Land & People
Geography
Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula, stretching south from the Pyrenees Mountains to the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Spain from Africa. To the east lies the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain’s Balearic Islands. Spain also rules two cities in North Africa and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic. The interior of Spain is a high, dry plateau surrounded and crisscrossed by mountain ranges. Rivers run to the coasts, creating good farmland. Spain has a population of around 47 million. Its capital city is Madrid and the official language is Spanish.
Arts
Spanish art, especially painting and sculpture, has been a contributor to Western Art and has produced many famous artists including the painters Picasso, Velasquez and Goya and the sculptors Berruguete and Ordonez. Spanish Art was particularly influenced by France and Italy during the Baroque and Neoclassical periods but Spanish art has often had very distinctive characteristics partly explained by the Moorish heritage in Spain and also by the political and cultural climate during the Counter-Reformation period. There are also other forms of art such as architecture and cinema which have achieved high marks of recognition.
Leisure time
Spanish people spend most of their free time relaxing and socializing, which involves get-togethers and family visits. They also love sports, going for a stroll, dining, clubbing and dancing. Flamenco clubs are extremely popular in Spain since Flamenco is a large part of their culture. Also watching bullfighting is common in Spain.
Education
Education in Spain is compulsory and free for all children aged between 6 and 16 years old and is supported by the national government together with the governments of each of the country’s 17 autonomous communities. Primary school and elementary school are considered basic education. Spanish Baccalaureate consists of two optional additional final years in High school required if students want to attend university.
Sports
Spanish people enjoy lots of different sports. Almost all Spanish towns and cities have got a football field or a stadium since Spanish love football. FIBA ranks basketball as the second most popular sport in Spain and as a nation is only behind the US in terms of the overall popularity of the sport. Spain has also developed into a leading and prosperous tennis nation in the last two or three decades. Some other popular sports are cycling and padel.
