Why are the Basque Country and Catalonia richer than the rest of Spain?

"Both have their own languages (Euskera and Catalan); they share a border with France, and they've both had controversial independence movements. They share one other crucial trait: they're wealthy regions, especially when compared to most of Spain's 15 other autonomous communities. According to data available from Spain's National Statistics Institute(INE), Basques have the highest rate of disposable income per capita with 20,479 (29.5 percent above the average in Spain), the second largest GDP of all regions after Madrid."

"As for Catalonia, it's the region with the third biggest number of millionaires in the country, it has the fourth largest GDP, Catalans have the fourth highest amount of disposable income and the fourth highest salaries in the country (28,145 gross on average a year). The only two other regions which can rival Catalonia and the Basque Country in terms of these wealth standards are the capital Madrid and Navarre, which is next to El Pais Vasco and is culturally very similar."

Basque Country and Catalonia rank among Spain's richest autonomous communities by multiple indicators. Basques register the highest disposable income per capita (€20,479, 29.5% above the national average), the second-largest regional GDP after Madrid, and the country's highest average salaries (€31,064 gross annually). Catalonia hosts the third-largest number of millionaires, has the fourth-largest GDP, and records the fourth-highest disposable income and average salaries (€28,145 gross annually). Madrid and Navarre are the only regions that rival their wealth. Both regions industrialized strongly in the 19th century, and Franco-era investment raised their GDP per capita by about 80%.

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