The Spain

When you think about Spain what things comes to your mind? Do you think of olives, or more controversially bullfighting? Spain is a country rich in culture, history and the physical features that influence them.

Location and Borders of Spain

Spain is situated in southwestern Europe. ln the north, it is bordered by the Bay of Biscay, in the east by the Balearic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, Portugal to the west and France and Andorra to the north. Morocco is across the Strait of Gibraltar to the south.

Spanning 505,990 km², Spain is the fourth largest country on the European continent. Madrid is the capital and most populous city, while Barcelona and Valencia are Spain's second and third most populous cities respectively.

Weather in Spain

Due to large in size, Spain have three different climate zones. Generally, visitors can expect a Mediterranean climate, characterized by dry, hot summers and mild, rainy winters. The climate is moderate on the Mediterranean coast with rains in spring and autumn. Inland, the summers are hot, dry and the rainfall decreases.

Meseta or the vast central plateau, has a more continental-influenced weather with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Generally, rain falls in spring and autumn.

The maritime climate, the third climate zone, is experienced north of the Cantabrian mountains, in Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia. It is categorized by mild winters and cool summers. Often the weather is cloudy with frequent rainfall.

Major Geographical Features of Spain

Spain is part of the Iberian Peninsula. Several major geographical features found in the country include the Andalusian Plains, the Sistema Central mountain range, the Sierra de Guadalupe mountain range, the Pyrenees mountain range, the Meseta Central Plateau, the Canary Islands and the Tagus River.

The Pyrenees is a fold mountain chain and largely consist of sedimentary rock. It is frequented by hikers and a popular route for Christian pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago. A Spanish archipelago off the coast of north-western Africa, the Canary Islands, rugged volcanic isles known for their black sand beaches. The Tagus River is the longest river of Spain that flows through the lberian Peninsula, starting in Spain and ending in Portugal.

Population of Spain

In 2021, Spain's population stood at 47.42 million people. Like many countries around the World, a large percentage of Spain's population is lives in the cities. The largest city, Madrid, had a population of 3.4 million in 2021. Most of its inhabitants are adults aged 35 years and above.

Population density

As of 2021, the population of Spain stands at 47.42 million. As compared to most western European countries Spain is less densely populated. Except Madrid, the populous regions in the country are located along the coastline.

Cultural Life of Spain

Ethnic groups

Spain is as colourful in ethnicity as its culture. There are three main ethnic groups: the Castilians, they are widely spread throughout the country; the Catalans, the are present in large parts of north-eastern Spain; and the Basques, they are mostly living in northern Spain. The Basque is also considered to be one of the oldest ethnic groups in Europe. In smaller numbers, there are the Andalusians, Galicians, Cantabrians and Gypsies.

Religion: Islamic influence in Spain

For the last six centuries, Christianity is dominant religion of Spain. However, from the 8th to the 15th century, Muslims ruled over many areas of Spain which lasted for 781 years (711-1492 CE). During this period, the areas captured by the Moors was known as "AI Andalus".

Tariq bin Ziyad, an Arab military commander, played a key role in the Muslims conquest of Spain. In the year 711 CE, he along with a large army crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from the north African coast, consolidated his troops at what is today referred as the Rock of Gibraltar. The Spanish name "Gibraltar" is derived from  the Arabic name "Jabal Tariq" which meaning mountain of Tariq". 

King Roderic of Spain was defending with 100,000 fully equipped fighters against Tariq's army. In view of this Tariq received of additional 7,000 cavalrymen as reinforcement on his demand. The two armies eventually came face to face in the Battle of Guadalete, where King Roderic was defeated by Tariq. From there, Tariq divided his troops into four battalions that succeeded in conquering most of Spain, and the region of Al-Andalus.

The Moors of Al Andalus included of the Arabs from the Middle East, now the recent country Syria, the Amazigh people of North Africa and the indigenous lberian tribes who accepted Islam during that period. However, the majority of the Moors were belong to Amazigh people. Except for some regions in north-western the Islamic rule in Spain covered nearly the entire country.

To this day, one of the most prominent historical buildings in Spain is the Cordoba Mosque, a heritage of Islamic Spain.

Languages

The languages spoken by the people in Spain reflect the dominant ethnic groups present. Hence, Spanish, also known as Castilian, is the most widely spoken language, spoken by 99% of the population. This is followed by Catalan, at 19% and Basque, at 2% of the population. They are all very different languages, as we can see the word for "food" in the three languages:

Food = comida (Spanish)

Food = menjar (Catalan)

Food = janari (Basque)

An interesting point to note is that although most of the languages spoken in Spain are based on Latin, there are many Arabic words found in Spanish vocabulary.

Lifestyle and food

There are some aspects of Spanish culture more well-known than others and one of them is the practice of siesta. Between 2 pm to 5 pm, many Spanish towns appear deserted as people rest indoors during this time. This originally started because the heat of the sun during the early afternoon made it seem sensible for people to take a short nap instead of work.

Spaniards also have a strong sense of familial bonding and it is common to have four generations living under one roof.

In terms of food, as a form of socializing, tapas (small portions of any kind of Spanish cuisine) are usually shared among family and friends before dinner. Spices and ingredients introduced by the Moors such as cumin, saffron, chickpea and eggplant are also common in traditional Spanish cuisine and rare in the rest of Europe.

The land of Spain was conquered by Romans, Barbarian, almost eight hundred years of Moors and even French. Therefore, culture of Spain is the result of a curious mixture between all of them.