The Kingdom of Spain stretches to the southern-most point of Europe and, in terms of area, is the second largest country in Europe, after France. The capital of Spain is Madrid, which is also Spain’s largest city with nearly 6 million inhabitants. Spain’s second city is Barcelona with around 5.3 million inhabitants and Valencia is the third largest city in Spain with 1.6 million inhabitants.
A little known fact is that Spain is the second highest country in Europe, after Switzerland, with the average altitude being 600 metres. The highest point in all of Spain is the Pico Teide in Tenerife which stands at 3719 metres. Spain is hugely popular with European holiday-makers, particularly the British and the Germans. Over 50 million people visit Spain and its islands every year, which puts Spain in the top 3 most visited countries in the world. Spain is also a very popular destination for immigrants, particularly from northern Europe. In 2005, the official number of permanent foreign residents was 3.7 million but some estimates, including illegal or unregistered inhabitants, put this figure at closer to 5 million.
Spain is governed in a similar way to the UK, with a constitutional monarchy and an elected parliament responsible for law making and executive powers. There are 19 autonomous regions in Spain including Catalonia, Madrid, the Balearics and the Canaries. There are also two Spanish owned cities on the African continent, Melilla and Cueta. Each region has control of their own judiciary, much like the individual states in the USA. The entire Kingdom of Spain currently has the Euro as the official currency and Spanish as the official language. There are, however, a number of other languages spoken in Spain including Catalan and Basque.
Spain is predominately a Catholic worshipping country with over 90% of the population following the religion. However, there are a number of other faiths as there is total freedom of worship. It is currently the 12th largest economy in the world, according to the 2010 International Monetary Fund figures. Spain uses the metric systems of weight and distance in the vast majority of places, with all road signs stating distances in Kilometres. Spain also uses the European electricity system of 220v and anyone travelling from the UK should take an adapter for any electrical equipment.
Spain is famous for its national dish Paella which is the Valencian word for ‘frying pan.’ Paella is a combination of various seafoods, rice and spices. There are several variations with some containing chicken and spicy chorizo sausage. Spanish cuisine is famous for its olive oil which is included in many of its dishes and is used by the Spanish liberally on salads and vegetables. Spain is also famous for El Jamon Serrano, El Gazpacho and La Tortilla which are Spanish ham, cold vegetable soup and Spanish omelette respectively.
It is important for people travelling to the country for the first time to realise that Siesta is a huge part of Spanish culture. Siesta is a daily rest where pretty much everyone packs up and goes home for a few hours. The incessant hot sun through the spring and summer months takes its toll, so people escape and often take a nap. Siesta will generally begin around 2pm and last until 5pm. Banks will close for the day at 2pm and 1pm on a Saturday. Most shops will re-open at around 5pm and trade until quite late, sometimes as late as 11pm. There are some exceptions to the Siesta culture in Spain, most notably with the the restaurants, cafes and bars of the resorts.
One of the huge attractions for many European tourists is the climate. The Atlantic coast in north-west Spain is relatively cool compared with the rest of Spain and the winters throughout the country are generally cold. However, the summer months in most of Spain enjoy average temperatures will in excess of 35C and the Mediterranean resorts of Costa Brava, Costa Blanca and Costa Del Sol will enjoy sea temperatures in excess of 20C, making these the locations of choice for tourists. The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea also enjoy these average temperatures but tend to have a higher average rainfall. The centre of the Spanish mainland can actually become extremely cold during the winter months.
There are a number of things a tourist will benefit from knowing about Spain during a holiday. While tipping is very much appreciated, the Spanish don’t expect large tips and they will normally be happy with around 5% or any loose change that can be spared. Taxis can be flagged down anywhere in Spanish resorts and cities and are amongst the cheapest anywhere in Europe. However, if a taxi is booked over the phone, the meter will normally start when the driver begins the journey for pick-up. Taxi drivers will normally not expect a tip but anyone hailing a taxi on a road must make sure that it is travelling in the direction of the destination. Spanish taxi drivers will often refuse a fare if a tricky u-turn is required.
The issue of drinking tap water is one that most tourists will have an opinion on. In past years, the advice was not to drink it at all and only drink bottled water. It is considered safe to drink tap water by the Spanish authorities in the major cities and resorts but many complain of a strange taste. Different cleaning and treatment processes are used in Spain compared with most other European countries so it is advised that only bottled water is consumed, particularly for those with pre-existing ailments or sensitive stomachs. Bottled water is Spain is very cheap and is readily available in hotels, stores and restaurants. It may be worth checking that any water served in restaurants with meals is tap water or bottled. It may also be worth checking the source of the ice used in restaurants.
Spain is a beautiful country with a fantastic summer climate and many hours of sunshine every day. The resorts of the Costas, the Balearics and the Canaries are hugely popular with tourists but there are many other areas of the country to explore to get a flavour of the ‘real’ country.
