Section 1) Spanish History- When was Spain established? Spain is not immediately formed, but formed through a series of basic processes and events over centuries. Today, Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula in the southwestern corner of Europe. Modern Spain shares borders with France and Portugal. Historically, Spain has been dominated by Catholics, but Muslims had occupied for some time in the past. Today, Spain hosts several different cultural groups, including Basque and Catalan. The first thing that began to create Spain was the Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, which has been named the Reconquista (re-conquest). In the early seven hundreds, a large part of Iberia belonged to the rule of the Umayyad Islam. The Reconquista campaign was used to evict Muslim invaders led by several small Christian …show more content…
Other cities are the internal city's such as the capital Madrid and Selvilla. Spain is also home to 3 main languages other than spanish, which are Catalan, Galician, and Basque. Spanish is spoken by 74 percent of the population as their first language and is the national language, which makes sense as it is the most prevalent by far. The main riff is between spanish speakers and catalan speakers, as there is diversity in state whether the land that Catalan speakers dominantly occupy should be allowed to have independence from Spain. Spain is dominantly Catholic because of its catholic background. After Catholic practices the population is mainly atheist or non believers. As said before tho, there had been a muslim past before the reconquest of the Iberian peninsula. Lastly about 7.8 to every thousand people in living in spain immigrated there. There is also the problem of people illegally immigrating from morocco into spain, and bringing drugs to europe with them, such as cocaine and hadash. Section
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
Spain emerged with a central identify in 1469. Until this point, Spain was involved in a civil war. Fighting ceased with the marriage of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand.(Bowen, 2007) Within a few decades, Columbus made his historic journey with Spain’s backing, and arrived at what is now Central America. With a recently unified identity, and the practically untapped resources of the land, Spain quickly started colonizing the continent.(Bowen, 2007)
What was Spain like before the Golden Age? King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ruled the kingdoms that eventually became the country of Spain. Ferdinand and Isabella were intent on having a kingdom free of any faith other than Christianity. Many people were killed or even banished from the country. King Ferdinand and Isabella moved their kingdom into a great age for Spain, but did not achieve this in the best way.
...s in its Golden Age. Isabella and Ferdinand formed the Kingdom of Spain. Spain was not completely unified by the time they died, but it was well on its way to becoming Europe.
The Spanish Inquisition was used for both political and religious reasons and founded by the Catholic Kings in 1478 . Spain at the time was a nation-state that was born out of religious struggle between numerous different belief systems including Catholicism, Islam, Protestant and Judaism. Following the Crusades and the Reconquest of Spain by the Christian Spaniards the leaders of Spain needed a way to unify the country into a strong nation.
Spain, dating back to 756, used to be a Muslim state and covered the entire land except for the northern most part of it. It was not until 778 when the Spanish March was created in order to merge the Muslim and Christian cultures together. However, with the lack of unity over the years, a bloody rivalry continued as the two sides fought constantly until a victory was won. The Christians received the victory because of its religious enthusiasm and dynamic expansion, which caused their side to continue to live in harmony and peace.
Later, the Inquisition turned to people of Islam and attempted to convert the in the same way they had done to the Jews. And, even later, to those suspected of being Protestants. The Spanish Inquisition was similar to the first inquisition that was started in France.
Religion is very important in Spain. Many Spaniards are baptized, married and buried as followers of the Roman Catholic church. Under the 1978 constitution the church is no longer Spain's official or recognized faith, though financial support is still provided by the state. As a result, the church's effect on the Spanish
The Cult of Saint James was born through turmoil but survived because of faith. The fact that Spain was never conquered by the Moors and turned into an Arab nation is believed to be thanks to Saint James, and also why he is, and has been, the patron saint of Spain. Santiago de Compostela is considered one of the three most important centers of Christianity with Jerusalem and Rome being the other two. For this feat, Spain was and is grateful to Saint James, and the pilgrimage to his tomb has been a monumentous occasion for Christians all over Europe and the world.
Queen Isabella ruled Spain in the Medieval Era. After the death of her brother, Henry IV, Isabella was named Queen of Castile. When she came to power in the 1460s, a civil war had begun. Isabella married one of the most well-known royals, Ferdinand, who was the Prince of Aragon. Her marriage put Spain on its way to a national unity by uniting the regions of Castile and Aragon. By sponsoring a voyage to the new world, Isabella helped Spain out of extensive debt. After Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the new world, Spain’s economy and agriculture prospered greatly. Isabella had also launched the Spanish Inquisition, or Reconquista, which created laws against Muslims and Jews. Despite the fact that she was an absolute monarch, many people looked up to her and Ferdinand for reducing Spain’s debt following the civil war (Isabella I). Throughout her reign, Queen Isabella of Castile contributed to Spain’s unification and dominance in Europe. Her contributions to Christopher Columbus’ voyage, her support for the spread of Christianity, and her political alliances led to Spain being unified.
The reconquest took a long time due to the fact that the Christian kingdoms Castile and Leon had split apart in the 10th century. At the time, the Muslims were called the Moors who had lost a vast amount of their unity within these long battles. Aragon was formed in 1035 as a new Christian peninsula, which would later unite back with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. As kings died and new heirs gained the throne, slowly Reconquista was occurring. The Moorish culture was not fully annihilated from Spain; Toledo became the crossroads for people of all different religions and cultures. Escuela de Traductores was developed in Castile after they had completed their part in the reconquest. Among all of this, existing tensions between Portugal, Aragon, and Castile had vanished and the states consolidated their holdings. Two very powerful leaders, Ferdinand and Isabella, united the Spanish Crown through their marriage and together, they were able to complete the conquest of
The Grand Mosque of Córdoba remains to this day, one of the finest mosques, of that which once was part of the west of the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate. Córdoba was once the capital and seat of the Umayyad Caliph in Spain; then known as Al-Andalus. As such, this city was graced in the days of Islamic Rule by the building of a mosque; a most fundamental part of any Islamic city. If one were to think of Spain now, Islam is of course not the first thought that would usually come to mind. Spain is, after all, a Christian land with a deep Roman Catholic history, and the location of many Christian Pilgrimage destinations. Thus, one would be forgiven for thinking that the Islamic Empires had probably never even reached as far as West Europe. The Grand Mosque of Córdoba tells a different story.
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.