SPAIN

Ever since ancient times, much of the Iberian peninsula has been inhabited. There is some 800,000 years of early evidence of human habitation found at the Atapuerca site in northern Spain. About 35,000 BC, Modern Man made its debut. Most of Spain was occupied by the Iberians somewhere around 4000 BC, arriving from the east. Later, the Celts came and settled in the northern third of the peninsula.

Government

The form of government in Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, that is, a social representative democratic constitutional monarchy in which the monarch is the head of state, while the prime minister whose official title is "President of the Government" is the head of government.

Society

Spain is a storied land with castles of stone, snowcapped mountains, massive ruins, and sophisticated towns, all of which have made it a preferred destination for travel. Geographically and culturally diverse, the nation is. The Meseta, a vast central plateau half a mile above sea level, is its heartland. Most of the area has historically been turned over to cattle ranching and grain production; it was in this rural environment that Don Quixote of Miguel de Cervantes tilted at the tall windmills that in many places still dot the landscape.

Culture

The culture in Spain is very unique, the Spanish are very welcoming and the country is known for its exotic beaches and lots of sunshine. Spain is also called the land of bullfighting because bullfighting is a very popular sport in Spain. Spain is one of the culture centers of Europe and it has been called so for several years now. The artistic heritage in Spain is second to none; Francisco de Goya was a very popular painter of the 18th century. His portraits of royalty are still preserved by the Spanish because these portraits are believed to be very special.

Paella mixta

Jamón ibérico

Literature

Spanish literature is the name given to the literary works written in Spain throughout time, and those by Spanish authors worldwide. Due to historic, geographic, and generational diversity, Spanish literature has known a great number of influences and is very diverse. Some major movements can be identified within Highlights include the Cantar de Mio Cid, the oldest preserved Spanish cantar de gesta. It is written in medieval Spanish, the ancestor of modern Spanish.

Arts

Spanish art is internationally renowned for being diverse, innnovative and exciting with many pieces embodying that timeless quality which leaves viewers awe-struck time and again. Some of the world's most famous painters and sculptors have been Spanish artists and the country continues to produce talented creative brains throughout the ages.

Dali's the temptation of st Anthony

Guernica

Music

Spain has a rich history and varied folk music traditions. The two best known musical genres from Spain are Flamenco and Celtic music, although Spain has many other musical styles and dances throughout its mainland and island regions.

Flamenco

Places

The grandeur of a caliph's palace, sybaritic sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches, the staccato stamp of a flamenco dancer's heels, the awed hush of pilgrims entering the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela after weeks of walking El Camino. You can find the soul of Spain in tourist attractions such as these, which represent the country's tumultuous history, rich culture, and enchanting natural beauty.

The Alhambra and Generalife Gardens, Granada

The Alhambra complex includes several buildings, towers, walls, gardens, and a mosque, but it's the indescribably intricate stone carvings, the delicate filigrees, the magnificent tile-lined ceilings, the graceful arches, and serene courtyards of the Nasrid palace that will haunt your dreams.

Barcelona's Sagrada Familia and Gaudi Sites

Antoni Gaudi took the architectural style known as Art Nouveau a step further, even, some have argued, into absurdity. The fanciful and outrageous buildings he created in Barcelona have become landmarks, the signature attractions of this Catalan city. Foremost is The Sagrada Família church, officially the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família or the Holy Family Church of the Atonement. One of Europe's most unconventional churches, it is also unfinished, so as you look down from its tower, you can see the work in progress below.

The Great Mosque of Cordoba (Mezquita)

Once the principal mosque of western Islam and still known as the Mezquita, Cordoba's mosque is one of the largest in the world and the finest achievement of Moorish architecture in Spain. In spite of later alterations that carved out its center to build a Catholic cathedral at its heart, the Great Mosque ranks with the Alhambra in Granada as one of the two most splendid examples of Islamic art and architecture in western Europe.

The Prado and Paseo del Artes, Madrid

The Prado alone ranks with the world's top art museums for the riches of its collections. But add the Reina Sofia National Art Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the CaixaForum, all along Madrid's mile-long, tree-shaded boulevard, and you have what may be the world's highest concentration of priceless art treasures. It's no wonder this is known as El Paseo del Arte — Boulevard of the Arts.

San Lorenzo de El Escorial

San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometers northwest of Madrid, was the summer home of Spain's kings, and in 1563, work was begun here on a huge complex, which would include a monastery, church, royal palace, mausoleum, library, and museum, all conceived as a monument to Philip II and his reign. The result is a staggering collection of attractions, built around 16 courtyards, its rooms and structures connected by 16 kilometers of corridors. At its core is the church, the highlight of which is Herrera's 30-meter-high retablo, made of jasper and red marble and approached by a flight of 17 steps.

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