Spain
is the second largest and sunniest country in Europe and has been described
by the Word Health organisation as one of the healthiest climates in the
world. The population is around 40 million, allowing the country to retain
its beautiful character and landscapes. The average population density is
about 80 people per 200 hundred square miles (which is one third of Britain's)
and one of the lowest in Europe.
The crime rate in
Spain is one of the lowest in Europe - there are however some regions that
still have quite high crime rates, which should be seriously taken into
consideration before making any decision to buy a property (ask one of our
team for further details on crime rates and recommended areas)
Within Spain there
are 17 autonomous regions (communidades autónomas) each with its
own president, government, administration and supreme court. All of these
are funded by the central government
Spain has the fifth
largest economy in Europe and accounts for approx 10% of the EU output.
It still is however (even with some of the traditional methods) the worlds
largest producers of olive oil, fourth largest producer of dried fruit and
six largest producer of citrus fruits. Spain still boasts some of the largest
vineyards in the world in fact 60% larger than that of France - and is considered
third largest worldwide wine producer.
Growth in the country
is still running at around 3% with inflation about the same, however unemployment
is still a problem for Spain - and should be a major consideration if you
are looking to move to, and work in Spain.
- Food
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Traditional
dish in Spain is paella. The saffron taste of this rice based dish is best
enjoyed with sea-views, but can be obtained in most places.
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- Most bars serve food
with drinks (known as tapas), and this varies from region to region,
and usually includes jamon serrano (cured ham), chorizo (garlic
sausage) and pulpo gallego (tender pot cooked octopus)
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- Religion
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- 99% of the Spain's
40 million population declare themselves Catholic. There are some classic
cathedrals, churches and religious sanctuary's (one of the most renowned
being the Sanctuary in Calasparra)
- Geography
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- Spain covers approx
492,460km2 of the Iberian peninsula, and 504,740km2 including the Balearic
and Canary islands. The country is a vast plain surrounded by mountains,
and is the second highest country in Europe (Switzerland has the highest
range)
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- Spain is often referred
to as the "old bullhide" as it resembles a stretched-out bullhide.
It has two north African enclaves, Ceuta and Meilla administered by the
provinces of Cadiz and Malaga respectively, and have been held by Spain
since the 15th century
- The Pyrenees in the
north form a natural barrier between Spain, France and Andorra, while to
the west is Portugal.
- The main river flowing
through Spain is the Ebro from which the Iberian peninsula
gets its name, and is the only Spanish river flowing into the Mediterranean.
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- Language
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- Spanish or Castilian
is spoken as the first language by over 74% of the population. The other
36% speak regional language with variants from Catalan, Gilician and a small
minority speak Basque. the vast majority of the people who speak regional
languages are also fluent in Castilian as Franco banned the regional languages
during his reign.
Fiestas-
- Throughout Spain
you can still see the Arabic moors influences, having rules Spain for
800 years. many of the smaller villages begin with "Beni"
which means "son of" in Arabic.
- Fiestas are a common
sight in Spain, and many small villages will be decked with flags and
streamers with bands playing celebrating the fiesta. Each fiesta is celebrated
for different occasions, they can be for religion, harvest etc.. and many
include the running of the bulls
- Heritage
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- The King of Spain
is Juan Carlos I who married Queen Sofia of the Greek royal family. They
have two daughters, Princesses Alena and Cristina, and one son Price Felipe,
who is the Prince of Asturias and is heir to the throne
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- The royal family live
in the Palcaio de la Zarzuela which is a few miles north west of
Madrid. They also have a palace in Palma de Mallorca
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- The King pays taxes,
and the Spanish royal family is one of the least expensive to maintain in
Europe.
