Pamplona is the capital city of Navarre, Spain. From the 9th century up to the 12th century, Navarrese country was known as the Kingdom of Pamplona. Iruñea is the Basque name proposed by the Royal Academy of the Basque language, but the Basque name recognized by the Government of Navarre is Iruña, "the city".
The area south of Pamplona is warm, dry, arid and very similar to the landscape found in parts of Castile. Northwards, however, it is cool and dry and very similar to the landscape of Aquitaine's forest. The city itself is very green: together with the old section of the city, which hosts the San Fermín festival, with its cobbled streets, it is a pleasant tourist destination.
The historical center of Pamplona is on the right bank of the Arga, a tributary of the Ebro. The city is famous for the San Fermín festival, on July 7, in which the The running of the bulls or encierro is one of the main attractions. Ernest Hemingway made this local fiesta of Pamplona world-famous in The Sun Also Rises .