Thursday, 2 June 2011

Facts About Spain

Spain is a country, that is located in southwestern Europe. It is a member of the European Union. It is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the south and the east, except for a small patch of land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, while to the north of Spain lies France, Andorra and the Bay of Biscay. The west and northwest of Spain are surrounded by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. Now let’s turn towards some of the facts about Spain. The official name of the state is The Kingdom of Spain. Madrid is the capital city, which is also one of the famous places in Spain. The three main cities are Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, all of them are among the best places to visit in Spain. The size of this country is 506,000 square meters. It is the second largest country in Europe, second next to France. These were the basic facts about Spain. We will now turn towards some interesting Spain fun facts.

Important Facts about Spain

The geographical situation and orographic conditions of the Spain are responsible for the diverse climate that is seen in the country. Spain has continental climate in some parts around Madrid, the coastal belt has oceanic climate, there are some areas in the southeast, which have semiarid climate. There are some parts which have a Mediterranean climate as well as subtropical climate. The weather in Spain differs from one area to another. Among the interesting facts about Spain is the fact that most of the rain that happens in Spain is in the mountainous regions. The plains hardly receive any rain fall. What attracts a lot of tourists from all around the world to this country are the beaches. Spain is known for its large coastline and has more than 8,000 km of beaches.

The only official language of Spain is Spanish. However there are some groups, who speak their own languages. The names of the other languages spoken in Spain are Catalan, Valencian, Gallego and Euskera.

Since 1978, Spain has had a Parliamentary monarchy. King Juan Carlos I is the current monarch of Spain. The Parliament of Spain has bicameral legislature. The executive branch of the government consists of the Council of Ministers and is headed by the Prime Minister.

Majority of the population is made up of Roman Catholics. The rest consists of people from diverse religions like a few Protestants, Muslims and Jews. Among the fun facts about Spain is that Spain has a few thousand gypsies living in the country.

When we talk about Flamenco, we only have the flamenco dance in mind. However, in Spain, Flamenco is not just a dance form. It is actually an art form that consists of singing, dancing, guitar, hand-claps, etc.

Soccer in Spain is an important part of life of the people in Spain. It is said that Spanish children learn to walk and play soccer simultaneously. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are two Spanish soccer teams, which are revered by soccer fans not only in Spain, but all over the world. The popularity of the sport can be judged from the fact, that Madrid alone is home to three major soccer teams, namely Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid, and Rayo Vallecano. There are many famous soccer players from Spain, who have made the country proud.

If you are a tourist, then you would want to know about the driving rules in Spain. If you are a citizen of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, then you would want to carry your valid driver's license with you. However, if you come from any other country, then for you to drive you will have to carry your valid International Driver's License. Bad news if you have not celebrated your 18th birthday. Unfortunately you will not be able to drive in Spain. However, if you want to rent a vehicle, then you must have completed 21 years of age. If you are driving make sure you carry all the documents on you at all times during your stay in Spain.

After the Euro was introduced, Spain like most other countries of the European Union, adopted the Euro as the official currency, since January of 2002. You will find eight different coins that are in circulation. The denominations are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents, €1 and €2. It is important to note, that one Euro is made up of 100 cents. Apart from the coins, there are seven different notes in circulation. The denominations of these notes are €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, and €500.

These were some of the facts about Spain, which will be of help to you, if you wish to travel to this European country in the future. Along with the Spain facts, you should also equip yourself with some words in Spanish, which will be of help to you for interacting with the locals.

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