Spain. Basque Country. Alava province. Lahoz de Valderejo. "Artalde" farmers cooperative. An elderly man wearing a basque beret smokes a cigar while standing alone behind the counter. A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned cap, usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, wool felt, or acrylic fibre. A crockery cabinet and a television on the wall. Two San Miguel beer bottles and a pack of napkins on the wooden bar. Mahou San Miguel is the leading brand in the Spanish beer market. The Basque Country (Euskadi, País Vasco, Pays Basque), officially the Basque Autonomous Community (Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa, Comunidad Autónoma Vasca, CAV) is an autonomous community in northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa. The Basque Country or Basque Autonomous Community was granted the status of nationality within Spain, attributed by the Spanish Constitution of 1978. The autonomous community is based on the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country, a foundational legal document providing the framework for the development of the Basque people on Spanish soil. 18.03.92 © 1992 Didier Ruef