Spain or also known as the kingdom of Spain is a beautiful country with a very alluring geography, history, culture, economy, missionary effort, and state capitol. Since Spain is such a large country it is packed full of information to research about. Spain is also the origin of many holidays and practices. Just because Spain is a foreign country doesn’t mean it can’t be interesting to others.
Geography
Spain is a beautiful country with astonishing landmarks and geographic information. Spain is located in southwest Europe (World Almanac 834) on the Liberian peninsula (Croy 7). To the north of Spain is France and the Bay of Biscay, to the south is the Strait of Gibraltar in the east is the Medaterian Sea, and in the west are Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean (World Almanac 834, 466). Two major landforms are the Sierra Nevada and the Pico de Aneto Mountain (World Book 741). Spain is also the largest country in the Liberian peninsula (Croy 7). Two major rivers in Spain are Duro River and the Guadiana River. (World Book 471). Spain’s language is Spanish and their religion is Roman Catholic and Muslim (World Almanac 834). Spain’s main natural recourses are gold, fish, and livestock (World Almanac 835).
Economy
Spain’s economy is a well-based way to equally spread money to all of the people. Spain’s currency is the European union euro. The gross domestic per capita is thirty three thousand six hundred euros a year. In labor force 2.4 percent goes to agriculture, 24 percent to industry, and 71.1 percent to services (World Almanac 835). By January twenty third 2011 One U.S.A dollar is only zero point seventy-five euros and one euro is equal to one dollar and thirty-three cents (Culture Grams). Three major agriculture products are wood, potash, and Zink (World Book 743).
Culture
Spain’s culture is very unique with interesting holidays and ethnic groups. One of Spain’s most interesting holidays is called the Twelfth Night. During the Twelfth Night the people of Spain give gifts instead of on Christmas. Even thought give them on the Twelfth Night but they still celebrate Christmas (Croy 27). Their ethnic groups are mixed Mediterranean and Nordic and their language is Spanish (Gale Vert Reference Library). On January eighteenth 2011 the population was 40,548,753 people and the literacy rate was 99% for male and 99% for female. The definition of literacy rate is, “The percentage of people over 15 who can read and write a paragraph of their life” (Culture Grams).
is a very sports-minded country. Baseball, basketball, football, and hockey are the most watched along with many other sports. However baseball is known as “America’s favorite pastime”. In America, games are usually played within its country’s borders. If a game is played outside of the country they will call it a “world championship” or something of the like (American Behavior). The main sport for Spanish speaking countries is futból, which is also known as soccer. In Hispanic culture this sport is huge, everyone learns to play when a kid and continues to either pay or watch as an adult (Spanish Culture). Bullfighting and bicycling are also common in this culture. Hispanic cultures spreads through many different countries around Spain, therefore they would go outside country borders to play other teams for games (Understanding the Hispanic
Since the 1970s, Venezuela has gone from being South America’s richest nation into a nouveau-poor society in search of an identity. Once known as the Saudis of the West, Venezuelans have seen their economic fortunes decline in exact proportion to the general fall in world oil prices. Even so, Venezuela’s many problems were hidden from view until relatively recently, when severity measures heralded the sort of economic crises so painfully familiar to other Latin American countries. Runaway inflation, currency devaluations and even food riots have marked this new phase in Venezuelan history, to which the country is still trying to adjust.
The country I chose to write my paper on is Spain. The capital of Spain is Madrid, and is located right in the center of Spain. Other major cities include Barcelona, Bilbao, Malagá, Sevilla, Valencià, and Zaragoza. Spain is part of the European Union, so the citizens of Spain can travel to other countries in the European Union with less documentation. The Spanish currency is the Euro, and some of their natural resources include copper, coal, iron rod, and uranium. Spain is a democratic state that follows a Constitutional Monarchy, which means that the written constitution limits the power of the monarchy, and power is shared between the monarchy and a elected branch of government. An interesting fact about Spain is that not only do they have a Parliamentary Government they have Royal Monarch as well. The current Prime Minister of Spain is Mariano Rajoy, and the King of Spain is Juan Carlos I.
chocolate. (Yum) Due to the popularity of tea in Spain, other drinks such as coffee and
There are a lot of similarities and differences in holidays of Spanish-speaking countries and the United States (US) including the types of holidays, dates they are celebrated, and traditions. donQuijote said, “In Spain there are many regional and national holidays which means that there is a Spanish festival or Spanish fiesta being celebrated somewhere in Spain every month of every year. Every town, city and region has its own traditional holidays or Spanish fiestas in honor of a patron saint, founder or important historical event.” (“Spanish Fiestas”.)
The Hispanic community represents many nationalities and ethnicities, including Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, 15 Central and South American countries, Spain, and the Dominican Republic (Cattan, 1993). Hispanic group are well known in the workforce, politics, education, social economic and religion. The Spanish culture influences a variety of areas such as music, food, language. Most languages are rooted in Latin. It is always good to learn about other cultures if we expect the same consideration when we visit other countries. Differences are what make life interesting. Majority of the United States is built on immigration, which has made this country the most diverse. And the Hispanic group contributes to that diversity.
Compared to other countries, France’s economy is the fourth largest in the world. France is a very industrialized nation, yet it has kept some of the cultural characteristics that contribute to its old-world charm. The economy is “exceptionally diversified” (“Economic Structure”, 1). It produces everything from aircrafts to pharmaceuticals.
Venezuela was one of the richest countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Current concerns include: a polarized political environment, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
The first main difference in Spanish countries is food traditions. Most of the food there is ritualistic and sacred. With the different foods that they have, they have different
In conclusion, the Christmas season in Spain is a more holy and traditional event than in the United States. If you were in Spain during this season you would be likely to see large feasts among family and friends, people worshipping in the streets, and children swinging and singing Christmas songs. Gifts are given at this time, but the Spanish people view it more as a time of worship and family togetherness. Although they generally spend less money on the Christmas season in Spain, it is as just as an important of a holiday as it is in America.
Spain, the third largest country in Europe, has a strong history and diverse culture dating back to when the Iberians first inhabited the land. The country lies between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and the land ranges from mountains to meadows. Over hundreds of centuries, many different civilizations have inhabited the land influencing the people there today. From the Visigoths and Celts to the Romans of the Middle Ages, Spain has received a rich history and background. One of the strongest of its cultures is the food. All of these cultures brought a particular type of food and combined and blended with the food that exists there today. Spain is very popular for olives, vineyards, and citrus fruit. Another well-liked food is garlic, including varieties of peppers and spices. Once spice specifically—golden saffron—is essential in many recipes, including the Spanish Paella. There are many distinguished Spanish foods that encompass the daily life and culture of the country.
Geography plays an important role in a countries beliefs, values and activities. “Traditional Spanish cooking has popular roots. It is the people's cuisine. Most of it is down-to-earth, uncomplicated food, based on the ingredients available locally or the crops grown regionally. Mountains run through Spain in several directions, acting as natural barriers to communication and making transportation difficult until the last half of the 20th century. This is just one of the reasons why cooking differs so much from region to region” (Food).
There are many reasons for differing diversity and abundances of species between two countries, and I believe I have touched on the most important aspects of them all. It looks as though Spain’s proximity to the equator is the driving force behind its high species numbers, but as all organisms are different and prefer various habitats and environments, that there are also a lot of problems with comparing and analysing data. In this time of climate change, all that we know about species diversity could change and so studies such as this are very important in understanding how global temperature change and melting ice caps affect the organisms that live on this planet.