An Introduction to Spain
By the INDP
Key Facts
• The Spanish name for Spain is España
• The population of Spain in 2012 was about 47
million
• The currency used in Spain is the Euro
• The largest city and capital of Spain is Madrid
• The second largest city is Barcelona, which is in
Catalonia
• Spain has a royal family like the UK – a new king
was crowned this week!
Geography
• Spain includes a number of islands including
Mallorca, Tenerife, Ibiza and Gran Canaria
• Mount Teide is the highest mountain in Spain. It is
an active volcano
• It is made up of 17 regions with different
languages and historical, political and cultural
traditions inc. the Basque country, Andalucia and
Catalonia
• Spain is the closest country to Africa, with a
separation of only 14 km (8.7 miles) at the closest
point
Map of Spain
Importance of Spanish Language
• The Spanish language is spoken in many areas of
the world due to the early influence of the
Spanish Empire
• It is spoken in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua,
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay &
Venezuela
• It is also spoken in parts of Andorra, Belize,
Gibraltar, Morocco, the Philippines and the USA
Spanish Food - La Comida Española
• Tapas (unas tapas) - small portions of food you eat in a bar (tapar means 'to
cover' and that's where the term tapas comes from as people used the small plate
on which the snack is served to cover their drink so that flies couldn’t get in!)
• Spanish omelette (la tortilla) - This is not like our egg omelettes, but thick
and made with potatoes and onion
• Bread with tomato (el pan con tomate) – bread rubbed with garlic &
tomato and drizzled with olive oil
• Nougat (el turrón) -
There are two main types: turrón de Jijona - soft nougat
and turrón de Alicante - hard nougat with whole nuts
• Cold soup (el gazpacho) - made of tomato, garlic, bread and olive oil. It is
typical of Andalucia in the south of Spain where it gets very hot in the summer
• La paella – the famous Spanish rice dish!
• Olives (las aceitunas)
• Dry cured mountain ham (el jamón serrano) legs hung from the ceiling in bars & delis
You often see the
Sport in Spain
• Football ('el fútbol) is the most popular sport in
Spain. Spain won the Football World Cup in 2010
• The national Spanish football team is nicknamed La
Furia Roja (The Red Fury)
• The 1992 Summer Olympic Games were held in
Barcelona
• Between March and October many Spaniards go to
an arena to watch a bullfight (una corrida de toros).
The earliest recorded Spanish bullfights took place in
the 11th century
• Golf & tennis are also very popular sports
Culture
• Flamenco - form of Spanish folk music and dance from the
region of Andalusia
• Festivals – Spanish love festivals including one called La
Tomatino, nr Valenica
• Musical instruments – accordian, guitar and castanets
• Art – famous artists include Goya, Picasso, Miro and Dali
• Siesta- Spaniards have an afternoon nap called a siesta
• Christmas – Christmas Eve is more important than the 25th
and children receive presents on 6th January (3 Kings Day)
• Tooth Mouse – no tooth fairy! Instead they have Ratoncito
Perez
Guess the Famous Spaniards - Past
1. Explorer
3. Artist
4. Artist
2. Architect
Guess the Famous Spaniards - Present
5. Actor
9. Golfer
7. Footballer
8. Actor
6. Singer
10. Actress
Muchos Gracias Amigos
Adios