Spain is in the southwest of Europe
on the Iberia Peninsula. The country occupies approximately 80% of Iberia with the remaining
20% being Portugal and a small British enclave at Gibraltar.
In the north, Spain borders
on France and Andorra, with the Pyrenees as a natural frontier. Spain also includes
the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza) in the Mediterranean
Sea, Canary Islands in Atlantic Ocean close to the Moroccan coast. The towns of Ceuta and Melilla in north Africa are also Spanish territory.
Spain is the third country
of Europe in size and the fifth by population.
The land area is 504,750 square kilometres
with a population of 39.5 million people. The population nunber has not shown much change in recent years.
.
The languages spoken are
Castilian Spanish which is the official language. Catalonian, Galego, Valenciano and
Vasco are also now official languages but restricted to the regions of Catalonia,
Galicia, Valencia and the Basque Country.
During the Middle Ages, Christianity, Judaism and Islam existed peacefully side by side. Later the Christian Catholic religion of the Kings became compulsory in Spain with the Inquisition in the middle ages ever vigilant to preserve Roman Catholic orthodoxy.
Religious liberty was not restored until the nineteenth century.
Spain has architectural remains from the megalythical culture of approximately 3000 BC.
The Baroque era was perhaps the most glorious epoch and two opposite views of this era may be observed led by the works of Juan Herrera and Churriguera.
In Galicia there is another variation of the baroque style called Baroco Compostelano with its centre being Santiago de Compostela with the hotel Parador of Santiago forming one side of the beautiful cathedral square.
Spain has played a highly important role in Modernism. Most outstanding are the works of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona in particular his magnificent cathedral "Sagrada Familia".
The most important holidays are religious including Christmas, Easter Week and All Saints Day. In addition all towns, cities and even neighbourhoods and professions have their patron saints whose feasts can last for a number of days.
Best known among Spain's traditions are Flamenco dancing and bullfights which are held at any 'Fiesta'.
Flamenco is the musical tradition in the country's south, particularly in Andalucia but his now performed all over the country.
