A message about Spain. General information. Spanish foreign policy

Spain is located in southwest Europe. The coasts of this country are washed in the north and west by the waters of the Atlantic, and in the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to the mainland, Spain includes the Balearic and Canary Islands - popular holiday destinations.

Tours to Spain

When choosing tours to Spain, travelers choose large cities - Barcelona, ​​Granada, Seville, Cordoba. Beach lovers choose the resorts of the Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Sol and the island of Tenerife.

In winter, you can ski and snowboard in Spain at the resorts of Sierra Nevada and Pradollano.

Visa to Spain

To visit Spain you need. The tourist's passport must remain valid for at least another 3 months from the end of the trip to Spain. The passport must have 2 blank pages.

Round-trip flights to Spain

Prices for tickets per person departing from Berlin are shown.

March

Climate and weather in Spain

The swimming season on the Mediterranean coast of Spain lasts from June to October. In the Canary Islands you can swim all year round.

July and August are the best months to visit the Basque Country, Galicia, Barcelona, ​​and Malaga. And for walking around Madrid and Toledo, you should choose late spring or early autumn.

	During the day	At night	Sea	Season
January	+13	+4	+13	Beach
February	+14	+5	+13	Beach
March	+15	+6	+15	Beach
April	+17	+8	+17	Beach
May	+20	+12	+18	Beach
June	+24	+15	+22	Beach
July	+27	+18	+24	Beach
August	+28	+19	+26	Beach
September	+25	+16	+25	Beach
October	+21	+12	+22	Beach
November	+17	+8	+20	Beach
December	+14	+5	+16	Beach

Resorts in Spain

While in Barcelona, ​​it is impossible not to look at the most famous long-term construction in the world, the brainchild of the great Gaudi, the fantastic Sagrada Familia - Sagrada Familia. Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi turned Barcelona into the garden of his fantasies. Many people call his style modernism, but all the creations of the genius of Gaudi are so original, fabulous and unique that only one definition suggests itself - “Gaudi style”.

The Sagrada Familia became the architect's main project - he devoted 43 years of his life to creating the drawings and supervising the construction of the grandiose temple. According to Gaudí's plan, the temple was to have three facades: the Nativity, the Passion of Christ and the Resurrection. Each facade should be crowned with 4 towers of enormous height - 120 meters each. These 12 towers symbolize the number of apostles. The central tower - 170 meters high - was to be erected to the glory of Jesus. The Sagrada Familia is open to tourists and visitors every day. You can examine the interior decoration of the temple, stained glass and stucco, mosaics and frescoes. The average excursion time is 4 hours.

The huge fountain is located on the Montjuic hill in Barcelona. Water cascades occupy 3 thousand square meters, and the main bowl of the fountain in the form of an ellipse is 65 meters long and 59 meters wide. The fountain is a decoration of the architectural ensemble of Plaza de España and the National Palace of Catalonia. 3620 water jets soar to a height of 54 meters. The play of light and color is provided by 120 spotlights, the spectrum of which includes more than 50 colors. Montjuic dances to classical music.

The amazing Park Guell is another brainchild of Antoni Gaudi. Mosaics, mysterious paths, fabulous “gingerbread” houses - all this is Park Güell, a fantastic garden city in Barcelona. On the roof of the columned hall there is a serpentine bench stretching along the perimeter. It is brightly decorated with mosaics and very comfortable - according to the memoirs, Gaudí asked the builder to sit in soft clay to get a cast that followed the contours of the human body.

In Seville, wander through the labyrinth of the Old Town and visit Plaza de España. Among the columns are panels of tiles, each of which depicts one of the Spanish provinces.

In Valencia you need to eat your fill of paella - it was invented here. It is also worth seeing the legendary Holy Grail and the fantastic City of Sciences and Arts at the bottom of a drained river. Knightly Toledo beckons with its castles and olive groves. And in the restaurants of San Sebastian, in the Basque Country, you need to make an appointment six months in advance - the best establishments with Michelin stars are collected here.

In La Coruña, admire the lighthouse, which was built during the Roman Empire. It rises 55 meters above the ground and is still operating successfully.

What is Spain without mills? You can look at the “monster” with which Don Quixote fought on the Hill of Peace.

The Costa del Sol is beaches, beaches and more beaches, as many as 240 kilometers of uninterrupted beaches with luxurious sand. In Malaga, see the world through the eyes of Pablo Picasso, who was born here.

Costa Dorada, "Golden Coast" is the most beautiful Spanish beach resort. Luxurious hotels, clear water and 200 kilometers of golden sand. Families with children like to come here, as in Mallorca: the entrance to the water is gentle, there are no strong waves.

Costa Brava is famous for its wildlife- rocks and pine trees, warm sea and fresh breeze intertwine here into a truly Spanish symphony of relaxation.

The legendary island of Tenerife attracts tourists from all over the world with its amazing beaches with dark volcanic sand.

Useful to know about Spain

Tours to Spain

Prices for tours for 2 people for 7 nights with departure from Moscow are given.

What is good and attractive about fabulous Spain?

The state of Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula. The territory of Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities. The capital is Madrid.

Spain is a country of contrasts, adventures and unforgettable holidays

According to one version, the name of the country comes from the Phoenician expression “i-shpanim” - “shore of the hyraxes”.

The area of ​​Spain occupies 80% of the territory of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as the Canary and Balearic Islands, the total area of ​​Spain is 504,782 km² (together with small sovereign territories on the African coast, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla), Spain is located in Europe, being the fourth largest country after Russia , Ukraine and France. The average surface altitude of Spain is 650 meters above sea level.

The country of Spain is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe.

The country of Spain has land borders with:

• Portugal in the west of the Iberian Peninsula;
• British possession of Gibraltar in the south of the Iberian Peninsula;
• Morocco in North Africa(semi-enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñon de Vélez de la Gomera);
• France and Andorra in the north.

Spain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south and east.

The national holiday in Spain is Spain Day, celebrated annually on October 12th. In 1492, Christopher Columbus, leading a Spanish expedition, reached the lands of the New World. The arrival of the first Spaniards in America is associated with the concept of "hispanidad" - a commonwealth of Spanish-speaking peoples.

The country of Spain considers this day a kind of birthday of the Spanish language community, the day of Spanish civilization. Spain Day has a double meaning. Columbus's discovery happened on the day of the Holy Virgin Pilar, whose image is closely associated with the legend of the emergence of Christianity in Spain. That’s why the noisy Fiesta del Pilar takes place on this day. How the holiday is celebrated: Various musical, theatrical and dance events take place everywhere, street performances, processions of giant dolls, competitions and competitions take place.

A unique atmosphere filled with fireworks, bright outfits and fiery rhythms attracts thousands of tourists here these days.

Of the fifteen mainland autonomies of Spain, four overlook the Mediterranean Sea, where resort areas have been developing for several decades. Spain is an excellent choice for life and holidays!

What's good about Spain?

Because it has the best climate in Europe, where there is rarely a day when the sun does not shine, filling the atmosphere with energy, light and warmth.

Because it offers delicious and healthy cuisine, fine wines, cleanest beaches, most of which have been awarded the blue flag of environmental cleanliness, a warm clear sea, rich nature, beautiful and varied architecture, a huge amount of entertainment for every taste and for any age.

But the most important wealth of Spain is its people, always friendly and ready to help anyone, even a stranger. That’s why it’s so nice to relax here, that’s why you want to live here!
Spain managed to merge a variety of traditions and form a great and beautiful culture.

Spain is the birthplace of Cervantes and Lorca, Gaudi and Dali. Almost the entire country is one huge historical Museum in the open air, surrounded by endless beautiful beaches and resort areas, many of which are considered the best in Europe.

In addition, there is a secret kinship between the Spanish and Russian souls: when you come here, you will feel comfortable.

Tourists traveling around Spain by car occasionally encounter black silhouette figures of bulls installed near the roads. No one wonders why they “graze” here, because the answer is obvious. The fighting bull is a symbol of Spain, replicated in hundreds of thousands of souvenirs that people take with them in memory of the country.

The types of Spain and the regions of Spain are very diverse. The center of the country is located 300 kilometers from the sea. The dominant role in the relief is played by systems of mountain ranges and high-mountain plateaus.

Features of Spain: Plateaus and mountains make up about 90 percent of its territory. Almost half of the country's surface is occupied by the vast Meseta plateau, the highest in Europe - with an average height of 660 meters.

In the north, Meseta is bordered by the powerful Cantabrian Mountains, which stretch along the coast of the Bay of Biscay for 600 kilometers, isolating the interior from the influence of the sea. In their central part there is the Picos de Europa massif (from Spanish - Peaks of Europe) with heights of up to 2648 m.

The Cantabrian Mountains are an orographic and tectonic continuation of the most powerful mountain system in Spain - the Pyrenees.
The Pyrenees are several parallel ridges stretching from west to east for 450 kilometers. This is one of the most inaccessible mountainous countries in Europe.

From the northeast, the Meseta is adjacent to the Iberian Mountains system, the maximum height (Mont Cayo peak) is 2313 meters.

Between the eastern Pyrenees and the Iberian Mountains stretch the low Catalan Mountains, the southern slopes of which drop off into the Mediterranean Sea.

The entire southeast of the Iberian Peninsula is occupied by the Cordillera Betica, which is a system of massifs and ridges. Its crystalline axis is the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Most of Spain's territory is located at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level. It is the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland.

The only large lowland, the Andalusian lowland, occupies the south of Spain. In the north-east of Spain, in the valley of Spain's main fishing river, the Ebro, lies the Aragonese Plain. Smaller lowlands stretch along the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main rivers of Spain (and the only navigable one in the lower reaches) flows through the Andalusian lowland - the Guadalquivir. The remaining rivers, including the largest: Tagus and Duero, the lower reaches of which are located in neighboring Portugal, Ebro, Guadiana, are characterized by sharp seasonal fluctuations in level and rapids.

Large areas of the country suffer from water shortages. Related to this is the problem of erosion - millions of tons of topsoil are blown away every year.

The capital of Spain, Madrid, is located in the geographical center of the country and is the highest capital in Europe.

On the coast, the views of Spain are very beautiful, there are more than two thousand beaches, and the waters of Spain are very warm. Coast of Spain: Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Assar, Costa de Almeria, Costa Blanca, Mar Menor, Costa del Sol, Costa de la Luz, Rias Bajas, Rias Altas , Costa Cantabric, Canary and Balearic Islands.

Living in Spain is pleasant, since the State of Spain is one of the warmest in Western Europe. The average number of sunny days is 260-285. The average annual temperature on the Mediterranean coast is 20 degrees Celsius. In winter, temperatures usually drop below zero only in central and northern regions countries. In summer, temperatures rise to 40 degrees and above (from the central part to south coast). On the northern coast the temperature is not so high - about 25 degrees Celsius.

The size of Spain is 504,782 km²; therefore, Spain is characterized by very deep internal climatic differences, and it can only conditionally be completely classified as a Mediterranean climate region. Due to the size of Spain, these differences are evident in different parts of Spain, both in temperature and in annual amounts and precipitation patterns.

In the far northwest, Spain's climate is mild and humid, with little temperature variation throughout the year and high rainfall. Constant winds from the Atlantic bring a lot of moisture, mainly in winter, when foggy and cloudy weather with drizzling rains, almost without frost and snow prevails. The average temperature of the coldest month is the same as in northwestern France.

Summers are hot and humid, with average temperatures rarely below 16 degrees Celsius. Annual precipitation exceeds 1070 mm, and in some places reaches 2000 mm.

Conditions are completely different in the interior parts of the country - on the plateaus of Old and New Castile and the Aragonese plain. These areas are influenced by the plateau-basin topography, significant altitude and local continental air. They are characterized by relatively low precipitation (no more than 500 mm per year) and sharp temperature fluctuations between seasons.

In Old Castile and the Aragonese plain there are quite cold winters with frosts and strong, sharp winds; Summers are hot and fairly dry, although maximum precipitation occurs during this season of the year.

Nueva Castile has a slightly milder climate, with warmer winters but also low rainfall. Agriculture in all these areas requires artificial irrigation.

Spanish news always reports that the Spanish economy is in crisis. Companies in Spain and firms in Spain cannot provide enough jobs and therefore 25% of the population is unemployed. At the same time, according to the International Monetary Fund, the country of Spain in 2015 is the fourteenth economic power in the world, according to nominal GDP.

Traditionally an agricultural country, the Kingdom of Spain is also one of the largest producers in Western Europe; Since the mid-1950s, the industrial growth of the Spanish economy has been rapid and quickly reached a greater weight than agriculture in the Spanish economy.

Spain's banks prepared development plans that began in 1964 that helped expand the economy, but in the late 1970s Spain's industry entered a period of economic decline due to rising oil prices and increased imports associated with the establishment of democracy and the opening of borders.

At the same time, income received from tourism has increased significantly.

In the early 1960s, a stabilization plan was adopted, which later became known as the “Spanish economic miracle.” From 1960 to 1974, economic growth averaged 6.6% per year, which was faster than any other country in the world (except Japan). The discovery of Spain as a world resort center played a major role.

The population's money for purchases in Spain was greatly reduced and in 1959-1974 more than 3 million Spaniards left the country in search of work in order to send the money they earned to their homeland. In 1973, Spanish industry received new blow Due to the energy crisis, due to Spain's dependence on other countries, unemployment rose to 21% in 1975. But in the 1980s, business in Spain began to boom again.

Although growth rates were below 1960s levels, they remained the highest in Western Europe. However, in this case, production growth was accompanied by inflation and high unemployment (up to 22% of the working population).

In the 1990s, the country took a leading position in the EU (although it is still a recipient, that is, it receives subsidies to support agriculture and some areas from pan-European funds).

Sights of Spain. Top 10. (video):

In 2004, Spanish exports amounted to over 135 billion euros, imports - about 190 billion euros. The main partners in foreign trade are the EU countries, the USA, and Latin America.

Modern Spain is one of the largest centers international tourism(62 million people in 1997, 95% of tourists are from EU countries; the main tourist centers- Madrid and Barcelona), as well as resorts - Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol. In 2004, 53.6 million visited Spain foreign tourists(2nd place in the world). Industry revenues in 2004 were about 35 billion euros. More than 65% of tourists are from EU countries.

1.3 million people are employed in this area. The popularity of tourism is due to the fact that a trip to Spain on holiday is very cheap compared to other countries.

Spain's form of government is a parliamentary monarchy. The monarch is only a tribute to tradition and does not have any significant powers.

The head of state is the King of Spain.

Currently, Philip VI is King of Spain. Letizia - Queen of Spain.

The legislative body is the bicameral Parliament of Spain - the Cortes General (Congress of Deputies and Senate). It consists of the Senate (259 seats - some deputies are elected by direct universal suffrage, others are appointed by provincial legislatures; all senators are elected for a 4-year term) and the Congress of Deputies (350 seats - elected by party lists for a 4-year term). The executive branch is headed by the Prime Minister of Spain - the leader of the party that received the majority of votes in the elections to the Spanish Parliament.

• The body of constitutional supervision is the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional),
• Highest court - Supreme Court(Tribunal Supremo),
• The highest courts of the Autonomous Communities - higher courts Justice (Tribunal Superior de Justicia),
• Courts of appeal - provincial audiences (Audiencias Provinciales),
• District courts - courts of first instance and investigation (Juzgados de primera instancia e instrucciоn),
• The lowest level of the judicial system are magistrates (juzgados de paz),
• Court of Impeachment - National Audience (Audiencia Nacional),
• The highest audit body is the Court of Audit (Tribunal de Cuentas),
• The governing body of the courts is the General Council of the Judiciary (Consejo General del Poder Judicial).

In total, more than 500 political parties and public organizations are officially registered in Spain.

Spain party politics:

1. Spanish People's Party,
2. Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, PSOE,
3. Communist Party,
4. Regionalists.
5. Large regional parties include the Catalan bloc Convergence and Union, the Catalan party “Esquerra República”, the BNP, and the Canary Coalition.

Spanish foreign policy

Spanish Foreign Policy: The Preamble of the Spanish Constitution proclaims its readiness to “cooperate in strengthening peaceful relations and cooperation with all countries of the world.” Currently, Spain's foreign policy is mainly based on three directions: Europe (especially the EU), the Ibero-American direction, and the Mediterranean countries.

Domestic policy of Spain: The laws of Spain cannot contradict the current Constitution of Spain and the EU. Residents of Spain are equal before the law; No discrimination on the basis of origin, race, sex, religion, social status or any other grounds specified in EU law is permitted.

Corruption and unemployment are two of Spain's main problems. At the start of the 21st century, Spain found itself in a whirlpool of crisis trials and entered a period of severe, protracted financial, economic and social upheaval. The country faces fundamental problems not only of a situational nature, but also of a structural nature. This circumstance significantly complicates and slows down the process of overcoming the crisis, as well as entering the trajectory of recovery growth.

See also our other articles:

• Spain photo
• Russian Spain. Full information

The economic recession, in turn, gave rise to many new problems, including political ones.

Spain is rightfully considered an open-air museum. The expanses of this country carefully preserve cultural and historical monuments which have worldwide fame.

Museums in Spain: The most famous museum in Spain, the Prado Museum, is located in Madrid. Its extensive exhibition cannot be seen in one day. The museum was founded by Isabella of Braganza, wife of King Ferdinand VII. The Prado has its own branch, located in Cason del Buen Retiro and storing unique collections of Spanish painting and sculpture of the 19th century, as well as works by English and French painters.

The museum itself features large exhibitions of Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Flemish and German art. The Prado owes its name to the Prado de San Jerónimo alley where it is located, laid out during the Enlightenment. Currently, the Prado Museum's holdings include 6,000 paintings, more than 400 sculptures, as well as numerous jewelry, including royal and religious collections. Over the course of several centuries of its existence, the Prado was patronized by many kings.

It is believed that the very first collection of the Prado Museum was formed under Charles I, known as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. His heir, King Philip II, became famous not only for his bad character and despotism, but also for his love of art. It is to him that the museum owes its priceless acquisitions of paintings by Flemish masters. Philip was distinguished by his gloomy worldview; it is not surprising that the ruler was a fan of Bosch, an artist known for his bizarre, pessimistic fantasy.

Philip initially purchased Bosch's paintings for Escorial, the ancestral castle of the Spanish kings. It was only in the 19th century that the paintings were moved to the Prado Museum. Now here you can see such masterpieces of the Dutch master as “The Garden of Delights” and “The Hay Wain”. Currently, in the museum you can enjoy not only paintings and sculptures, but also theatrical performances designed to “revive” famous paintings. The first such staging was dedicated to the paintings of Velazquez and was a huge success with the public.

Spain Dali: The Dali Theater and Museum is a museum of the surrealist artist Salvador Dali, located in the city of Figueres, in Catalonia. The official opening of the museum took place on September 28, 1974. The center of the museum complex is the building of the old city theater, where in 1918, at the age of 14, Dalí first exhibited his works in a group exhibition together with Josep Bonaterra Gras and Josep Monturiol Puig.

The culture of Spain is diverse. There are many more unique museums and galleries in Spain: the Picasso Museum and National Museum Arts of Catalonia, located in Barcelona, ​​the National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid, the El Greco Museum in Toledo, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art in Cuenca.

The art of Spain is the fine art of world famous Spanish artists. The Moorish heritage, particularly in Andalusia, is evident today in cities such as Cordoba, Seville and Granada.

The Most Famous Artists of Spain :

• Salvador Dali - Spanish painter, graphic artist, sculptor, director, writer. One of the most famous representatives of surrealism.
• Pablo Picasso - Spanish artist, sculptor, graphic artist, ceramist and designer. Founder of Cubism.
• Francisco de Zurbaran is a Spanish artist, representative of the Seville school of painting.
• Juan Gris - Spanish artist and sculptor, one of the founders of Cubism.

In Spain, children enter primary school at the age of 6 years and study there for 6 years. At the age of 12 they are transferred to secondary school, where they study for 4 years. After secondary school, you can continue your studies at Bachillerato High School if you plan to enroll in Universities in Spain, or enroll in a FP vocational education course.

Today, Islam is rapidly spreading in Spain due to the influx of immigrants from Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. More than a million Muslims live in Spain today, the vast majority of whom are immigrants and their descendants. It is generally estimated that between 20,000 and 50,000 Spaniards have converted to Islam, and most of them live in Andalusia. The first mosque in Spain since the Moors were expelled from Spain in 1492 was built in 1982.

Corrida in Spain, or in other words, bullfighting

This is the Spanish term for one of the most common forms of tauromachy. This is a spectacle for which thousands of people come to Spain every year. This is part of the culture of Spain. This is a huge number of world-famous subjects in art.

Bullfighting originated in ancient times. By the eighteenth century, it received exactly the appearance that we see now. Bullfighting is carried out according to strict canons and rules. The most common form is the Spanish foot bullfight.

Flamenco

Spain flamenco is a general designation for southern Spanish (Andalusian) folk music - song (cante) and dance (baile). There are two stylistically and musically distinct classes of flamenco: the ancient cante hondo/jondo (hondo lit. deep, that is, serious, dramatic style), also known as cante grande (big, high style); and the more modern cante chico (chico literally small, i.e. lightweight, simple style).

Within both classes of flamenco, there are more than 50 subclasses (genres), the exact boundary between which is sometimes difficult to draw.

What time is it in Spain? Time in Spain now has a standard time zone: UTC/GMT +1 hour.

Daylight saving time in Spain starts on Sunday 30 March 2014 at 02:00 local standard time.

Daylight saving time in Spain ends on Sunday, October 26, 2014, 03:00 local summer time.
It is not difficult to guess that tourist Spain lives according to the hours adopted in Western European countries. Accordingly, Spain Moscow has different times and the difference is plus two hours. The time difference with Moscow on the Canary Islands is plus 3 hours.

Medieval Spain used solar time until December 31, 1900. On July 22, 1900, in San Sebastian, the President of the Council of Ministers of Spain, Francisco Silvera, proposed a decree to the Regent of Spain, Maria Cristina, to standardize time in the country; establishing Spain's Greenwich Mean Time (UTC±00:00) as standard time in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands from 1 January 1901. The law was passed by Maria Christina of Austria on July 26, 1900.

Franco Spain: In 1940, Francisco Franco changed the country's time zone by moving the time forward an hour - 23:00 on March 16 GMT became 00:00 on March 17 Central European Time.

This translation occurred during the Second World War, in order to synchronize with the times in European countries occupied at that time by Nazi Germany. Some Western European countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and France remained on "German time" after the war in addition to Spain.

The borders of Spain are huge, so different parts of Spain live at different times.

In Galicia, the westernmost region of the mainland, the difference between official local time and mean solar time during the summer period is at least two and a half hours.

Political moves were made to change the time to the same in Portugal (UTC±00:00) because this country and Galicia are at approximately similar longitudes. For example, in Vigo in the summer, astronomical noon occurs around 14:40 and sunset at around 22:15 local time, while in Menorca sunset occurs at approximately 21:20.

The inhabitants of Spain have deep legends that are passed down from generation to generation. Different cities cherish their legends of Spain.

One of the legends of Spain was born in the small town of Teruel. Like the unhappy love of Tahir and Zukhra, Romeo and Juliet, Constance and Dartagnan, the Spanish lovers Isabel and Diego also failed to unite their destinies. Isabel Segura was a girl from a rich and noble family, Diego was a poor young man.

Isabel's family made incredible efforts to separate the young people, but nothing worked. Then the girl’s father set the condition: “Get rich and you will get Isabel as your wife.” Diego returned rich five years later, but it was too late. His beloved married someone else. The young man died from grief, and Isabel’s heart could not stand it.

The townspeople, in the chapel of Saints Cosmas and Damian, revered as miracle workers, erected a sculpture of lovers holding hands. The people of Spain remember this touching story, and every year on February 14, Valentine's Day, they organize a performance dedicated to this love.

The next legend of Spain is about a cruel beauty, whose name is used to scare small children. What did she do? The legend begins quite harmlessly, in the spirit of similar stories. Many years ago, Maria, a girl of extraordinary beauty, lived in a small village. She herself was sure that there was no one more beautiful than her in this world.

She drove all the suitors away from her, believing that they were not worthy of her. One day a rich, handsome Ranchero came to the village. He was brave, sang beautifully, and rode a horse well. Maria, using her charms, decided to lure him into her network. Soon they got married. They had two children. But Maria believed that only she had the right to her husband’s love and admiration.

When Ranchero returned from a trip and poured out all his love to the children, Maria was furious. And, as sad as it is to say, she took the children, tied them up and threw them into the river. Realizing what she had done, Maria began to sob. Since then, she has been called La Llorona - the crying woman, her moans can be heard at night near the river. Mothers forbid their children to go out late at night so that La Llorona does not steal them.

And another legend of Spain. It says that in ancient times, one girl, deceived by her groom, ran to the church for consolation. After all, the groom swore his love to her before the crucifixion. When she turned to God, asking him to confirm his oath, the Savior’s hand rose and remained in that position.

Lope de Vega and Grillparzer wrote their works based on the legends of Spain. After reading them, you can learn many more Spanish legends.

It is difficult to find an architectural structure that would attract tourists more than the castles of Spain, shrouded in many legends, which have witnessed various wars, victories and losses, triumph and sadness. Here literally every centimeter is saturated with history, and sometimes it seems that you can hear the clanking of swords, the cries of the vanquished and the rejoicing of the victors. Castles are also very romantic. It’s not all about fighting! There must be a love story here, be it a princess or just a beautiful lady and some kind of, if not a prince, then at least a brave knight.

For a castle lover, it's hard to find a better country than northern Spain. Ancient Spain has left 10,312 castles intact to this day. The first castle in Olita was built by King Sancho VI the Strong and became a royal residence.

Now it is called the Old Palace and not only kings, but also any mortals can stay there - since hotels in Spain have received this castle at their disposal. Now it is one of the hotels of the Parador Nacional chain.

Monastery of Montserrat Spain. 50 km from Barcelona is the fantastically beautiful Montserrat mountain range, among the rocks of which is hidden a Benedictine monastery - a spiritual symbol and religious center Catalonia, where thousands of pilgrims from all over the world flock every year. The monastery, built back in IX, received the same name Montserrat, which means “cut” or “jagged mountains”. Now 80 monks of the Benedictine order live on the territory of the monastery.

Palaces of Spain. The Alcazar of Segovia is a palace and fortress of the Spanish kings in the historical part of the city of Segovia (province of Castile and Leon, Spain). Located on a rock located at the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers, near the Guadarrama mountains (part of the Central Cordillera). This position on the rock makes it one of the most beautiful and recognizable palaces in Spain.

The Alcazar was originally built as a fortress, but managed to be a royal palace, a state prison, and a royal artillery academy.
The fortresses of Spain today are not only tourist attractions, museums and exhibitions in Spain.

These are also hotels in perfectly preserved medieval fortifications - full of the beauty and charm of previous eras, equipped with all the amenities of the current era.

Well, anyone who wants to admire the Moorish heart of Spanish Granada should definitely visit the magnificent Alhambra, which during its long life was the residence of both Muslim and Christian rulers.

Spain's production is the fifth largest in the European Union (EU) (by nominal GDP) and twelfth in the world. In terms of purchasing power parity, it is also one of the largest in the world.

According to the classification of the International Economic Forum, which analyzes the specific positions of countries in 14 manufacturing sectors, Spain is in the top five in almost all sectors of the middle technological level, especially standing out as a producer of automotive parts and accessories (tenth place in the world), industrial machines and equipment (15th place). ), audiovisual products (17th place), organic and inorganic chemical products (fifteenth place), metal products (thirteenth place) and footwear (third place).

But in terms of competitiveness in the field of information and communication technologies and the production of electronic components, it is only in the third ten countries. Among the 100 most famous brands in the world, Made in Spain has none, although there are industry leaders: Freixenet (fizzy wines), Chupa Chups, Telefonica (telecommunications), Repsol (energy), Pronovias (wedding dresses) and Lladro "(porcelain figurines), as well as those included in the top three of Zara, in the top five - "Sol Mella" (hotel business). Possessing a global brand is considered an important competitive advantage and one of the signs of a high level of economic development.

Agriculture occupies a special place in the structure of the economy and influence on the development of Spain. It employs 2.3% of Spain's working-age population. A small group of landowners own large tracts of land in the south of the country. Key indicators: Spain is third in the world in wine production, fourth in citrus production, and also provides ¼ of the world's olive and olive oil production.

Spain is also a major producer of wheat (20 percent of the cultivated area), rice (the highest yield in the world), almonds, tobacco and vegetables (60 percent of the cultivated area).

It owns the largest fishing fleet in Europe. Spain is in the top ten for the extraction and processing of seafood and fish. Livestock farming is developing successfully: goats and sheep are bred in dry areas, and cattle are raised in the north.

The wines of Spain are some of the most famous wines in the world. It is traditionally believed that Spanish wines are more tart and strong than Italian and French ones. Many of Spain's wines do have a strong flavour, especially the red Spanish wines that form the mainstay of Spain's wine range outside the country. However, Spain also produces excellent white and rose wines.

Clothes from Spain and bags from Spain are also very popular because they offer you not only fashion, but also a lifestyle: all the most progressive trends - simple, comfortable and reliable.

There is mining of mercury (1st place in the world), pyrites (2nd place in the world), iron ore, lead, zinc, uranium, and coal. Ferrous metallurgy smelts steel and cast iron. The north of Spain has concentrated most of the ferrous metallurgy enterprises (in the ports of Gijon, Aviles and Bilbao), near the country's largest coal basins - Asturias and Leon-Valencia, which account for 9/10 of all reserves of hard coal and anthracite.

Natural resources of Spain in mountainous areas contain a lot of minerals. Spain is in first place in Western Europe in the production of high-quality metal-containing raw materials, while there are no large deposits of most energy resources and it has to import 97% of oil from domestic consumption and 30% of coke. Fresh water reserves in the country per capita are about 2,400 cubic meters.

The economic development of Spain is hampered by traditional problems, which are the traditionally low percentage of official employment of the population and, as a consequence, the high level of official unemployment, which even in rapid growth the economy does not fall below 8-10%, which would be a catastrophic indicator for most other countries, but is perceived as the norm in Spain. However, the high level of official unemployment is partially mitigated by the presence of a large shadow sector of the economy, in which many illegal immigrants are employed.

Also striking is the long-standing geographic disparity between the more developed northeastern region and the rest of the country.

In addition, a characteristic feature of Spain is the extremely low resistance of the economy to various kinds of crisis phenomena, as well as a pronounced dependence on various kinds of “soap bubbles” (real estate, re-creation, external loans). On economic development Spain was deeply affected by the crises of 1993 and 2008-2012, exposing a number of traditional weaknesses in Spain, partly due to cultural reasons - the decreased competitiveness of the economy associated with the country's entry into the eurozone, as well as low labor productivity compared with countries in north-eastern Europe and Asia.

We offer you to see what the statistics of wine imports in the world look like

Spanish statistics report that the decline in production volumes is mainly to blame for the decline in the purchasing power of the population (9.9%) and the increase in costs for the purchase of new equipment and maintenance of existing equipment (9.7%). The declining profitability of industry also affected the income of intermediary organizations (the amount of money they earned decreased by 13.1%). Spain has never experienced such major production problems before.

The national cuisine of Spain, formed on the basis of the diversity of culinary traditions of its regions, is due to geographical location, climate and cultural characteristics. Spanish dishes are tasty, easy to prepare and generally cheap. The most important thing is fresh ingredients and a little skill.

Recipes in Spain are as varied as the country itself, each region is rich in something of its own, but the main ingredients are the same almost everywhere: rice, cereals, fish, seafood and of course vegetables. The national dish of Spain is olla podrida, a thick soup, stew with meat and vegetables.

1. Gazpacho
2. Spanish pea soup
3. Walnut and mushroom soup (Welsh recipe)
4. Biscay-style cod stew
5. Jamon with melon
6. Spanish tortilla with sausage and many others.

Cuisine of Spain recipes: There are many cookbooks and even more sites on the Internet dedicated to recipes for Spanish cuisine. The majority of sites offer step-by-step recipes with photos so that any housewife can prepare gazpacho, paella or any other Spanish dish herself.

The national cuisine of Spain is a combination of a huge number of different culinary schools, Moorish and ancient Roman with elements of African and French cuisines.
Traditional Spanish dishes are light, rich in protein and vitamins. In Spain, food is a cult; you should eat slowly, tastefully, and wash it all down with excellent local wine.

Dishes of Spain recipes:

Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup. It was invented by poor peasants - satisfying, cheap and fast.
Mix all ingredients:

1. Blanch tomatoes, rinse cold water, peel and put into a blender.
2. Peel the cucumber, onion, garlic and peppers - go there too.
3. Soak the bread in water and add to the vegetables. Instead of bread, you can sprinkle breadcrumbs or just crushed regular crackers.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add olive oil and juice from half a lemon.

Whisk everything together and the refreshing soup is ready.

Poor man's potatoes.

This is a classic Spanish dish and can be served with sausages or grilled chicken.

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Grease an ovenproof dish with oil, and lay out layers of potatoes, peppers and onions, sprinkling each level with seasonings, garlic and parsley. Place a bay leaf before the last layer of potatoes.
2. Sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil. Next, heat on the stove until the oil boils.
3. Add wine and water so that the liquid reaches the middle of the potatoes and wait until it boils. Then place in the oven for 1 hour until the potatoes are soft and golden brown.

Cuisine of Spain photo:

Spanish wines are some of the most famous wines in the world. It is believed that Spanish wine is more tart and strong than, for example, French or Italian.

Spanish wine is divided into several categories:

• Table wines (Vinos de Mesa)
• Proper table wines (Vinos de Mesa)

• Table wines entitled to the designation “wines of the lands” (Vinos de las Tierras) (local wines)

• Quality wines produced in certain regions (Vinos de Calidad Producidos en Regiones Determinadas, VCPRD)
• Quality wines with geographical indications (Vinos de Calidad con Indicaciones Geográficas)
• Wines with Designations of Origin (Vinos con Denominaciones de Origen, DO)

• Wines with recognized designations of origin (Vinos con Denominaciones de Origen Calificadas, DOCa).
• The abbreviation in Catalan is different from the Spanish one: DOQ (Denominacions d’Origen Qualificades)
• Pago wines (Vinos de Pagos)

White wines in Spain are produced mainly from the Viura variety. The best Spanish white wines are considered to be wines from Catalonia - Penedes and Ampurdan.

Red Spain or Spanish red wines are a completely different story. High-quality red wines from Spain have good body, a little oak flavor and a wonderful aroma, as they mature in oak barrels. The most famous Spanish wine is produced in Rioja, it is based on Tempranillo grapes.

Dry wines from Spain are very popular. And wines from regions such as Catalonia, Jumilla, Ribera del Duero, Navarre, Rueda, Aragon are considered the most delicious. It is very easy to buy Spanish wine; if you are in the country, go to any supermarket and select the desired region from the shelves. If you are a true connoisseur and want to buy Spanish wines as a gift or for a special occasion, then go to a wine store and they will help you choose the perfect combination of price and quality.

And galis. Reino de España, cat. Regne d "Espanya, Bask. Espainiako Erresuma, Ox. Reialme d" Espanha) - a state in southwestern Europe with its capital in the city of Madrid. Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula. According to one version, the name of the country comes from the Phoenician expression “i-shpanim” - “coast of rabbits”. Occupies 4/5 of the territory of the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary and Balearic Islands with a total area of ​​504,782 km² (together with small sovereign territories on the African coast, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla), being the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France. The average surface altitude of Spain is 650 meters above sea level. The country is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe.

Physiographic characteristics

Relief

The relief of Spain is very diverse. The center of the country is located 300 kilometers from the sea. The dominant role in the relief is played by systems of mountain ranges and high-mountain plateaus.

Plateaus and mountains make up about 90 percent of its territory. Almost half of the country's surface is occupied by the vast Meseta plateau, the highest in Europe - with an average height of 660 meters. It is distinguished by alternating plateaus, folded-block ridges and mountain basins. The Cordillera Central divides the Meseta into two parts: northern and southern.

The Pyrenees are several parallel ridges stretching from west to east for 450 kilometers. This is one of the most inaccessible mountainous countries in Europe. Although their average height is not very high (just over 2500 meters), they have only a few conveniently located passes. All passes are at an altitude of 1500-2000 m. Therefore, only four railways go from Spain to France: two of them bypass the Pyrenees along the coast from the north-west and south-east, and two more railways cross the Pyrenees in the sections Aerbe - Oloron - Sainte-Marie and Ripoll - Prades, through a tunnel system. The widest and highest part of the mountains is the central one. Here is their main peak - Aneto Peak, reaching 3405 meters.

From the northeast, the Meseta is adjacent to the Iberian Mountains system, the maximum height (Mont Cayo peak) is 2313 meters.

Between the eastern Pyrenees and the Iberian Mountains stretch the low Catalan Mountains, the southern slopes of which drop off into the Mediterranean Sea. The Catalan Mountains (average heights 900-1200 meters, peak - Mount Caro, 1447 meters) run for 400 kilometers almost parallel to the Mediterranean coast and actually separate the Aragonese plateau from it. The areas of coastal plains developed in Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia north of Cape Palos to the French border are highly fertile.

The entire southeast of the Iberian Peninsula is occupied by the Cordillera Betica, which is a system of massifs and ridges. Its crystalline axis is the Sierra Nevada mountains. In height they are second only to the Alps in Europe. Their peak, Mount Mulacen, reaching 3478 meters, is highest point peninsular Spain. However, the highest Mountain peak Spain is located on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) - this is the Teide volcano, whose height reaches 3718 meters.

Most of Spain's territory is located at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level. It is the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland.

The only large lowland - the Andalusian - is located in the south of the country. In the northeast of Spain in the river valley. The Ebro is the Aragonese plain. Smaller lowlands stretch along the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main rivers of Spain (and the only navigable one in the lower reaches) flows through the Andalusian lowland - Guadalquivir. The remaining rivers, including the largest: Tagus and Duero, the lower reaches of which are located in neighboring Portugal, Ebro, Guadiana, are characterized by sharp seasonal fluctuations in level and rapids.

Large areas of the country suffer from water shortages. Related to this is the problem of erosion - millions of tons of topsoil are blown away every year.

Climate

Spain is one of the warmest countries in Western Europe. The average number of sunny days is 260-285. The average annual temperature on the Mediterranean coast is 20 degrees Celsius. In winter, temperatures usually drop below zero only in the central and northern regions of the country. In summer, temperatures rise to 40 degrees and above (from the central part to the southern coast). On the northern coast the temperature is not so high - about 25 degrees Celsius.

Spain is characterized by very deep internal climatic differences, and it can only conditionally be entirely attributed to the Mediterranean climatic region. These differences are manifested both in temperature and in annual amounts and precipitation patterns.

On extreme northwest The climate is mild and humid with little temperature variation throughout the year and high rainfall. Constant winds from the Atlantic bring a lot of moisture, mainly in winter, when foggy and cloudy weather with drizzling rains, almost without frost and snow prevails. The average temperature of the coldest month is the same as in northwestern France. Summers are hot and humid, with average temperatures rarely below 16 degrees Celsius. Annual precipitation exceeds 1070 mm, and in some places reaches 2000 mm.

Completely different conditions in internal parts countries - on the plateau of Old and New Castile and the Aragonese plain. These areas are influenced by the plateau-basin topography, significant altitude and local continental air. They are characterized by relatively low precipitation (no more than 500 mm per year) and sharp temperature fluctuations between seasons. In Old Castile and the Aragonese plain there are quite cold winters with frosts and strong, sharp winds; Summers are hot and fairly dry, although maximum precipitation occurs during this season of the year. Nueva Castile has a slightly milder climate, with warmer winters but also low rainfall. Agriculture in all these areas requires artificial irrigation.

The soil

In northwestern Spain, brown forest soil is developed on the coastal plains and windward slopes of the mountains. The interior regions of the country - Old and New Castile, the Iberian Mountains and the Aragonese Plateau - are characterized by brown soil; in the driest treeless areas there is thin carbonate gray-brown soil with areas of salt marshes in relief depressions. Gray soils are developed in the arid landscapes of Murcia. They are non-gypsum-bearing and non-saline; when irrigated, they produce high yields of fruit and other crops. The heavy clay barros soil on the flat ancient alluvial plains is distinguished, especially favorable for the cultivation of rice.

Flora and fauna

Diversity climatic conditions- from humid in the north to arid in the south - causes the heterogeneity of the flora and vegetation of Spain. The north shows similarities with Central Europe, and the south with Africa. Traces of forest vegetation in Murcia, La Mancha and Granada indicate that in the past a significant part of the territory of Spain was afforested, but now forests and woodlands occupy only 30% of the country's area, with only 5% being full-fledged closed stands.

Evergreen oak forests grow in the north-west of the country. Mountain forests contain more deciduous oak species, along with beech, ash, birch and chestnut, which is typical of Central Europe. In the interior of Spain, small tracts of dry evergreen forests, dominated by oak, are preserved in places, interspersed with pine forests and bushes. In the driest areas of New Castile, the Aragonese plateau and Murcia, fragments of semi-deserts (usually on salt marshes) are found.

In those areas of Southern Spain where there is more rainfall, especially along the coast, typical Mediterranean shrub-herbaceous communities of the garrigue and tomillara type are present. Garrigue is characterized by the participation of local species of gorse and cornflowers, while tomillara is characterized by the presence of aromatic Lamiaceae (shrub species of thyme, rosemary, etc.), as well as cistus. A special variety of garrigue consists of scattered thickets of the dwarf fan palm, very characteristic of Andalusia, as well as communities dominated by tall alpha grass, or esparto, a hardy xerophyte that produces strong fiber.

Central European and African connections are evident in the fauna of Spain. Among European species, two varieties of brown bear deserve mention (the large Asturian and the smaller, black, found in the Pyrenees), lynx, wolf, fox, forest cat. There are deer, hares, squirrels and moles. The imperial eagle is found in Spain and North Africa, and the blue magpie, found on the Iberian Peninsula, has also been found in East Asia. On both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar there are genets, Egyptian mongooses and one species of chameleon.

Minerals

Minerals of Spain: The subsoil of Spain is replete with minerals. Particularly significant are the reserves of metal ores, the deposits of which are associated with the outcrops of the folded base of the Meseta or with volcanic rocks of mountain structures. Along the northwestern edge of the Meseta, within the Gallic massif, there are tin, tungsten and uranium ores in Caledonian and Proterozoic granite intrusions. A strip of lead-zinc-silver deposits stretches along the southern outskirts of Meseta. There is also a large deposit of mercury of global importance - Almaden. Iron ores are found in the north and south of Spain. They are confined to the structures of the Mesozoic and Alpine magmatic cycles. These are well-known deposits in the Bilbao region on the northern slope of the Biscay Mountains and in Almeria on the southern slope of the Beta Cordillera. In the north, in the Carboniferous sediments that fill the foothill depression of the Asturian Mountains, there is the largest coal basin in the country. In addition, there are small deposits of coal on the southern slope of the mountains and in some other areas. The Cenozoic deposits of intermountain and intramountain depressions contain strata of salts and brown coal. Significant reserves of potassium salts are located within the Ebro Plain.

It is worth noting, however, that most of the mineral deposits in the country are very modest in size and are quite depleted, like many deposits in other European regions, which makes Spain dependent on the import of minerals, mainly from North Africa.

Economy

Airports in Spain are subordinated to the public organization Spanish Airports and Air Navigation (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea (Aena)), which in turn is subordinate to the Ministry of Development (Ministerio de Fomento de España). According to the Law on the Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, three Catalan airports were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Generalitat of Catalonia, which manages them jointly with public organization Aerocat. With 50.8 million passengers in 2008, Madrid Airport (Barajas) is one of the busiest airports in the world. Barcelona Airport (El Prat) served 30 million passengers in 2008. Less busy airports are in Gran Canaria, Malaga, Valencia, Seville, Mallorca, Alicante and Bilbao.

Spanish airlines are: Air Europa, Air Nostrum, Air Pullmantur, Binter Canarias, Iberia LAE, Iberworld, Islas Airways, Spanair, Vueling Airlines.

Spain aims to have a million electric vehicles by 2014 as part of the government's plan to save energy and improve the environment.

Light industry

Food industry

In the food industry, winemaking stands out (Spain is second only to France and Italy in the production of grape wines in Europe), the production of vegetable oil (1.7 million tons in 1996; Spain is the world leader in the production of olive oil (about 0.5 million tons per year ), fruits, vegetables and canned fish. Spain is among the top ten global producers of cars, ships, forging equipment and gas compressors, machine tools, petroleum products and chemical goods. Half of industrial production is concentrated in the northeast (Catalonia), the north of the country (Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country) and in Greater Madrid.

Agriculture

The leading branch of agriculture is crop production (provides over 1/2 of the cost of production). They grow wheat (about 20% of the sown area), barley, corn (in the central and southern regions of the country), rice (on the irrigated lands of the Mediterranean coast; its yield in Spain is one of the highest in the world), potatoes and sugar beets, legumes, tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggplants and other vegetables (vegetables occupy 60% of the cultivated area), olives - (leading place for growing olives in the world) - (Andalusia, Castile-la-Mancha, Extremadura), citrus fruits and tobacco. Viticulture - on the Mediterranean coast and in the regions of Castile-la-Mancha, Extremadura. In the very south of the country they grow almonds (the leading export destination in Western Europe), dates and sugar cane (in Europe they grow only in Spain), figs, pomegranates, and cotton.

Fishing

Spain is one of the top ten countries in the world in catching fish and seafood (1.1 million tons in 1996) and processing it, and is a major exporter of fresh fish and canned fish.

The bulk of the fishing takes place off the coast of the Basque Country and Galicia. The most commonly caught fish are sardines, hake, mackerel, anchovies and cod. Every year, 20-25% of the total catch is processed into canned food.

Banking sector

Spanish banks need recapitalization in the amount of 59.3 billion euros, according to the results of stress tests posted on the website of the Spanish central bank. The financial crisis in Spain led to an explosion of separatism. The economic crisis in Spain is gradually beginning to develop into a political one. On the one hand, regions with their extremely weak banks need help from the national government. On the other hand, some territories, in particular Catalonia, believe that without the guiding and guiding hand of Madrid they would feel much better.

The crisis was not limited only to the financial sphere. Property prices fell, which in turn increased unemployment. Spanish construction company Martinsa-Fadesa has declared bankruptcy after failing to refinance its €5.1 billion debt. In the second quarter, property prices in Spain fell by 20%. In the Castile-La Mancha region, approximately 69% of all buildings built in the past three years are still unsold. Deutsche Bank expects a 35 percent fall in property prices in Spain by 2011. Spain's Prime Minister, José Luis Zapatero, blamed the European Central Bank for exacerbating the situation by raising interest rates.

Population

Dynamics of population changes:

• city ​​- 6.5 million people;
• city ​​- 4.5 million people;
• city ​​- 6 million people;
• city ​​- 11.3 million people;
• city ​​- 6.2 million people;
• city ​​- 11.55 million people;
• city ​​- 18.6 million people;
• city ​​- 24.1 million people;
• city ​​- 29.9 million people;
• city ​​- 36.3 million people;
• city ​​- 45.97 million people.

The population of Spain is 46.16 million people (October 2011).

According to genetic research conducted by the University of Leeds in 2008, 20% of the modern population of Spain has Jewish ancestry, and 11% have Arab and Berber ancestry.

Story

On the southwestern coast of Iberia, a culture arose in the Bronze Age, from which at the end of the 2nd millennium the Tartessian civilization was formed, which traded metal with the Phoenicians. After the depletion of the mines, Tartessus fell into disrepair.

Along the eastern coast of Spain in the 3rd millennium BC. e. Iberian tribes appeared; some hypotheses connect their ancestral home to North Africa. From these tribes comes the ancient name of the peninsula - Iberian. In the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e. The Iberians began to settle in fortified villages in what is now Castile. The Iberians were mainly engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding and hunting, and knew how to make tools from copper and bronze. The Iberians used the Paleo-Spanish script created earlier by the Tartessians. The Iberian language was not related to Tartessian.

There is Roman evidence that Ligurians previously lived in Spain, but nothing is known about their existence in the historical period.

In the Late Bronze Age, the culture of the urn fields (a remnant of which in the historical period were probably the Lusitanians) penetrated into Iberia, and at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. Most of Iberia is colonized by Celtic tribes. Some of the Celts who lived in the neighborhood of the Iberians, falling under their influence, created the Celtiberian culture; the Celts who lived in the western part maintained a relatively conservative way of life and were unliterate. The Celts of Iberia became famous as warriors. It was they who invented the double-edged sword, which later became the standard weapon of the Roman army and was used against its own inventors.

XX century

XXI Century

In March 2004 in Madrid, on the approaches to railway station There were 13 explosions in Atocha, killing 191 people and injuring 2,050. This terrorist attack was organized by an underground Islamist organization that followed the ideology of Al-Qaeda. The explosions occurred three days before the parliamentary elections and were terrorists' response to the participation of the Spanish military in a military operation in Iraq. Most Spaniards blamed the attacks on the government of Prime Minister José Maria Aznar, which sent Spanish troops to support the US and UK. The Aznar government made this decision unilaterally, without coordinating it with the parliament (Cortes) and despite massive protests from civil society, which demonstrated in thousands of demonstrations against the participation of the Spanish army in the war. In addition, mass public surveys conducted by a government agency indicated that about 80% of the country's population was against Spain's entry into the war. Aznar's People's Party lost the elections on March 14, 2004.

At the beginning of 2004, the new socialist government of José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero made a sharp turn in Spanish foreign policy: from supporting the US course to solidarity with most EU countries. After winning the elections on March 14, 2004, the Socialist government withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq, thus fulfilling an important point in the electoral program of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). In the subsequent parliamentary elections held in 2008, the PSOE won again. New parliamentary elections in Spain took place on November 20, 2011.

In 2005, same-sex marriage was legalized in Spain. Thus, Spain became the third state in the world, after Holland and Belgium, to recognize the legal equality of marriages regardless of the gender of the spouses. Same-sex marriage is now recognized in many countries, as well as in some US states.

One of the problems of modern Spain is the problem of immigration. Mostly, residents of the Maghreb and Latin American countries come to Spain. At the beginning of the new century, there were an estimated 2.5 million Latin Americans in the EU countries, 800 thousand of whom were in Spain. However, after the terrorist attacks of 2004, Spaniards' attitudes towards immigrants changed significantly.

Political structure

Administrative division

50 provinces included in 17 autonomous regions. Also within Spain are 2 so-called autonomous cities (ciudades autónomas) in Africa - Ceuta, Melilla and sovereign territories of Spain.

Andalusia (Spanish) Andalucía) Aragon (Spanish) Aragon) Asturias (Spanish) Principado de Asturias) Balearic Islands (Spanish) Islas Baleares, cat. Illes Balears) Basque Country (Spanish) Pais Vasco, Basque Euskadi) Valencia (Spanish) Comunidad Valenciana) Galicia (Spanish) Galicia, galis. Galiza) Canary Islands (Spanish) Islas Canarias) Cantabria (Spanish) Cantabria) Castile - La Mancha (Spanish) Castilla-La Mancha) Castile and Leon (Spanish) Castilla y Leon) Catalonia (Spanish) Catalonia, cat. Catalunya) Madrid (as an autonomous region) (Spanish) Madrid) Murcia (Spanish) Region of Murcia) Navarre (Spanish) Navarra, Basque Nafarroa) Rioja (Spanish) La Rioja) Extremadura (Spanish) Extremadura)

Cities

The largest cities in Spain are:

Culture

Spain is rightfully considered an open-air museum. The vast expanses of this country carefully preserve cultural and historical monuments that have worldwide fame.

The most famous museum in Spain, the Prado Museum, is located in Madrid. Its extensive exhibition cannot be seen in one day. The museum was founded by Isabella of Braganza, wife of King Ferdinand VII. The Prado has its own branch, located in Cason del Buen Retiro and storing unique collections of Spanish painting and sculpture of the 19th century, as well as works by English and French painters. The museum itself presents large exhibitions of Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Flemish and German art. The Prado owes its name to the Prado de San Jeronimo alley, where it is located, laid out during the Age of Enlightenment. Currently, the Prado Museum's holdings include 6,000 paintings, more than 400 sculptures, as well as numerous jewelry, including royal and religious collections. Over the course of several centuries of its existence, the Prado was patronized by many kings.

It is believed that the very first collection of the Prado Museum was formed under Charles I, known as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. His heir, King Philip II, became famous not only for his bad character and despotism, but also for his love of art. It is to him that the museum owes its priceless acquisitions of paintings by Flemish masters. Philip was distinguished by his gloomy worldview; it is not surprising that the ruler was a fan of Bosch, an artist known for his bizarre, pessimistic fantasy. Philip initially purchased Bosch's paintings for Escorial, the ancestral castle of the Spanish kings. It was only in the 19th century that the paintings were moved to the Prado Museum. Now here you can see such masterpieces of the Dutch master as “The Garden of Delights” and “The Hay Wain”. Currently, in the museum you can enjoy not only paintings and sculptures, but also theatrical performances designed to “revive” famous paintings. The first such staging was dedicated to the paintings of Velazquez and was a huge success with the public.

There are many more unique museums and galleries in Spain: the Picasso Museum and the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, located in Barcelona, ​​the National Sculpture Museum in Valladolid, the El Greco Museum in Toledo, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art in Cuenca.

Spanish cuisine

Sport

The main sport in Spain has been football since the beginning of the 20th century. Basketball, tennis, cycling, handball, motorsports and, more recently, Formula One are also important due to the presence of Spanish champions in all of these disciplines. Today Spain is a leading world sports power; the development of sports in the country was particularly stimulated by the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. In 2008, Spain won the European Football Championship, and in 2010, they won the FIFA World Cup. In 2012, Spain won the European Football Championship over Italy with a score of 4:0.
In general, in the 2000s, the Spanish national teams won the World and European Championships in almost all team sports: football, basketball, water polo, field hockey, roller hockey, handball, volleyball and the Davis Cup in tennis.

It is also worth noting that the Real Madrid football club is officially recognized as the best club in the world of the 20th century.

Armed forces

The new doctrine 1/2004 declares terrorism to be the main enemy of Spain (both external and internal). It is noted that from now on, Spanish troops will be able to take part in international peacekeeping actions directly approved by the UN or, as was the case in Kosovo, enjoying the obvious support of the world community. In addition, participation in hostilities will require permission from the Spanish Parliament.

In the new military doctrine, the role of the General Defense Staff JEMAD, headed by General Felix Sanz, has been increased. At the end of October 2004, he made a statement about the need to “balance” the unequal relations between Spain and the United States, formed after 1953, when Spain and the United States signed a military defense cooperation agreement, under which the United States received the right to use several large military bases in Spain.

In 2001, Spain abolished conscription and switched to a completely professional army.

There are no laws in Spain prohibiting openly gay and lesbian people from serving in armed forces. On March 4, 2009, Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacón (the first woman to hold this post) issued a decree repealing a previous law that prohibited transgender people from serving in the armed forces.

Spanish foreign policy

The preamble of the Spanish Constitution proclaims its readiness to “cooperate in strengthening peaceful relations and cooperation with all countries of the world.” Currently, Spain's foreign policy is mainly based on three directions: Europe (especially the EU), the Ibero-American direction, and the Mediterranean countries.

Today Spain has diplomatic relations with all UN countries. More recently, Spain has relations with Bhutan (since October 2010), South Sudan (after its independence from Sudan in July 2011) and the state of Karibati (since September 2011).

On April 12, 1994, the “Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Spain” was signed. Currently, bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Spain have an extensive legal framework: the basis for interaction in various areas is formed by more than 50 treaties, agreements, protocols and other documents.

Morocco

Morocco occupies one of the key places in Spanish foreign policy, for which the Moroccan Kingdom is the most important African partner, if only due to its territorial proximity. The main directions of Spanish policy in Morocco are: issues related to the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the unresolved problem with Western Sahara, problems of illegal migration, issues of stopping drug smuggling, etc.

Relations between Spain and the Maghreb countries began to develop most actively after the Socialist Party came to power in Spain in 1982.

Under the government of the People's Party, led by Prime Minister J. M. Aznar, who were in power from 1996 to 2004, relations could not be called good and were characterized rather by instability, in particular the conflict around the island of Perejil (Leila) occupied a prominent place. in 2002.

The Socialists, who returned to power in April 2004 under the leadership of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, were determined to improve relations with their neighbors and especially with Morocco. After the meeting between Mohamed VI and Juan Carlos in 2005, relations between the two monarchs improved markedly. The conflict in Western Sahara, which arose quite a long time ago, has always had an adverse impact on relations between the two countries. After the failed quadripartite conference, Morocco authorized the Green March on Western Sahara in 1975 with the goal of "cleansing" Western Sahara from Spain. The result was an agreement between Spain, Mauritania and Morocco to transfer temporary control of the Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania.

An important component of relations between the two countries are close economic ties. In 1995, the Moroccan government decides to put everything on foreign investors, the most important of which are Spain and France.

Peacekeeping missions

The Spanish armed forces, consisting of 3,000 people, took part in 5 peacekeeping missions of the EU, NATO, and the UN. These missions are: International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan; EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina; KFOR in Kosovo; FINUL to Lebanon and the UN mission to Darfur (Chad).

Various questions

Transport in Spain

Length highways- 328,000 km. Car park - more than 19 million cars. 90% of passenger and 79% of cargo transportation is carried out by road. Length railways- 14589 km. About 6.5% of all cargo is transported ground transport and 6% of passengers.

IN maritime transport about 300 vessels with a total displacement of 1.511 million tons are involved. Vessels flying Spanish flags transport over 30 million tons of foreign trade cargo annually. 24 sea ​​ports control almost 93% of all transportation.

Air transport takes the leading place. Of the 42 airports, 34 provide regular flights. Through international Airport 56 million passengers pass through Madrid every year. The airport in Barcelona serves about 30 million passengers annually.

Education in Spain

Spain has a system of compulsory free secondary education from 6 to 16 years of age. About 70% study in public schools, 96.5% study in state universities.

The largest universities in the country: Autonomous University of Madrid, Complutense (in Madrid), Barcelona Central and Autonomous, Santiago de Compostea, Polytechnic University of Valencia.

Media in Spain

Spain has a well-developed network of funds mass media. 137 newspapers and about 1000 magazines are published. The most read daily newspapers: Pais, Mundo, Vanguardia, ABC, Periodico, Marka. Magazines for women "Patrones", Labores del HOGAR, Moda.

The leading radio stations are SER, COPE, Radio Nacional de España (RNE). The international department of Spanish National Radio, known as Radio Exterior de España, broadcasts in Spanish and six foreign languages. The Russian service for Spanish foreign broadcasting has been operating (with a short break) since the times of Franco, but is less known than similar broadcasters in Russian from the USA, Germany, and France.

The largest television channels: TVE (covers the entire country), private studios Telesinko and Antena 3, as well as the 24-hour news channel Canal 24 Horas, broadcasting all over the world. Autonomous communities have their own regional television, broadcasting also in national languages.

Siesta in Spain

Crime in Spain

IN last years The share of immigrants among Spanish offenders gradually increased. This is due to increased immigration to Spain (including illegal) from African countries, as well as from Latin America. Among the latter, two gangs from the Dominican Republic were especially active: Dominicans Don't Play ("Dominicans don't joke") and Trinitarios ("Trinitarians" - named after the underground organization "La Trinitaria", which fought for the independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti in 1838 ) .

Real estate market in Spain

The average cost per square meter in Spain for the 1st trimester of 2011 is 1777.6 euros (1793.8 euros - new construction; 1764.8 euros - second-hand). The most high prices(in €/m²): San Sebastian - 3762.3; San Cugat del Valles - 3282.6; Getcho - 3224.3; Barcelona - 3103.5; Pozuelo de Alarcon - 2964.0; Madrid - 2921.0.

The main real estate in Spain are villas, apartments and apartments. At the moment, buying real estate in Spain has become more profitable, since on August 20, 2011, the Spanish government temporarily changed the tax - VAT on the purchase of new housing from 8% to 4%.

Telecommunications in Spain

In astronomy

The asteroid (804) Spain, discovered on March 20, 1915 by Spanish astronomer José Comas Sola at the Fabre Observatory in Barcelona, ​​is named after Spain. It was the first asteroid discovered from Spain.

see also

	Portal "Spain"
	Spain in Wiktionary
	in Wikisource
	Spain on Wikimedia Commons

Spain - a state in southwestern Europe, occupies approximately 85% of the territory of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as the Balearic and Pitius Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Total area of ​​the country - near 505 thousand sq. km . Number population 40.45 million people.

Spain borders France, Portugal and Andorra, and an English colony Gibraltar. Spain is a kind of bridge between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic, an important crossroads of sea routes going through the Strait of Gibraltar.

Spain (tourist map)

Spain, after Switzerland, is considered the highest mountainous country in Europe. Plateaus and mountains make up about 90% of its territory. Almost half of the country's territory occupies the largest in Europe Meseta high plateau(in Spanish - “table”), its average height is 660 m. Meseta - These are huge monotonous dry flat spaces with very hot summers and cold winters.

The entire southeast of the Iberian Peninsula is occupied by the Cordillera Betica, which is a system of mountain ranges and ridges. Highest mountain range- Sierra Nevada is second only to the Alps in height in Europe. Here is located The highest peak of the Iberian Peninsula is Mount Mulacin (3478 m). Valleys, basins and lowlands occupy only 11% of the country's territory. The largest plain is the Andalusian plain, through which the Guadalquivir River flows. In the northeast of the country, in the valley of the Ebro River, lies the Aragonese Plain. Lowlands stretch in a narrow strip along the Mediterranean coast.

Madrid. Royal Palace.

Spain is divided into 17 autonomous regions (which unite 50 provinces): Madrid , Catalonia, Valencia, Basque Country, Navarre, La Rioja, Murcia, Aragon, Andalusia, Cantabria, Castile-Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Asturias, Galicia, Extremadura, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands. The capital of country - Madrid. In terms of its political structure, modern Spain is parliamentary monarchy . The country has a bicameral parliament and a multi-party system. . King of Spain since 1975 is Juan Carlos I . Each autonomous region of Spain has its own parliament and government. Members of the provincial municipalities are elected by the communities and, together with the regional parliaments, send their representatives to the Senate of the National Legislative Assembly in Madrid ( Cortes ; Cortes Generales). The second chamber of the Cortes consists of deputies elected by direct popular vote.

Barcelona. Church of the Sagrada Familia. 1884-1926. Architect Antonio Gaudi.

Canary Islands. Resort Playa de las Americas in Tenerife.

Natural conditions

Natural contrasts in Spain are amazing: if the north-west of the country occupies one of the first places in Europe in terms of precipitation, then in the south of Spain, the driest region of this part of the world, you can find almost African semi-desert landscapes with thickets of the dwarf fan palm, the only wild palm in Europe. Approximately 60% of Spain is arid, making water one of the most important problems in the country. Spain's water resources are distributed extremely unevenly: in the northern and northwestern regions there is an abundance of water, while in the Mediterranean and central regions there is a huge shortage of water. The main rivers of the country are the Ebro, Tagus, Guadiana, Duero, Minho, Guadalquivir, Jucar. Most rivers are low-water and become very shallow in summer. They have almost no transport value. The only navigable river is the Guadalquivir, and even then only to the city of Seville.

Spain. View of the Pyrenees.

The climate of Spain can be considered one of its main natural resources. In terms of the number of sunny days per year, Spain, together with Italy and Greece, shares first place in Europe. Almost all of Spain is located in the subtropical zone and, according to its natural conditions in general it is close to other Mediterranean countries, but at the same time it is distinguished by significant originality. This is due primarily to the isolation of the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe, the proximity of the African continent, as well as the complex influence mountainous terrain and two huge water areas - the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Much of Spain, especially its east coast, has a typically Mediterranean climate, with dry, hot summers, mild, rainy winters, early spring and long, warm autumns. Rain occurs most often in the form of short winter showers.

In summer, Spain is dominated by continental air masses coming from the south - from the tropical latitudes of North Africa and from the north - from the highly heated regions of southeastern Europe. Average temperatures in the hottest month (July) reach 18–20°C in the coastal regions of the north and northwest and 26°C on the Mediterranean coast. In southern Spain, up to 200 days a year the average daily temperature does not fall below 25°C.

Aragon. Montanez Peak near the city of Ainza in the province of Huesca.

Freshness and coolness in the hot season are brought to the coast by breezes - winds that change direction depending on the time of day. During the day, breezes blow from sea to land, and at night - from land to sea. Breezes are typical mainly for the summer months, less common in spring and autumn, and even less common in winter. In winter, westerly transport of air masses occurs, so moist sea air from temperate latitudes, arriving along with cyclones from the Atlantic, plays a major role. Average January temperatures range from 8–10°C in the northern and middle parts, to 10–12°C in the southern part.

In winter in the Mediterranean you can experience the scorching breath of the sirocco (streams of dry tropical air from the deserts of North Africa and Arabia, sometimes with a huge amount dust and sand). The relative humidity brought by such winds is very low - only 5–8%, and sometimes even 2%. If the sirocco blows, there is almost always a dusty haze in the air; during the day it appears yellowish, and at sunrise and sunset it appears brownish-red. Passing over the sea, the sirocco is saturated with moisture, so in the northeastern part of the Spanish Mediterranean a warm and humid wind blows - bolhorn. This wind brings cloudy weather with drizzling rain, and sometimes blows under a cloudless sky, and in both cases it can be very stuffy. Bolkhorn has a depressing effect on people and animals and is considered one of the most unpleasant weather phenomena. Dry sirocco, despite the high temperature, is relatively easily tolerated.

By quantity and distribution Based on precipitation, the entire territory of the country is usually divided into “wet” Spain (north and northwest) and “dry” (central, southern and eastern regions). Precipitation in “humid” Spain (up to 900 mm per year) falls fairly evenly throughout the year, its amount only decreasing slightly in summer. In “dry” Spain, the annual precipitation does not exceed 500 mm, and it falls mainly in spring and autumn. There are also strong differences in the distribution of the number of cloudless days throughout the year in different parts of Spain. The minimum number of sunny days (30 days a year) is observed in the northwestern Atlantic coast, while on the Mediterranean coast the sun shines almost all year round (more than 150 days a year).

Economy

Until mid-20th century Spain's economy was almost entirely dependent on agriculture; in the 1950s, after the opening of the country, there was some economic growth. The 1980s became known as the period of the Spanish economic miracle, which, however, did not eliminate the country's three main problems: high unemployment (almost 23%), inflation and large public debts.

Increasing importance For modern Spain, the service sector is gaining ground: 60% of all workers are employed in this area, 31% work in industry and about 10% are engaged in agriculture, fishing and mining. In the service sector, tourism is of national importance. In 1960-1970 foreign tourism was concentrated in coastal areas, government policy was to attract as many tourists as possible, which resulted in some negative consequences, including the appearance of many faceless coastal structures made of concrete and glass, deterioration of the landscape and environmental problems, from which some parts of the country still suffer. Since the 1980s, the authorities have been trying to take countermeasures: not only seaside resorts, but also areas located inland, and, if possible, throughout the year, should benefit from the influx of guests.

In agriculture In many areas of Spain, manual or weakly mechanized labor continues to play a decisive role. Low-profit small enterprises, which have long been self-sufficient, continue to predominate in Northern and Eastern Spain. Irrigated vegetable and fruit plantations in the coastal provinces of Valencia and Murcia produce abundant harvests. A real abundance of citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries, peaches and sweet peppers are sold and exported, while aromatic sweet apples and medlars are rarely exported. Olive trees and sunflowers (oil production) are planted in the dry fields, and almonds and grapes are also cultivated. Spain's fleet of sea fishing vessels is the largest in Europe, but fishermen are struggling with falling EU fishing quotas.

Most developed industrial areas are Barcelona, ​​Valencia(production of automobiles, textiles, chemical products), Bilbao And Gijon(steel production, shipbuilding and ship repair). Madrid is becoming increasingly important (especially thanks to electrical engineering, the development of information technology and mechanical engineering). Shipbuilding and heavy industry are in a difficult situation, which especially affected the economies of Asturias and the Basque Country. On the other hand, companies such as the energy concern Repsol are developing. Over half of the electricity comes from coal and liquid fuel power plants, a third from nuclear power plants and 15% from hydroelectric power plants. Spain's most important mineral resources are coal, iron ore, lead, copper and mercury, and their deposits are located on the northern Atlantic coast.

Story

First archaeological finds indicating the settlement of the Iberian Peninsula date back to the Lower Paleolithic period. In the first millennium BC. tribes of Celtoibers are formed, which arose as a result of the mixing of the Indo-European tribes of Celts and Iberians, presumably belonging to the Hamitic tribes. In the 3rd century BC. The Carthaginians took possession of the south of the peninsula, then, after the victories of Scipio, the Romanization of the peninsula began. The name "Spain" is of Phoenician origin. The Romans used it in the plural (Hispaniae) to refer to the entire Iberian Peninsula. In the 1st century BC. The Iberian colonies of Rome are actively developing - aqueducts were built in Segovia, Tarragona, Merida, theaters in Merida, Tarragona and Sagunto.

Spain. Roman aqueducts.

Christianity spread in Spain during the first century AD, but the Romans initially prevented this by persecuting and martyring many Christians. In 409, Spain was invaded by an army of Germanic tribes , and by 419 formed Visigothic Kingdom . Capital of the state the Visigoths becomes Toledo . The period of Muslim Spain begins in the 8th century . In 711 The Arabs, led by Tariq, landed in Tarifa and defeated the troops of Don Rodrigo, the last Visigothic king, in the Battle of Guadalete. In five years, the Arabs occupied almost the entire peninsula with the exception of Cantabria and the Iberian part. They are stopped only by Charles Martel, having won a victory at Poitiers (732 ). In 772 army led by the Visigothic king Pelayo ) inflicted the first symbolic defeat on the Moors at Cavadonga in northern Spain.

This battle marked beginning of the Reconquista- return to Christians of Spanish lands occupied by Muslims. Most of the peninsula was conquered by Christians 1266 . In 1492 Arabs lose their last possession on the Iberian Peninsula - Granada. Completion of the Reconquista and the unification of Spain based on the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon is associated with the names Catholic kings - Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon who entered into a marriage in 1469 .

Granada. View from the walls of the Alhambra.

In 1516, King Ferdinand was succeeded by his grandson Charles, who belonged to the Habsburg dynasty. Madrid became the capital of Spain in 1561 under Philip II. The 16th century, associated with the discovery of the New World, was the time of undeniable maritime dominance of Spain, which was shaken after the defeat of the “Invincible Armada” by the British in 1588. In the 17th century, Spain is drawn into a 30-year war with the Netherlands, France and England, which leads to a serious economic crisis in the country. In 1700, the last Spanish king of the Habsburg dynasty, Charles II, dies childless, and the struggle for the Spanish throne begins between the Austrian branch of the Habsburg dynasty and the French Bourbons, ending with the Peace of Utrecht and the establishment of Bourbon rule. It brings unification to Spain, life begins to follow the French model. This continues until 1808, when Napoleon captures Spain, declaring his brother Joseph Bonaparte king.

After the expulsion of the French from Spain, Ferdinand VII returns to the throne, which, however, does not bring peace. The country's politics of this period are known for the “Carlist Wars” - the rivalry between liberals and conservatives, the proclamation of the First Republic, the putsch and the restoration of the monarchy. At the end of the 19th century, Spain lost its last overseas possessions (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines).

Early 20th century Spain is faced with a painful choice between military dictatorships and the establishment of republican rule. . From 1923 to 1930 the period of war lasts dictatorship of General Miguel Primo de Rivera. After the 1931 elections proclaimed republic, and King Alfonso XIII is forced to leave Spain. After the “two black years” of the right-wing government (1934-1936), the left-wing Popular Front wins the elections, society is divided into two camps - those supporting the Popular Front and those supporting the commander of the garrison in Morocco, General Franco, who opposed the republic. General Franco's nationalists are supported by monarchists, the church, as well as the right wing of the Falangists (Spanish fascists). IN 1936 - 1939 There is a civil war in Spain, which took lives more than 600 thousand people, of which 400 thousand became victims of the political terror of the Franco regime .

Period 1939 - 1975 known as the Franco dictatorship, during this time power in the country belonged to the Catholic Church, the military and large landowners. In 1969, at Franco's proposal, Juan Carlos de Borbón, grandson of Alfonso XIII, was confirmed as his successor as head of state and future king of Spain. After Franco's death in 1975, Spain becomes a parliamentary monarchy led by King Juan Carlos I. On December 12, 1978, a new democratic Constitution of Spain was adopted. After the military coup of 1981, the socialists won the parliamentary elections in 1982, Felipe Gonzalez remained prime minister until 1996 .

. Spain joined NATO in 1982 and became a member of the EU in 1986.

Seville. Panorama of the city. The rapprochement of Spain with the rest of the European community has significantly raised the country's prestige, its political and economic openness and attractiveness for tourists have increased. In 1992, the Summer Olympics were held in Barcelona, ​​Madrid was declared European city culture, and Seville

hosted the international exhibition EXPO-92. The country also widely celebrated the 500th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of America. Spain entered the 21st century as a democratic and rapidly developing state, one of the most interesting and attractive in Europe.

Spain. Beach on the Costa Blanca.

Spain. Coast of the Costa Brava in Catalonia. In the 1980s Spain has experienced an economic boom associated with the development of tourism and the development of the recreational potential of its territory. Various regions of the Spanish coast, such as Costa Brava, Costa Blanca or Costa Daurada , have become world-famous resorts, where tens and hundreds of thousands of tourists come from all over the world. Every year everything large quantity

tourists seek not only to bask in the rays of the Spanish sun, but also to get acquainted with the unique culture of the country, tour the picturesque rural landscapes or enjoy the masterpieces of the national cuisine of Spain.

Culture Spain is a country with a long history that has seen the rise and fall of several powerful states. The most ancient cultural monuments in Spain date back to the Paleolithic era. These are cave paintings on the walls of the Altamira cave near the Cantabrian city. From the architecture of the Iberians (the ancient tribes that inhabited the Iberian Peninsula in the first millennium BC) the ruins of gigantic stone walls in Tarragona remain. The Romans in Spain are mainly reminiscent of civil buildings - aqueducts, bridges, aqueducts, amphitheaters, arches. One of the Roman bridges - Alcantara on the Tagus River - is perfectly preserved. The bridge has six arches and in the middle triumphal arch. The ruins of Roman amphitheaters in Merida and Sagunto for 6,000 spectators and the arches in Medisanelli and Bara, built in 107–102 BC, are majestic.

The Arabs had a great influence on the development of medieval Spanish art and architecture. A feature of the Moorish style is the rich decoration of the interior with geometric, floral and calligraphic patterns using the azulejo (or azulejos) technique, which is a tile similar to tiles. The horseshoe-shaped arches of Moorish structures were borrowed by the Arabs from the Visigoths. The best examples of Moorish architecture are preserved in Southern Spain, primarily in Andalusia. The Alhambra palace-fortress in Granada, the mosque in Cordoba, and the La Giralda minaret in Seville became world famous.

Alhambra. View of the Comares Tower. The myrtle courtyard was the place where official receptions took place and negotiations were held. Part of the Comares Tower, the tallest (45 m) building of the Alhambra, is visible in the background. Hence the second name of the Myrtle courtyard - Patio de Comares.

Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles came from France to Spain. The first Romanesque churches were built in Catalonia and along the route to the shrines of Santiago de Compostela. They are distinguished by semicircular arches and massive walls with a small number of narrow windows. Earlier Christian churches were built in the pre-Romanesque or Mozarabic style. Gothic came to Spain at the end of the 12th century. It is characterized by pointed arches, thanks to which the vaults became higher and the windows wider, and external supports (buttresses), which took on the weight of the vaults. Late (“flaming”) Gothic is distinguished by the richness of its stone carvings. The Moorish masters who remained in Spain created a special mixed Christian-Muslim Mudejar style, distinguished by its highly decorative design. A typical example of a Gothic Spanish cathedral is the 13th century León Cathedral.

By the beginning of the 14th century, the ideas of the Renaissance were spreading in Spain, and with them the Renaissance architectural style appeared, characterized by strict symmetry, the use of a semicircular arch and ancient orders. The early Spanish Renaissance is known as plateresco (from the Spanish "platero" - "jeweler"), and is characterized by fine decoration reminiscent of silver jewelry. A unique Plateresque monument is the San Marcos Inn in León. Baroque brought drama and movement to architecture, extravagance of decoration and splendor of sculptures. The Spanish version of Baroque "Churrigueresco" is named after the family by the architect Churriguera. An example of Spanish Baroque is the university building in Valladolid.

Spain is famous for its Art Nouveau architecture, of which Barcelona is rightfully considered the capital. Catalan architects - and, above all, Antonio Gaudi - created their own unique language of forms, in which architects from the countries of the Old and New Worlds still find inspiration. One of Gaudi's most famous creations is Casa Mila in Barcelona.

In Spain, numerous medieval castles have been preserved - paradors, now usually used as hotels. Many paradores are located in picturesque, quiet and cozy corners and provide excellent opportunities for both leisure and work. Now it is a whole complex of buildings and structures that combine strict architectural lines with a modern interior of the rooms.

Of great interest is the folk architecture of Spain, the traditions of which vary greatly in different regions of the country. In the north they built stone houses with awnings and wooden balconies, in Castile they built houses with a wooden frame, and in the south there were houses made of baked and bleached clay, the walls of which reflected the sun's rays. An indispensable architectural attribute of rural areas, especially those where there are few rivers and the winds constantly blow, have become windmills. In villages there are often hermitas - chapels or prayer houses dedicated to a local saint. In the center of any, even small, Spanish city there is a main square - Plaza Mayor, on which there are usually churches, administrative buildings, shops and bars. Celebrations, concerts, folk dances, and bullfights are held on the square.

Toledo. View of the city and Tagus River .

Spain is a country of world famous painting and literature. The influence of the Catholic Church determined the predominance of religious themes in medieval art in Spain, the most famous representative of which is the artist El Greco, who lived for many years in Toledo. Classical painting in Spain is glorified by the names of Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez. The three founders of modern art were also Spanish - Joan (Joan) Miró, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, who became symbols of the era of modernism. The largest museums of contemporary art are located in Madrid (including the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia Art Centre), Barcelona (Picasso Museum, Museum of Modern Art), Bilbao (Guggenheim Museum), Figueres (Dali Theatre-Museum) and many other cities in Spain.

Spanish literature can trace its history back to the ancient Roman writers and thinkers Seneca, Lucan and Martial. The period of Arab rule is associated with the flourishing of literature and philosophy in Spain, in largest center Muslim culture - the city of Cordoba, lived one of the most famous representatives of Arab Aristotelianism, Averroes. In the Middle Ages, the poetry of troubadours (trovadores) developed, the most famous work of this genre was “The Song of My Cid,” as well as religious poetry, known from the poem “The Miracles of the Virgin” by the priest Gonzalo de Berceo. The first major prose works in the Castilian language, which became the basis of the Spanish literary language, date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 16th century, the Golden Age of Spanish literature began, and the genre of picaresque - a picaresque novel - appeared. The work of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra dates back to the same period - his “Don Quixote” was published in 1605.

Cervantes' contemporaries included the satirist-novelist Francisco de Quevedo and the poet Luis de Góngora. The dramaturgy of Spain is glorified by the names of Lope de Vega and Calderon. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Spanish literature was influenced by French. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the flowering of a new Spanish literature, later associated with pan-European existentialism. Its most important representatives are Miguel de Unamuno, Pio Baroja, Antonio Machado. Ramon Maria del Valle Inclan is considered the founder of modern Spanish theater. Juan Ramon Jimenez won the Nobel Prize in Poetry. The poetry of the poet Federico García Lorca, who was killed by the Nazis in 1936, gained worldwide fame. In the 20th century, Latin American Spanish-language literature was born, which became a global phenomenon - authors such as Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez remain among the most widely read to this day.

Holidays and customs

Spain is a country of cultural traditions, most of them are associated with Catholicism, the main religion of the country, but some have roots in the pre-Christian past. Centuries-old religious traditions are so strong in Spain that the vast majority of Spaniards strictly observe church rituals, fasts, and celebrate holidays. Among the religious holidays in Spain, Holy Week is popular, which has been celebrated since the Middle Ages. Brightly decorated religious processions take place throughout all the cities and villages of the country. Separate scenes from the life of Christ are played out - the crucifixion and resurrection. The best processions of Holy Week are famous Seville, Malaga, Murcia and Valladolid .

Spain. Girls from the outskirts of Malaga.

Granada. Holy Week.

At the end of May or beginning of June, Pentecost is celebrated, the most magnificent celebration takes place in El Rocío. Corpus Christi is also widely celebrated, especially in Valencia, Toledo and Granada. On June 24, bonfires are lit in honor of John the Baptist throughout Spain and especially on the Mediterranean coast; The feast of St. Peter, the patron saint of fishermen, is celebrated on June 29. Traditionally honored holidays are Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) and Christmas Day (Navidad). During Christmas time in Spain, you can find belenes everywhere - similarities to the Bethlehem nativity scene with painted figures of the Holy Family, shepherds and animals. On New Year's Eve in Madrid, crowds of people gather and congratulate each other in Puerta del Sol. In February or March In Spain there is a carnival similar to Maslenitsa. The largest carnivals take place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands)- in their scope they are not inferior to the carnival in Rio de Janeiro and Cadiz.

Spanish Maslenitsa ends on the eve or first day of Lent with the funeral of the sardine, symbolizing winter. The end of winter is marked by the great fire festival in Valencia (fallas), where huge papier-mâché figures are burned as a sign that the old must give way to the new. The most striking of the many fiestas in honor of the Reconquista are the costume battles of “Moors” and “Christians” in Alcoy, which take place in the spring. The largest festival in Andalusia is the great April Fair in Seville.

Flamenco. Spain.

Corrida in Madrid.

The tradition of Spain is bullfighting, bullfighting. This is a spectacle that has its roots in the history of the Mediterranean. It was already known in Crete during the heyday of Minoan culture (2000–1450 BC), as evidenced by frescoes depicting dancers and bulls. Bullfighting in Spain is held almost everywhere, but its largest center is Seville. Main actor bullfighting - a matador killing a bull. The most famous matadors, such as Juan Antonio Ruiz, became national heroes of Spain.

National cuisine

Traditional Spanish cuisine is very diverse - so much so that it is quite difficult to find anything in common between the exquisite Basque seafood cuisine and the simple dishes of Castile. Over the centuries-old history of the country, the range of products has changed and been replenished with new ingredients due to the influence of the cultures of many countries. From the ancient Romans, Spain inherited olive groves and fields suitable for agriculture, mainly on the eastern coast; seven centuries of Arab rule brought almonds, citrus fruits and aromatic spices into Spanish cuisine, which became an integral part of it. After the discovery of America, tomatoes, sweet and bitter chilli peppers, zucchini, various varieties of beans, potatoes, chocolate and vanilla appeared and became widely used in Spain. The landscape of Spain is heterogeneous - it has mountainous areas, arid plains, fertile lands, cold and wet areas, hot and dry areas. It is not surprising that each region has its own set of dishes and methods of preparing them.

Basque Country rich in fish and seafood from the Atlantic; Some meat and dairy delicacies are also produced there. Dishes are served in large portions, which is generally typical for regions with cold climates, but Basque cuisine cannot be called coarse. Dishes using the aromatic chilindron sauce, based on local red sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic, are typical of Navarra and Aragon. Trout from the clear mountain streams of the Pyrenees range is a favorite dish of the local residents, especially with ham. Catalan cuisine is varied and very tasty; it is distinguished by unusual sauces, for example, "romesco" or "aglioli", aromatic herbs and a number of dishes that have close analogues in French cuisine, for example, zarzuela - a close relative of the French bouillabaisse. The cuisine of Valencia and Murcia, Europe's most populous and richest agricultural regions, has a strong Arab influence.

Oranges and almonds grow there, and in the spacious gardens and rice fields many of the plants included in traditional Valencian paella are grown (fish and shellfish began to be added to it relatively recently). Andalusia is a country of olives, olive oil and roasts, especially local fish and shellfish. In turn, Extremadura is an agricultural region, and the cuisine there is appropriate - simple, all kinds of stews are common. Galicia and Asturias are famous for their high quality fish and seafood. The climate there is relatively cold and humid, which means the locals have a good appetite: they prefer warming, hearty dishes.

Spaniards usually have breakfast in a cafe; breakfast consists of churros, unleavened bread rolls, and a large cup of hot chocolate in which the churros are dipped. For a second breakfast, drink coffee with sweet pastries or eat a light snack. Dinner- near 2 hours day, it is often preceded by tapas - a variety of snacks that, as a rule, Spaniards eat at a bar on the way home or in a restaurant. Around 6 pm- so-called merenda- another light meal, from 8 to 10 pm again tapas, and in 10 o'clock - dinner, not as filling as lunch.

From ancient times to this day tapas consisted of several olives or almonds, sliced ​​cheeses, sausages and ham, sometimes diced flatbread is added to tapas. But nowadays tapas includes almost any dish - cold or hot - that can only be served in small portions. Modern tapas can be quite filling. They are usually displayed along the counter of a bar or cafe for customers to see. Famous paella V good restaurants It takes at least an hour to prepare, so it is better to order this dish by phone by a specific hour. One serving of this dish is enough for two: it is served on a large tray and placed in the middle of the table.

Flamenco music and dancing, bullfights, lots of sun and fantastic beaches... In fact, Spain has much more to offer tourists. Spain has been the cultural center of Europe for many centuries. This country has preserved a large number of monuments from the times of the Celts, Goths, Romans and Moors. The Alhambra Palace in Granada, the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral in Cordoba and the Royal Palace in Madrid will be no less interesting to tourists than the beaches of the Costa del Sol or, for example, the Costa Dorada.

Geography of Spain

Spain is located on the famous Iberian Peninsula, in southern Europe. In the west, Spain borders with Portugal, in the south with Gibraltar (belongs to Great Britain), and in the north with France and Andorra. In North Africa, Spain borders Morocco (their common border is 13 km). In the south and east, Spain borders the Mediterranean Sea, and in the west and northwest it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.

Spain includes the small Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the “Dog Islands” (as the Canary Islands were once called) in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, as well as two semi-autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa.

The total area of ​​Spain is 505,992 square meters. km, including islands, and the total length of the state border is 1,917 km.

Mainland Spain is a mountainous country dominated by plateaus and mountain ranges. Basic mountain systems in Spain - the Pyrenees, the Cordillera, the Cantabrian Mountains, the Catalan Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The highest peak in Spain is dormant volcano Teide on the island of Tenerife (3,718 m).

Capital of Spain

The capital of Spain is Madrid, which is now home to more than 3.3 million people. Madrid was founded by the Moors in the mid-10th century.

Official language

Spain is a multilingual country. Throughout Spain, the official language is Spanish (aka Castilian).

Other official languages:

• Basque language - widespread in the Basque Country and Navarre;
• Catalan - common in Catalonia, as well as in Valencia and the Balearics;
• Galician - in Galicia.

Religion

About 96% of Spain's population is Catholic, belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. However, only 14% of Spaniards go to church every week (or more often).

In addition, about 1.2 million Protestants and more than 1 million Muslims now live in Spain (many people come from Morocco and Algeria).

State structure

Spain is a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state, according to the Constitution, is the King.

The source of legislative power is the General Cortes, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (350 people are elected to it) and the Senate (258 people).

The main political parties in Spain are the right-wing People's Party, the Spanish Social Workers' Party and the Communist Party of Spain.

Spain consists of 17 communities (regions) and 2 autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla).

Climate and weather

In general, the climate of Spain can be divided into three main climatic zones:

• Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by hot summers and fairly cold winters (central and north-central Spain);
• semi-arid climate (south-eastern Spain, especially Murcia and the Ebro Valley);
• maritime climate (in the north of Spain, especially in Asturias, the Basque Country, Cantabria, and partly in Galicia).

The Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada have an alpine climate, while the Canary Islands have a subtropical climate.

In Spain in January the average air temperature is 0C, and in July - +33C.

Seas and oceans

The Mediterranean Sea washes the coast of Spain in the south and east, and in the west and north-west of the country there is Atlantic Ocean. In the north of Spain there is the large Bay of Biscay.

Average sea temperature in Spain in May:

• Costa Dorado - +17C
• Costa Brava - +17C
• Costa Calida - +17C
• Almeria - +18C
• Costa del Sol - +17C
• Costa Blanca - +17C

Average sea temperature in Spain in August:

• Costa Dorado - +25C
• Costa Brava - +25C
• Costa Calida - +25C
• Almeria - +24C
• Costa del Sol - +23С
• Costa Blanca - +25C

Rivers and lakes

Despite the fact that Spain is a mountainous country, a large number of rivers flow through its territory. The most big rivers in Spain – Tagus (1,007 km), Ebro (910 km), Duero (895 km), Guadiana (657 km) and Guadalquivir (578 km).

According to scientists, there are several hundred lakes in Spain, and more than 440 of them are mountain lakes. The largest lake in Spain is Sanabria, whose area is more than 11 thousand square meters. km.

History of Spain

The ancient Greeks called the indigenous inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula (the territory of modern Spain) Iberians. Iberian tribes, according to archaeological finds, came to the Iberian Peninsula from the eastern Mediterranean during the Neolithic period.

Around 1200 BC. Celts appeared in the Pyrenees and began to mix with the Iberian tribes. Then the Phoenicians founded several of their cities in the Pyrenees - Gadir (Cadiz), Malaka (Malaga) and Abdera (Adra). Then the ancient Greeks built their colonies in southern Spain along the Mediterranean coast.

During the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, Roman legionnaires invaded Spain and conquered most of it. Then Spain came completely under the rule of Ancient Rome.

In 409 AD The Goths invaded the Iberian Peninsula and founded their kingdom there. However, in 711 AD. The Visigoth kingdom fell to the Moors from Africa. In the end, the Moors managed to conquer almost all of Spain. In the 10th century, Andalusia created its own Muslim caliphate.

However, Christians are trying to return the Spanish lands captured by the Moors. This period in Spanish history is known as the Reconquista.

The kingdom of Spain itself was formed in 1469 (this year the wedding of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon took place), but only in 1492 did the last Arab emir flee from Spanish territory (this happened after the fall of Granada).

After Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, Spain received tons of silver and gold from there, thereby becoming one of the most influential and powerful countries of that time.

In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte's troops invaded Spain, but the Spaniards stubbornly resisted them. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, King Ferdinand IV was restored to the Spanish throne.

Due to the economic crisis and political instability in the 19th century, Spain lost almost all of its colonies. In 1895, after the war with the United States, Cuba, the last colony of Spain, was lost.

From 1936 to 1939, Spain continued Civil War, from which the nationalists led by Franco emerged victorious. During World War II, which began in 1939, Spain maintained neutrality, although it sympathized with Germany.

In 1975, Franco died and a constitutional monarchy was created in Spain.

In 1985, Spain was admitted to NATO, and in 1992 it joined the European Union.

Spanish culture

On Spanish culture big influence provided by the ancient Greeks, as well as the ancient Romans. To this day, a large number of ancient Roman monuments have been preserved in Spain. After Spain was conquered by the Moors in the early 700s, Spanish culture came to be dominated by the Arabs. In general, the entire Middle Ages in Spain was a confrontation between Arab and Christian cultures.

It so happened that the Spaniards showed themselves most noticeably in literature and painting, although, of course, Spain had talented architects, philosophers, doctors and philosophers.

The most famous Spanish writers and poets are Lope de Vega (lived 1562-1635), Francisco Quevedo y Villegas (1580-1645), Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (lived 1547-1616), Baltasar Gracian (1601-1658 ), Benito Galdos (1843-1920), and Camilo José Cela (lived 1916-2002).

The most famous Spanish painters are El Greco (life years - 1541-1614), Francisco de Herrera (life years - 1576-1656), Jusepe de Ribera (life years - 1591-1652), Diego Velazquez (life years - 1599-1660) , Alonso Cano (lived 1601-1667), Francisco Goya (lived 1746-1828), and Salvador Dali (lived 1904-1989).

For many of us, Spain is flamenco and bullfighting, which have a long tradition.

The dance and song "flamenco" appeared in the Middle Ages in Andalusia. The emergence of this dance and musical style is associated with the gypsies, but from the end of the 18th century “flamenco” became a traditional Spanish dance.

Now every two years it is held in Seville, Spain. international festival"flamenco", which is called "Bienal de Flamenco". This festival attracts thousands of participants and visitors.

Another famous Spanish tradition is bullfighting, a bullfight that was started by the Iberian tribes who lived in the Pyrenees around 3000 centuries. BC. At first, killing a bull was of a ritual nature, but over time, it became a real art. Since the mid-18th century, bullfighting has existed in many Spanish cities.

Nowadays, some Spanish cities host bull running – “encierro”. During these races, bulls try to catch up with people running through the streets. Sometimes bulls succeed. The most famous "encierros" are in Pamplona.

Kitchen

Spanish cuisine is characterized by a wide variety of dishes. This is understandable, because each region of Spain carefully preserves not only its cultural, but also culinary traditions. In general, Spanish cuisine can be classified as Mediterranean cuisine. Two characteristic elements of Spanish cuisine are olive oil and garlic.

In Mediterranean Spain (from Catalonia to Andalusia), seafood is often used for cooking. Cold soups (such as gazpacho) and rice dishes (such as paella) are traditional here.

Inland Spain is characterized by thick, hot soups and stews. Ham and various cheeses are popular here.

For north coast Spain (Atlantic Ocean), including the Basque Country, Asturias and Galicia, is characterized by dishes with meat, fish and vegetables.

• Cochinillo Asado (roast suckling pig);
• Gambas Ajiillo (fried shrimp with garlic and chili);
• Paella (rice dish);
• Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician octopus);
• Jamon Iberico & Chorizo ​​(Iberian ham and spicy sausages);
• Pescado Frito (any fried fish);
• Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes cooked in a spicy sauce);
• Tortilla Espanola (Spanish omelette);
• Queso Manchego (Spanish sheep cheese);
• Gazpacho (this is a traditional cold tomato soup).

It is impossible to imagine sunny Spain without wine. The traditions of winemaking on the Iberian Peninsula were laid down by the ancient Greeks, who founded their colonies there. Nowadays, a large number of different wines are produced in Spain.

In our opinion, the Top 5 best red wines in Spain include:

• Wine Lopez de Heredia
• Bernya (Alicante)
• Vinyes josep - Sola Classic (Priorat)
• Tempranillo - Baron fernand (Valdepeñas)
• Divus - Bodegas Bleda (Jumilla)

Top 5 best white wines in Spain:

1. Xarlel-lo - Clar de Castanyer (Penedés)
2. Amalia - Rubicon (Lanzarote)
3. Wine Mas Plantadera Blanco Roble - Celler Sabate (Priorat)
4. Malvasia semidulce - Bermejo (Lanzarote)
5. el copero (Utiel-Requena)

Sights of Spain

Spain may not rank first in the number of attractions, but there is no doubt that tourists have something to see in this ancient country. The top ten best attractions in Spain, in our opinion, include the following:

Cities and resorts of Spain

The largest Spanish cities are Madrid, Barcelona (1.7 million people), Valencia (850 thousand people), Seville (720 thousand people), Zaragoza (more than 610 thousand people), and Malaga (about 550 thousand people).

General coastline Spain is about 5 thousand kilometers. This means that Spain has a large number of beautiful beaches with clear water. Despite the fact that most tourists for some reason choose the Costa Blanca and the sunny Costa del Sol, Spain also has beautiful beaches in other resorts.

Top 10 Spanish beaches, in our opinion:

• La Concha Beach – San Sebastian
• Playa de Las Catedrales – Galicia
• Playa del Silencio – Asturias
• Ses Illetes – located on the island of Formentera, Balearic Islands
• Beaches of Sitges – near Barcelona
• Nerja - Costa del Sol, Andalusia
• La Barrosa – this beach is located in Chiclana de la Frontera
• Tarifa - Andalusia
• Gandia – Costa Blanca
• Playa de los Peligros - Santander

When they talk about beach resorts In Spain, they immediately remember the Costa del Sol, the Canary Islands, and the island of Ibiza. But in Spain there is also the Costa Brava, Tenerife, Mallorca, Costa Dorada, Balearic Islands, Costa Blanca, Costa del Maresme, and Costa de la Luz.

Souvenirs/shopping

Returning from Spain, tourists may simply not pick up their suitcases, there may be so many souvenirs in them. Therefore, we advise tourists who have visited Spain to stop at the following best Spanish souvenirs:

• Olive oil, which is the best in the world (the opinions of Italians and Greeks on this matter do not count);
• “Bota” is a bag for storing wine made of leather (such a bag costs about 30 euros);
• Saffron and other spices;
• Funny T-shirts from Kukuxumusu;
• Spanish ham;
• Flamenco CDs;
• Spanish wine;
• Souvenirs of the Spanish national football team;
• Edged weapons from Toledo.

Office hours

Banks are open:
Mon-Fri: 08:30-14.00
Some banks are also open on Saturdays.

Store opening hours:
Mon-Fri: from 09:00 to 13.30 (or 14:00) and from 16:30 (or from 17:00) to 20:00.
Every Saturday, Spanish shops are open until lunchtime.
Large supermarkets are open all day.

Visa

 

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