Spain        

Spain is a country is western Europe famous for its colorful bullfights, sunny climate, and beautiful storybook castles. Until the mid-1900's, Spain was one of the most undeveloped countries of western Europe. Most of the people were poor farmers. Then during the 1950's and 1960's, rapid economic development changed Spain into an industrial nation. Today more Spaniards work in manufacturing and construction than on farms. Most of the people live in cities. The standard of living has risen rapidly. Modern urban ways of life have become more popular among the Spanish people. Many of the country's old customs, such as taking a siesta (nap or rest) after lunch, are disappearing.

Spain is one of the largest countries in Europe in area. It occupies about five-sixths of the Iberian Peninsula, which lies is southwestern Europe between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Madrid, Spain's capital and the largest city, stands in the center of the country.

Capital: Madrid

Official language: Castilian Spanish; Catalan, Galician (a Portuguese dialect), and Basque are official languages in provinces where they are widely spoken.

National Anthem: "Marcha Real" ("The Royal March").

Largest cities: (1991 census)

Madrid (2,909,792) Seville (659,126)

Barcelona (1,625,542) Saragossa (586,219)

Valencia (752,909) Malaga (512,136)

Climate: Most of Spain has hot, sunny summers and cold winters. In the interior, average temperatures rise above 80 degrees in July and fall below 30 degrees in January. The northern mountains have somewhat cooler summers and warmer winters.

Government: Parliamentary monarchy; head of state: king; head of government: prime minister

Population: 1996 estimate- 39,347,000; 2001 estimate- 39,727,000

Major ethnic/national groups: About 98% Spanish (including Catalans, Basques, and others who have long lived in Spain).

Major religion: About 95% are Roman Catholic

Chief products: Agriculture- barley, hogs, milk, olives, oranges, sheep, sugar, beets, wine. Fishing- sardines, squid. Manufacturing- automobiles, chemicals, food products.

Money: peseta

International trade: Automobiles, fruit, machinery, shoes, textiles; major trading partners- France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States.

My Experience:

I moved to Spain when I was 7 years old (1984) with my family. My father was stationed at Torrejon AFB, but we lived in a community called The Royal Oaks in Madrid. While there, I visited places such as Saragossa and visited many castles and plazas throughout Spain.

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