SpainSpain (in Spanish, España), officially Kingdom of Spain, constitutional monarchy in south-west Europe, occupying the greater part of the Iberian Peninsula, and bordered on the north by the Bay of Biscay, France, and Andorra; on the east by the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; and on the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. The British dependency of Gibraltar is situated at the southern extremity of Spain. The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa are governed as provinces of Spain. Also, Spain administers two small exclaves in Morocco-Ceuta and Melilla-as well as three island groups near Africa-Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera and the Alhucemas and Chafarinas islands. The area of Spain, including the African and insular territories, is 504,782 sq km (194,897 sq mi). Madrid is the capital and largest city. Once away from the holiday costas, you could only be in Spain. In the cities, narrow twisting old streets suddenly open out to views of daring modern architecture, while spit-and-sawdust bars serving wine from the barrel rub shoulders with blaring, glaring discos...more on general introduction on Spain. Full country name: Spain History of SpainSpain's Iberian Peninsula has been settled for millennia. In fact, some of Europe's most impressive Paleolithic cultural sites are located in Spain, including the famous caves at Altamira that contain spectacular paintings dating from about 15,000 to 25,000 years ago. The Basques, Europe's oldest surviving group, are also the first identifiable people of the peninsula...more on History of Spain. Overview of Spain EconomyGDP:€ 730,000,000,000 Political System of Spain- Foreign relations of Spain Climate, Vegetation and FaunaSpain has long been Western Europe's leading producer, and the world's foremost exporter, of oranges and mandarins. In the early 1960s, the production of these commodities averaged 1.8 million tons a year, and by the 1980s the annual yield averaged about 3 million tons. Grapefruit, lemons, and limes were also grown in quantity, but Spain was second to Italy among West European producers of these fruits. Spain's citrus groves, all under irrigation, were concentrated in Mediterranean coastal provinces, the Levante, primarily in a narrow coastal strip 500 kilometers in length extending from the province of Castellon to the province of Almeria. Some citrus fruit production also was found in Andalusia...more on plants and animals found in Spain. Education: In the 1980s, Spain spent about 8 % of its national budget on education. In 1983 education expenditures...more on Education in Spain. Culture Of Spain: In the decade After The Death of Francisco Franco y Bahamonde in 1975, Spain experienced several powerful transformations...more on culture of Spain. Languages spoken in Spain: Most of the people of Spain speak Castilian Spanish. In addition, Catalan is spoken in the northeast, Galician (Gallego, akin to Portuguese) is spoken in the northwest, and Basque. Life and Lifestyle: The Spanish people are essentially a mixture of the indigenous peoples of the Iberian Peninsula...more on life and lifestyle in Spain. Envoirnment of Spain: Spain and Portugal share the Iberian Peninsula, a vaguely square-shaped realm at the far southwestern edge of Europe...more on Envoirnment of Spain. People and Population: In mid-1985, Spain's population reached 38.8 million, making it Western Europe's 5th most populous nation. The nation's population grew very slowly...more on Population of Spain. Facts for the TravelerVisas: Spain is one of 25 member countries of the Schengen Convention (10 new members admitted on 1 May 2004), an agreement whereby all EU (European Union) member countries (except the UK and Ireland) plus Iceland and Norway abolished checks at internal borders in 2000. The other EU countries are Austria, Belgium, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. EU, Norwegian and Icelandic nationals need no visa, regardless of the length or purpose of their visit to Spain. However, if they stay beyond 90 days they are required to register with the police. Legal residents of one Schengen country (regardless of their nationality) do not require a visa for another Schengen country. Nationals of many other countries, including Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA, do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days in Spain, although some of these nationalities (including Australians and Canadians) may be subject to restrictions in other Schengen countries and should check with consulates of all Schengen countries they plan to visit. Nationals of those countries wishing to work or study in Spain may need a specific visa, so should contact a Spanish consulate before travel. The standard tourist visa issued by Spanish consulates is the Schengen visa, valid for up to 90 days. A Schengen visa issued by one Schengen country is generally valid for travel in all other Schengen countries. Schengen visas cannot be extended. Nationals of EU countries, Norway and Iceland can enter and leave Spain at will. Those wanting to stay in Spain longer than 90 days are supposed to apply during their first month for a tarjeta de residencia (residence card). People of other nationalities who want to stay in Spain longer than 90 days are also supposed to get a residence card, and for them it's a drawn-out process, starting with a residence visa issued by a Spanish consulate in your country of residence. Start the process well in advance. Non-EU spouses of EU citizens resident in Spain can apply for residency too. The process is lengthy and those needing to travel in and out of the country in the meantime who would normally require a visa could ask for an exención de visado – a visa exemption. In most cases, the spouse is obliged to make the formal application in their country of residence. Those needing a visa must apply in person at the consulate in the country where they are resident. You may be required to provide proof of sufficient funds, an itinerary or hotel bookings, return tickets and a letter of recommendation from a host in Spain. Issue of the visa does not guarantee entry. You can apply for no more than two visas in any 12-month period and they are not renewable once in Spain. Visas are free for spouses and children of EU nationals. Various transit visas also exist.
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 Dialling Code: 34 Electricity: 220V ,50 Hz Weights & measures: Metric Also Read:Money and Cost Required | List of Public Holidays in Spain When to Go to SpainSpain can be enjoyable any time of year. The ideal months to visit are May, June and September (plus April and October in the south). At these times you can rely on good-to-excellent weather, yet avoid the extreme heat – and the main crush of Spanish and foreign tourists – of July and August. But there's decent weather in some parts of Spain virtually year round. Winter along the southern and southeastern Mediterranean coasts is mild, while in the height of summer you can retreat to the northwest, to beaches or high mountains anywhere to escape excessive heat. The best festivals are mostly concentrated between Semana Santa (the week leading up to Easter Sunday) and September to October. Also Read: Getting Around Spain | Spain: Getting There and Away What to See in SpainMajor Tourist Attractions in Spain Other Tourist Attractions in Spain more...Events in SpainIn true Spanish style, cultural events are almost inevitably celebrated with a wild party and a holiday. Among the festivals to look out for are La Tamborrada (Festividad de San Sebastián) in San Sebastián on 19 January, a short but rowdy event where the whole town dresses up and goes berserk. Carnaval takes place throughout the country in late February; the wildest are said to be in Sitges and Cádiz. In March, Valencia has a week-long party known as Las Fallas, which is marked by all-night dancing, drinking, first-class fireworks and colourful processions. Semana Santa (Holy Week) is the week leading up to Easter Sunday, and is marked by parades of holy images through the streets; Seville is the place to be if you can get accommodation. In late April, Seville's Feria de Abril is a week-long party counterbalancing the religious fervour of Semana Santa. The last Wednesday in August sees the Valencian town of Buñol go bonkers with La Tomatina, in which the surplus from its tomato harvest is sploshed around in a friendly riot. The Running of the Bulls (Fiesta de San Fermín) in Pamplona in July is perhaps Spain's most famous festival. Along the north coast, staggered through the first half of August, is Semana Grande, another week of heavy drinking and hangovers.
Cluj-Napoca : Romania
Cluj-Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvar; German: Klausenburg; Latin: Claudiopolis), the seat of Cluj county, is one of the most important academic, cultural and industrial centers in Romania. Regarded as the historic capital of Transylvania, the city is located in northwestern Romania, and is approximately 480 km (200 miles) northwest of Bucharest in the Somesul Mic [...]
Cultural Activity in Europe
Europe has a long tradition of excellence in literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and dance. In the late 20th century Paris, Rome, London, Madrid, and Moscow were particularly famous as cultural centers, but many other cities also supported important museums, musical and theatrical groups, and other cultural institutions. Most European countries had [...]
Religion of Europe
In the early 2000s the great majority of Europeans were Christians. The largest single religious group, Roman Catholics, lived mainly in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, southern Germany, and Poland. Another large group was composed of followers of Protestant faiths, concentrated in countries of northern and central Europe such as England, Scotland, [...]
Languages of Europe
Europeans speak a wide variety of languages. The principal linguistic groups are the Slavic, which includes Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Polish, Slovenian, Macedonian, and Serbo-Croatian; the Germanic, which includes English, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic; and the Romance, which includes Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. These languages have [...]
Demography of Europe
The distribution of the European population has not been stable over long periods, but has shifted, both through differential birth and death rates and by migration. At the beginning of the Christian era, the most densely populated part of Europe bordered the Mediterranean Sea. At the beginning of the 21st century Europe had [...]
Ethnologyof Europe
Europe includes a large number of ethnic groupsââ¬âpersons associated by a common culture, especially language. European nations are generally composed of one dominant group, such as the Germans of Germany and the French of France. Several countries, particularly in south central Europe, have large minorities, and most countries contain smaller groups, such as the [...]
People of Europe
Indo-European languages (see The Indo-European Family of Languages, table) predominate in Europe; others spoken include Basque, Maltese, and the languages classified as Finno-Ugric, Samoyedic, Bulgaric, and Turkic. Roman Catholicism is the chief religion of S and W Europe and the southern part of central Europe; Protestantism is dominant in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, [...]
Biodiversity of Europe
Having lived side-by-side with agricultural and industrial civilisations for millennia, Europe’s animals and plants have been profoundly affected by the presence and activities of man. With the exception of Scandinavia and northern Russia, few areas of untouched wilderness are today to be found in Europe, except for different natural parks.
The main natural vegetation [...]
Physical features of Europe
In terms of shape, Europe is a collection of connected peninsulas. The two largest of these are “mainland” Europe and Scandinavia to the north, divided from each other by the Baltic Sea. Three smaller peninsulasââ¬âIberia, Italy and the Balkansââ¬âemerge from the southern margin of the mainland into the Mediterranean Sea, which separates [...]
Regions of Europe
Europe can be divided into five geographic regions: Scandinavia (Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark); the British Isles (United Kingdom and Ireland); W Europe (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Monaco); S Europe (Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Malta, San Marino, and Vatican City); Central Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, [...]
Travel Mantra: Europe Destination GuideWinchester : Britain Winchester : Britain Winchester is a city in southern England, and the administrative capital of the county of Hampshire,... Political system in Belgium Belgium's political institutions are complex, but the majority of political power is organised with the two main communities: the Flemings,... Caslav : Czech Republic Caslav : Czech Republic History Čáslav is town in eastern Bohemia, Czech Republic, 9,852 inhabitants. History of Čáslav begin after year 800... The worst of Europe The worst of Europe 1. Bullfights. I love Spain, and some of my fondest travel memories are from that country. However,... British Passports British Passports The United Kingdom Passport Service (UKPS) charges £30 for a new passport (£16 for a child), and requires the... Maps Maps Spend a bit more on the best maps you can find and you won't regret it. As I said earlier,... Self-Government And Broadcasting Freedom : Germany Self-Government And Broadcasting Freedom : Germany . Each of the public broadcasting corporations is in general controlled by three bodies: the... Reorientation after 1945 : Germany Reorientation after 1945 : Germany Following the unconditional surrender of the German forces on 8/9 May 1945, the last government of... Transport : Germany Transport : Germany A modern industrial society like the Federal Republic of Germany needs an advanced transport system. It gives people... Browse the Europe Destination Guide |
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