SPAIN

SPAIN'S FLAG

SPAIN IS LOCATED IN EUROPE

CAPITAL/LARGEST AND MAIN CITIES

• The capital of Spain is Madrid. It has a population of 3,255,950.
• The main cities and largest cities are Madrid,Barcelona, Valencia,Sevilla,Zaragoza,MalagaLas Palmas,Bilbao, and Palma.

SPAIN POPULATION/ DIFFERENT MAJOR GROUPS

• Spain's population is 47,370,542.
• Spain's different major groups are Castillian Spanish 74.4%,Catalan 16.9%,Galacian 6.4%, Basque 1.6%, and other 0.7%.
• Spain is different from any other Spanish speaking country because of its places to visit, food, clothing, and holidays.

GEOGRAPHY

• Spain is located in southwestern Europe.
• Most of the topography of Spain consists of flat plains that are surrounded by rugged undeveloped hills. The northern part of the country however is dominated by the Pyrenees Mountains.
• The climate of Spain is temperate with hot summers and cold winters inland and cloudy, cool summers and cool winters along the coast. Madrid, located in the center of Spain, has a average January low temperature of 37 degrees Fahrenheit and a July average high of 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

RELIGION

• The majority of Spain is Catholic.
• Other religions also practiced in Spain include, Islam, Judaism, Protestantism, and Hinduism, all of which have places where to conduct their rituals.

HOLIDAYS/FESTIVALS

• Andalusia celebrates Andalusia Day on February 28 because that is when Andalusia became a community.
• On May 2 Madrid celebrates Community Festival of Madrid because they marked a rebellion against the French during the war of Independence.
• On May 15 Madrid celebrates Feast of St. Isidro because he is the patron saint of Madrid.
• On July 25 they celebrate St. James Day because he is the patron saint of Spain.
• In Valencia there is a festival called Las Fallas. They celebrate it in March. It is the most impressive festival in Spain and it lasts for a week. It includes nonstop fireworks and noisy fanfare. They celebrate this festival because St. Joseph is the patron saint of Valencia.
• In Seville there is a festival called Semana Santa. It is a week of feasting until Easter. It includes masked parades and giant floats that have Roman Catholic figures on them.
• Another festival they have is in Seville as well. It is called La Feria de Abril. It is a much more jolly event. Hundreds of tents and rides are set up. There is also live music, fireworks, dancing, and food.

SPORTS

• There are many different sports in Spain. But the top sports there are soccer, bull fighting, basketball, tennis, golf, skiing, and Formula One race car driving.
• Soccer in Spain is known as futbol. La Liga is one of Spain's best professional teams in the world. Spain. Won the World Cup in 2010 and one of their best players in Javi Martinez.
• Bullfighting season is from March to October and in Spain it is known as corrida de toros. It is very popular in Spain and people love to watch it.
• ACB isn't the best basketball league in Spain but it is considered the best in the world behind the NBA. This league has 18 different teams.
• Some of Spain's best tennis players are Tommy Robredo, Fernando Verdasco, and Rafael Nadal. They are ranked very high.
• Spain has 36 best skiing resorts and the weather there is perfect for it.
• Formula One is an international race car competition and is very popular in Spain.

TYPICAL FOODS

• Paella is a traditional dish from Valencia. It is rice with meat, seafood, and vegetables on it. I have had Paella before and I loved it but if I had it in Spain it would be delicious.
• Jamon serrano and iberico are dry cured Spanish hams. I think this would taste ok.
• Queso Manchego is typically eaten with jamon serrano and iberico. It is a sheep's milk cheese. I would find this quite gross.
• Tapas are small appetizers and can be warm or cold. It is a great opportunity to try a variety of things. I think this would be really good.
• Tortilla española is an omelette-like potato dish fried in olive oil and served as a tapa hit or cold. This sounds pretty good to me.

CLOTHING

• A Mantilla is a long lace or silk veil that woman wear over their heads and shoulders. It was made popular because women could not enter church without covering their heads.
• A peienta is a tortoise shell comb used to hold the mantilla. Worn in special occasions such as weddings and religious ceremonies.
• A traje corto are short jackets with high waistbands worn with a white shirt by males. men often wear this with a sombrero or a hat.
• They probably do not wear this everyday but these are some main clothes.

PLACES TO VISIT IN SPAIN

• Alhambra- a palace located in Granada, Spain.
• Sagrada Familia- a large Roman Catholic Church located in Barcelona, Spain.
• Beach of La Concha- a large beautiful beach in San Sebastián. It is one of the most famous urban beaches in Europe.
• El Escorial- the huge historical residence of the King of Spain in Madrid.