Location, extension and limits. The former Lordship of Vizcaya, together with Alava and Guipúzcoa, forms the administrative entity known as "Vascongadas". It borders the Cantabrian Sea to the north, Alava and Burgos to the south, Guipúzcoa to the east and Santander to the west. Biscay is located 42° 57' 45" and 45° 32' 20" North latitude and 0° 14' 15" and 1° 15' 00" East longitude of the Madrid Meridian. The surface area of Biscay is 2,217.06 km². The town of Orduña is located in the land of Álava. It is bordered to the south by the Arrastaria valley; to the west by the Orduña rock and Sierra Salvada mountain range, which separate it from Burgos; to the north and west by the Ayala valley and to the east by Lezama. It also includes the villages of Belandia, Lendoño de Arriba, Lendoño de Abajo and Mendeica. The village of Villaverde de Trucios, located in Biscayan territory, belongs to Santander. It borders Carranza, Arcentales and Trucios. The Biscayan coast begins in Ontón, on the border with Santander. It slopes to the north-east until it reaches Poveña and the Somorrostro estuary, which is currently almost filled in by sand and fluvial deposits. From La Arena it turns towards Punta Lucero. This and Punta Galea form the mouth of the Nervión, or Bilbao estuary. The tides penetrate as far as Bilbao, some 15 km. From Galea, the coastline heads north-east to the mouth of the river Butrón, in Plencia. To the right of Górliz beach, in the Górliz-Plencia bay, is Cape Villano. Following the coast, we soon reach the Arminza inlet with its small port and then the estuary and beach of Baquio. Here the coast heads in a north-easterly direction as far as the great Matxitxako promontory, the most northerly point of Biscay. Baquio and Matxitxako lie the rock of Gaztelugatxe and the islet of Aketxe. From Cape Matxitxako, the coast forms a large inlet in the Mundaca estuary, the island of Izaro and Cape Ogoño. At the end of this estuary is the historic town of Guernica. The tides barely reach as far as the bridge of Rentería, on the edge of the town. On the other side of Ogoño is Elanchove, a picturesque fishing village. From the cape of Ogoño, the coastline continues to retreat in a southerly direction. Then the small estuary of Ea, the Oguella point (also called Ea point) and the Cape of Santa Catalina de Lequeitio. Here the River Lea flows into the sea and the islet of San Nicolás stands out. From here to Ondárroa, the stretch of coast called the Basque cornice to the point of Santa Clara and Ondárroa with the estuary of the Artibai and Saturrarán beach, already in Guipúzcoa. The Biscayan coastline is 80 kilometres long. The limits of Biscay and Guipúzcoa run inland in a south-easterly direction along the foothills of Mount Arno (612 m) and the municipalities of Berriatúa and Motrico. Along the Arno, the border reaches the Urkaregui pass. It turns southwest to near Arrate on Mount Max (767 m.). Here it forms a bend and leaves the town of Aguinaga in the municipality of Eibar in Guipúzcoa. However, the waters of this area flow into the Artibai, in Vizcaya. This curve ends at Mount Urko (791 m.) to the north of Eibar. From here the boundaries run from north to south along the Olarreaga stream. It goes through the Pagaza pass, near Elgueta, and continues to Mount Intxorta (737 m.). From here, above Anguiozar, it makes a bend to the East. It then turns west until it reaches the Anboto mountain range, on the edge of Alava. Anboto and Anguiozar, the dividing line of waters and provinces crosses the Kanpanzar pass. From Udala it goes to Besaide, the boundary Alava, Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa. The boundary line Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa is 32 kilometres long. Its boundary with Alava continues north-eastwards, passing near Anboto, to the crag of Alluitz (1,068 m.). From here it heads southwards, encompassing the village of Ochandiano in Biscay, which is in the Zadorra basin in Alava. From Gomilaz, the boundary line turns northwest to the watershed at Ubidea. From this Biscayan village it climbs up to the summit of Gorbea. The boundary continues along the Altube steps, leaving a large part of the basin of the River Altube, a tributary of the Nervión, in Alava. The boundary crosses the Nervión Areta (Alava) and Aracaldo (Vizcaya). From here it forms a southeast-northwest wedge as far as the vicinity of the Cadagua River. Near Sodupe (Vizcaya) the line changes its course to the south and forms a large curve around the valley of Gordejuela (Vizcaya). It crosses the Gordejuela River and continues in an east-west direction until it reaches the province of Burgos. The limits of Vizcaya and Alava extend for 85 kilometres. The border with Burgos crosses the Cadagua at Arla a few kilometres from Valmaseda (Vizcaya). It climbs to the summit of San Sebastián de Colisa and continues along the peaks of the Ordunte mountain range. It descends to La Galera (Vizcaya) where the borders of Vizcaya, Burgos and Santander meet. The boundary with Santander continues along the River Calera for about six kilometres. Before Lanestosa (Vizcaya), it moves away along the left bank of the river, through the mountains, to the north-east and north of Carranza. The limits with Santander are marked by heights such as Yorrios (847 m.), Peña Las Hermitas (619 m.), Hibar (619 m.), Retayo (725 m.), Artatxo (457 m.), Las Muñecas (625 m.), Mello (366 m.), Pitón (385 m.), until it descends to the sea near Ontón. The perimeter of Vizcaya is 247 kilometres, not including the Orduña area.