Things related to Spain 94. Country Spain - information and facts

Journey through Latin America - Spain

The name of the country comes from the Phoenician "i-spanim" - "coast of rabbits" or "coast of hyraxes".

The capital of Spain is Madrid.

The area of ​​Spain is 504,782 km².

The population of Spain is 46,162 thousand people.

Location of Spain. Spain is a southern European country. It occupies five-sixths of the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and Canary Islands in Atlantic Ocean. The Pyrenees are inaccessible and isolate Spain from other European countries, except for Portugal, located on the western part of the peninsula. Spain washes mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It borders on land with Portugal in the west, with France (along the crest of the Pyrenees) and the tiny state of Andorra in the northeast, with Gibraltar in the south.

Administrative divisions of Spain. Consists of 17 autonomous regions: Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Valencia, Galicia, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia, Castile-Lamancha, Castile and Leon, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre, Rioja, Extremadura, which unite 50 provinces, as well as 2 cities (Ceuta and Melilla), located on the northern coast of Africa and are independent administrative units.

The form of government in Spain is a constitutional monarchy.

The head of state of Spain is the King.

The highest legislative body of Spain - the General Cortes (Parliament), consisting of two chambers, are elected for 4 years.

The highest executive body of Spain is the Government.

The major cities of Spain are Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Malaga.

The official language of Spain is Spanish, the use of Catalan, Galician, Basque, Aran and some other minority languages ​​is legal.

Religion of Spain. 99% are Catholics.

The ethnic composition of Spain. 72.8% - Spaniards, 16.4% - Catalans, 8.2% - Galicians, 2.3% - Basques.

The Spanish currency is Euro = 100 cents.

Climate of Spain. Most of Spain has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. However, it varies significantly from the northwest to the southeast of the country and depending on the height above sea level. In addition to a large number of mountain ranges and plateaus, which make up 90% of total area territories, the climate is greatly influenced by the proximity to Africa. The average annual temperature throughout the country fluctuates around + 20°C. In southern Spain, the average daily temperature is + 26 ° C for almost 200 days a year. Most precipitation falls in the north and northwest of the country, while the central and southeastern regions are drier. That is why Spain is conditionally divided into "dry" (annual precipitation up to 500 mm) and "wet" (up to 900 mm per year). Spain is the highest country in Europe after Switzerland. The most powerful mountain system is the Pyrenees, the main peak of which is Aneto Peak (3404 m).

Flora of Spain. Apart from the flora of the Canary Islands, about 8,000 plant species grow in Spain, many of which are found only in this territory. From the once vast forests, only a small part in the north of the country remains. In "wet" Spain grow beech, elm, oak, chestnut, ash, linden, poplar. Higher in the mountains, the forests turn into water meadows. The richest vegetation on the North Atlantic slopes of the Cantabrian Mountains and the Galician massif - that is why these areas are called "green" Spain. Evergreen shrubs and grasses grow on the plain of the Ebro River at the foot of the mountains, and semi-desert vegetation is also found with a predominance of wormwood and salt marshes. In "dry" Spain dominated by Mediterranean vegetation, evergreen shrubs and semi-shrubs - maquis, gariga and tomillars. In the extreme south, thickets of the undersized hamerops palm are common - the only wild palm in Europe.

Fauna of Spain. Animal world Spain is also very rich and varied. In the north, the Central European fauna - a lot of deer, roe deer, wild boars. In the mountainous regions, the red deer and the Pyrenean ibex have been preserved. Reindeer sport hunting is allowed. Sometimes in the Cantabrian mountains and the mountains of Leon you can see a brown bear. Of the predators, there are a small number of wolves, foxes, and at the mouth of the Guadalquivir - Spanish lynxes. Near Gibraltar, macaques live - the only representative of this species of monkeys in Europe. Spain rightfully occupies a leading position in Europe in terms of the number of bird species found here. Among them are hawks, eagles, griffins, falcons. There are a lot of colonies of waterfowl - geese, ducks, herons, flamingos, white storks.
Spain also has a large number of species of reptiles - lizards, snakes, chameleons, and in the semi-deserts in the south of the country - tarantulas and scorpions.

There are a lot of fish in the estuaries and coastal waters of the Atlantic - mainly sardines, in smaller quantities - herring, cod, anchovies and different kinds shellfish. The Mediterranean Sea is home to tuna, salmon, anchovies, crayfish and lobsters.

Rivers and lakes of Spain. Major rivers Spain - Tajo, Duero, Ebro, Segura, Guadalquivir, Guadiana. The lakes are small and located mainly in the mountains.

Tags: free travel, travel by latin america, spain

About country:

Spain is a centuries-old history, pristine nature, it is a country of fiesta and bullfighting, it is a unique cuisine and wines that differ in variety depending on the region and are famous as some of the best in the world. Spain is the third largest country on the European continent (after Russia and France). The state is conveniently located in the south-west of Europe, occupying most Iberian Peninsula. The area of ​​the state is 504,782 km². The length of the state from north to south is 840 km, from east to west about 1000 km.
Spain is washed in the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea, in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the north by the waters of the Bay of Biscay. The territory of Spain includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, several peninsulas. Spain shares borders with France, Portugal, Morocco and Gibraltar.
Largest cities: Madrid (capital), Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Malaga, Las Palmas, Murcia, Palma, Bilbao, Valladolid, Cordoba.

About the seasons:

Winters in Spain are generally mild and short. In winter in Spain, the temperature does not fall below +8 - +10 degrees, and sometimes rises to + 16 - +17. In Tenerife, winter is the season for carnivals. Mountains stretching all over coastline, protect from the influence of the sea. The climate becomes more and more continental as you move away from the coast. In winter, you can go skiing down the high-speed mountain slopes or go on classic ski trips, go ice skating or skiing in the forest reserve, and much more. Available in spring beach holiday. Spain is kilometers of white sand, azure sea and bright sun. In summer, Spain will meet with silence, peace and almost untouched nature. And lovers of noisy and active rest we recommend visiting Ibiza, which combines a beach holiday at sea, a hectic pace of entertainment and excursions Spanish cities of all time.

About nature:

Spain is full of contrasts nature, which strikes with a variety of colors. There are over 400 natural reserves in Spain. More than 900 species of woody plants grow on the territory of the country, of which more than half are evergreen. More than 368 species of birds live in the forests, and about 25 species of birds of prey live in the mountainous areas of the country, including the red kite, griffon vulture and the endangered imperial eagle. In the regions of the north and north-west, the fauna is close to the Central European one, in the forests of these regions you can meet foxes, martens, brown bears, badgers, and stony goats. In other parts of the country you can meet representatives of the fauna North Africa and such animals as the viverra, the Spanish hare, the Algerian hedgehog, not far from Gibraltar there are macaques, the only representatives of monkeys in Europe.

About language:

Spanish language, belonging to the Romance group, has its roots in folk Latin, which was brought by the Roman conquerors in the 3rd century BC. In fact, "Spanish" is called the dialect of Castile - the center of the country. Spanish is a diverse language with many dialects. The smooth sounds of Andalusia, completely unlike the sharp fraction of the natives of Madrid, are very different from the Catalan, Basque, Galician languages. Thanks to the Spanish navigators and conquistadors, Spanish is one of the most common languages, being official for 21 countries of the world, having become native to more than 400 million people.

About the past:

Spain is a country with a rich history that has preserved many famous architectural monuments. The first signs of settlers in these parts appeared 25 million years ago, this is the age of the rock paintings found in the caves of Altamira in Cantabria. But historians still believe that the emergence of a settled way of life in the territory of modern Spain is associated with the arrival of the Iberians, immigrants from North Africa. The appearance and disappearance of Tartessus, one of the richest states of the Bronze Age, remains a centuries-old mystery of Spanish history. Nobody managed to find the location of Tartessus, some argue that Tartessos was on the islands in the Strait of Gibraltar, others indicated that the city lay on south coast Spain, on the Atlantic coast. There are versions that Tartessus is part of the legendary Atlantis and with it has sunk into eternity, sinking to the bottom during a geological catastrophe. At the beginning of our era, the territory of modern Spain became part of the great Roman Empire, the power of which lasted about 500 years. As a legacy from this era, the Spaniards left many beautiful ancient monuments, amphitheaters and triumphal arches.
Later, the Visigoths, Alans and Vandals, who founded many small kingdoms, conquered part of the Spanish land. In 711, the Arabs conquered the territory and included the Spanish land in their Caliphate, which soon broke up into several states. This period of the country's history is characterized by constant wars and strife. At the beginning of the 12th century, the “Reconquista” begins, translated from Spanish as “reconquest”, thus the united Christian kingdoms won power over the entire territory of the Islamic world, freeing Christians who were under the yoke of Islam and attracting many new supporters.
By the end of the 15th century, the situation in Spain stabilized, the kings began to equip ships to search for and conquer new territories to strengthen their power. The foundation of the Spanish colonial empire was laid after the voyage of Columbus in 1492 and the discovery of the new world. The colonial policy of Spain turned out to be a great success, the newly minted Spanish king Charles I becomes the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire - a country turning into a world power led by the most powerful monarch of Europe.
But the power was short-lived, soon after the defeat of the Spanish fleet and the defeat in the war with England, Spain loses part of its colonies, which leads the country into decline. Taking advantage of the current situation, the influential Spanish dynasties are inciting a struggle for power. Over the next 5 centuries, the country was devastated by wars - the struggle for the Spanish Succession, the Napoleonic and Carlist wars of the nineteenth century.
A tragic page in the history of the 20th century was the bloody Civil War, which divided the country in the late 30s into two warring camps. It led to the 40-year dictatorship of General Franco. And only in 1947 Spain was again declared a kingdom, but the throne remained unoccupied, being under the regency of Franco. He appointed Prince Juan Carlos I as his successor, which led to democratic changes. In 1978, a new Constitution comes into force, limiting his power and strengthening the democratic foundations. Spain has been a member of the European Union and NATO since the 1980s.

What is a Spaniard?

Spaniards are unpredictable, friendly, noisy and energetic people. The most important word in the Spanish lexicon is "manana", which means tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or next month or next year or sometime or never.
The family of the Spaniard is in the first place, the Spaniards get married at about 30 years old, but they start building their family life almost from school, choosing the first groom (bride). Before getting married, Spanish couples meet for 10-15 years, plan the future together, buy an apartment, save money for family expenses. Many Spaniards are waiting until they turn 65 to take a well-deserved rest and enjoy life. Spanish pensioners are the most cheerful in the world, they have enviable health and an ardent desire to catch up, they go on excursions, arrange dance evenings.

What do Spaniards do on the weekends?

More than 80% of the Spanish population spend their holidays in the country. The most popular holiday destinations for the Spaniards are located on the Iberian Peninsula: in Catalonia and Andalusia. Bullfighting is very popular. Spaniards love holidays and relaxation, so if a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, there is a good chance that Spaniards who tend to extend their days off will not show up for work on Monday or Friday.
The Spaniards love to relax in big companies in order to have a good rest Spaniards need to feel in the thick of things, they especially like to relax on those days when the special services do not recommend doing this - during heavy rains or snowfalls.
Families relax on the seashore, while the main attributes of the holiday are louder music and grilled meat. Also, a huge tent is needed for recreation, in which a family of twenty-two people could take shelter from an unexpected storm.

• "Spain" means "land of rabbits"
• When marrying, women do not take their husband's surname, but keep their own. But children receive the first surname of the father, followed by the first surname of the mother.
  For example: Pilar Gomez Diaz, who marries Felipe Rodriguez Fernandez, will remain Pilar Gomez Diaz, but if they have a daughter named Mercedes, she will become Mercedes Rodriguez Gomez. If Mercedes Rodriguez Gomez marries Juan Garcia Martinez, then she will remain Mercedes Rodriguez Gomez, but the full name of her son Pedro will be Pedro Garcia Rodriguez, and his sister Carmen will be Carmen Garcia Rodriguez.
• At the end of the last century, the municipality of Madrid made a historic decision to demolish the historic center of the city, which did not correspond to the great capital and hampered its development. Therefore, almost the entire city today was built in the late 19th - early 20th century.
• From unusual monuments Madrid is interesting monument to the devil - "Fallen Angel", it is located in the Retiro Park.
• Seville is the birthplace of the impudent Don Juan, the crafty barber Figaro, the seductive Carmen. The local land gave the world Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Calderon, Goya, Murillo, Velazquez, Picasso. From here, the caravels of Columbus and Magellan went to discover the unknown lands.
• From 14:00 to 17:00 in Seville, as everywhere in Spain, siesta is a short afternoon nap, which, according to doctors, is very good for health. During the siesta (lunch and afternoon rest from 13:00 to 16:00) in Spain it is not customary to call.
• The standard of living in Catalonia is higher than in all of Spain, the average salary is a thousand dollars. Almost every family has two cars.
• Spaniards eat five times a day: around 09:00 - the first breakfast, which consists of churros (something like cookies) and a cup of hot chocolate;
  At the second breakfast, they drink coffee with sweet pastries and eat some light snack;
  At 2:00 pm is lunch, but is preceded by tapas, most often consisting of olives, almonds, sliced ​​cheeses, sausages, ham, tortillas (instead of bread) and a glass of sherry or sangria.
  At 18:00 - Mirenda, an aperitif before the last two dinners.
  From 18:00 - 20:00 - tapas again;
  At 22:00 - dinner. After that, a siesta begins, which differs from the day one in that at midnight the Spaniards prefer active rest to passive rest.
• At dinner, on the table at the Spaniard, you can always count five appliances - be it Big city or a small village, house or restaurant
• For a Spaniard, touching the earlobe is considered an insult.
• Spaniards spend most of their lives on the street, with seven restaurants, bars and cafes for every thousand inhabitants in Spain.
• AT new year's eve, to protect against evil spirits, they block the streets with fences, set traps and even traps.

What to bring from Spain:

• Waterskin - leather wine bottle
• Spanish brandy from Jerez de la Frontera, wine from Rioja, cava (Spanish champagne) from Catalonia and Asturian cider
• Olive oil
• Saffron - Spanish spices
• El hamon - cured pork ham
• Posters from bullfights are especially popular in Seville (the poster copies a real poster, where your name is indicated among the names of the bullfighters)
• Sword from Toledo
• spanish fan
• Flamenco discs
• T-shirts "Kukuxumusu"

On November 20, 1975, the head of the Spanish state, Generalissimo Francisco Franco, ended his days in Madrid. He bore the title "caudillo", which means "leader" in Spanish.

Franco's biography

The future leader was born on December 4, 1892 in El Ferrol in the province of Galicia in a large family. His father was a hereditary officer, and his mother had noble roots, and Francisco turned out to be a descendant of the count. Franco's grandfather and father served in the Navy, and both had ranks equivalent to those of a general; his brother Ramon Franco became an aviator and later a national hero when he flew across the South Atlantic.

The relationship between the parents was not smooth, the father often made scandals until he left the family in 1907. This injury had a negative impact not only on health, but also on the character of the boy; he grew up reserved and silent.

Francisco Franco's military career began early. He graduated from the military academy, and after spending only two years in the garrison of El Ferrol, he was sent to serve in Spanish Morocco. There he distinguished himself with courage and showed the ability to avoid unnecessary losses; was seriously wounded, but managed to return to duty. He received the rank of major when he was only 23 years old.

Upon his return to Spain in 1917, already in the rank of battalion commander, Francisco Franco met the love of his life. Maria del Carmen Polo y Martinez Valdes, the daughter of wealthy nobles, was still very young, so the wedding took place only six years later, on October 22, 1923. The only daughter born in this marriage, the Generalissimo was madly in love.

Wars of Francisco Franco

The Spanish Civil War began on July 18, 1936. On September 29, 1936, Franco was chosen as the new leader of the uprising after the death of General José Sanrujo, who led the rebels before him. "Caudillo" quickly managed to restore contact with Germany and Italy, he began to supply weapons. Also, the Irish, Portuguese and even Russian white emigrants fought on the side of Franco.

Franco's Spain became like the fascist states, with only one officially allowed party. From the middle of 1937, the nationalists began to win one battle after another, and soon occupied Northern Spain, Aragon, Andalusia, Catalonia.

On April 1, 1939, a message was broadcast on the radio from Generalissimo Franco about the end of the war. The civil war of 1936-1939 cost Spain 450,000 dead; one in five died from political repression. Many intellectuals left Spain, including the famous artist Pablo Picasso. Franco's dictatorship lasted until 1975.

During the Second World War, Franco decided to remain neutral towards Western states and led a very cautious policy. On the one hand, he helped Hitler, and on the other hand, he got rid of the radical military. In October 1940, after meeting with Hitler, Franco refused to take part in the capture of Gibraltar. His regime did not fall after the end of the war.

Post-war rule by Franco

Political opponents of Franco were subjected to repression until his death. The Generalissimo signed his last death sentence for political prisoners, whose pardon was requested by the heads of many states and Pope Paul VI, two months before his death, and, despite the protest demonstrations of residents, the execution was carried out on September 27, 1975.

In the mid-1950s, Spain turned from the poorest country into a developed European state. For a long time, it ranked second in the world in terms of development; it also carried out some political and constitutional reforms. The diplomatic isolation in which Spain had been until that time was partially overcome: ambassadors began to return Western countries, and citizens who emigrated from it.

Since 1947, Spain has been considered a monarchical state, and in 1969 Franco announced the heir to the throne - Juan Carlos Bourbon. The new king took over after Franco's death in 1975, and his rise to power completed Spain's transition from authoritarian to democratic.

Death of the Caudillo

Franco left the post of head of state in 1973, after which he was treated for Parkinson's disease until his death. All his life he was distinguished by high efficiency, he could sit at his desk for hours, but the disease took its toll. In recent weeks, his life was supported artificially.

Shortly before his death, Franco wrote a political testament, which was read on television on November 20, 1975, when the heart of the Spanish leader stopped beating.

About half a million people came to say goodbye to Franco. He was buried near Madrid, in the "Valley of the Fallen" - a memorial complex in memory of all those who died during the civil war.

Gazpacho, Prado Museum or Sagrada Familia. But those interesting facts about Spain that are given in the article may not be known even by experienced travelers.

country and people

• According to one version, the name of the country (España) goes back to the word Hispania, which in Phoenician meant "land of rabbits".
• Throughout history, the territory Spain inhabited by different ethnic groups, including Iberians, Celts, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs.
• Euskera, spoken in the Basque Country, is one of the oldest languages ​​in the world.
• The Spanish Empire was one of the strongest in the world.
• Spain ceded Gibraltar to Great Britain in 1713.
• An interesting fact about Spain and its history: in two world wars, the country remained neutral.

• Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world, with approximately 400 million speakers.
• Football is considered the national sport. Spain won their first World Cup victory in 2010.
• Match between football clubs"Real Madrid" and "Barcelona" is the main sporting event and can almost completely paralyze the country.
• An interesting fact about the people of Spain is that the country ranks first in the world in organ donation.
• Same-sex marriage has been legal in the country since July 3, 2005.
• In Spain, there are about 8 thousand kilometers of beaches.

• One of the interesting facts about the country can be considered that the objects world heritage UNESCO recognized 44 sites in Spain.
• Approximately 11.2 liters of alcohol are drunk annually in the country, which is almost twice the average. Spain is the third country in the world (and the first in Europe) in drinking gin and the first in Europe in cocaine consumption. However, it is one of the European countries with a lower suicide rate. However, it is not at all necessary that these interesting facts about Spain have a connection with each other.
• Javier Bardem became the first Spanish actor to win an Oscar for his role in No Country for Old Men.
• Amancio Ortega, founder of Inditex (brands Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Zara Home), is the richest person in Spain and the second richest person in the world (as of 2016) after Bill Gates. Ortega earns about 2.5 million euros a day.

Cities and provinces

• An interesting fact about the country can be considered the belief that Madrid is the geographical center of the country, and the Puerta del Sol in the capital is the exact center of Madrid or even the entire Iberian Peninsula. However, in fact, this opinion is refuted by new data.
• In 1978, the back façade of the Prado Museum was thought to be the center of Madrid. Now such is considered to be the intersection of Goya and Serrano streets.

• Regarding the center of the entire Iberian Peninsula, the Puerta del Sol area was considered as such in the 18th century, at present it has “moved” to the town of Cerro de los Ángeles, about 10 kilometers south of Madrid. Now there is a 14th-century chapel Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles and a monument Sagrado Corazón, built in 1919.
• What can be said with accuracy is that in the Puerta del Sol there is a slab of Kilometro Cero, or Km. 0 ("zero kilometer"), the point from which all roads were to be measured. It appeared in the 18th century during the reign of Philip V, after six main roads were built that crossed the entire peninsula.
• Another interesting fact about Spain: the metro in Madrid is considered the second longest in Europe and the sixth in the world. Its duration is 141 miles, and this number continues to grow.

• The University of Salamanca, founded in 1218, is the oldest in the country.
• Barcelona is the most visited city in Spain with about 15 million tourists a year.
• Cadiz is considered the oldest city in Spain and in Europe, it was inhabited by the Phoenicians.
• La Boquería (Mercado de Sant Josep), located in Barcelona, ​​is considered the largest market in Catalonia.
• The most visited attraction in the capital of Catalonia is the Sagrada Familia (Sagrada Familia), the construction has been going on for over 200 years and is still not finished.

Gastronomy

• Spain is the second country in the world in terms of the number of bars per person. The only country that beats it in this indicator is Cyprus.
• In many bars, customers are offered free tapas with a drink, usually olives, nuts and dried fruits, or anchovies marinated in vinegar and olive oil (boquerones en vinagre).
• Spaniards usually have lunch at 2-3 pm and dinner between 9 and 10 pm.
• An interesting fact about the country from the field of gastronomy: tomatoes, potatoes, avocados, tobacco and cocoa were imported to Europe through Spain.
• After France and Italy, the kingdom is the third largest wine producer in the world and the first country in the world in terms of vineyard area.
• Although Spain is more famous in the world for red wine than white, most wineries produce white.

Launched a joint project. We decided to find out what Russians associate certain European countries with. In this Index, we talk about Spain.

For the entire time of our surveys, for the first time we have encountered the fact that the vast majority of respondents associate a European country with only one phenomenon. Usually the states select two or three associations for which the majority of respondents vote.

Spain turned out to be an exception: 24% of Russians assured that the word "Spain" immediately comes to mind bullfighting. This answer got almost five times more upvotes than its closest competitor - football, with which 5% of Russians associate Spain.

It's interesting that main character Spain - bullfighting - almost sunk into oblivion thanks to the activity of animal rights activists. Last year, they collected 180,000 signatures for a ban on bullfighting in Catalonia, and submitted this proposal to the region's parliament. , and the 2011 season was the last when bullfighting will take place in Catalonia (since 2012, bullfighting in the region will be banned).

Having won the first major victory, the animal rights activists promised that they would again collect the necessary number of signatures to introduce similar laws in all regions of the country in order to rid the state of this "bloody act of the Middle Ages." And here the supporters of bullfighting have already become more active, frightened that the ancient tradition is in real danger.

Supporters of bullfighting went the other way: this week, under their pressure, according to which bullfighting was declared a cultural heritage, and the organization of its protection was transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Culture. In fact, this means that bullfighting is like cultural heritage cannot be outlawed.

4% of Russians associate Spain exclusively with Barcelona. For comparison, the capital of the country - Madrid- Gained only 1% of supporters. 4% each at the word Spain immediately remember sun, sea and dance flamenco. And for 3% of respondents, Spain is relaxation and Hot Summer.

2% believe that the symbol of Spain is hot guys with a quick temper, the same number of respondents recall Columbus and the conquistadors, and for 2% - Spain is wine.

Other answers include: luxury resorts, Gaudi, spanish women, which, by the way, are presented as "women with a white flower in black hair", jamon, siesta and inquisition.

However, the Russians do not forget that the country is now experiencing economic problems, therefore, among the positive associations there are also such - "The end of the European Union."

Next time we will publish the Index EUROMAG, which will show what Russians associate the UK with.