The Community of the Basque Language and Culture [EEKK, according to its initials in Euskara] owns an strong identity based on a very wide historical, linguistic, cultural, social and political background. Euskara is the language of the EEKK, the base of its community, and Basque culture, its social expression.

Further, Euskara is the only pre-Roman language still alive in the Iberian Peninsula. Many linguists all over the world have struggled to track its real origin but no conclusion has gained a broad consensus so far, and, nowadays, Euskara is still considered an isolated language. Nevertheless, in spite of being a minority language with very specific characteristics, Euskara and its speakers have historically shown an strong commitment to adapt to the times and new challenges. In this sense, in contrast to its status as a minority language, the presence of Euskara has obtained a very remarkable position number 38 in the ranking of languages in the Internet [ http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/gerrand.html ].

The social expression of Euskara, through the Basque culture, has shown traditionally many forms. From the first book in Euskara published in 1545 [ 'Linguae Vasconum Primitiae' of Bernart Etxepare] to the literature in Euskara, the 'bertsolaritza', Basque dances, Basque music or many other social expressions, Euskara has had an extensive way throughout history, so significant as innovative.

The Internet allows to create communities with different purposes. Thus, this fact opens the door to that social expression, in our case the Basque culture. However, although the contents on the Internet are becoming increasingly diverse, no doubt, language remains the main tool of communication in the Internet.

In this context, the objective of the .EUS domain is to assign a name, a symbol, to the presence of Euskara on the Internet. This is the situation to which the EEKK is trying to respond by creating such a name for the Basque Culture Community in the Internet, in a feedback process that reinforces the EEKK itself.

Community without borders

In an area with three million inhabitants, of whom nearly 800,000 speak Basque, the EEKK is, nevertheless, a community without geographical boundaries. The diaspora of the EEKK sums up more than four million people and nearly 200 Euskal Etxe [Clubs in which Basques of the diaspora meet], distributed worldwide.

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