EspañaBy: Maggie + Lola

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España

Maps

Madrid

España is located on the iberian peninsula on the Southwestern side of Europe.

España is bordered by the Bay of Biscay, the Balearic Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, Portugal to the west, and France and Andorra to the north. Morocco is to the south, across the Strait of Gibraltar.

BarcelonaSaragossa

Sevilla

Valencia

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This is a larger map of España which shows large cities, borders and waters surrounding the country.

Statistics

Population:

España has a population of approximately 46.56 million people.

Some of España’s most populated cities are:

- Madrid- Barcelona- Valencia - Sevilla- Zaragoza

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Capital city:

The capital city of España is Madrid which is located in the middle of the country.

It has almost 1.366 million inhabitants and it is the third largest city in the European Union.

Languages Spoken:

Nowadays, a total of 5 languages are spoken in España:

- Galician (Portuguese)- Spanish (Castilian)- Basque- Catalan- Occitan (aranès)

Spanish (aka Castilian) is the official language of España.

Currency

España’s currency is the Euro.

Its current exchange rate is €0.77= $1

Geography + Climate

Geography:

España is the third largest country in Europe and 45% of it is covered by the Meseta Plateau.The plateau is rarely flat, and is a hilly highland area divided by the Cordillera Central mountains, and then surrounded by additional mountain ranges, north, east and south.

Significant mountains in España include the limestone Cordillera Cantabrica and Sistema Iberico, Pyrenees, where many peaks exceed 3,000 meters and Sierra de Cuenca, and the lower Montes de Toledo and Serrania de Cuenca.

In the far south the mountains of the Cordillera Betica and Sierra Nevada dominate the landscape. Mainland España's highest point (Mulhacen at 3,481 meters) stands in the Sierra Nevada.

Significant lowlands include the fertile Andalusian Plain in the southwest, and the Ebro River Basin in the northeast. In addition, much of Spain is fronted by a low and narrow coastal plain, one that separates the mountains from the sea.

Those deeply indented coastal areas include countless bays and coves, and most have sandy beaches. In the far northwest, along the Bay of Biscay, rugged cliffs front the coastline.In the far south, the Strait of Gibraltar separates España from Morocco (Africa), and here, the two continents are only 13 km (8 miles) apart.

The country is drained by an estimated 1,500 rivers (mostly small). The longest and most significant rivers include the Douro (Duero), Ebro, Jucar, Tagus (Tejo), Guadiana and Guadalquivir.

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Climate:

North of the Cantabrian mountains, the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia have a maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. The weather is often cloudy with frequent rainfall.

On the Mediterranean coast, the climate is moderate with rain in spring and autumn. The area around Murcia has an almost African climate; rainfall is low and the Calima, or heat haze, is common during summer.

On the Atlantic coast, the summers are cooler and fairly heavy rainfall occurs during winter. Inland, the summers are hot and the rainfall decreases. The Balearic Islands have a maritime climate, with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers.

The Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rulers, who had been active in the region since the early eighth century, left España dominated by two large kingdoms: Aragon and Castile.

These were united under the joint rule of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1479, and they added other regions to their control, forming what would, in a few decades, evolve into the country of España. During the rule of these two monarchs España began to acquire a massive overseas empire, and the Spanish ‘Golden Age’ occurred in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. España became part of the Habsburg family inheritance when Emperor Charles V inherited it in 1516, and when Charles II left the throne to a French noble the War of the Spanish Succession occurred between France and the Habsburgs; the French noble won.

España was invaded by Napoleon and saw struggles between an allied force and France, which the allies won, but this triggered independence movements among España’s imperial possessions. During the nineteenth century the political scene in España came to be dominated by the military, and in the twentieth century two dictatorships occurred: Rivera’s in 1923 – 30 and Franco’s in 1939 – 75.Franco kept España out of World War 2 and survived in power; he planned a transition back to monarchy for when he died, and this occurred in 1975 – 78 with the re-emergence of a democratic España.

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History of Country

Popular Traditions + CustomsTapas

Tapas is one of the most famous Spanish traditions. But many don't understand it. A 'tapa' is not a type of food, it's a way of eating it. Tapas are small portions, but they can be of anything.

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Bull Fighting

Bullfighting, the most controversial of Spanish traditions, is a mixed blessing for España Many tourists are very curious to see it and view it as a fascinating insight into Spanish culture, but it is also a stain on the country's reputation for others. Bullfighting is nowhere near as popular as it used to be, but it still features prominently in the country's self-image.

Siesta

The siesta is one of the most famous aspects of Spanish life. It is that dead period in the late afternoon when everything shuts down in España, in theory, so people can rest and take a nap.

There are two periods of siesta. Siesta for shops and businesses and then siesta for the restaurants.

The siesta for shops and businesses is from approximately 2 pm until 5 pm while bars and restaurants close from about 4 pm until about 8 or 9 pm.

Famous PeopleEnrique Iglesias

Born in Madrid, Spain in 1975, Enrique Iglesias is the son of popular Spanish singer Julio Iglesias. Iglesias grew up in Miami and began singing as a teenager. He released his self-titled album in 1995 which proved to be a huge success.

By early 2012, he had sold more than 60 million records worldwide. His most successful songs include:

- "Bailamos,"- "Rhythm Divine,"- "Be With You," "Escape,"- "Maybe,"- "Don't Turn Off The Lights"- "Hero."

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Salvador Dali

Salvador Dalí was born on May 11, 1904, in Figueres, Spain. From an early age Dalí was encouraged to practice his art, and he would eventually go on to study at an academy in Madrid.

In the 1920s, he went through his first Surrealist phase. He is perhaps best known for his 1931 painting The Persistence of Memory, showing melting clocks in a landscape setting.

Dalí died in Figueres in 1989.

Churro

How They're Made: Churros are fried until they become crunchy, and may be sprinkled with sugar. The surface of a churro is ridged due to having been piped from a churrera, a syringe-like tool with a star-shaped nozzle. Churros are generally prisms in shape, and may be straight, curled or spirally twisted.

Churros are sold by street vendors, who may fry them freshly on the street stand and sell them hot. In Spain and much of Latin America, churros are available in cafes for breakfast, although they may be eaten throughout the day as a snack.

FoodTarta de Santiago

Tarta de Santiago (means cake of St. James, is an almond cake or pie.

How They’re Made: The filling principally consists of ground almonds, eggs, and sugar, with additional flavouring of lemon zest, sweet wine, brandy, or grape marc, depending on the recipe used. It is a round shape and can be made with or without a base which can be either puff pastry or shortcrust pastry. The top of the pie is decorated with powdered sugar, masked by an imprint of the Cross of Saint James which gives the pastry its name.

Tartas de santiago’s are sold at cafes and local restaurants all across the country and are best eaten with

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España's most common food is the tortilla de patata (potato omelet) according to Fodor's. Other famous dishes include seafood paella, chorizo sausage, gazpacho soup and tapas.

Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, typically consisting of a soup or salad followed by a main entree and a small dessert. The tradition of siesta happens around lunchtime, as many Spaniards tend to gather with their extended families for this meal, especially on Sundays.

Locals also love to snack on tapas in the evening while enjoying glasses of wine or sherry.

2 famous spanish foods are:

Popular Tourist Destinations + Activities

Sagrada Familia

The Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, and one of Españ’as most visited tourist attractions. It’s a design by Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan architect who worked on this project for almost 40 years until his death in 1926.

The construction of the basilica began in 1882 and still as yet not finished.

Palacio Real

The Palacio Real (Royal Palace) of Madrid is the official residence of the King of España although it is only used for state ceremonies.

The Royal Palace was built between 1738 to 1755 and King Carlos III took up residence in the palace in 1764.

La Concha

Protected from strong winds by steep cliffs and islands, La Concha in San Sebastian is said by many to be one of the best city beaches in Europe, let alone España.

Here you can go surfing, walk along the promenade in search of good restaurants and enjoy the most breathtaking beach.

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Leader + Government

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Mariano Rajoy

Mariano Rajoy is a Spanish politician and the leader of the People’s Party. He is the current Prime Minister of España. His political career started when he accepted the position of deputy of Alianza Popular during the very first regional election of community of Galicia in October 1981. After serving as Vice President of Junta de Galicia for sometime in the 80s, Rajoy entered the national level politics and became People’s Party’s Deputy Secretary General. During the 90s, under the Jose Aznar government, Rajoy became the Minister for Public Administration first, then the Minister of Education and Culture. When the then Prime Minister Aznar decided to leave politics for good in early 2000s, he felt that Rajoy was one person who could maintain the status in the community and made him the leader. The opposition party led by Jose Luis Zapatero defeated Mariano twice in the general elections, first in 2004, and later in 2008. But the general elections of 2011 brought good news for Mariano and he was named the Prime Minister of España on 20th December 2011.

Government

Government Name: Kingdom of Espana

Government Type: Parliamentary Monarchy

Constitution: Adopted in 1978; focused on basic rights & public liberties, duties of the citizens, principles of social & economic policy, the structure of the partial monarchy and parliament. This Constitution served as a means to begin the Spanish transition to a democracy.

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