In this section you can find a short introduction to Spain including some basic facts, the history of Spain and some places of interest. This is not meant to be a comprehensive guide but to help our clients in their search for more information about Spain.

Spain is located in southern Europe in the Iberian Peninsula together with Portugal. It has borders to France and Andorra in the north, to Portugal in the west and in the south it is only separated by Africa by the 15 km. wide Strait of Gibraltar. Apart from the Iberian Peninsula Spain is made up by the Balearic Islands lying to the East of the peninsula, and by the Canary Islands, which are found more than 1,000 km. south of mainland Spain, just off the coast of Africa. Two Spanish cities (Ceuta and Melilla) located in the north of Africa also forms part of the nation.

The climate in Spain has a great diversity. In the North of Spain lies the green and rainy part of the country. Along the whole coastline to the south and east of Spain you find a very dry zone with high average temperatures all year around. Last the climate in the central part of Spain varies from dry and hot in the summer to cold and rainy/snowy in the winter.
The Spanish population is concentrated in the coastal regions, with exception of Madrid and a few other cities. The costal regions are as well the most popular destination for the many tourists visiting Spain each year and for the people who settles down in Spain. The tourist comes to Spain to experience the sun, the food and hospitality as well as to discover the country's rich heritage of monuments and sights, the imprint of the different civilisations, share in the local fiestas and traditions and to study the customs and language.

Facts
Size: 506,000M square meters (Spain is the second largest country in Europe after France).
Population size: 40 million.
Density: 80 inhabitants per square meter.
Mean Altitude: 600 m. (which makes Spain the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland).
Highest Point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife), 3,719 m.
Tourism: Over 45 million tourists visit Spain each year (Spain is one of the top 3 most visited countries in the world).
Foreigners Living in Spain: 95,141 (official number of legal emigrants in 1996, which is estimated to be much higher today).
Political Structure: Parliamentary monarchy (since 1978).
Regions: Spain is made up of 17 autonomous regions.
Time zone: +1 GMT (except Canary Islands, which are 1 hour behind).
Currency: Euros (from 1/1 2002, before pesetas).
Language: Spanish (Catalan, Valencian, Gallego, Euskera are independent languages spoken in Catalonia, Valencia, Galicia and The Basque Country).
Religion: 98% of the population are Catholic (there are freedom of religion in Spain).
Measures: Weight in kilograms, distance in the metric system, temperatures in Celsius.
Electricity: 220volts.
Source: (INE (National Institution of Statistics) and the Spanish Tourist Board)

History of Spain
Spain has a long and unique history with the oldest historical findings dating back to about 30000 to 50000 b.c.
The Iberian population are thought to arrive from the north of Africa and to settle in the south of Spain. Since then Spain has regularly been invaded by foreigners including Celtic tribes, Phoenicians and Carthaginians before the first important colonisation by the Romans Empire took place. The Romans controlled Spain for several centuries wherefrom many important monuments can still be found all over the country.
The most important and longest occupation of Spain has been the Moorish epoch, which lasted for more than 700 years. The Moorish kingdom in Spain reached its splendour between 1100 and 1400 where first Cordoba and later Granada were the indisputable cultural centres of this area of the world. The Moorish kingdom was defeated in Granada in 1492 in the same year as Christopher Columbus discovered America for the Spanish kingdom.
The period after the re-conquest was an important era where Spain rose in international influence mainly financed by the gold and silver brought in from the new continent.
In the 20th century Spain is mainly known for its bloody civil war (1936-39) which ended with a victory to the Nationalists, led by General Franco that stayed in power until his dead in 1975.
In 1982 the socialist party (PSOE) won the elections and Felipe Gonzalez stayed president for 15 years. During this period Spain became member of the NATO and entered the European Community in 1986. In 1996 José Maria Aznar of the conservative party was elected president and is also today the president of Spain.

Places of Interest
Spain is a country, which offers visitors an excellent diversity of interesting places to visit. Each region has its own specialty depending on the climate, geography, history and traditions.
In the north/north-west of Spain you find the Green Spain including the Basque Country and Galicia, which are known for their cuisine and the green countryside, which attracts tourist interested in nature, mountains and the sea.
Along the east coast you find important cities such as Barcelona and Valencia. Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain and famous for its splendid architecture. Valencia attracts a lot of tourism for its beaches and the climate.
In the center of Spain lies Madrid the capital of Spain. The Royal castle and museums like el Prado and Reina Sofia (with paintings of Velasquez, Goya, Miro and Picasso) are only a few of the many great attraction the city can present.
The rest of central Spain is mainly know for the historic cities (many of which are officially designated World Heritage sites), great natural beauty and specialties like the red wine from Riojo or the Jamon Serrano (Spanish Ham) from Extramadura.
In the South of Spain you find Andalucia, which is the area of Spain that attracts most tourists. The many superb beaches and the perfect climate is one of the reasons. People also come to Andalucia to discover the culture and history of the area (like the Moorish Monuments Alhambra in Granada and the Mosque in Cordoba).
The Balearic and Canary Islands, in the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic ocean are other important tourist areas of Spain. People mainly visits these islands for the sun and the beaches.