SPAIN

(ESPAÑA)
WHAT IS SPAIN?
• Officially the Kingdom of Spain
• Member of the European Union
• Located in South-Western
Europe
• Area: 504,403 sq.kms
• Population: approximately 47
million
• Capital: Madrid
GEOGRAPHY
 GEOGRAPHY
• Located in the Iberian
Peninsula(occupies about 85% of it)
• Borders Portugal on the
West, Gibraltar and Morocco on the
South and France and Andorra on the
North-east
• Spain includes the Balearic Islands in
the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary
Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and a
number of uninhabited islands in the
Mediterranean Sea.
 MOUNTAINS AND
RIVERS
• Spain is a mountainous country
• Mountain ranges include the
Pyrenees, Cordillera
Cantábrica, Sistema Ibérico, Sistema
Central, Montes de Toledo, etc.
• Highest point in Spain: Teide, a
3,718m high active volcano in the
Canary Islands (3rd biggest volcano in
the world)
• Several major rivers in Spain: the
Tagus, the Ebro, the Duero, the
Guadiana and the Guadalquivir
 CLIMATE
Three main climatic zones:
• The Mediterranean climate:
– dry and warm summers
– dominant in the peninsula
• The Semiarid climate:
– south-eastern quarter of the country
– dry season extends beyond the summer
• The Oceanic climate:
– northern quarter of the country
– winter and summer temperatures are influenced
by the ocean, and it has no seasonal drought
Other sub-types can be found: the alpine climate
in the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada, and a typical
subtropical climate in the Canary Islands.
 TOURISM

• Spain is a popular destination for

vacation
• Tourism is one of the major sources of
income for the people of Spain
• Employs about 10% of the work force
• Picturesque landscape with sandy
beaches and awe inspiring urban
attractions
• Spain attracts about 48 million tourists
every year
 PRADO MUSEUM

• Located in Madrid
• Designed by architect Juan de Villanueva
• One of the greatest museums in Europe
• Houses a rich collection of more than 4000
paintings dating back to the period
between the 15th and the 19th century
 PARK GUELL

• Located in Barcelona
• Spread over an area of 20 hectares
• Constructed between 1910 and 1914
• A perfect combination of urban and
natural landscapes
DONANA NATIONAL PARK

• Located in Andalusia
• Spread over an area of 543 sq.kms
• The most popular wetlands in Europe
• Features the Earth‟s fractal brain
 OTHER TOURIST
ATTRACTIONS
• La Rambla , Sagrada
Familia, Picasso Museum, FC
Barcelona Museum and
Montserrat in Barcelona
• The Pyrenees range in North
Spain
• La
Pedrera, Toledo, Pamplona, Zoo
de Madrid, Costa Blanca
Beach, The Balearic
Islands, Parque del Buen Retiro
and Sierra Nevada Mountains
 GOVERNMENT
• Spain has a Socialist Government
• Because it is a socialist
government, all medical treatment
is free in Spain
• Most medicines are also free.
Medicines that do cost money are
very inexpensive
• The doctors in Spain don´t make
as much money as the doctors in
other countries
 MONEY

• The currency used in Spain is

Euro
• 1 Euro is equal to 1.3259 US$
 PEOPLE
• The people in Spain are referred to as
Spaniards
• Approximately 87.8% of the people are
natives and the rest are immigrants
• Part of the Spanish population is the
Spanish Roma (formerly-nomadic
community that holds importance in
Spanish culture and folklore)
• Religion:
– Catholics: 76%
– Other religions: 5%
– Atheists: 19%
• Literacy rate: 97.9%
 FAMOUS
PERSONALITIES

JAVIER BARDEM

PENELOPE CRUZ
 FAMOUS
PERSONALITIES

RAFAEL NADAL

IKER CASILLAS
 FAMOUS
PERSONALITIES
ENRIQUE
IGLESIAS

FERNANDO
ALONSO
CONFORMITIES
• Greetings consist
of a handshake
and a kiss on both
cheeks
• Spanish men
maintain longer
eye contact with females
• Life is slow paced
• Life begins when the sun goes
down
 CLOTHING

• Modern, conservative and stylish

• Girls wear trousers
• Boys are into designer wear
• Denim is “in”
• Short skirts and swim-wear are
frowned upon
 FAMILY

• Spain is very family oriented

• Sunday is considered “Family Day” and all of
the malls and stores are closed so no one in the
family has to work and everybody can spend
time with their loved ones
• Spaniards eat lunch together almost everyday
• The grandparents usually live with the families
• Families usually live near each other
 SIESTA
• Short nap taken in the
early afternoon, often
after the midday meal
• Such a period of sleep
is a common tradition
in Spain
• The real siesta takes
place in the bed and in
pyjamas, but a suitable sofa is also fine if
a bed is not available
• Timing is very important. A siesta should
last between 15-30 minutes, not more
than that
 NIGHTLIFE

• Evenings start with el paseo(a stroll

along the street)
• Spanish life is lived in the streets
• Street cafes and bars are open till
late night
• Nightclubs are the main attraction
for teenagers
 EDUCATION

• Education in Spain is free and it lasts

from 6 to 16 years of age.
• Children from the ages of 3-5 have the
opportunity of attending pre-
school, which is free for all students
• The child can get a job when he or she is
16 years old
• The current education in Spain is known
as the Fundamental Law of Education
 LANGUAGE
• Spanish (Español) is the official
language of Spain
• Second most spoken first language in
the world
• Examples:
- Hi : Hola - Bye : Adios
- Good Morning : Buenos días
- Good Afternoon : Buenas tardes
- Good Night : Buenas noches
- Thank You : Gracias
- Welcome : De nada
- Sorry : Lo siento
- Excuse me : perdón
 MUS C
• Music in Spain is traditionally
very upbeat and fast
• Over time, the music types of
pop, rock, hip-hop and heavy
metal have become
popular, especially in Madrid and
Barcelona
• Spain has over 40,000 professional
orchestras
• The most popular traditional
musical instrument, the
guitar, originated in Spain
 DANCE
• Complicated dance movement that originates
from the native country of Spain and is not
predominately influenced by other
communities or cultures
• It is mainly performed by talented
professionals
• Traditional Spanish dances are:
– Flamenco
– Jota Aragonesa
– Sardana
– Muñeira
– Zambra
– Bolero
– Fandango
– Paso doble
– Sevillana
 FLAMENCO

• A passionate dance hailing from

gypsies, flamenco is internationally
famous
• It is a great Spanish Tradition
• Cante: the song
• Baile: the dance
• Guitarra: guitar playing
JOTA ARAGONESA

• This typical dance hails from the

north of Spain, namely Aragón
• Features a fast tempo as couples
dance with their hands raised high
above their heads playing
castanets
 SARDANA

• Several couples join hands

and dance in a closed circle
in this traditional dance
from Catalonia
 MUÑEIRA

• Danced in twos or alone along

the music of bagpipes
• Typical throughout Galicia and
Asturias
 BOLERO

• One of the oldest and most

traditional dances in the history
of Spanish dance
• Quick Spanish dance boasting
sudden pauses and sharp turns
 PASO DOBLE

• A quick one-step Spanish dance

 SEVILLANA

• Lively and joyous dance typical

of Seville and reminiscent of
flamenco that features four
distinct parts
FIESTAS(FESTIVALS)
AND TRADITIONS

• Each town has its own celebration

• Spain celebrates national holidays
such as Christmas, Easter, All Saint‟s
Day, etc.
• Majority of festivals are religion
based
PATRON SAINT’S DAY

• Celebrated in a high-spirited way

• Street parties, processions, travelling
fairs, bullfighting, fireworks, cockfigh
ts, horse races, etc. take place
• Indigenous people dress in native
costumes and show traditional
dances and music
CHRISTMAS
 CHRISTMAS
• December 23:
– Sing, pray, and eat together at every
house
– Sing villancicos (carols) together
– Asaltos – surprise visits by groups
of friends going from one house to
another
– Children ask for aguinaldo (or small
gift)
• December 24 “La noche buena”:
– Everyone attends midnight mass
– Drink, dance, open presents, eat
foods such as tamales and turkey
DÍA DE LOS TRES REYES
(THREE KINGS DAY)
• Children fill small boxes with
grass for the King‟s horses and
parents replace the grass with
gifts
• Christmas decorations are taken
down
• Boys play the part of the three
kings and wear fake
beards, crowns, and long robes
and sit in the plazas of towns
where children go to have their
pictures taken
CARNIVAL
 CARNIVAL
• Originated in medieval Europe as the final
celebration of feasting and merrymaking
• Spanish and West African traditions
merged – West African slaves took
advantage of the 4-day Spanish holiday to
revel in their freedom and turned it into an
elaborate celebration
• A time to drink, eat, and party in excess
• Men wear a papier-mache mask of several
colors, an orange or red sash draped across
the torso
• Women wear pollera de gala or deluxe
pollera, complete with elaborate headpieces
and jewelry made of gold and pearls
 LA TOMATINA
TOMATO FIGHT
 LA TOMATINA
TOMATO FIGHT
• Worlds' biggest food-fight
• Every year around 30,000 people descend on
to the Spanish town of Buñol (in the Valencia
region of Spain) to throw more than 240,000
pounds of tomatoes at each other
• The festival is started with a ham-on-a-stick
contest where competitors race up a pole to
retrieve a smoked leg of ham
• When the ham is cut down, people put on eye
protection and cry for tomatoes as trucks
dump the squishy produce onto the village
streets
• They then proceed to pelt each other with
tomatoes until all have been used up
 LA TOMATINA
TOMATO FIGHT
• The festival on the last Wednesday of August
is called „La Tomatina' and is basically a town-
wide tomato fight
• It is thought that the tradition began in 1945
when a fight erupted among two young
members of a carnival crowd. A vegetable stall
was nearby in the town square and everyone
started throwing tomatoes at each other
• Exactly one year later, young people met at
the square, but this time with their own
tomatoes
• In the following years this practice was
banned by the authorities, but due to popular
demand, it was given official recognition in
1959
CORRIDA DE TOROS
(BULL FIGHTING)
CORRIDA DE TOROS
(BULL FIGHTING)
• National sport of Spain
• Bull fighting is very closely associated with Spain
and can trace its origins back to 711 A.D
• This is when the first bullfight took place in
celebration for the crowning of King Alfonso VIII
• It is very popular in Spain with several thousand
Spaniards flocking to their local bull-ring each
week
• It is said that the total number of people watching
bullfights in Spain reaches one million every year
• The top bullfighter, called the Matador, performs
the faena, which is a dance with death to
demonstrate his superiority over the bull
• One wrong move and the Matador could be
impaled on the horns of the bull
CUISINE
 CUISINE
• Is influenced by the
Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Jews, Moors
and Muslim Andulicians
• Their traditional pattern is composed of four
meals a day plus some snacks:
– A light breakfast (desayuno): coffee or
chocolate, bread, or churros
– Midmorning breakfast: grilled
sausages, fried squid, bread with tomato
or an omelet
– Light snack: tapas
– Lunch (comida): soup or salad, fish or
meat, and dessert
– Tea and pastries (merienda)
– Supper: soup or omelets and fruit
 TAPAS

• Finger food, or (tapas) can be anything that is

served as a finger food usually in a small bowl
• This finger food can be anything from cheese
& ham to olives and is usually eaten at the
same time as drinking at a tapas bar
• The finger food is usually left out on bars and
people will nibble away while drinking and
socializing at the bar
 PAELLA

• Valencian rice dish

• Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain's
national dish, but most Spaniards consider it
to be a regional Valencian dish
• There are three widely known types of paella:
– Valencian paella
– Seafood paella
– Mixed paella
Rice pudding
(Arroz con
leche )

Fixuelos
 CATALAN CREAM
• Most famous dish in
Catalonia
• Served on Saint
Joseph's Day, March
19 and is flavored
with lemon or
orange zest, and
cinnamon.
GAZPACHO
• Raw vegetable soup
made of hard
bread, tomato, cucu
mber, bell
pepper, garlic, olive
oil, vinegar of
wine, and salt
PATATAS BRAVAS
 GAMBAS AJILLO
(GARLIC PRAWNS)
PESCADO FRITO
(FRIED FISH)
TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA
(SPANISH OMELET)
 SPANISH ARMED
FORCES (FUERZAS
ARMADAS
ESPAÑOLAS)
 SPANISH ARMED FORCES
(FUERZAS ARMADAS
ESPAÑOLAS)
• Supreme Chief Of Armed Forces (jefe
supremo de las fuerzas armadas) : the
current Chief of the Defence Staff is
General Admiral Fernando Garcia
Sanchez
• Active Members of NATO, the
Eurocorps, and the European Union
Battlegroups
• Three Main Branches:
- Spanish Army
- Spanish Navy
- Spanish Air force
SPANISH ARMY

• Oldest and the largest of the

three services
• Consists of 6 commands:
- Central Command
- Southern Command
- Levante Command
- Eastern Pyrenees Command
- Northwestern Command
- Western Pyrenees Command
 HISTORY OF
SPANISH ARMY
• Earlier, the Army was grouped
into two basic categories:
- The Immediate Intervention Forces
-consisted of 3 divisions and 10 brigades
-had the missions of defending the
Pyrenean and the Gibraltar frontiers and of
fulfilling Spain's security commitments
abroad
- The Territorial Operational Defence
Forces
-consisted of 2 divisions and 14 brigades
-maintaining security in the regional
commands and reinforcing the Civil Guard
and the police against subversion and
terrorism
 SPANISH LEGION

• The Spanish Legion, founded in

Spanish Morocco in 1920, has always
been under the direct command of the
chief of the army staff
• It has had a reputation as the toughest
combat unit in the service. It had a
higher number of career soldiers than
other units.
 SPANISH WARS

• Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) : between

Spain and UK
• Treaty of London: End of English disruption to
Spanish shipping and colonial expansion;
English Channel opened to Spanish navigation;
piracy against the Spanish Atlantic convoys
halted.
• Spanish–American War (1898) : between Spain
and the UK.
• Treaty of Paris: Independence of Cuba
SPANISH NAVY
 SPANISH NAVY
• One of the oldest active naval forces in
the world
• Responsible for the discovery of
Americas, the first world
circumnavigation, and the discovery
of a maritime path from the Far East
to America across the Pacific Ocean
• Was the most powerful maritime force
in the world in the 16th and early 17th
centuries
• After a gradual decline in the second
half of the 17th century, it was revived
following the Spanish War of
Succession and for much of the 18th
century, it was the third strongest in
the world
 SPANISH NAVY

• Consists of two units:

• The Special Operations Unit (Unidad de
Operaciones Especiales (UOE)): Trained in
maritime counter-terrorism, combat diving and
swimming, coastal infiltration, ship
boarding, direct action, and special
reconnaissance
• The Combat Diver Unit (Unidad Especial de
Buceadores de Combate (UEBC)): Trained in
underwater demolitions and hydrographic
SPANISH AIR FORCE
SPANISH AIR FORCE

• Hot air balloons had been used with

military purposes in Spain as far back as
1896
• On 17 December 1913, during the war
with Morocco, a Spanish expeditionary
squadron became the first organized
military air unit to see combat during the
first systematic bombing
SPANISH AIR FORCE
• The present Spanish Air Force was
officially established on 7 October
1939
• The Air Regions and their
Command centres after the
changes became the following:
• Combat Air Command (MACOM)
located in Madrid
• Tactical Air Command
(MATAC), Sevilla
• Transport Air Command
(MATRA), Zaragoza
• Canary Islands Air Command
(MAQUEN), Las Palmas
SPANISH AIR FORCE
 SPORTS
• Sport in Spain in the second half of
20th century has always been
dominated by football
• Other popular sport activities
include basketball, tennis, cycling,
handball, motorcycling, Formula
One, water sports, golf, and skiing
• Spain has also hosted a number of
international events such as the 1992
Summer Olympics in Barcelona and
the 1982 FIFA World Cup
 SPORTS
• Rafael Nadal's Wimbledon
championships in 2008 and 2010
• The 2006 World Basketball
Championship
• The 2009 Basketball Eurocup
• The 2008 Tennis Davis Cup
• Atlético Madrid UEFA Europa
League 2010
• FC Barcelona European success in
2006, 2009 and 2011, the football
team bringing home the Euro
2008 trophy & the 2010 FIFA World
Cup
 FOOTBALL
• Football is the most popular sport in Spain
• La Liga or Primera División (The Spanish
League) is considered to be one of the
world's best competitions
• Successful teams in recent European
competitions are FC Barcelona, Real
Madrid, Sevilla, Villarreal, Valencia and
Atlético Madrid
• The Spanish national football team has
been successful and has qualified for
the FIFA World Cup tournament thirteen
times since 1930
• In 2010, Spain defeated the Netherlands in
the final to win the tournament for the
first time
 BASKETBALL
• The Spanish ACB is one of the major
European basketball leagues
• Spanish teams such as Real
Madrid, FC Barcelona and Joventut
Badalona have won international
championships such as the Euro
League or the Eurocup
• The Spanish national basketball
team has achieved a high ranked
position in the international
tournament by winning their first
ever gold medal at the 2006 FIBA
World Championship
 TENNIS
• Spain has produced a number of tennis
champions, excelling in tournaments
held on clay courts such as the Roland
Garros tournament
• Rafael Nadal is considered the greatest
Spanish tennis player of all time
• He has won the French Open four
consecutive times
• Nadal is the Gold Medalist at 2008
Summer Olympics in Beijing, China
• He currently has ten grand slam titles
to his name, six French Open titles, two
Wimbledon titles, one US Open title
and one Australian Open title
 MOTORSPORTS
• Spain has hosted three Grand Prix
motorcycle racing events. They include
the Catalan motorcycle Grand
Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix, and
the Valencian Community motorcycle
Grand Prix
• In Formula One, the two world
championships of Fernando
Alonso have made the sport popular in
Spain
• Due to this popularity it is currently the
only country to host two Grands
Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix in
Barcelona and the European Grand
Prix on the Valencia Street Circuit
 CYCLING AND GOLF
• Cycling has been an important sport
in Spain since the 1940s
• The Vuelta a España ("Tour of
Spain") is one of the most important
cycling events in the world
• Golf has become popular among the
Spaniards
• There are a number of golf courses
located in different parts of Spain
GRACIAS