An Introduction to

Spain
By the
INDP

Key Facts
The Spanish name for Spain is Espaa
The population of Spain in 2012 was
about 47 million
The currency used in Spain is the Euro
The largest city and capital of Spain is
Madrid
The second largest city is Barcelona,
which is in Catalonia
Spain has a royal family like the UK a
new king was crowned this week!

Geography
Spain includes a number of islands
including Mallorca, Tenerife, Ibiza and Gran
Canaria
Mount Teide is the highest mountain in
Spain. It is an active volcano
It is made up of 17 regions with different
languages and historical, political and
cultural traditions inc. the Basque country,
Andalucia and Catalonia
Spain is the closest country to Africa, with
a separation of only 14 km (8.7 miles) at
the closest point

Map of Spain

Importance of Spanish
Language
The Spanish language is spoken in many
areas of the world due to the early
influence of the Spanish Empire
It is spoken in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto
Rico, Uruguay & Venezuela
It is also spoken in parts of Andorra, Belize,
Gibraltar, Morocco, the Philippines and the
USA

Spanish Food - La Comida

Espaola
Tapas (unas tapas)

- small portions of food you eat in a bar (tapar

means 'to cover' and that's where the term tapas comes from as people
used the small plate on which the snack is served to cover their drink so
that flies couldnt get in!)
Spanish omelette (la tortilla) - This is not like our egg
omelettes, but thick and made with potatoes and onion
Bread with tomato (el pan con tomate) bread rubbed with
garlic & tomato and drizzled with olive oil
Nougat (el turrn) - There are two main types: turrn de Jijona soft nougat and turrn de Alicante - hard nougat with whole nuts
Cold soup (el gazpacho) - made of tomato, garlic, bread and
olive oil. It is typical of Andalucia in the south of Spain where it gets
very hot in the summer
La paella the famous Spanish rice dish!

Olives (las aceitunas)

Dry cured mountain ham (el jamn serrano)
see the legs hung from the ceiling in bars & delis

- You often

Sport in Spain
Football ('el ftbol) is the most popular sport in
Spain. Spain won the Football World Cup in
2010
The national Spanish football team is
nicknamed La Furia Roja (The Red Fury)
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games were held in
Barcelona
Between March and October many Spaniards
go to an arena to watch a bullfight (una
corrida de toros). The earliest recorded
Spanishbullfights took place in the 11th century
Golf & tennis are also very popular sports

Culture
Flamenco - form of Spanish folk music and dance from
the region of Andalusia
Festivals Spanish love festivals including one called La
Tomatino, nr Valenica
Musical instruments accordian, guitar and castanets
Art famous artists include Goya, Picasso, Miro and Dali
Siesta- Spaniards have an afternoon nap called a siesta
Christmas Christmas Eve is more important than the
25th and children receive presents on 6th January (3 Kings
Day)
Tooth Mouse no tooth fairy! Instead they have
Ratoncito Perez

Guess the Famous

Spaniards - Past

1. Explorer

3. Artist

4. Artist

2.
Architect

Guess the Famous Spaniards Present

5. Actor

9. Golfer

7.
Footballer
8. Actor
6.
Singer
10.
Actress

Muchos Gracias
Amigos
Adios