The bioclimatic conditions that make up the Basque Country are varied and of strong contrast. The northern part (Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, the Cantabrian valleys of Alava, the northern half of Navarre as well as Laburdi, Zuberoa and Nafarroa Beherea) falls within the oceanic, mild and rainy climate. The features that affect the agricultural sector can be atized in four aspects:
- Lack of sunlight hours makes it difficult for some crops to ripen, such as grapevines.
- Excess humidity that is negative for some crops, such as wheat.
- Uneven relief with abundant sloping land.
- Acidic soils with little thickness of layers, which increases the risk of depletion. This physical environment, where natural pastures abound, is naturally directed towards livestock farming.
The southern part (Rioja Alavesa, the southern half of Western Middle Navarre, Eastern Middle Navarre and Ribera) has a Mediterranean climate. This is characterised by strong thermal contrasts, more hours of sunshine and a lack of water. This summer aridity must be corrected by means of irrigation for certain crops. The relief is flatter from the intra-Pyrenean furrow and the soils are thicker due to the effect of ancient lake sedimentation. This environment is naturally specialised for purely agricultural use.
The historical evolution experienced by the agricultural sector in the Basque Country demonstrates how bioclimatic conditions have to be forced by economic imperatives.
The organization of agricultural space echoes the bioclimatic differences outlined above. Broadly speaking, the traditional organization is as follows:
- The oceanic environment presents an individual and small-scale organisation, with dispersed habitat and a mixed agricultural landscape with open and closed , the latter being originated by livestock development. The cultivation s are all dry land, that is, they only receive rainwater for their development. The farmhouse is perfectly adapted to the geographical environment in which it is located: double-pitched roof, large eaves,... The land is distributed in a round enclosure , that is, the agricultural dedication takes as a basis the proximity to the house: the orchards are next to the farmhouse; next comes the ploughed land occupied by corn and fodder crops; then there are the natural meadows, traditionally associated with apple and chestnut groves; finally there are the forests and moors.
- In the Mediterranean, the first necessary distinction is dry land and irrigated land. The latter requires the collaboration of several farmers given the magnitude of the work required to prepare the land to be irrigated. This factor partially explains the widespread use of concentrated habitat. The organization of irrigation traditionally distinguishes three sectors: fenced orchards dedicated to self-sufficiency, close to the village; irrigated plains and communal copses or pastures next to the river bed, which were therefore uncultivable in the past for fear of flooding. On the other hand, dry land was traditionally communal and was divided into lots or corralizas, around a corral, since it was mainly used for pasture. Both communal properties, copses and corralizas, have been divided and plowed over the last two centuries.