History

The people of Spain claim ancestry from many ancient groups including African Stone Age hunters, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths, Moroccan Berber tribes, Jews, and Arabs. Spain’s history includes some of the world’s most fascinating, complicated, and exciting tales. Spain is a small country in southwestern Europe whose development over the years has been similar to that of its neighbouring nations. Throughout numerous moments in time, the territory of modern Spain was fought after by some of the largest empires. The Carthaginians and the Romans battled for it, the Arabs invaded it, and the Catholic Monarchs regained it and turned it into the world’s most powerful nation with America’s Spanish invasion. Under King Philip II of Spain, there was no moment in time when any portion of Spain’s empire was not prospering, which extended from the Philippines to the Americas with Spain, Portugal, Italy, and areas of what is now Germany between. Phillip II’s reign also marked the start of a period of financial and political deterioration, including civil and foreign wars. During the 1800s, the American territories gained independence, resulting in Spain losing control of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines before the 20th century. Such events have transformed much of the modern world to become what it is now.

Geography

Most of Spain’s territory is situated in southwestern Europe and is about 82% of the whole Iberian Peninsula. It also has enclaves in Morocco, islands off Morocco’s coast, as well as the Caribbean Canary Islands and the Mediterranean Sea Balearic Islands. This renders Spain behind France as the second-largest country in Europe. Much of Spain’s terrain consists of plains circled by steep, unpopulated hills. The Pyrenees Mountains occupy the north of the country. Spain has a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. The vast central plain, with mild, dry summers and cold winters, has a more temperate climate.

Politics

Spain’s current political system is based on the Spanish Constitution of 1978 that came into being in the late 1970s after the country’s transition to democracy. The country gradually moved to a multi-party democracy after years of military regime under General Franco. Spain’s political system is a legislative monarchy with the reigning monarch as the official head of the state and the prime minister as head of government. The Spanish government exercises executive power and consists of the ruling prime minister, their deputy and a council of ministers establish the cabinet, The prime minister has the right to appoint and dismiss cabinet ministers. There is also a Council of State which exists solely as an advisory body that gives the Spanish government non-obligating opinions.

Tourism

In 2018, about 83 million people visited the country and spending more on average than anything in 2017. This positions Spain among tourists as the second most popular country and here is why. Spain has the third-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it a major tourist attraction for people with a curiosity in the diverse past of Spain. These include the Alhambra Palace’s, Santiago de Compostela’s Cathedral, Real Alcázar and much more. The Basílica de la Sagrada Família, or simply the Sagrada Família, in Barcelona, Catalonia is a huge incomplete Roman Catholic basilica and is a very big part of the tourism in Spain. Barcelona, in northeastern Spain, has become one of the biggest travel destinations in the country because it provides everything visitors are searching for from historic architecture to trendy shopping, vibrant culture and busy nightlife.

Culture

Spain has a vibrant culture influenced by several kingdoms over thousands of years of colonization. Religion, especially Roman Catholocism, also plays an important part in influencing Spain’s culture. Spain is one of Europe’s cultural hubs. Spain’s artistic legacy is very strong and many artists like Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Francisco de Goya and Salvador Dali have left their mark on Spain. The Spanish guitar’s invention was an important event in the creation of Spanish culture. The guitar was invented in the 1970s and is now being played all over the globe. Music of various types, from flamenco to jazz and to classical, is very popular in Spain and is an essential component of any festival or carnival. Bullfighting is an iconic tradition in Spain and one of its defining cultural features, but it is now a big controversy. La Tomatina is a festival that takes place in Eastern Spain, where participants throw tomatoes and participate in a friendly tomato fight.