# Olite/Erriberri

> town and municipality located in Navarre, Spain

**Wikidata**: [Q837062](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q837062)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olite)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/olite-erriberri

## Summary

Olite (Basque: Erriberri) is a town and municipality located in the autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. It serves as the capital of the Merindade of Olite, a historic administrative division of Navarre, and is situated in the Zona Media (Mixed Zone) of the region. The municipality covers an area of 83.20 square kilometers and had a population of 4,069 residents as of 2025, making it a mid-sized town in the Navarran context.

## Key Facts

- **Official names**: Olite (Spanish), Erriberri (Basque/native)
- **Location**: Navarre, Spain; coordinates 42.44574826°N, -1.679611308°W (geographical center)
- **Administrative status**: Capital of Merindade of Olite; part of Zona Media (Mixed Zone of Navarre)
- **Area**: 83.20 km²
- **Elevation**: 388 meters above sea level
- **Population**: 4,069 (2025, register office); 4,019 (2023)
- **Postal code**: 31390
- **INE code**: 31191
- **Licence plate code**: NA
- **Timezone**: UTC+1 (Central European Time); UTC+2 (Central European Summer Time)
- **Demonyms**: erriterritar (Basque), olitense, olitejo (Spanish)
- **Mayor**: Francisco Javier Legaz Egea
- **Website**: http://www.olite.es/
- **Bordering municipalities**: Tafalla, Falces, Marcilla, Caparroso, Murillo El Cuende, Pitillas, Beire, San Martín de Unx

## FAQs

**What is the historical significance of Olite?**

Olite served as the capital of the historic Merindade of Olite, one of the traditional administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Navarre. The town is notable for its Castle of Olite (Castillo de Olite), a medieval fortress that was the residence of the Navarran monarchs and represents one of the most significant examples of Navarran medieval architecture.

**What language is spoken in Olite?**

The municipality has two official names: Olite in Spanish and Erriberri in Basque. The Basque demonym is erriterritar, while Spanish demonyms include olitense and olitejo. The town appears in Wikipedia in numerous languages including Basque (eu), Spanish (es), English (en), French (fr), German (de), and many others.

**What is the population trend of Olite?**

The population has grown from 2,662 in 1900 to 4,069 in 2025, showing steady growth over the past century. The population exceeded 3,000 in the late 1990s and has continued to increase, reaching over 4,000 by 2020. Historical census data shows population peaks and valleys corresponding to broader demographic shifts in rural Navarre.

**What are the neighboring municipalities of Olite?**

Olite shares borders with eight municipalities: Tafalla to the north, Falces to the east, Marcilla and Caparroso to the southeast, Murillo El Cuende and Pitillas to the south, Beire to the southwest, and San Martín de Unx to the west.

**What administrative identifiers does Olite have?**

Olite has multiple administrative reference codes: INE code 31191, Geonames ID 6359739, OpenStreetMap relation ID 345307, VIAF ID 167428567, GND ID 4478464-8, Library of Congress authority ID n80113607, and WorldCat Entities ID E39PBJjHfdGppBHBgvmqRFmrv3.

## Why It Matters

Olite matters as a historical and cultural center of Navarre, representing the continuity of Navarran identity and governance traditions. As the former capital of the Merindade of Olite, the town preserves important medieval heritage through its castle, which served as a royal residence for the Kingdom of Navarre. The municipality demonstrates the bilingual (Spanish-Basque) character of Navarre and serves as an administrative center for the Zona Media region. Its steady population growth contrasts with depopulation trends affecting many rural Spanish municipalities, indicating economic and social vitality. The town's strategic location in central Navarre, combined with its transport connections via the N-121 road and proximity to Pamplona (approximately 45 km), makes it a relevant service center for the surrounding agricultural region known for wine production.

## Notable For

- **Historic castle**: The Castle of Olite (Castillo de Olite) is a major medieval fortress and former royal residence of the Kingdom of Navarre
- **Administrative heritage**: Former capital of the Merindade of Olite, a historic administrative division of Navarre
- **Bilingual identity**: Official use of both Spanish (Olite) and Basque (Erriberri) names
- **Wine region**: Located in the Navarre wine-producing region
- **Population growth**: One of the few Navarran municipalities to maintain steady population growth into the 21st century

## Body

### Geography and Location

Olite is situated in the central part of Navarre, Spain, within the region known as Zona Media or the Mixed Zone of Navarre. The municipality covers 83.20 square kilometers of territory. The geographical center of the municipality is located at coordinates 42.44574826°N, -1.679611308°W, while the urban area center is at 42.48080536100284°N, -1.650091089845469°W. The town sits at an elevation of 388 meters above sea level, positioned on a gentle rise overlooking the Arga river valley. This location places Olite in a strategic position along historic trade routes connecting the Ebro valley with the Pyrenees.

### Administrative Structure

Olite functions as a municipality within the province of Navarre and serves as the capital of the Merindade of Olite, one of the historic merindades (administrative divisions) of the Kingdom of Navarre and later the Spanish province. The current head of government is Francisco Javier Legaz Egea, who holds the position of mayor. The municipality has the INE code 31191 and the postal code 31390. Vehicle registration plates in Olite bear the code "NA" (Navarre). The municipality is part of the OpenStreetMap relation 345307.

### Population and Demographics

The population of Olite has shown a generally upward trajectory over the past century and a quarter. According to register office data, the population reached 4,069 in 2025 (marked as preferred), up from 4,019 in 2023 and 3,998 in 2021. The population exceeded 4,000 for the first time around 2020, with 3,981 residents recorded that year. Historical census and register data shows growth from 2,662 in 1900, 2,634 in 1910, 2,876 in 1920, 2,785 in 1930, 2,918 in 1940, 2,949 in 1950, 2,981 in 1960, 2,922 in 1970, 2,829 in 1981, and 3,049 in 1991. The population crossed 3,000 around 1996 (3,106) and has continued growing since. In 2019, the male population was 2,001 and female population was 1,945 according to census data.

### Municipal Boundaries

Olite shares its borders with eight neighboring municipalities: Tafalla lies to the north; Falces is located to the east; Marcilla and Caparroso are situated to the southeast; Murillo El Cuende and Pitillas are to the south; Beire is positioned to the southwest; and San Martín de Unx is found to the west. These municipal boundaries define the territorial extent of Olite's jurisdiction within Navarre's administrative framework.

### Time and Communication

The municipality operates on Central European Time (UTC+1) during standard time and Central European Summer Time (UTC+2) during daylight saving time. The official website of the municipality is http://www.olite.es/. Olite appears in the Wikipedia editions of numerous languages, including Aragonese (an), Arabic (arz), Asturian (ast), Belarusian (be), Breton (br), Catalan (ca), Chechen (ce), Cebuano (ceb), German (de), English (en), Esperanto (eo), Spanish (es), Basque (eu), Persian (fa), French (fr), Galician (gl), Hungarian (hu), Armenian (hy), Interlingua (ia), Italian (it), Japanese (ja), Georgian (ka), Latin (la), Ladin (lld), Lombard (lmo), Malay (ms), Dutch (nl), Occitan (oc), Polish (pl), Portuguese (pt), Russian (ru), Slovenian (sl), Swedish (sv), Tatar (tt), Ukrainian (uk), Uzbek (uz), Venetian (vec), Vietnamese (vi), Waray (war), Chinese (zh), and Min Nan Chinese (zh_min_nan).

### Historical Context

As the capital of the Merindade of Olite, the town held significant administrative importance in historic Navarre. The Castle of Olite stands as the most prominent architectural testament to this historical significance, having served as a residence for the Navarran monarchs. The merindad system was a medieval administrative division used in Navarre, with Olite serving as the administrative center for one of these divisions. This historical role contributed to the town's development and cultural heritage.

### Cultural Heritage

The municipality maintains several cultural assets including the Castle of Olite ( Castillo de Olite), which is represented in Wikimedia Commons. The flag of Olite (Bandera de Olite) and the coat of arms (Escudo de Olite) are also preserved as municipal symbols. The town is categorized under Category:Olite in Wikimedia Commons, and there exists a Category:Maps of Olite for cartographic materials. Notable people born in Olite are categorized under Category:People from Olite, while those who died there fall under Category:Deaths in Olite.

### External Identifiers

Olite is referenced across multiple authority files and knowledge bases: Wikidata ID relates to the entity; VIAF ID 167428567; GND ID 4478464-8; Geonames ID 6359739; Freebase ID /m/08d3p0; Library of Congress authority ID n80113607; WorldCat Entities ID E39PBJjHfdGppBHBgvmqRFmrv3; INSPIRE ID ES.IGN.BDDAE.34153131191; Yale Lux ID place/48313d5c-1d05-4b72-be2c-7b33f2943df9; SBN Place ID CAGL003142; Archinform Location ID 1728; Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire ID 33757; Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana ID olite; Great Encyclopedia of Navarre ID 15551; Brockhaus Enzyklopädie Online ID olite; Bibliothèque nationale de France ID 12021696m; National Library of Israel J9U ID 987007557338905171; FactGrid Item ID Franz Rautek; and Yale Who's On First ID 101774795.

## References

1. Nomenclátor Geográfico de Municipios y Entidades de Población (20240402 edition)
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. BnF authorities
4. Register of Local Entities
5. OpenStreetMap
6. [Source](https://www.worlddata.info/europe/spain/timezones.php)
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. Municipal Register of Spain 2013
9. Municipal Register of Spain 2012
10. Municipal Register of Spain 2011
11. Municipal Register of Spain 2010
12. Municipal Register of Spain 2009
13. Municipal Register of Spain 2008
14. Municipal Register of Spain 2007
15. Municipal Register of Spain 2006
16. Municipal Register of Spain 2005
17. Municipal Register of Spain 2004
18. Municipal Register of Spain 2002
19. Municipal Register of Spain 2001
20. Municipal Register of Spain 2014
21. Municipal Register of Spain 2015
22. Municipal Register of Spain 2016
23. Municipal Register of Spain 2017
24. Municipal Register of Spain 2018
25. [Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero. National Statistics Institute](http://www.ine.es/dynt3/inebase/index.htm?padre=525)
26. Municipal Register of Spain 2019
27. Municipal Register of Spain 2020
28. Municipal Register of Spain of 2021
29. Municipal Register of Spain of 2022
30. Municipal Register of Spain of 2023
31. Municipal Register of Spain of 2024
32. Municipal Register of Spain of 2025
33. [Source](https://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Datos.htm?t=3064)
34. [Source](https://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Datos.htm?t=2884)
35. Merindade of Olite
36. List of Municipalities and their Codes by Provinces as of January 1, 2019
37. Modifications registered between 01-01-2009 and 01-01-2010
38. [Source](https://www.ine.es/dynt3/inebase/es/index.htm?padre=517&capsel=525)
39. GeoNames
40. Límites municipales, provinciales y autonómicos
41. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
42. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File