Spanish I- Unit I
ESPAÑA
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
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Quick Facts
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Located on the Iberian
Peninsula (La Península
Ibérica) in Europe
Capital- Madrid
Currency: Euro
Government: Parliamentary
Monarch
Languages: Catallano,
Gallgo, Vasco, Catalan
http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/Continent%20Maps/Country%20Maps/Europe/Spain.htm
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http://www.google.com/imgres?q=euro&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1280&bih=843&g
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ns/lesson_7/index_en.htm&docid=nQvhSTPITMcCTM&w=400&h=266&ei=4RNJTp_B
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ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0&tx=163&ty=96
Page R2
in your
textbook
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
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Spain was ruled by the Romans for 7
centuries until the Moors invaded and ruled
parts of Spain in 711A.D.
In 1492, Catholic monarchs ruling Spain
began the era of Spanish expansion where
they sent many explores and missionaries to
colonize parts of the Caribbean, Central, and
South America.
Wars with France, England, and the United
States weakened the Spanish Empire which
resulted in a civil war from 1936-1939. After
the civil war, Spain was ruled by General
Franco until his death in 1975. After the
death of General Franco, Spain became and
remains a parliamentary monarchy.
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
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Spain in bordered on the
Northeast by France (Francia)
and Portugal to the West.
Spain is also bordered by three
Bodies of water: the
Mediterranean Sea (Mar
Mediterráneo) to the East, the
Bay of Biscay (Mar Cantábrico)
to the North, and the Atlantic
Ocean (Océano Atlántico) to the
West.
The coast of Africa can be seen
from the southernmost point in
Spain. The Straight of Gibraltar
(El Estrecho de Gibraltar)
separates Spain and Morocco.
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
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Spain is a mountainous country with several
mountain ranges. It is the 2nd most
mountainous country in Europe.
 Picos
de Europa in the North are the largest
national park in Europe. The tallest peak is 2,648
meters tall.
 Los Pirineos separating Spain and France in the
Northeast
 Sierra de Guadarrama in the center of the country
 Sierra Nevada in the South
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
La Meseta is the high plateau (or highland) in
the interior part of Spain. The climate in this
area is similar to that of Montana, with very
cold winters.
 Spain is also known for it’s coastal areas:
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 La
Doñana is a nature reserve along the coast of
Andalucia where many species of bird are
protected.
 Tossa de Mar is a beautiful beach in the northern
part of the country that attracts tourists from all
over the world.
http://www.flic
kriver.com/ph
otos/jrervin/3
214227341/
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
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Regions and Cities:
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The region of Andalucía is known for exporting of olive
oil to countries throughout the world.
 Andalucía
is also known for having flexible time.
La Mancha (of the the region of Castilla-La Mancha) is
known for its windmills.
 Galicia is known for the use of Celtic-inspired music
festivals.
 The city of Sevilla holds a yearly festival with traditional
costumes, songs, and dances called Feria de Abril.
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GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
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La Feria de Abril is a week
long celebration that
began in the 19th century.
What began as a livestock
fair has evolved into a
large festival with
flamenco dancing, bright
colors, flowers, and
bullfighting. Many women
celebrate this event by
wearing traditional
flamenco dresses.
http://azaharsevilla.com/blog/2011/04/29/feria-deabril/
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
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Bullfighting (la corrida
de toros) has been a
Spanish tradition for
over 600 years. Many in
Europe see it as cruelty
to animals while others
defend the tradition.
Today, many towns
celebrate their patron
saint with festivities,
including bullfighting.
http://www.costadelsoltowns.com/andalucia-may-ban-bullfighting
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
http://ocxtreme.org/forumenus/showthread.p
hp?t=3935
Foods
 Paella is the most well-known seafood
dish in Spain.
 Gazpacho is a cold-soup of pureed
tomatoes and other vegetables
 La tortilla is a dish made with eggs,
onions, and potatoes that is similar to
an omelet.
 Paella, Gazpacho, and La tortilla are
foods that can be found throughout
Spain while most Spanish food is
influenced by the geography or history
of a particular region.
 Places like La Plaza Mayor in Madrid
are popular places during lunch time
for many Spaniards.
http://www.weheartfood.co
m/2007/07/gazpacho.htm
l
http://www.recetascocina.com.es/coci
na/receta-detortilla-de-chorizo-ypimientos-asados/
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3)
Los Bailes y La Música
 Las catañuelas are popular hand held instruments
used in many poplar songs and dances.
 Flamenco dancing is a popular dance throughout
Spain.
 Another popular dance in the Barcelona area is la
sardana. Many people often meet in front of the
cathedral in order to dance.
 In Galicia, the music and festivals reflect the areas
Celtic roots as the area was occupied by the Celts for
300 years between 900-600B.C. Much of the folk
music in this area has bagpipes and many wear
traditional kilts.
http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=
A0PDoV1gQzJSAX0AaTaJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTF
zYnZxZzNoBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZA
MyYmVhMTI3MjViY2MyZjI5ZDEzMDQ2NTgy
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3) (CONTINUED)
http://mi9.com/uploads/vista
/2873/museo-guggenheimbilbao_1024x768_48631.jpg
Architecture
 The Guggenheim (in
Bilboa) is a contemporarystyle museum
 Avila is city surrounded by
medieval walls.
 Much of the Architecture
in Spain reflects the Arab
influence in the country.
An example is La
Mezquita found in
Córdoba.
http://www.iupui.edu
/~santedit/askedition
photo.html
http://www.justspai
n.org/spain/cordob
a/photos/cordoba0
3.asp
GEOCULTURA- ESPAÑA (PGS 0-3) (CONTINUED)
Arte
 Diego Velazquez, Juan Miró,
Salvador Dalí, and Pablo
Picasso are just a few
famous Spanish artists.
Picasso spent much of his
life in exile due to the
dictatorship of General
Franco.
 Las cuevas de Altamira in
Santillana are an example
of prehistoric art. It is
believed this art was
created between 14,00012,000 B.C.
http://trabajoenriquemurillo2pcpi.blogspot.com/2011/05/cuevas-dealtamira.html
SOURCES
Content Information from the following textbook:

Humbach, Nancy, et. al. ¡Exprésate! Level 1. New York: Holt, 2006.
Images from the following websites:
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http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/Continent%20Maps/Country%20Maps/Europe/Spain.html
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http://www.flickriver.com/photos/jrervin/3214227341/
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http://www.enfrentearte.com/hotel-ronda/2009/03/seville-feria-2009-feria-de-abril.html
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http://www.enfrentearte.com/hotel-ronda/2009/03/seville-feria-2009-feria-de-abril.html
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http://www.costadelsoltowns.com/andalucia-may-ban-bullfighting
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http://ocxtreme.org/forumenus/showthread.php?t=3935

http://www.weheartfood.com/2007/07/gazpacho.html
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http://www.recetas-cocina.com.es/cocina/receta-de-tortilla-de-chorizo-y-pimientos-asados/
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http://mi9.com/uploads/vista/2873/museo-guggenheim-bilbao_1024x768_48631.jpg
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http://www.iupui.edu/~santedit/askeditionphoto.html
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http://www.justspain.org/spain/cordoba/photos/cordoba03.asp
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http://trabajoenriquemurillo2pcpi.blogspot.com/2011/05/cuevas-de-altamira.html