Situated in the Aquitaine region in south-west France, this department is called Pyrenees-Atlantiques due to its geographical location. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Pyrenees Mountains to the South. Specified proximity with Spain, this department has always conserved special economical and cultural links with the neighbouring country. Initially, the Pyrenees-At antiques department composed the former provinces of Barn, Gaston and Guyenne. The southern part of the department shapes the homeland for the French Basque community. The Basques have a extensive tradition in this part of France and this presence is very evident in the local Basque language, history and local culture.

Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Basses-Pyrénées was one of the original 83 Departments of France created during the French Revolution, on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Guyenne, Béarn, and Gascony and included the three conventional provinces of the northern Basque Country: Labourd, Soule and Basse-Navarre. Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a border province, has cultured a number of economic and cultural links with Spain. The southern part of the department shapes the homeland for the French Basque community.