Arraute-Charritte is located in the former province of Lower Navarre some 40 km east by south-east of Bayonne and 15 km north-west of Saint-Palais. Access to the commune is by the D11 road from Bidache in the north passing through the commune east of the village and continuing to Masparraute in the south. Access to the village is by the D246 from Orègue in the west passing the village then south-west to Masparraute. The D313 also passes down the western border of the commune from the D11 south of Bidache and joins the D246 west of the village. The D310 goes east from the D11 north of the village to Bergouey-Viellenave. There are forests in the north-east and north-west of the commune with a band of patchy forest through the centre. The rest of the commune is farmland.^[6]

There is a stop in the commune on bus route 870 from Tardets-Sorholus to Bayonne on the Interurban Network of Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

The Bidouze river forms the north-eastern border of the commune with the Ruisseau de Mandeheguy flowing into it there. Numerous other streams rise all over the commune and flow east to the Bidouze. The Ruiusseau de Bordaberry rises in the north of the commune and flows west to join the Apatharena which forms the western border of the commune and continues north to join the Lihoury. Numerous other streams rise in the commune and flow to the Apatharena.^[6]

Places and Hamlets edit

^[7]

The commune name in basque is Arrueta-Sarrikota.^[3][5]

Jean-Baptiste Orpustan^[8] indicated that Charrite came from Sarri-ko-(e)ta meaning "place of small bushes". However, there is no certainty of the origin of the name Arraute.

The following table details the origins of the commune name and other names in the commune.

Sources:

• Raymond: Topographic Dictionary of the Department of Basses-Pyrenees, 1863, on the page numbers indicated in the table. (in French)^[9]
• Orpustan: Jean-Baptiste Orpustan, New Basque Toponymy^[8]
• Cassini: Cassini Map from 1750^[10]
• Ldh/EHESS/Cassini: Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Charritte, EHESS (in French).

Origins:

• Duchesne: Duchesne collection volume CXIV^[11]
• Pamplona: Titles of Pamplona^[12]
• Biscay: Martin Biscay^[13]

The commune of Arraute and its village, Charritte-Mixe, were merged on 27 June 1842.^[9]

Heraldry edit

List of Successive Mayors^[15]

Inter-communality edit

The commune is part of six inter-communal structures:

• the Communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque
• the AEP association of Pays de Mixe;
• the educational regrouping association of Amorots-Succos, Arraute-Charritte, Beguios, Masparraute, and Orègue;
• the Energy association of Pyrénées-Atlantiques;
• the inter-communal association for the functioning of schools in Amikuze;
• the association to support Basque culture.

In 2017 the commune had 385 inhabitants. The population data given in the table and graph below include the former commune of Charritte, absorbed in 1842.

Distribution of Age Groups edit

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Arraute-Charritte and Pyrénées-Atlantiques Department in 2017

Source: INSEE^[18][19]

The town is part of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) zone designation of Ossau-iraty.

Budget and Taxation edit

• Dwelling Tax: 9.04% (2003)^[20]
• Property tax: 6.39% (built properties)
• Business Tax: 7.97%

The local economy is mainly based on agriculture:

• Agriculture: cereals (wheat, barley, corn);
• Viticulture;
• Livestock: cattle, sheep, pigs, geese, and ducks (foie gras);
• Forestry (oak);
• Heliciculture (snail farming).

Civil heritage edit

The village is typically Basque and has some Maisons à colombages (timbered houses).

Religious heritage edit

• The Parish Church of Saint-Pierre in Arraute (19th century)  is registered as an historical monument.^[21]
• The Funeral Chapel of Samacoitz is also part of the religious heritage.

Environmental heritage edit

The Banks of the Bidouze are classified as a Natura 2000 site.^[22]

Amorots-Succos, Masparraute, Orègue, Béguios, and Arraute-Charritte have created together an inter-communal educational grouping (R.P.I. AMOBA^[23]).

• Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department

• Arraute-Charritte on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (in French)
• Arraute and Charritte on the 1750 Cassini Map