Spain

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Capital: Madrid

Famous Cities Barcelona Palma De Mallorca Malaga Costa del Sol

History Muslims from North Africa, lived in and ruled Spain for hundreds of years. It all started when Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād (A Muslim commander) led a large army and crossed the North African coast to Spain & stayed there for 100 of years. * In 1492 Christopher Columbus discovers America with the help of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain. Then, the Spanish rulers start forming their empire there in America. * In the 16th century Spanish kings ruled over many European countries, Portugal, Netherlands, parts of France, Germany, Italy and Austria. * Today, Spain is a colorful country known for its fiestas, flamenco dancing and bulls fighting.   

Fun Facts * The Spanish name for Spain is España. * The Spanish language is spoken in many areas of the world due to the early influence of the Spanish Empire. * The largest city and capital of Spain is Madrid. * The second largest city is Barcelona, which is located in Catalonia. * The population of Spain in 2012 was around 47 million. * The currency used in Spain is the Euro. *In Spain they drive on the right-hand side of the road. *Spain includes a number of islands including Mallorca, Ibiza and Gran Canaria, and the Canary Islands. *Spain produces a large amount of energy, including wind power and solar power. *Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Spain. *The 1992 Summer Olympic Games were held in Barcelona.

 Animals In Spain Spain has a wide variety of wildlife habitat as the country has both woodlands, forests, and seashore. This difference in habitat allows for many different types of animals. * Wild cat * Brown bear *Spanish Lynx *Wild boar *European polecat *Badger *Squirrels *Rabbits

Costumes

Royal Palace in Madrid One of the Spain landmarks is the Royal Palace, which is the official residence of the King of Spain. The Royal Palace is used for all official ceremonies and affairs of the state. The palace houses 2800 rooms, most of which are closed to the public. Tourists are allowed to tour about 50 rooms.

Running of the Bulls Pamplona is a city in Navarra, famous for its San Fermín festival held each year from July 6th – 14th. At the heart of the festival is the Running of the Bulls, an activity that involves running in front of a dozen bulls that have been let loose, on a course of the town’s streets.

Sagrada Familia The Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona.It’s a design by Antoni Gaudí who worked on this project for almost 40 years until his death in 1926. The construction of the basilica began in 1882 and still as yet not finished.

Bullfighting In the bullfighting a person fights a bull in a large arena surrounded by audiences. The main bullfighter is called the matador. Aided by a group of assistants. If a matador is injured, another replaces him, and the matador normally kills the bull. Most cities and towns boast a bullring, where the crowds cheer their favorite matador.

Spanish Foods  1.Manchego and Roasted Pepper Stuffed Mushrooms

2. Spanish Tortilla (Potato Omelet)

3.Shrimp Chorizo Rice

  4.Simple Chicken Paella

 5.Spanish Nut Tart

6.Crema Catalana

7.Spanish Omelette