Spain was invaded by the Romans in 206 b.c., bringing their language, latin, with them. Spanish is a derivative of latin. In 711 a.d., Spain was invaded by Moors, which are north Africans who practice islam. Spain, being catholic, fought back, eventually removing them in 1492. This is the same year Queen Isabel decided to give funding to Christopher Colombus. In the same year, they also succeeded in expelling the jews. Though, the jews made up most of their merchant class, causing their economy to completely collapse. There was a civil war in 1931, because the people wanted a republic, rather than a monarchy.
Government:
Parliamentary Monarchy: Today Spain is governed as a parliamentary monarchy with an executive branch made up of a King(Juan Carlos I) and a prime minister (Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero). Spain also has a bicameral legislative branch made up of the General Courts (made up of the Senate) and the Congress of Deputies. Spain's judicial branch is composed of the Supreme Court, also called the Tribunal Supremo. The country is divided into 17 autonomous communities for local administration.
Geography:
Spain has the biggest part of a peninsula they share with Portugal.They have a mountainous geography. There are lots of rocky landscapes that turn into plains. For the most part, Spain has many beautiful mountain and valley landscapes throughout the region. This rough terraion can make transportation an issue for travelers, but also small businesses, thereby effecting their economic status, which has just had more debt piled on to make matters worse. Big businesses and corporations however, are not really effected by the region's perilous pikes.
Culture:
Art: Spain has a very extraordinary art history. Dominant golden age figures were El Greco and Diego Velazquez. Francisco de Goya was first recognized in the 18th century as Spains most accomplished painter. He often painted scenes of Spanish royalty.
File:Paella de marisco 01.jpg
Food: Spanish food is very different from that of the United States. One particularly popular dish the have is paella. Its a saffron rice dish combined with white fish, shrimps, squids and clams. The rice can be mixed with fish and meat. Another acclaimed cuisine gachas, an ancestral basic dish from central and southern Spain. Its main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic and salt.
Music:Some popular Spanish musicians include Ella Baila Sola, Rosana Arbelo, and Mecano. They are mostly known for their pop and rock music.
Sports: The most followed sport in Spain is soccer. They often have parties and other types of gatherings based around soccer, sort of like Americans do with football. Barcelona, real Madrid and Sevilla are some of their major teams.
Tourism:
Alarcon: This is a beautiful medieval village about an hour and a half from Madrid. It is exquisitely marvelous, complete with castle and the works.
Benissa: Another small Spanish town, but much unlike Alarcon- it is home to many cultures from all over the continent. It is known to many as "little Europe".
San Sebastian: This is a breathtaking location with lush green mountains on one side, and beautiful blue ocean on the other.
Current Event: Recently, Spains economic status has entered a free fall. One of Spains indutries, olive oil, has been hit hard. A drought in Spain has caused olive trees to bear less and less olives, making it difficult for them to make money. They had already resorted to doing more exports than domestic sales of the oil, but now those numbers are about to become even more drastic, if the Spanish government doesn't get its head turned the right way. They will soon be forced to move locations if something doesn't change, a move that will cost them millions.
1. What do you think they should do? Cut their losses and move, or stick it out?
2. With their failing economy, is it possible that they are overcome by Greece or Italy in production?
3. Do you think they should try to get government bailout, or fix the problems themselves?
"Popular Spanish Music - Including Ella Baila Sola, Rosana, Mecano, PresuntosImplicados Etc..." Popular Spanish Music - Including Ella Baila Sola, Rosana, Mecano, PresuntosImplicados Etc... N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://user.xmission.com/~dderhak/music/music.htm>.
Spain
General Info:
Capital: Madrid
Population: 46,754,784 people
Male:Female Ratio:
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Literacy:
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
male: 98.7%total population: 97.9%
female: 97.2% (2003 est.)
Primary Religion: Catholicism
Imports: machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semi-finished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments
Exports: machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods
Natural Resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
Languages: Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, and Basque 2%
Brief History:
Spain was invaded by the Romans in 206 b.c., bringing their language, latin, with them. Spanish is a derivative of latin. In 711 a.d., Spain was invaded by Moors, which are north Africans who practice islam. Spain, being catholic, fought back, eventually removing them in 1492. This is the same year Queen Isabel decided to give funding to Christopher Colombus. In the same year, they also succeeded in expelling the jews. Though, the jews made up most of their merchant class, causing their economy to completely collapse. There was a civil war in 1931, because the people wanted a republic, rather than a monarchy.
Government:
Parliamentary Monarchy: Today Spain is governed as a parliamentary monarchy with an executive branch made up of a King(Juan Carlos I) and a prime minister (Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero). Spain also has a bicameral legislative branch made up of the General Courts (made up of the Senate) and the Congress of Deputies. Spain's judicial branch is composed of the Supreme Court, also called the Tribunal Supremo. The country is divided into 17 autonomous communities for local administration.
Geography:
Spain has the biggest part of a peninsula they share with Portugal.They have a mountainous geography. There are lots of rocky landscapes that turn into plains. For the most part, Spain has many beautiful mountain and valley landscapes throughout the region. This rough terraion can make transportation an issue for travelers, but also small businesses, thereby effecting their economic status, which has just had more debt piled on to make matters worse. Big businesses and corporations however, are not really effected by the region's perilous pikes.
Culture:
Art: Spain has a very extraordinary art history. Dominant golden age figures were El Greco and Diego Velazquez. Francisco de Goya was first recognized in the 18th century as Spains most accomplished painter. He often painted scenes of Spanish royalty.
Food: Spanish food is very different from that of the United States. One particularly popular dish the have is paella. Its a saffron rice dish combined with white fish, shrimps, squids and clams. The rice can be mixed with fish and meat. Another acclaimed cuisine gachas, an ancestral basic dish from central and southern Spain. Its main ingredients are flour, water, olive oil, garlic and salt.
Music: Some popular Spanish musicians include Ella Baila Sola, Rosana Arbelo, and Mecano. They are mostly known for their pop and rock music.
Sports: The most followed sport in Spain is soccer. They often have parties and other types of gatherings based around soccer, sort of like Americans do with football. Barcelona, real Madrid and Sevilla are some of their major teams.
Tourism:
Alarcon: This is a beautiful medieval village about an hour and a half from Madrid. It is exquisitely marvelous, complete with castle and the works.
Benissa: Another small Spanish town, but much unlike Alarcon- it is home to many cultures from all over the continent. It is known to many as "little Europe".
San Sebastian: This is a breathtaking location with lush green mountains on one side, and beautiful blue ocean on the other.
Current Event:
Recently, Spains economic status has entered a free fall. One of Spains indutries, olive oil, has been hit hard. A drought in Spain has caused olive trees to bear less and less olives, making it difficult for them to make money. They had already resorted to doing more exports than domestic sales of the oil, but now those numbers are about to become even more drastic, if the Spanish government doesn't get its head turned the right way.
They will soon be forced to move locations if something doesn't change, a move that will cost them millions.
1. What do you think they should do? Cut their losses and move, or stick it out?
2. With their failing economy, is it possible that they are overcome by Greece or Italy in production?
3. Do you think they should try to get government bailout, or fix the problems themselves?
Works Cited:
"Spain Languages." - Demographics. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.indexmundi.com/spain/languages.html>.
"Spain Facts and Figures." Spain Facts and Figures. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.gospain.org/facts/index.htm>.
"Popular Spanish Music - Including Ella Baila Sola, Rosana, Mecano, PresuntosImplicados Etc..." Popular Spanish Music - Including Ella Baila Sola, Rosana, Mecano, PresuntosImplicados Etc... N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://user.xmission.com/~dderhak/music/music.htm>.
"Geography Of Spain." About.com Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://geography.about.com/od/spainmaps/a/spain-geography.htm>.