30 Facts about Spain you might not know
1. Capitol of Spain is Madrid, which is also the largest city in Spain.
2. Spain is the 51st largest country or twice the size of Oregon. 3. Spain has over 8,000 beaches. 4.Spain has one of the most diverse landscapes and climates in Europe. The region of Almeria in the South East resembles a desert in places, while the North West in winter can expect rain around 20 days out of every month. 5.The Spanish national anthem is called La Marcha Real (The Royal March) 6.Spain has a parliamentary monarchy government. 7.Spain is the 28th mostpopulated country in the world and the sixth most populated country in Europe (after Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Ukraine). 8.Spain's Currency is the Euro. 9.The average life expectancy in Spain is 79. 10.Some well known Spanish artists include Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Joan Miró. 11.During the 16th century, Spain was one of the most powerful empires in the world. 12.Bullfighting is considered an art as well as a sport and popular attraction. It is also the biggest and most controversial sport in Spain and is an integral part of Spanish history, art and culture with bull rings in all major cities and beyond. 13.There are no tooth fairies in Spain. Instead, there is a tooth mouse named Ratoncito Pérez. 14.Spain is 5 times bigger than the UK with only two thirds of its population. 15. 94% of the people in Spain are Roman Catholic. 16. The name Spain diverged from the word Ispania, which means the land of rabbits. 17. Spain was not part of the first or second world war. 18. Spain produces 44% of the world’s olive oil. 19. The Spaniards aren’t known for very many inventions…but they did invent the mop 20. The quill pen is thought to have originated in Spain about 1,400 years ago. 21. Spain is the only country in Europe that produces bananas. 22. There are more native Spanish speakers than English. 23. On May 15th all the single women in Madrid visit the chapel called Ermita de San Isidro to prick their fingers with pins and put it in a vessel, in order to find a husband. 24. Same sex marriage has been legal in Spain since 2005 25. The divorce rate in Spain is 17% (relatively low compared to over 50% in the USA). 26. Madrid enjoys more cloudless days than almost any other city in Europe. 27. La Tomatina, or“The World’s Biggest Food Fight,” is held ever year on the last Wednesday of August in the town of Buñol, outside of Valencia. Over 150,000 tomatoes are thrown. 28. Tipping is not common in Spain, especially for cheap dinners. 29. Muslims founded the first Spanish university at Valencia in 1209. 30. In 1492, Ferdinand V of Aragon and Queen Isabella paid for Christopher Columbus to explore the west in search of a new route to India. Columbus landed on one of the islands of the Bahamas by mistake. His mistake made Spain one of the richest nations in the world for a time. |