¡Bienvenidos al mundo
hispanohablante!
An Introduction to the Spanish
speaking world
Why do we study Spanish?
• Jobs: Bilingual employees are in increasing demand
• Global Awareness: to understand all components of a culture,
you must understand the spoken language and the culture of the
people – many of the US important trading partners are Spanishspeaking countries (*37% of all US trade is with Latin America)
• Opens up a world of information: the Spanish culture influences
our daily lives in entertainment, movies, books, TV shows, etc.
• College: Universities require foreign language study
• Language Acquisition: Helps you learn your own English
language better and the roots of certain words. - COGNATES
(Fact: SAT Verbal scores are higher with foreign lang. study)
• Future: years to come in parts of the US (NY, TX, CA), minorities
will soon become the majority population – Spanish is the second
most spoken language in the US
The Spanish Language: Fun Facts
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Romance language - derived from Latin
One of five official world languages
Spoken by over 340 million people
Spoken in Spain and 19 Latin American countries
and in parts of Africa, Philippines and the US
How it influenced(s) the US….
• To think about:
A. What US states and/or cities have been
influenced with Spanish names?
B. What countries do most Spanish-speaking
immigrants come to the US from?
Central & South America, Caribbean = Latin America
Mexico
Spain
La Península Ibérica
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España: Facts
Capital: Madrid (*Barcelona is the most industrial city)
Geography: Forms Iberian Peninsula with Portugal;
mountainous North & South (Los Pirineos separate Spain and
France to the North and 4 other large mt. chains) – desert like
in the middle interior; Mediterranean Sea to East & Atlantic to
West; Strait of Gilbraltar to South to separate Africa
Islands: Balearic in Mediterranean Sea & Canary in Atlantic
Ocean
Currency: Euro (EUR) (formerly peseta)
Religion: Roman Catholic
Language: Castilian Spanish (castellano) (*Catalan, Basque,
Galician)
Climate: temperate; North – rains frequently; Interior - clear,
very hot & dry summers & more cloudy & breezy on coast with
cold winters; South – warm (ideal to travel in May, June, Sept.)
España: Facts
• Known for: Skiing in North, grapes for wine, olives, fishing
villages, Gothic cathedrals, Roman ruins, art treasures in
Museo del Prado, medieval castles, 2,000 beaches along
coastline (Costa del Sol)
• Provinces: 19 autonomous communities each with a capital
and within each there may be more than one province (state)
Map of Spain's 19 Autonomous Communities and Provinces
• Government: Parliamentary Monarchy (ie: Parliament headed
up by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero makes
decisions but King Juan Carlos I reigns as Chief of State)
La América Central y las Antillas
La América del Sur
Latin America & Caribbean Islands: Facts
• Spanish-speaking Islands of Caribbean include: (Las Antillas)
Cuba, Dominican Republic & Puerto Rico. Cuba is the largest.
• Mexico: second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world;
lies South of US and is separated by the Rio Grande. Mexico
City is the capital - largest & highest city in the world built on top
of an ancient Aztec city; Gulf of Mexico to East and Pacific
Ocean to West; Land of Ancient Maya & Aztec civilizations.
• Central America: connects North & South America; Caribbean
Sea to East & Pacific to West; contains 6 Spanish-speaking
countries; Nicaragua is the largest country; Panama Canal
connects Central to South America
• South America: surrounded by water; contains Andes Mts.
(longest chain in the world); contains 9 Spanish-speaking
countries; Argentina is the largest (las Pampas y los gauchos)
US Spanish Influence –
Historical Fun Facts:
• The Spanish where among the first European
explorers in what is the US today.
• The first European settlement in the US was
founded by the Spanish in 1565 at St. Augustine,
FL.
• Parts of the US once belonged to Mexico (ie: TX,
CA, AZ, NM, NV, UT) until 1848 when the Mexican
Congress signed El Tratado de Guadalupe
Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War and
Mexico ceded lands to the US
What did we learn?
• Geography shapes a language and a culture.
• Language and culture go hand in hand……
Learning about a culture of a country makes learning the
language more meaningful – understanding how they
use and express words and why.
Ex: the Spanish spoken in Mexico is different from the
Spanish spoken in Spain or the Dominican Republic
and even within countries such as Mexico and Spain
Useful informational links for
Spanish-speaking countries:
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CIA World Factbook
Spanish-speaking countries
Spanish Resources
Fodor's Travel Site
Food and Recipes
Latin Cooking
Famous Hispanics