The climate in Spain varies due to its scabrous topography and the position of the country,
but overall has a sub-tropical climate because of is location in the temperate zone. This
country has been practically divided into two climate zones- Rainy Spain and Dry Spain- by
a mountain range known as the Cantabrian Mountains.
Rainy Spain, as you may have guessed, receives a plentiful and heavy amount of rainfall yearround and is located at the north of the Cantabrian Mountains. The benefits of this water
are visible through the beautiful and flabbergasting vegetation and flora in Spain. Summers
are cool but pleasant and winters aren't harsh. Dry Spain, the climate zone located at the
south of the Cantabrian Mountains, is blistering with heat and rain is considerably rare
here. Oddly enough, winters are almost as severe as the summers, and it isn't rare for
temperatures to dip below freezing.
If you are planning on visiting Spain, the best time to visit would be the summer months,
April-October, but try to avoid the torrid months of July and August. During the summer
months, light cotton clothing and a hat or cap for your head to protect yourself from the
suns damaging rays are recommended. If you decide to visit during the winter months, a
warm large coat and some gloves are best suited for the often harsh winds and bitter
temperatures.
Spain is known for it's beautiful
scenery and open countrysides, so
there are many activities outdoors for
you to enjoy.You can take a ride in a
hot air balloon, hike through the ruged
terrain, and even ski in Catalonia.You
can go surfing in the low waves, ride a
boat throught the long rivers, and
explore caves along the Cantabrian
Mountains.
Of course you wouldn't want to leave
Spain without visiting some of the
tourist attractions. One of the most
spectacular cites is the Sagrada Familia
Barcelona, a Cathedral built in the
late 1800's to the early 1900's.
Spain’s arts and culture
are rather unique, some
of the best known
Spanish arts are the
Flamenco and Bull
fighting, but what people
don’t know is that Spain
has had a history full of
literature. Several artist
have come from Spain as
well like Diego Velázquez,
a famous Baroque period
painter. To the right is his
painting Infanta Margarita
Teresa
The Spanish are known for their large ties
to the Catholic church. They celebrate
Christmas, but rather differently.
Christmas in Spain started as a large
bonfire to Celebrate the Solstice, but now
Christmas day is spent in church, with
families not eating their feast till after
midnight.
Spanish food is one of
the most popular
Mediterranean
cuisines. There are six
different culinary
regions all with their
own style of food.
Common foods in
Spain are pig, lamb, sea
food and hardy stews.
Spain is also known
for its candies and
cookies.
Spanish Turron a Caramel like
candy with almonds
There are eight traditional Spanish dances. Here is a list of them:
Jota Aragenesa - This dance consists of a fast tempo with couples' hands
held high above their heads. This dance is mostly due to a Moorish poet
who was banished from Valencia in the twelfth century.
Sardana - A dance where couples join hands in a tight circle. This dance
came from Catalonia.
Muñeira - The dance also known as the "Miller's Dance" is danced in pairs
or alone to the sound of bagpipes.
Zambra - This dance began as a Moorish dance, this dance began as a
Moorish dance but the Moors had to adapt the dance to Spanish customs
when the monarchs Fernando and Isabel had power in Spain.
Bolero - A traditional dance, it is a quick step with sudden turns and
stops.
Fandango - This dance is a lively, happy dance danced in pairs.
Paso Doble - A quick-step Spanish dance.
Flamenco - The most famous of all Spanish dances, the Flamenco is a
passionate dance by the gypsies. The Flamenco Dance is oftenly described
as a fiery and is very thrilling to watch.
Spain is where the Spanish language
originated. As Spanish Conquistidors
traveled to new land in search of riches,
the language spread. The main factor of
the spread in the Spanish language was
their urge for other people to assimilate
to their culture
Spain has a well-developed public transit system. Railway systems are
frequent in Spain and are a good way to get around. Cities have good bus
routes, but the buses are small so they might be crowded. Taxis can be
fetched from the Taxi Rank, but it would be wise to ask the driver for
the special taxi driver license. The recommended tip is 5% to 10%. The
metro, or the subway systen, runs through the more populated cities of
Spain, such as Barcelona, Madrid, and Valencia.You can buy tickets for the
metro on a daily, weekly, or monthly timetable
The Royal Spanish Academy is considering taking away the necessity of the
accent marks on the words este, aquel, and solo, the Spanish words that mean
this, that, and only. The Academy consists of 46 judges meet frequently to
debate admissions from the Academy's Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Questions.
This unofficial Dictionary of Questions accepts admissions of questions about
adding oftenly used words to the official Spanish Dictionary.Victor GarcÍa de la
Concha, one of the judges at the Academy, says, "Words travel much faster
today because of internet. To survive a language must be used by a large
number of people in a consistent way and be up to date with technological
innovations."
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/velazquez_diego.html
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/dessertssweets/a/turron.htm
^ "Google Image Result for http://www.map-of-spain.co.uk/maps-of-spain/spain/map-of-spain2.jpg." Google Images. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.
<http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http:www.map-of-spain.co.uk/maps-of-spain/spain/map-ofspain2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.map-of-spain.co.uk/murcia_maps.htm&usg=__BNrnsds8NsFTxXnQlgyJjL9Rmk=&h=322&w=400&sz=42&hl=en&start=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Cxi451YaCGzsiM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=124&prev=/i
mages%3Fq%3Dspain%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive>.
^ "Climate in Spain." World Map, Map of the World. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. <http://www.mapsofworld.com/spain/climate-in-spain.html>.
^ Type your reference here."Clothes and customs in Madrid & Spain." Madrid Spain Tourist & Hotels Guide; Cheap apartments,
hostels, accommodation in the city center, maps, tours, tourism, flamenco information. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.
<http://www.gomadrid.com/practic/clothes-customs.html>.
^
"Spain Climate Map | Spain Maps." Maps of net - A collection of world, country and city maps. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.
http://mapsof.net/spain/static-maps/png/spain-climate-map.
^
Oppenheimer, Andres. "Royal Spanish Academy Ponders Changes to Spanish Language." IHaveNet.com. Web. 8 Dec. 2009.
<http://www.ihavenet.com/Royal-Spanish-Academy-Ponders-Changes-to-Spanish-Language-Andres-Oppenheimer.html>.
^
"Spain Transportation." MapsofWorld.com. Compare Infobase Limited. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. <http://www.mapsofworld.com/spain/spaintransportation/>.
^
http://www.pbds.tv/NewYearsParty2009/NewYearsParty2009.html
^ "Climate in Spain." World Map, Map of the World//. Web. 08 Dec. 2009. <http://www.mapsofworld.com/spain/climate-inspain.html>.
Ht\tp://z.about.com/d/gospain/1/0/r/H/-/-/Spain_flag.gif
www.dafont.com