Roman culture and language by the end of the Roman period or early period of the Early Middle Ages, while ethnic Basques inhabited well east into the lands of the Pyrenees (Pallars, Val d'Aran) from the 8th to the 11th century.

Middle Ages
In the Early Middle Ages (up to the 9th century) the territory between the Ebro and Garonne rivers was known as Vasconia, a blurred ethnic area and polity struggling to fend off the Frankish feudal authority from the north and the pressure of the Iberian Visigoths and Andalusi Cordovans from the south.

By the turn of the millennium, a receding Carolingian royal authority and establishing feudalism left Vasconia (to become Gascony) fragmented into a myriad of counties and viscounties, e.g. Fezensac, Bigorre, Astarac, Béarn, Tartas, Marsan, Soule, Labourd, etc., out of former tribal systems and minor realms (County of Vasconia), while south of the Pyrenees, besides the above Kingdom of Pamplona, Gipuzkoa, Álava and Biscay arose in the current lands of the Southern Basque Country from the 9th century onward.

These westerly territories pledged intermittent allegiance to Navarre in their early stages, but were annexed to the Kingdom of Castile at the end of the 12th century, so depriving the Kingdom of Navarre of direct access to the ocean. In the Late Middle Ages, important families dotting the whole Basque territory came to prominence, often quarreling with each other for power and unleashing the bloody War of the Bands, only stopped by royal intervention and the gradual shift of power from the countryside to the towns by the 16th century. Meanwhile, the viscounties of Labourd and Soule under English suzerainty were finally incorporated to France after the Hundred Years' War, with Bayonne remaining the last Plantagenet stronghold up to 1453.

Modern period
In Navarre, the civil wars between the Agramont and the Beaumont confederacies paved the way for the Spanish conquest of the bulk of Navarre from 1512 to 1524. The independent Navarre north of the Pyrenees was largely absorbed by France in 1620, despite the fact that King Henry III of Navarre had decreed Navarre's permanent independence from France (31 December 1596). In the decades after the Spanish annexation, the Basque Country went through increased religious, ideological and national homogenization, encouraged by new national ideas embraced by the rising Spanish and French absolutist monarchies during the Renaissance.

From 1525, witchcraft allegations originating in a number of Pyrenean valleys on the rearguard of the Lower Navarre front and recent theatre of war (Salazar, Roncal, Burguete, etc.) were followed by the intervention of newly reformed and recent institutions, such as Spain's central tribunal Inquisition, the (Navarrese) Royal Tribunals, and the Diocesan Tribunal, who organized a series of trials for alleged witchcraft and heretical practices. In the heat of the Wars of Religion and the struggle for Navarre, persecution came to a head in the hysteria of the 1609–1611 Basque witch trials on both sides of the Spanish-French border, easing afterwards.

In the French Basque Country, its provinces underwent an ever-shrinking self-government status until the French Revolution, when the traditional provinces were reshaped to form the current Basses-Pyrénées department along with Béarn. In the Southern Basque Country, the regional Charters were upheld until the Carlist Wars, when the Basques supported heir-apparent Carlos and his descendants to the cry of "God, Fatherland, King" (The Charters were finally abolished in 1876). The ensuing centralized status quo bred dissent and frustration in the region, giving rise to Basque nationalism by the end of the 19th century, influenced by European Romantic nationalism.

Since then, attempts were made to find a new framework for self-empowerment. The occasion seemed to have arrived on the proclamation of the 2nd Spanish Republic in 1931, when a draft statute was drawn up for the Southern Basque Country (Statute of Estella), but was discarded in 1932. In 1936 a short-lived statute of autonomy was approved for the Gipuzkoa, Álava and Biscay provinces, but war prevented any progress. After Franco's dictatorship, a new statute was designed that resulted in the creation of the current Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre, with a limited self-governing status, as settled by the Spanish Constitution. However, a significant part of Basque society is still attempting higher degrees of self-empowerment (see Basque nationalism), sometimes by acts of violence (ETA's permanent ceasefire in 2010). The French Basque Country, meanwhile, lacks any political or administrative recognition whatsoever, while a majority of local representatives have lobbied to create a Basque department, to no avail.

Demographics
The Basque Country has a population of approximately 3 million as of early 2006. The population density, at about 140 /km2 is above average for both Spain and France, but the distribution of the population is fairly unequal, concentrated around the main cities. A third of the population is concentrated in the Greater Bilbao metropolitan area, while most of the interior of the French Basque Country and some areas of Navarre remain sparsely populated: density culminates at about 500 /km2 for Biscay but falls to 20 /km2 in the northern inner provinces of Lower Navarre and Soule.

A significant majority of the population of the Basque country live inside the Basque Autonomous Community (about 2,100,000, or 70% of the population) while about 600,000 live in Navarre (20% of the population) and about 300,000 (roughly 10%) in Northern Basque Country.

José Aranda Aznar writes that 30% of the population in the Basque Country Autonomous Community were born in other regions of Spain and that 40% of the people living in that territory do not have a single Basque parent.

Most of these peoples of Galician and Castilian stock arrived in the Basque Autonomous Community in the late 19th century and throughout the 20th century, as the region became more and more industrialized and prosperous and additional workers were needed to support the economic growth. Descendants of immigrants from other parts of Spain have since been considered Basque for the most part, at least formally.

Over the last 25 years, some 380,000 people have left the Basque Autonomous Community, of which some 230,000 have moved to other parts of Spain. While certainly many of them are people returning to their original homes when starting their retirement, there is also a sizable tract of Basque natives in this group who have moved due to a Basque nationalist political environment (including ETA's killings) which they perceive as overtly hostile. These have been quoted to be as high as 10% of the population in the Basque Community.

Metropolitan areas

 * Greater Bilbao: 	984 745 inhabitants (2014)
 * Greater San Sebastian:  447 844 inhabitants (2014)
 * Greater Pamplona:  346 716 inhabitants (2012)
 * Metropolitan area of Vitoria:  277 812 inhabitants (2015)
 * Metropolitan area of Eibar:   70 000 inhabitants (2012)
 * Agglomération Côte Basque Adour:  126 072 inhabitants (2013)

Historical minorities
Various Romani groups existed in the Basque Country and some still exist as ethnic groups. These were grouped together under the generic terms ijituak (Gypsies) and buhameak (Bohemians) by Basque speakers.
 * The Cagots also were found north and south of the mountains. They lived as untouchables in Basque villages and were allowed to marry only among themselves. Their origin is unclear and has historically been surrounded with superstitions. Nowadays, they have mostly assimilated into the general society.
 * The Cascarots were a Roma subgroup found mainly in the Northern Basque Country.
 * A subgroup of Kalderash Roma resident in the Basque Country were the Erromintxela who are notable for speaking a rare mixed language. This is based on Basque grammar but using Romani-derived vocabulary.
 * The Mercheros were Quinqui-speakers, travelling as cattle merchants and artisans. Following the industrialization, they settled in slums near big cities.

In the Middle Ages, many Franks settled along the Way of Saint James in Navarre and Gipuzkoa and to a lesser extent in Bizkaia. This process also happened in Northern Castile. They were all collectively called Franks because most of them came from French regions (Normans, Bretons, Burgundians, Aquitanians etc.) but an important minority of them were in fact of German, Dutch, Italian, English and Swiss stock. Some were also from even more distant lands such as Poland or Denmark. Due to this migration, Gascon was spoken in the centre of Donostia-San Sebastián, until the beginning of the 20th century. Navarre also held Jewish and Muslim minorities but these were expelled or forced to assimilate after the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. One of the notable members of such minorities was Benjamin of Tudela.

Recent immigration
Much as has been the case for Spain's two other major economic poles (Madrid and Catalonia), the Basque Country received significant immigration from other poorer regions of Spain, due to its higher level of economic development and early industrialization. During the second half of the 20th century, such immigrants were commonly referred to by some Basques as maketos, a derogatory term which is less used today.

Since the 1980s, as a consequence of its considerable economic prosperity, the Basque Country has received an increasing number of immigrants, mostly from Eastern Europe, North Africa, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and China, settling mostly in the major urban areas. Nevertheless, foreign immigrant population is lower in the Basque country than in Madrid and Catalonia, despite having similar GDP per capita and significantly lower levels of unemployment.

Language
Currently, the predominant languages in the Spanish and French Basque Countries are Spanish and French, respectively. In the historical process of forging themselves as nation-states, both the Spanish and French governments have tried more or less intensely to discourage the use of Basque and its linguistic identity. The language chosen for public education is the most obvious expression of this phenomenon, something which surely had an effect on the current status of Basque.

Despite being spoken in a relatively small territory, the rugged features of the Basque countryside and the historically high population density resulted in a heavy dialectal fragmentation throughout history, which increased the value of both Spanish and French respectively as lingua francas. In this regard, the current Standard form of Basque was only introduced in the late 1960s, which helped Basque move away from being perceived – even by its own speakers – as a language unfit for educational purposes.

While the French Republic has historically attempted to absorb ethnic minority groups – including the French Basques – into a linguistically unified state, Spain in turn has accepted intermittently in its history some degree of linguistic, cultural, and political autonomy to the Basques. Altogether there was a gradual language shift towards Spanish language in the Basque-speaking areas of the Spanish Basque Country, a phenomenon initially restricted to the upper urban classes, but progressively reaching the lower classes. Western Biscay, most of Alava and southern Navarre have been Spanish-speaking (or Romance-speaking) for centuries.

But under the regime of Francisco Franco, the government attempted to suppress Basque nationalism and limit the uses of the Basque language. Even the activities of the Euskaltzaindia (Basque Language Academy) were severely curtailed. In general, during these years, cultural activity in Basque was limited to folkloric issues and the Roman Catholic Church, while a higher, yet still limited degree of tolerance was granted to Basque culture and language in Álava and Navarre, since both areas mostly supported Francoist troops during the war.

Nowadays, the Basque Autonomous Community enjoys some cultural and political autonomy and Basque is an official language along with Spanish. Basque is favoured by a set of language policies sponsored by the Basque regional government which aim at the generalization of its use. However, the actual implementation of this official status is patchy and problematic, relying ultimately on the will of the different administrative levels to enforce it—Justice, Health, Administration. It is spoken by approximately a quarter of the total Basque Country, its stronghold being the contiguous area formed by Gipuzkoa, northern Navarre and the Pyrenean French valleys. It is not spoken natively in most of Álava, western Biscay and the southern half of Navarre. Of a total estimation of some 650,000 Basque speakers, approximately 550,000 live in the Spanish Basque country, the rest in the French.

The Basque education system in Spain has three types of schools differentiated by their linguistic teaching models: A, B and D. Model D, with education entirely in Basque, and Spanish as a compulsory subject, is the most widely chosen model by parents. In Navarre, there is an additional G model, with education entirely in Spanish.

The ruling anti-Basque conservative government of Unión del Pueblo Navarro opposes Basque nationalist attempts to provide education in Basque through all Navarre (which would include areas where it is not traditionally spoken). Basque language teaching in the public education network is therefore limited to the Basque speaking north and central regions. In the central region, Basque teaching in the public education network is fairly limited, and part of the existing demand is served via private schools or ikastolak. In southern and some central areas this policy has resulted in schoolchildren having to travel sometimes for hours every day in order to attend education provided in the historic language of Navarre, largely relying on public subscription (yearly festival Nafarroa Oinez, solidarity from the ikastola network, donations, etc.) or receiving as a result no allowances for school meals. Even in northern Basque or mixed language areas, allegations raised by Basque speaker associations point regularly to a conspicuous disregard for recognised language rights, e.g. virtual non-existence of Basque language medical assistance across areas where the vast majority is Basque speaking, insufficient Basque speaking librarians, no broadcasting permission in the last 20 years (as of 2013) for the only Basque language radio in Pamplona, Spanish monolingual signalization and even removal of bilingual one, etc. Spanish is or can be spoken in Navarre by the entire population, with few exceptions in remote rural areas.

The European Commission for Regional or Minority Languages to which Spain is signatory has issued a number of recommendations in order to guarantee a real official status for Basque language (2004), e.g. the suppression of the administrative linguistic divides of Navarre for considering it an obstacle to the normal use of Basque and discriminating against Basque speakers, the filing of the case against newspaper Euskaldunon Egunkaria and restitution to its normal operation,  as well as guarantees to prisoners of receiving and sending correspondence in Basque,  to mention but a few.

The situation of the Basque language in the French Basque Country is vulnerable (as rated by Unesco). The pressure of French as a well-established mainstream language and different administrative obstacles to the consolidation of Basque-language schooling make the language's future prospects uncertain. On 14 June 2013, pointing to the 1850 Falloux act and declaring thereafter that French is the official language of France, the regional subprefect declared illegal the Hendaye council's subsidies to finance a new building for a Basque-language school. On 6 November 2013, the Basque language school network in the French Basque Country, Seaska, bitterly criticized the French state before UNESCO for not complying with its international commitments and actually failing to accept minorities by violating their linguistic rights. In November 2013, France decided not to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

Universities
The earliest university in the Basque Country was the University of Oñati, founded in 1540 in Hernani and moved to Oñati in 1548. It lasted in various forms until 1901. In 1868, in order to fulfill the need for college graduates for the thriving industry that was flourishing in the Bilbao area, there was an unsuccessful effort to establish a Basque-Navarrese University. Nonetheless, in 1897 the Bilbao Superior Technical School of Engineering (the first modern faculty of engineering in Spain), was founded as a way of providing engineers for the local industry; this faculty is nowadays part of the University of the Basque Country. Almost at the same time, the urgent need for business graduates led to the establishment of the Commercial Faculty by the Jesuits, and, some time thereafter, the Jesuits expanded their university by formally founding the University of Deusto in Deusto (now a Bilbao neighbourhood) by the turn of the century, a private university where the Commercial Faculty was integrated. The first modern Basque public university was the Basque University, founded 18 November 1936 by the autonomous Basque government in Bilbao in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. It operated only briefly before the government's defeat by Francisco Franco's fascist forces.

Several faculties, originally teaching only in Spanish, were founded in the Basque region in the Francisco Franco era. A public faculty of economics was founded in Sarriko (Bilbao) in the 1960s, and a public faculty of medicine was also founded during that decade, thus expanding the college graduate schools. However, all the public faculties in the Basque Country were organized as local branches of Spanish universities. For instance, the School of Engineering was treated as a part of the University of Valladolid, some 400 km away from Bilbao. Indeed, the lack of a central governing body for the public faculties of the Bilbao area, namely those of Economics in Sarriko, Medicine in Basurto, Engineering in Bilbao and the School of Mining in Barakaldo (est. 1910s), was seen as a gross handicap for the cultural and economic development of the area, and so, during the late 1960s many formal requests were made to the Francoist government in order to establish a Basque public university that would unite all the public faculties already founded in Bilbao. As a result of that, the University of Bilbao was founded in the early 1970s, which has now evolved into the University of the Basque Country with campuses in the western three provinces.

In Navarre, Opus Dei manages the University of Navarre with another campus in San Sebastián. Additionally, there is also the Public University of Navarre, with campus in Pamplona and in Tudela, managed by the Navarrese Foral Government.

Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa has established its institutions for higher education as the Mondragon University, based in Mondragón and nearby towns.

There are numerous other significant Basque cultural institutions in the Basque Country and elsewhere. Most Basque organizations in the United States are affiliated with NABO (North American Basque Organizations, Inc.).

Politics
Since the last quarter of the 20th century, there have been very different political views on the significance of the Basque Country, with some Basque nationalists aiming to create an independent state including the whole area, and Spanish nationalism denying the very existence of the Basque Country. The dynamics of controversial decisions imposed by Spanish tribunals on Basque nationalist parties ideologically close to ETA left for over a decade a distorted representation of the Basque politics in local councils and regional parliaments, as well as a swiftly changing array of disbanded party names, new alliances, and re-accommodations (since 1998).

During the 2011 Spanish parliamentary elections, the coalition Amaiur (former Batasuna plus Eusko Alkartasuna) came up first in parliamentary seats (7) and second only to UPN-PP (5 seats) in popular vote in the Southern Basque Country, followed closely by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (5 seats). Geroa Bai secured a seat in Navarre, with the Basque Nationalist Party getting 5 (all from Basque Autonomous Community).

Despite Amaiur's results, the group was refused a parliamentary group in an unprecedented decision in the Spanish Parliament, on the grounds that the coalition's MPs represented two different constituencies. As a result, Amaiur (5th political group in the Spanish Parliament altogether) remained in the Grupo Mixto with a myriad of different parties from all over Spain, while the so-called Basque Group includes only the 5 members of the PNV and the Basque Autonomous Community (Euskadi).

However, in December 2015, the Spanish parliamentary elections saw the rise of Podemos (7 MPs) and the Basque Nationalist Party (6 MPs) at the expense of EH Bildu (2 MPs), while Madrid-based mainstream parties continued their steady decline trend, with the Spanish Conservatives (allied with UPN in Navarre) getting 4 MPs, and the Socialists 4 MPs.

In the Northern Basque Country, the French right is the most popular political faction, but since its creation the coalition EH Bai (the northern equivalent of EH Bildu) has seen a rise in popularity, and in the 2020 municipal and 2021 departmental elections the coalition came up second in popular vote.

Parties with presence in all the Basque Country

 * The Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV-PNB) is the oldest of all nationalist parties, with over 100 years of history. It is Christian-democrat and has evolved towards rather moderate positions though it still keeps the demand for self-determination and eventual independence. It is the main party in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) and is the most voted party (about 40% population), but its presence in Navarre is minor and subsumed in Geroa Bai, while it remains marginal in the French Basque Country.
 * Eusko Alkartasuna (EA) (Basque Solidarity). A splinter group from PNV since 1984, unleashed by EAJ-PNV's compromise with the Spanish right in Navarre against the opinion of the local branch in exchange for support in Bilbao. The party was led by charismatic lehendakari Carlos Garaikoetxea for years. The party is defined as social-democrat, and is quite more emphatic in its nationalist claims than EAJ-PNV. After Carlos Garaikoetxea retired, Begoña Errazti was elected for the chair of the party. EA went through unfavourable electoral results, the party split with a splinter group founding the half-hearted party Hamaikabat based in Gipuzkoa. Under the leadership of Peio Urizar, Eusko Alkartasuna gained momentum and moved towards an understanding with figures close to former Batasuna and new faces hailing from the same sociological environment. The party is a co-founder of the coalitions EH Bildu in the South and EH Bai in the North.
 * Sortu (Create) is a party founded in February 2011 spearheaded by relevant public figures and low-profile political leaders aiming to fill the sociological and political void left by outlawed parties Euskal Herritarrok (We Basque Citizens), and Batasuna (Unity). Its ideology is Basque nationalist and socialist, rejects violence as a means of achieving political goals, and values civic and pacific disobedience as a legitimate way of opposing arbitrary and authoritarian policies. It is included in the coalition EH Bildu in the South and in EH Bai in the North.

Parties with presence only in the French Basque Country

 * Abertzaleen Batasuna (Patriots' Union), the main radical left wing Basque nationalist party in the North.
 * Euskal Herria Bai (EH Bai), a left-wing coalition formed by Abertzaleen Batasuna, Sortu and Eusko Alkartasuna (Batasuna also took part in its creation). EH Bai has become the main nationalist force in the North, and has taken a more moderate stance on historical nationalist demands than its predecessors.
 * Renaissance (formerly La République En Marche), the party of liberal French President Emmanuel Macron. In the Basque Country it is allied with the traditional French right and other center-right parties.
 * The Republicans, the traditional French conservative party, and one of the main forces in the Northern Basque Country.
 * Union of Democrats and Independents, a center-right France-wide party, an ally of The Republicans and Renaissance, and the party of the president of the Northern Basque Country Jean-René Etchegaray.
 * French Socialist Party, formerly the hegemonic center-left party in France. Even though it has lost much support in recent years it has remained relevant in Basque politics.
 * Europe Ecology – The Greens, the main French green party. The greens are one of the main allies of the left-wing Basque nationalists in France.
 * National Rally, far-right, France-wide.

Parties with presence in all of the Spanish Basque Country

 * Euskal Herria Bildu (Basque Country Gather), a left-wing Basque nationalist coalition formed by EA, Sortu and Alternatiba. It is the main opposition in the BAC and the fourth party in the Navarrese parliament (as of 2022). Even though the coalition is considered the successor of Batasuna, it is much more moderate and officially rejects political violence.
 * Spanish Socialist Worker Party (PSOE), the main social-democratic party of Spanish politics, with its regional branches:
 * PSE-EE (mixed Spanish and Basque acronym for: Socialist Party of the Basque Country – Basque Country's Left) in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC).
 * PSN (Socialist Party of Navarre) in Navarre.
 * People's Party (PP), the main conservative party in Spain, with its branches:
 * Partido Popular de Navarra (People's Party of Navarre) in Navarre
 * Partido Popular del País Vasco (People's Party of The Basque Country) in the BAC
 * United Left (IU), a Spain-wide left-wing coalition, the former Spanish Communist Party, federalist and republican, with its branches:
 * Ezker Anitza (Plural Left) (EzAn-IU) in the BAC
 * Izquierda Unida de Navarra-Nafarroako Ezker Batua (United Left of Navarre) (IUN-NEB) in Navarre
 * Podemos-Ahal Dugu (We can), a Spain-wide leftist party. In the BAC it is inside the coalition Elkarrekin Podemos alongside United Left, and in Navarre it is part of the coalition government.

Parties with presence only in Navarre

 * Navarrese People's Union (UPN), a conservative party formerly attached to People's Party. It was the ruling party in Navarre from 1996 to 2015, and a firm opponent of Basque nationalism, the idea of a Basque Country including Navarre, and virtually all matters Basque. It emphasizes the Spanish character of Navarre, its distinct institutional make-up, and taxation system.
 * Navarra Suma, a right-wing coalition formed by UPN, PP and Citizens. It won the 2019 Navarrese regional election but it was unable to form a government.
 * Geroa Bai (Yes to the Future), a progressive Basque nationalist coalition with ties to the Basque Nationalist Party. It ruled Navarre from 2015 to 2019, and entered the PSN led government in 2019. Currently it is the biggest Basque nationalist party in Navarre.
 * Izquierda-Ezkerra, a leftist coalition formed by United Left and Batzarre.

Political status
Since the 19th century, Basque nationalism (abertzaleak) has demanded the right of some kind of self-determination, which is supported by 60% of Basques in the Basque Autonomous Community, and independence, which would be supported in this same territory, according to a poll, by approximately 36% of them. This desire for independence is particularly stressed among leftist Basque nationalists. The right of self-determination was asserted by the Basque Parliament in 1990, 2002 and 2006.

According to Article 2 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, "The Constitution is based on the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation, the common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards". Therefore, since this precludes a declaration of independence of Spanish regions, some Basques abstained and some even voted against it in the referendum of 6 December of that year. The constitution was nevertheless approved by a clear majority in the whole of Spain, albeit with some degree of opposition in the Southern Basque Country. The derived autonomous regime for the BAC was approved in later referendum and the autonomy of Navarre (amejoramiento del fuero: "improvement of the charter") was approved by the regional parliament of Navarra.

There are not many sources on the issue for the French Basque country, but the establishment of an autonomic regime in the Northern Basque Country and the officiality of the Basque language are two of the main demands of Basque nationalists.

Euskadi Ta Askatasuna
Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) was an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and evolved from a group promoting Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Basque Country. ETA is the main organisation of the Basque National Liberation Movement and was the most important participant in the Basque conflict. ETA declared temporary ceasefires in 1989, 1996, 1998 and 2006, but these subsequently came to an abrupt end. However, on 5 September 2010, ETA declared a permanent ceasefire, and on 20 October 2011 ETA announced a "definitive cessation of its armed activity". On 2 May 2018, ETA issued a historic statement declaring a definitive end to its armed struggle and the organisation was officially dissolved, after six decades of political conflict.

Rejection of the Basque Country idea in Navarre
A Basque Country including Navarre has proved controversial. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 included the "Disposición transitoria cuarta" (Espainiako Konstituzioko laugarren xedapen iragankorra) which allowed Navarre to be eventually absorbed in the Basque Country at their request. This was added after the rejection of the majority of the political parties of Navarre to be incorporated in a joined Basque Country Autonomous Community. The coat of arms of the Basque Autonomous Community included the coat of arms of Navarre (along the coats of arms of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa) when the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country of 1979 was approved. Following a legal suit by the Navarre government claiming that the usage of the arms of a region on the flag of another was illegal, the Constitutional Court of Spain forced the Basque government to remove the chains of Navarre, leaving the red background where the chains were.

Among other controversies in 2018 the Supreme Court of Navarre (Tribunal Supremo de Justicia de Navarra) ruling against the use of some school books that had in their content a map that displayed the Chartered Community of Navarre within the Basque Country area, claiming it distorted the natural, historic, legal, social, geographic and politic reality of Navarre. The same court has also ruled against considering the knowledge of the Basque language when hiring in the public administration, and the establishment of Basque-medium schools has usually been opposed by Navarrese and municipal governments. The Navarrese government and courts have also taken measures to remove Basque symbols from public buildings. As an example, the Administrative Court of Navarre (Tribunal Administrativo de Nafarroa) recently ordered the removal of the Basque coat of arms from a fronton, placed by the municipal government.

Sports
The Basque Country has also contributed many sportsmen, primarily in football, rugby union, cycling, jai-alai and surfing.

The main sport in the Basque Country, as in the rest of Spain and much of France, is football. The top teams – Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Osasuna, Eibar, Alavés, Real Unión and Barakaldo – play in the Spanish football league system. Athletic Bilbao has a policy of hiring only Basque players, which has been applied with variable flexibility. Local rivals Real Sociedad used to practice the same policy, until they signed Irish striker John Aldridge in the late 1980s. Since then, Real Sociedad have had many foreign players. Athletic's policy does not apply to head coaches, with famous names as Howard Kendall and Jupp Heynckes coaching the team at various points.

The most renowned Basque footballer of all time is possibly Andoni Zubizarreta, who holds the record for appearances in La Liga with 622 games and won six league titles and one European Cup. Nowadays, the most well-known Basque football player is Xabi Alonso (winner of two European Championships and one FIFA World Cup) who played for Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Other notable Basque players include Jon Andoni Goikoetxea, Mikel Arteta, Javi Martínez, Iker Muniain, César Azpilicueta, Asier Illarramendi, Andoni Iraola, Aritz Aduriz and Ander Herrera. Both Athletic and Real Sociedad have won the Spanish league, including dominating the competition in the early 1980s, with the last title won by a Basque club being Athletic's 1984 title.

At international level, Basque players were especially prominent in Spanish selections prior to the Civil War, with all of those at the 1928 Olympics, and the majority of the 1920 Olympics and 1934 World Cup squads, born in the region.

Football is slightly less popular in Northern Basque country but the region has produced two well known and successful French players, Bixente Lizarazu and Didier Deschamps, who were among 22 players that won the 1998 World Cup. In the 2010s, Aviron Bayonnais FC developed international players Stéphane Ruffier and Kévin Rodrigues (capped by Portugal) and Aymeric Laporte who eventually played for Spain based on his residency in the southern Basque country. The club has also played in the French third tier.

The territory has an unofficial 'national' team which plays occasional friendlies, but not competitive matches, against conventional national teams. Navarre has its own representative side which convenes rarely.

Cycling as a sport is popular in the Basque Country. Miguel Indurain, born in Atarrabia (Navarre), won the Tour de France five times. Fellow Basque cyclist Abraham Olano has won the Vuelta a España and the World Championship.

, a top level cycling team, hails from Navarre, and is a continuation from the Banesto team for which Indurain ran. was a team operating at the same level until 2013 which was commercially sponsored, but also worked as an unofficial Basque national team and was partly funded by the Basque Government. Its riders were Basque, or at least grew up in the region's cycling culture; members of the team were sometimes strong contenders in the Tour de France or Vuelta a España. The races often saw Basque fans lining the roads during Pyrenean stages of the Tour de France. Team leaders included riders such as Iban Mayo, Haimar Zubeldia, Samuel Sánchez and David Etxebarria. Another team of the same name was raised to ProTeam level in 2019.

In the north, rugby union is another popular sport with the Basque community. In Biarritz, the local club is Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque, the name referencing the club's Basque heritage. They wear red, white and green, and supporters wave the Basque flag in the stands. A number of 'home' matches played by Biarritz Olympique in the Heineken Cup have taken place at Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastian. The most famous Basque Biarritz player was the legendary French fullback Serge Blanco, whose mother was Basque, and Michel Celaya captained both Biarritz and France. Aviron Bayonnais is another top-flight rugby union club with Basque ties.

A Basque club was the last to win the cup before the banning of rugby league, along with other professional sports, by the German collaborating Vichy regime after the defeat of France in 1940.

Pelota (jai alai) is the Basque version of the European game family that includes real tennis and squash. Basque players, playing for either the Spanish or the French teams, dominate international competitions.

Mountaineering is popular due to the mountainous terrain of the Basque Country and its proximity to the Pyrenees. Edurne Pasaban became the first woman to climb the fourteen mountains of greater than 8000 metre altitude; Alberto Iñurrategi and Juanito Oiarzabal have done so without supplementary oxygen. Josune Bereziartu and Patxi Usobiaga, a former world champion, are among top Basques in rock climbing. Related to mountaineering is trail running, where the Basque Country plays host to the popular Zegama-Aizkorri skyrunning races, held annually since 2002.

One of the top basketball clubs in Europe, Saski Baskonia, is based in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Bilbao Basket and Gipuzkoa BC also play in Liga ACB, Spain's top league.

In recent years surfing has taken off on the Basque shores, and Mundaka and Biarritz have become spots on the world surf circuit.

Traditional Basque sports
The Basque country sporting tradition is linked to agricultural pursuits such as mowing with a scythe, or loading carts, but adapted as competitions with points awarded for specific criteria such as time, precision, elegance and productivity. Rural Basque sports include Aizkolaritza (wood chopping), Harri-jasotzaileak (stone lifting), Idi probak (leading oxen to drag rocks) and Sokatira (tug-of-war).

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Basque Country (greater region)


text:
Talk:NATO bombing of Yugoslavia

Rename the article
The current title is biased and unnecessary highlights the bombing. All other interventions in wikipedia are named either by their operation name (like nato bombing of bosnian serbs) or simply named like “intervention”. The good title would be “NATO military intervention in Yugoslavia/Kosovo (1999)” This is how it is referred to in the majority of works. 91.230.41.206 (talk) 15:09, 30 October 2022 (UTC)

 * concur Lolipopm1995 (talk) 16:30, 30 October 2022 (UTC)
 * You are welcome to start a rename discussion - but your proposed title sounds extremely euphemistic to me. The 'military intervention' took the form of an aerial bombing campaign, so why is it a problem to call it that? How is that biased? I ask that as someone who believed that the 'military intervention' was justified morally and relatively undestructive of life and property. You can't 'highlight the bombing', when the bombing campaign is all that happened at that time. Other roles, such as diplomacy and peacekeeping were earlier or later and are covered in other artioles. Pincrete (talk) 21:03, 30 October 2022 (UTC)

"Illegal"
I'm doubtful that "illegal" belongs in the first sentence of the lead in Wikivoice, particularly when the legality is phrased as an open question in the bottom of the lead, and we don't make definitive statements in the article body (c.f. WP:LEADFOLLOWSBODY). There's a whole article on this exact sort of question. — Red-tailed hawk  (nest) 15:36, 12 January 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:NATO bombing of Yugoslavia


text:
National Security Space Launch

National Security Space Launch (NSSL) is a program of the United States Space Force (USSF) intended to assure access to space for United States Department of Defense and other United States government payloads. The program is managed by the Assured Access to Space Directorate (SSC/AA) of the Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office.

Started in 1994 as the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle launch system program, the initial program goal was to make government space launches more affordable and reliable, leading to the development of the Boeing Delta IV and Lockheed Martin Atlas V EELV families. These remained the primary launch vehicles for U.S. military satellites, and were later joined by the Falcon 9 developed by SpaceX.

On 1 March 2019, the program name was changed from EELV to National Security Space Launch (NSSL) to better reflect the growing commercial launch market and the changing nature of launch contracts, including the potential for reusable launch vehicles.

The NSSL program launches the nation's most valuable military satellites; contracts to launch lower value payloads, such as those of the Space Test Program, are awarded using different methodologies.

Initial program goals
The USAF began the EELV program in 1994, following many years of government-funded studies into improved systems and architecture. The intent was to replace legacy vehicles, including Delta II, Atlas II, and Titan IV. EELVs were to reduce costs by being based on standardized fairings, liquid core vehicles, upper stages, and solid rocket boosters. A Standard Payload Interface bus was also proposed as a way to save money and improve efficiency.

Reducing the cost of launches and ensuring national access to space were the two main goals of the USAF space launch/EELV program. Some of the reasons why assured access to space is a priority for the United States are stated in National Presidential Directive Number 40, which reads: Access to space through U.S. space transportation capabilities is essential to: The United States, therefore, must maintain robust, responsive, and resilient U.S. space transportation capabilities to assure access to space.
 * 1) place critical United States Government assets and capabilities into space;
 * 2) augment space-based capabilities in a timely manner in the event of increased operational needs or minimize disruptions due to on-orbit satellite failures, launch failures, or deliberate actions against U.S. space assets;
 * 3) support government and commercial human space flight.

Procurement of EELV boosters for military space launch was to evolve to more closely match commercial practice. The initial bids came from four major defense contractors: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Alliant Techsystems. Each of the bids included a variety of concepts. Boeing initially proposed using the RS-25 Space Shuttle main engine.

1990s-2000s
In October 1998 two initial launch services contracts (known as Buy 1) were awarded. Along with the award of two development agreements, the total amount was more than $3 billion. Boeing was awarded a contract for 19 out of the 28 launches; Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract for the other 9. Boeing received $1.38 billion, and Lockheed Martin received $650 million for the launches. Boeing and Lockheed Martin were each awarded US$500 million for the final phase of the bid. Boeing developed the Delta IV based around Common Booster Cores and the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage, while Lockheed Martin developed the Atlas V based around Common Core Boosters and the Centaur upper stage.

In 2003, Boeing was found to be in possession of proprietary documents from Lockheed Martin. The USAF moved 7 launches from Delta IV to Atlas V. To end litigation and competition for a limited market, both companies agreed to form the United Launch Alliance (ULA) joint venture. Each company has a 50% stake in ULA.

2010s
Prior to 2012, the USAF was advancing another program, the Reusable Booster System and other follow-on technologies, and up to early 2012 issued contract awards for various aspects of it, before the program was cancelled in October 2012.

In December 2012, the DoD announced a re-opening of the EELV-class launch vehicle market to competition while authorizing the USAF to proceed with a block buy of "up to" 36 boosters from ULA. At the same time, another 14 boosters were to be procured competitively beginning in 2015, with the initial launches to be performed in 2017.

The USAF signed a contract at that time with SpaceX for two launches in 2014 and 2015 to serve as proving flights to support the certification process for the Falcon 9 v1.1 and Falcon Heavy. In April 2014, after the launches were contracted, SpaceX sued the United States Air Force, arguing that the RD-180 engines, produced in Russia by the government owned NPO Energomash and used by the Atlas V, violated sanctions against the Russian government. The USAF and SpaceX settled the lawsuit in Jan 2015 by opening up more launches to competitive bidding. The USAF certified the Falcon 9 in May 2015, and in 2016 SpaceX won a contract under the EELV program to launch a GPS Block III satellite payload to MEO.

2018 to 2020s
The USAF began the process of competitively selecting the next generation NSSL vehicles in 2018. Announced performance requirements include: Category A payloads fit within a 4 m diameter payload envelope, category B payloads fit within a 5 m diameter payload envelope, and category C payloads require an extended 5 m diameter envelope.

The USAF and United States Space Force (USSF) plan to use the next generation NSSL launch vehicles until at least 2030.

Launch vehicles
Since 2019 there have been four vehicles certified by the Department of Defense to conduct NSSL launches: Atlas V, Delta IV Heavy, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. Delta IV Medium was retired in August 2019 and Delta IV Heavy retired in April 2024. After a two-year solicitation and competition process in 2018–2020, in August 2020 the USSF selected SpaceX (F9 and FH) and ULA's yet-to-be-certified Vulcan Centaur to supply US military launch requirements in 2022–2027. New Glenn was considered for the first time in NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 bidding.

Delta IV medium
Delta IV Medium flew with two or four SRBs on a single Common Booster Core. The DCSS had 4 m diameter and 5 m diameter versions, with matching diameter payload fairings. Delta IV CBCs and DCSSs were integrated horizontally before being transported to the launchpad. The Delta IV Medium retired after the 22 August 2019 launch of a GPS-III satellite. The mission used a Delta IV M+(4,2) two SRBs, and a 4 m diameter DCSS and payload fairing, the final use of the 4 m fairing.

Delta IV Heavy
The Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle used three Common Booster Cores (CBCs) each powered by a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68A engine, a Delta Cryogenic Second Stage 5 m (DCSS) powered by an RL10, and a 5 m payload fairing. Delta IV CBCs and DCSSs were integrated horizontally before being transported to the launchpad. In 2020, ULA announced retirement of the Delta IV after 5 more launches. The final flight occurred in April 2024.

Atlas V

Each Atlas V launch vehicle is based on a Common Core Booster powered by one NPO Energomash RD-180 engine with two combustion chambers and a Centaur upper stage powered by one or two Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10A-4-2 engines. Up to five Aerojet Rocketdyne Graphite-Epoxy Motor solid rocket boosters can be added to increase vehicle performance, and two diameters of payload fairing are available.

A three-digit (XYZ) naming convention is used for the Atlas V configuration identification. An Atlas V XYZ will have a X 4.2 or diameter payload fairing, Y solid rocket boosters (0-5), and Z RL-10's on the Centaur upper stage (1-2). As an example, an Atlas V 551 has a 5.4 m payload fairing, 5 SRBs, and 1 RL-10.

In August 2021, ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired, and all 29 remaining launches had been sold. , seventeen launches remain. The one remaining NSSL launch is scheduled for June 2024 and the remaining sixteen are allocated for non-DoD launches.

Falcon 9

The main features of the Falcon 9 in its Block 5 version include two stages, both powered by LOX and RP-1, with nine Merlin 1D engines on the first stage and one Merlin 1D Vacuum engine on the second stage. This launcher features a reusable first stage and fairings, which lowers the cost per mission.

GPS-IIIA USA-289 was the first NSSL-type B5 Falcon 9 launch. The launch occurred on December 23, 2018.

Falcon Heavy
The Falcon Heavy is a super heavy-lift rocket developed and produced by SpaceX. It has been certified for the NSSL program after the STP-2 launch completed on 25 June 2019, as confirmed by the commander of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Lt. Gen. Thompson. He clarified: "I certified them to compete last year" and "one of the requirements behind certification is to fly three missions." This requirement has been satisfied by the Falcon Heavy test flight in February 2018, Arabsat-6A in April 2019, and the STP-2 launch in June 2019. Falcon Heavy has been certified for two Phase 1A reference orbits and as of 2019, "it's not certified for all of our most stressing national security space orbits," Thompson said. The USAF is working with SpaceX to mature their Falcon Heavy's design.

As of December 2023, it has flown three classified national security flights: USSF-44, USSF-67, and USSF-52.

Next generation vehicle competition
In 2018, a competitive contract award to launch national security spacecraft was conducted between United Launch Alliance (ULA), Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS), Blue Origin, and SpaceX.

Phase 1: development of detailed designs
Two providers were to be selected to launch spacecraft to a number of reference orbits. In October 2018, the USAF awarded development funding to ULA, NGIS, and Blue Origin to further the design of their rockets before a subsequent competition for award to build the launch vehicles. SpaceX received none of this funding to develop their designs, as both the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy had completed development and were already flying.

Blue Origin was awarded $500 million of phase 1 funding for further development of New Glenn as a potential competitor in future contracts. As of 2019, Blue Origin expected a first launch of New Glenn in 2021. In the event, no phase 2 funding from the US government was forthcoming after August 2020 when ULA Vulcan and SpaceX were selected by the Air Force. Blue Origin is considered likely to continue building and testing New Glenn, in part since they were already privately funding development prior to the Air Force NSSL competition.
 * New Glenn

Northrop Grumman was awarded US$792 million of phase 1 funding in 2018 for development of OmegA. OmegA was a rocket design with two main solid stages, a cryogenic upper stage, and the possibility of additional solid-rocket strap-on boosters. As of 2019, the first flight has been stated by NGIS to be expected in 2021. In the event, no phase 2 funding from the US government was forthcoming after August 2020 when ULA Vulcan and SpaceX were selected by the Air Force. In 2020, Northrop Grumman announced the cancellation of OmegA.
 * OmegA

ULA was awarded $967 million of phase 1 funding for further development of Vulcan Centaur as a potential competitor in future contracts. On 12 August 2019, ULA submitted Vulcan Centaur for phase 2 of the USAF's launch services competition. As of 2024, Vulcan Centaur has completed one certification flight launch and another is left be fully certified for national security launches.
 * Vulcan Centaur

Phase 2: selection of two launch vendors
On 12 August 2019, at least three of the four companies submitted their final bids for the launch services competition. SpaceX bid the existing Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, while Blue Origin was expected to bid New Glenn, ULA bid Vulcan Centaur, and NGIS's bid status was not reported. Blue Origin also filed a pre-award protest of the request for proposal arguing that the requirements were ambiguous.

The US Department of the Air Force announced the results of the approximately US$3.5 billion National Security Space Launch Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement on 7 August 2020. SpaceX and ULA were the two vendors selected via the competition to supply launches to the US military in the 2022–2026 timeframe. The US Space Force (USSF) plans 30–34 launches during these five fiscal years. ULA is expected to handle 60 percent of the launches while SpaceX will handle 40 percent of the launches  over the five-year period.

The contract type for the phase 2 contracts is new for NSSL launches as it will be a "firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery" type of launch contract. The awards in August 2020 are a major part of "the transition of the national security launch program to take advantage of commercial innovation and private investments in launch vehicles."

NSSL Phase 3
In 2023, USSF released a draft RFP for "Phase 3" of NSSL, which covers the five fiscal years 2025-2029. Unlike the earlier NSSL contracts, Phase 3 is divided into two "lanes". Lane 1 covers less demanding missions and is structured to encourage new launch providers. Lane 2 is more similar to Phase 2 and requires each provider to be able to handle all NSSL requirements. However, Lane 2 allows for up to three providers instead of just the two providers of Phase 2. Proposals were due December 15, 2023 and awards are expected in mid to late 2024.

Phase 3 Lane 1 awardees were SpaceX, Blue Origin and ULA. The vehicles being: Falcon 9, New Glenn and Vulcan Centaur, respectively.

title: National Security Space Launch


text:
Club soda

Club soda is a form of carbonated water manufactured in North America, commonly used as a drink mixer. Sodium bicarbonate, potassium sulfate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium citrate, or sodium citrate is artificially added to replicate constituents commonly found in natural mineral waters and offset the acidity of introducing carbon dioxide gas (which creates low 3–4 pH carbonic acid when dissolved in water ).

Naturally effervescent Selters water from Germany gave rise to the generic use of the term for carbonated water, particularly from a soda siphon, in the United States as seltzer water. Seltzer water is artificially carbonated but lacks added minerals.

History
English chemist Joseph Priestley discovered an artificial method for producing carbonated water, described in a pamphlet called Directions for Impregnating Water with Fixed Air, published in 1772. The pamphlet explained the process of dripping sulfuric acid onto chalk, which produced carbon dioxide (CO2) that was captured in a bowl of agitated water. Priestley thought such carbonated water was a cure for scurvy and proposed the process to Captain James Cook to prevent scurvy during his second voyage to the South Seas. Priestley never realized the commercial potential of his product, though he did refer to it as his "happiest discovery."

In 1783, Johann Jacob Schweppe, a jeweler and amateur scientist of Geneva, began the commercial production of carbonated mineral water by dissolving the CO2 under pressure. In 1807, Benjamin Silliman, a Yale chemistry professor, began producing carbonated water under pressure and selling it in New Haven, Connecticut. In the 1830s, Anyos Jedlik of Hungary opened a large-scale carbonated water factory. The original trademarked club soda was made by Cantrell & Cochrane of Dublin, Ireland in 1877. The 'club' refers to the Kildare Street Club in Dublin, which commissioned them to produce it.

As stain remover
The dissolved gas in carbonated water acts as a temporary surfactant, causing it to be recommended as a household remedy for removing stains, particularly those of red wine.

title: Club soda


text:
Hradec Králové Region

Hradec Králové Region (Královéhradecký kraj, ) is an administrative unit (kraj) of the Czech Republic located in the north-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Hradec Králové. The region neighbours the Pardubice Region in the south, the Central Bohemian Region in the south-west, and the Liberec Region in the west. It also shares a 208 km long international border with Polish Lower Silesian Voivodeship in the north and the east.

Administrative divisions
After the state administration reform took place (1 January 2000); the Hradec Králové Region is divided into 5 districts:

As for area, Trutnov District is the largest taking almost one fourth of the entire region's territory, followed by the Rychnov nad Kněžnou District with 21% and as for the three remaining districts each has about 18%. As of 2003, 15 municipalities with extended powers and 35 municipalities with a delegated municipal office were established in the region.

Population
As of January 2019, the Hradec Králové Region had 551,021 inhabitants, which was 5.2% of the total population of the Czech Republic. With its 116 inhabitants per square kilometer, the region has a lower density than the national average (135 inhabitants per km2). The region has in total 448 independent municipalities, whereof 48 enjoy the status of town. The share of urban population is ca. 67%. The region's centre is Hradec Králové (92,742 inhabitants). About 12.5% inhabitants in the region live in a municipality of 500 inhabitants or less. Out of all Czech regions, the Hradec Králové Region has the lowest share of inhabitants aged 15–64 (67%) and the highest share of population aged 65+ (18%). Average age of both men and women is also above the national average.

The table below shows the municipalities in Hradec Králové Region with the largest population (as of 1 January 2024):

Geography
The Hradec Králové Region has the area of 4 759 km2 and accounts for 6% of the total area of the Czech Republic. In terms of size it is the ninth largest region of the Czech Republic. Krkonoše and Orlické mountains which are situated in the northern and northeastern part of the region pass to fertile Elbe lowland. Two thirds of the area of the Krkonoše National Park lie within the region's territory. Krkonoše and Orlické mountains are separated by Broumovský výběžek with its large rock towns – Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, Broumov Hills, Křížový vrch and Ostaš. Main watercourses are Elbe (Czech: Labe) and its tributaries Orlice and Metuje. Almost the entire territory of the region falls into the Elbe's basin and only a marginal part of the Broumovský výběžek area falls under the basin of the River Oder (Czech: Odra). Sněžka mountain is with its elevation of 1603 m above sea level the highest point of the region, Krkonoše mountains and also of the Czech Republic. The lowest point of the region is the surface of the River Cidlina (202 m above sea level).

Economy
In terms of economic activities, the region can be described as agricultural-industrial with well-developed tourism. The region is part of the so-called Black Triangle, an area of heavily industrialization and environmental damage on the three-way border of Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. The industry is concentrated in big towns while the agriculture in the Elbe lowland (Czech: Polabí). The tourism is concentrated in Krkonoše. In 2012, the gross domestic product of Hradec Králové Region accounted for about 4.5% of the total GDP of the Czech Republic. Region's GDP per capita amounted to 85.7% of national average and ranked as the fourth highest. As of September 2014, the unemployment rate in the region was 5.9%. The average gross salary was 22,842 CZK.

According to Labour Force Survey, there were in total about 253,200 employees in the region in 2012. Hereof, the largest proportion (31.1%) worked in manufacturing, followed by trade and repair of personal and household goods (12.2%), health and social care (7.9%), construction (7.3%), public administration and defence (6.5%), transportation and storage (5.9%), etc.

Manufacturing prevails over the other industries and focuses on motor vehicles, electrical equipment and textiles. However, Hradec Králové Region does not rank among key industrial areas – its 2012 share in sales of industrial enterprises accounted for 3.8% of the national's total. With regard to agriculture, crop production focuses on cereals (wheat and barley), rape and maize, with industrial sugar beet production playing an important role too. Animal production focuses on raising cattle and pigs. About 4.1% of region's workforce worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing in 2012. As of 2012, agricultural land covered 58% of the total region's territory and the share of arable land was 40%, while forests covered 31% of the territory.

In 2012, the 954 statistically monitored collective accommodation establishments in the region reported 887,000 guests, including about 213,000 foreigners coming especially from Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. The average length of stays per guest was 4.5 days. During the last few years, many forms of cross-border co-operation have been developed. One of them is the Glacensis Euroregion that had been established in 1995 as one of the Euroregions covering the Czech-Polish border areas.

Places of interest

 * Adršpach-Teplice Rocks
 * Broumov and its monastery
 * Dvůr Králové Zoo
 * Hradec Králové
 * Josefov Fortress
 * Kost Castle
 * Krkonoše National Park
 * Prachov Rocks
 * Probošt's mechanical Christmas crib
 * Ratibořice Chateau

title: Hradec Králové Region


text:
USAC

USAC may refer to:
 * Unified Speech and Audio Coding, an audio compression scheme
 * United States Army Cadet Corps, a non-profit youth education organization
 * United States Auto Club, a sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States
 * Universal Service Administrative Company, a not-for-profit corporation located in Washington, DC
 * Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, a University in Guatemala City, Guatemala
 * USA Cycling, or USAC, a governing body for bicycle racing in the United States
 * USA Cricket, a governing body for the sport of cricket in the United States
 * USA Climbing, a governing body for the sport of competition climbing in the United States
 * Utah State Agricultural College, now known as Utah State University, a school in Logan, Utah, USA

title: USAC


text:
Talk:National Three Peaks Challenge

Although I think the "opponents of" section is a little too prominent in the article coming before the route description, this is a very good article, well done contributors. Pete/Pcb21 (talk) 17:44, 27 May 2004 (UTC)

My original article didn't have anything about criticisms, and should have done. I think the paragraph is definitely worthy of inclusion, and if I lived in the vicinity of one of the peaks I suspect I would be glad to see the bad side of the challenge given prominence. In accordance with Pcb21's comments I will move the criticisms to after the route description and give it its own section. If Cambyses feels that it deserves more promincence and sends it back up to the top I wouldn't object. Trilobite 18:25, 27 May 2004 (UTC)

 * I do indeed thing it deserves some prominence, so will indeed move it back to the top. The standard route stuff (which is excellent, by the way) is the kind of detail which will be read mostly by the really keen; I think the debate on the pros and cons of the challenge is significant enough that the casual reader should at least be aware of its existence. This is especially true because the rest of the article is (reasonably enough, since the challenge sounds like great fun!) extremely upbeat, and somebody not reading to the very bottom might never suspect there was a negative side.... Best wishes, Cambyses 00:37, 28 May 2004 (UTC)

Agreed. Trilobite 00:52, 28 May 2004 (UTC)

I think the criticisms section is a bit misleading - it gives the impression of hordes of walkers crowding the mountains out night and day; I've done the challenge twice (July 1996 and August 2006) and both times encountered only a handful of other people doing the same thing66.134.170.155 (talk) 16:15, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

Route
Quite a few years ago some friends of mine set the record for doing the Three Peaks by running all the way in a relay run. They did what I always thought was the traditional route of starting with one foot in the sea at Fort William and finishing with one foot in the sea at Caernarfon. When was the route shortened so that it starts and finishes at the base of each mountain? (I think they still hold the record) --jmb 00:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

 * I notice this comment has been removed from the main page as "trivia". I still think it is a valid to record when the route was shortened so the runners start and finish as near to the first and last summit accessible by vehicle, if anyone knows?  --jmb 18:40, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

 * The Three Peaks Challenge web site says "Two schools of thought exist on how to start and finish the challenge", one touching the sea and the other from the car parks at the base of the mountains.  Whether either is more 'official' than the other I do not know, though the site does say that the latter is the usual route. 86.5.163.70 (talk) 18:22, 4 January 2012 (UTC) dww

A six peaks version of this challenge already exists and is run every year by the charity Wateraid. . Perhaps someone who knows what they are doing can edit the main text. SJ21 (talk) 10:47, 23 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I've done some re-structuring, to collect together mentions of the various related challenges. (The article is about "Three peaks", so should stay focussed on that.) Feline Hymnic (talk) 21:42, 23 June 2009 (UTC)

Tilman's Challenge
I'ver put a note on Bill Tilman's version of the 3 peaks (NO motorised transport) and it's evolution into the 'Three peaks yacht race'. Bob aka Linuxlad 10:17, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

Scafell Pike
I've changed some of the description on this section. I don't believe at all that Scafell Pike is climbed 'far less' than the other two, and the path to the top from Wasdale Head is very easy to follow, even in low cloud, as there are large cairns going all the way up by the side.Clear air turbulence 23:58, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

Located
I doubt we would agree on "located", since you've reinstated it, but I don't feel that strongly about it. When talking about a place it seems to me a redundant word. All the best,  Tony Holkham   (Talk)  22:00, 14 November 2015 (UTC)

 * I may not have explained myself well in the edit summary, for which I apologise. "It is at the western end of the Grampian Mountains ..." is not a natural-sounding sentence in normal, idiomatic English. Rather, it suggests to the reader that the sentence will continue "... that [something occurred]", which is not the intended meaning. Note also that the three sections in questions are summaries of three other articles, all of which include, quite reasonably, the word "located". Not every word that can be removed should be. --Stemonitis (talk) 22:22, 14 November 2015 (UTC)

External links modified (February 2018)
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title: Talk:National Three Peaks Challenge


text:
Trisodium citrate

Trisodium citrate has the molecular formula Na3C6H5O7. It is sometimes referred to simply as "sodium citrate", though sodium citrate can refer to any of the three sodium salts of citric acid. It possesses a saline, mildly tart flavor, and is a mild alkali.

Foods
Sodium citrate is chiefly used as a food additive, usually for flavor or as a preservative. Its E number is E331. Sodium citrate is employed as a flavoring agent in certain varieties of club soda. It is common as an ingredient in bratwurst, and is also used in commercial ready-to-drink beverages and drink mixes, contributing a tart flavor. It is found in gelatin mix, ice cream, yogurt, jams, sweets, milk powder, processed cheeses, carbonated beverages, and wine, amongst others.

Sodium citrate can be used as an emulsifying stabilizer when making cheese. It allows the cheese to melt without becoming greasy by stopping the fats from separating.

Buffering

As a conjugate base of a weak acid, citrate can perform as a buffering agent or acidity regulator, resisting changes in pH. It is used to control acidity in some substances, such as gelatin desserts. It can be found in the milk minicontainers used with coffee machines. The compound is the product of antacids, such as Alka-Seltzer, when they are dissolved in water. The pH range of a solution of 5 g/100 ml water at 25 °C is 7.5 to 9.0. It is added to many commercially packaged dairy products to control the pH impact of the gastrointestinal system of humans, mainly in processed products such as cheese and yogurt, although it also has beneficial effects on the physical gel microstructure.

Chemistry
Sodium citrate is a component in Benedict's qualitative solution, often used in organic analysis to detect the presence of reducing sugars such as glucose.

Medicine
In 1914, the Belgian doctor Albert Hustin and the Argentine physician and researcher Luis Agote successfully used sodium citrate as an anticoagulant in blood transfusions, with Richard Lewisohn determining its correct concentration in 1915. It continues to be used today in blood-collection tubes and for the preservation of blood in blood banks. The citrate ion chelates calcium ions in the blood by forming calcium citrate complexes, disrupting the blood clotting mechanism. Recently, trisodium citrate has also been used as a locking agent in vascath and haemodialysis lines instead of heparin due to its lower risk of systemic anticoagulation.

In 2003, Ööpik et al. showed the use of sodium citrate (0.5 g/kg body weight) improved running performance over 5 km by 30 seconds.

Sodium citrate is used to relieve discomfort in urinary-tract infections, such as cystitis, to reduce the acidosis seen in distal renal tubular acidosis, and can also be used as an osmotic laxative. It is a major component of the WHO oral rehydration solution.

It is used as an antacid, especially prior to anaesthesia, for caesarian section procedures to reduce the risks associated with the aspiration of gastric contents.

Boiler descaling
Sodium citrate is a particularly effective agent for removal of carbonate scale from boilers without removing them from operation and for cleaning automobile radiators.

title: Trisodium citrate


text:
Magic bullet

Magic bullet may refer to:

 * Enchanted bullet obtained through a contract with the devil in the German folk legend Freischütz
 * Der Freischütz, an opera by Carl Maria von Weber based on the legend
 * Magic bullet (medicine), the pharmacological ideal of a drug able to selectively target a disease without other effects on the body, originally defined by Paul Ehrlich as a drug for antibacterial therapy
 * Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, a 1940 Hollywood biopic about syphilis researcher Paul Ehrlich, starring Edward G. Robinson
 * "Magic Bullet Theory", the name commonly assigned to the single-bullet theory by its critics in the investigation of the John F. Kennedy assassination
 * Hypodermic needle model or magic bullet theory, a model of communications in media theory
 * Magic Bullet (appliance), a compact blender manufactured by Homeland Housewares
 * "The Magic Bullet" (Angel), episode 19 of season 4 of television series Angel
 * Magic Bullet Productions, an audio-production company
 * Bullet catch, an illusion in which someone appears to catch a fired bullet
 * Magic Bullet Records, an American record label

title: Magic bullet


text:
User talk:Kristos

Good catch there on Brahmin--welcome to Wikipedia! Thanks for that fix--stuff like that will help Wikipedia improve. Anyway, if you have any questions about editing, you can take them to Help desk, or read FAQ. Welcome, again, and happy editing! Meelar 17:46, 27 May 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:Kristos


text: User talk:82.38.3.88

title: User talk:82.38.3.88


text:
Calcium citrate

Calcium citrate is the calcium salt of citric acid. It is commonly used as a food additive (E333), usually as a preservative, but sometimes for flavor. In this sense, it is similar to sodium citrate. Calcium citrate is also found in some dietary calcium supplements (e.g. Citracal or Caltrate). Calcium makes up 24.1% of calcium citrate (anhydrous) and 21.1% of calcium citrate (tetrahydrate) by mass. The tetrahydrate occurs in nature as the mineral Earlandite.

Chemical properties
Calcium citrate is sparingly soluble in water. Needle-shaped crystals of tricalcium dicitrate tetrahydrate [Ca3(C6H5O7)2(H2O)2]·2H2O were obtained by hydrothermal synthesis. The crystal structure comprises a three-dimensional network in which eightfold coordinated Ca2+ cations are linked by citrate anions and hydrogen bonds between two non-coordinating crystal water molecules and two coordinating water molecules.

Production
Calcium citrate is an intermediate in the isolation of citric acid from the fungal fermentation process by which citric acid is produced industrially. The citric acid in the broth solution is neutralized by limewater, precipitating insoluble calcium citrate. This is then filtered off from the rest of the broth and washed to give clean calcium citrate.
 * 3 Ca(OH)2(s) + 2 C6H8O7(l) → Ca3(C6H5O7)2(s) + 6 H2O(l)

The calcium citrate thus produced may be sold as-is, or it may be converted to citric acid using dilute sulfuric acid.

Medical uses
It's primarily sold as a food supplement of calcium.

Bioavailability
In many individuals, bioavailability of calcium citrate is found to be equal to that of the cheaper calcium carbonate (CaCO3). However, alterations to the digestive tract may change how calcium is digested and absorbed. Unlike calcium carbonate, which is basic and neutralizes stomach acid, calcium citrate has no effect on stomach acid. Calcium carbonate is harder to digest than calcium citrate, and calcium carbonate carries a risk of "acid rebound" (the stomach overcompensates by producing more acid), so individuals who are sensitive to antacids or who have difficulty producing adequate stomach acid may choose calcium citrate over calcium carbonate for supplementation.

According to a 2009 research into calcium absorption after gastric bypass surgery, calcium citrate may have improved bioavailability over calcium carbonate in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients who are taking calcium citrate as a dietary supplement after surgery. This is mainly due to the changes related to where calcium absorption occurs in the digestive tract of these individuals.

title: Calcium citrate


text:
User talk:Morph~enwiki

Thanks for experimenting with Wikipedia. Your test worked, and has now been removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing material in articles will normally be removed quickly. Please see the welcome page if you would like to learn more about contributing to our encyclopedia. Thanks. Dori | Talk 17:55, May 27, 2004 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Morph. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Morph~enwiki that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name. If you think you might own all of the accounts with this name and this message is in error, please visit Special:MergeAccount to check and attach all of your accounts to prevent them from being renamed.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 01:37, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 16:34, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Morph~enwiki


text:
Lazy Bones

Lazy Bones was originally a comic strip in the British comic Whizzer and Chips. It made its first appearance in 1978.

The strip was about a boy called Benny Bones, who would constantly fall asleep everywhere, much to the annoyance of his parents. Until 1986, the strip was drawn by Colin Whittock, and moved to Buster in 1990 after Whizzer and Chips ended. Here it stayed, surviving on reprints, until the final issue. Artist Jack Edward Oliver included Benny in the last page of that issue, revealing how all the characters in the comic came to an end. It featured Benny explaining to a doctor that he's suffering from insomnia.

Colin Whittock
Colin Whittock, the original artist of Lazy Bones, is the head cartoon illustrator for http://www.aquarterof.co.uk, an online sweetshop inspired by Whizzer and Chips.

title: Lazy Bones