Spain Facts Geography, Travel, Food

Welcome to my Spain Facts page. 

My name is Tiffany Macbeth and I love to travel and learn about the countries and people of the World.

I visited Spain in Southern Europe and am wearing a dress made out of the Spanish flag.  The Spanish coat of arms is shown in the centre of my dress. On the flag it is placed slightly left of centre.

As I travelled around the country, I learned a lot of facts about Spain. I have grouped them into Geography Facts, Travel Facts and Spain Facts of Interest. 

 

Spain Facts – Geography

Spain is the fourth largest country in Europe after Brazil and the forty-ninth largest country in the World. The Balearic islands of Minorca, Majorca and Ibiza as well as the Canary Islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma and Pico de Tiede are all a part of Spain.

Borders

Spain shares a border with Portugal, Andorra, France and Gibraltar. The border with France is dominated by the Pyrenees mountain range while the eastern coastline is on the South Atlantic Ocean. 

Longest River

The longest river is the Tagus. It measures 1007km and passes through Spain and Portugal.

Highest Mountain

The highest mountain in Spain is Pico de Teide which is on the island of Tenerife. It measures 3718m. 

Population

The population of Spain is 47,163,418 (2022) the 31st most populous country in the World. 

The five most populated cities are:
Madrid (Capital City) – 3.14 million
Barcelona – 1.60 million
Valencia 790,000
Seville – 690,000
Zaragoza – 600,000

source: CIA World Factbook

 

Spain Facts – Travel

Language

The official language of Spain is Spanish. When travelling around Spain I found the following phrases very useful:

Buenos días. – Good morning.
Por favor. – Please.
Gracias. – Thank you.
¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much is this?
¿Habla inglés? – Do you speak English?
No entiendo lo que dijo. – I don’t understand what you said.
Por favor, hable más despacio. – Please speak slower.
¿Dónde está el baño? – Where is the bathroom?
¿Dónde está la parada de autobús? – Where is the bus stop?
¿Dónde está la estación de tren? – Where is the train station?

 

Currency

The currency of Spain is the Euro. The sign for the Euro is €.

€1 = 100 Euro Cents

Euros are available in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 notes and 1 and 2 Euro coins. Euro cents are available in 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 euro cent coins.

 

Landmarks

There are many amazing places to visit in Spain. Here are my top 5 must-see landmarks in Spain. 

1. The Alhambra, Granada

The Alhambra Palace in Granada was originally a fortress built in 892 but was enlarged and made into a palace by the Moorish King, Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar in 1333.

After the Moors were sent out of Spain it was no longer used. It was re-discovered 400 years later and restored to its former glory. It is now a major tourist attraction in Spain.

2. La Sagrada Familia

Located in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia is an unfinished church designed by architect Antoni Gaudi. 12 of the planned 18 spires have been finished but the rest are still to be constructed. It is expected to be finished in 2026. Nevertheless it is a magnificent building and a must see when visiting Spain.

3. Plaza de Espana, Seville

The Plaza de Espana, located in Seville, is a large semi-circular plaza dedicated to Spain. Around the ground-level walls are mosaics depicting images associated with the main provinces of Spain. There are four bridges across the water way which represent the four ancient kingdoms of the country. A large fountain with seating area dominates the main area.

4. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

The Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain is an impressive example of modern architecture. Designed by architect Frank Gehry, and constructed from titanium, glass and limestone, the building is dedicated to displaying the works of Spanish and international artists. 

5. The Great Mosque, Cordoba

The Great Mosque in Cordoba, also known as the Mezquita de Cordoba, was originally built in 785 during the period when the Moors occupied southern Spain. In 1236 the Mosque was converted to a cathedral but the original architecture was retained. In 1523, Bishop Alonso de Manrique, ordered the construction of a Catholic cathedral in the centre of the building. The juxtaposition of Islamic and Christian architectural styles make this an amazing building to visit.

 

Spain Facts – Of Interest

 

Spanish Food

Here are my top 5 favourite Spanish foods.

Andalusian Paella served with chicken

Paella – A dish of saffron rice with vegetables and chicken or seafood.

Gazpacho – A cold soup made of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers and garlic. It is generally served with garlic bread.

Spanish Omelette (Spanish Tortilla) – This is a thick omelette made with eggs, onions and potato.

Churros – These are long fingers of sweet dough fried in oil and then covered in sugar and sometimes cinnamon as well. 

Leche Frita – This is a mixture of egg yolks, milk and flour that is left to set and then coated in breadcrumbs and fried. 

 

Top 20 Things Associated with Spain

Alhambra, Bull Fighting, Castanets, Fans, Flamenco Dancing, Football, Grapes, Guitar, Inquisition, Lace, Madrid, Olive Trees, Oranges, Paella, Sherry, Sierra Nevada, Tapas, Tomatina, Wine

 

Top 20 Famous People from Spain?

Here are Tiffany’s top twenty famous people from Spain:

Antonio Banderas, Antoni Gaudi, David Ferrer, Enrique Inglesias, Fernando Alonso, Fernando Torres, Francisco Goya, Hernando Cortes, Ignatius de Loyola, Juan Carlos, Juan Ponce de Leon, Miguel Cervantes, Montserrat Caballe, Pablo Picasso, Penelope Cruz, Placido Domingo, Rafael Nadal, Salvador Dali, Sergio Garcia, Seve Ballesteros

 

Published July 22, 2022 @ 7:25 pm