The notion of nationalism plays a critical role in the development on domestic and international politics. There are cases around the globe of how ethnically related politics, or ethnopolitcs, have infiltrated the international political arena. One such case, and the focus of this essay, is the case of Basque nationalism in Spain. In order to tackle a subject of this complexity, this essay will review a brief history of the Basque people, including: historical ties to the land, language and literature. Furthermore, the political situation in both during the times of General Franco's regime and post-Franco Spain are examined in order to analyze the politics of Basque Nationalism. The notion of nationalism plays a critical role in the development on domestic and international politics. There are cases around the globe of how ethnically related politics, or ethnopolitcs, have infiltrated the international political arena. One such case, and the focus of this essay, is the case of Basque nationalism in Spain. In order to tackle a subject of this complexity, this essay will review a brief history of the Basque people, including: historical ties to the land, language and literature. Furthermore, the political situation in both during the times of General Franco's regime and post-Franco Spain are examined in order to analyze the politics of Basque Nationalism. While the history of the Basque people has been littered with political and social unrest, the Basque people have protected their culture and way of life to ensure its continued survival in the 21st century. With a collective sense of self-preservation, Basques today are not only surviving, they are growing politically, socially and economically. Tension exists, however, between the Basques and the Spanish government. This tension has led to complex and interrelated questions on a number of pressing issues, a few of which will be the focal point of this essay. What are some aspirations of Basque people in Spain? How is Basque Nationalism perceived in both Basque Country and in Spain; how do the perceptions vary within each group? Based on present relations, what, if any, possible solutions or negotiations may the Spanish government and the Basque country agree upon? And finally, what is the significance and relevance of the Basque case to the study of nationalism and ethnopolitics? Spain is a state comprised of various nations. While there is a sense of a unified Spanish identify, there are also sub-identities. The most notable are the nations of Galicia, Basque, and Catalan. While the focus over the following pages will be on Basque Nationalism, it is important to note that this is not an issue unique to the Basque Country ”though the situations develop independently of one another. Each of these nations have their own language, history, cultural attributions and sense of identity that comes with being born and raised in their respective region of Spain. This sense gives an interesting twist on the overall politics of the Spanish Nation. To begin, we must briefly explore the origins the Basque people. The Basque people can be traced back thousands of years to the same region of Europe. In "Basque nationalism's changing discourse on the nation, Julen Zabalo describes the connection between a region and its effect on nationalism. The historic Basque territory, located in both Spain and France (Fig. 1), and collective claim to that land acted as a catalyst for the nationalist movement. Territory and a peoples claim to that land has powerful force because it is in that geographic area where culture is born and grows, which fosters nationalist tendencies and, eventually, the desire of a state. However, the notion of nationalist movement did not take off until the late 19th century. Sobrina Arana Goira founded the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV). Goira also helped fuel and promote the creation of a Basque had required each member to prove first generation relative by surname ”that would interfere with any potential political gain received from more supporters, thus changing the approach of the PNV recruitment in 1933. Not all Basques were pleased with the approach of the PNV, which lead to the creation of organized, radical extremist movements to try and reach the same goal through different means. One of the most popular radical groups to emerge was the Basque Homeland and Freedom party (ETA), founded in 1958 by Juan Madariaga. The ETA believed violence and terrorism to be the best means to achieve political ends. However, the connection between the Basques is more than just territorial and political. The existence of a shared identity had to be present for nationalist movements to gain speed. Julen Zabalo notes, "Language, culture, belonging to the same ethnic group or race, the ethnic feeling of having lived in the same place for generations, territory...history, the political will to belong to the same collectivity make up the repertory of characterist