Words associated with spain. Spain

Brief country information

Foundation date

Official language

Spanish

Form of government

Parliamentary monarchy

Territory

504,782 km² (51st in the world)

Population

47 370 542 people (26th in the world)

Timezone

CET (UTC + 1, UTC + 2 in summer)

Largest cities

Madrid, Barcelona, \u200b\u200bValencia, Seville

$ 1.536 trillion (13th in the world)

Internet domain

Telephone code

A colorful, cheerful, sunny country located in the southwest of Europe. It occupies approximately 85% of the territory of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as the Balearic and Pitius Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. In Spain, there are many cities, whose history goes back more than one millennium, works of architectural art and unspoiled beaches, which attracts travelers from different parts of the world here, to this fertile land. The heights of the Pyrenees, Sierra Morena and Andalusian mountains do not leave indifferent fans of outdoor activities: ski resorts with equipped trails and magnificent landscapes, hundreds and thousands of tourists are welcomed every year. The country of flamenco and bullfighting, as it is also called, is visited by an average of 30 million tourists annually. The Canary and Balearic Islands are a true paradise for a beach holiday.

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Why is fabulous Spain good and attractive?

The state of Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula. The territory of Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities. The capital is Madrid.

Spain is a country of contrasts, adventure and an unforgettable vacation

According to one version, the name of the country comes from the Phoenician expression "i-shpanim" - "daman coast".

The area of \u200b\u200bSpain occupies 80% of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as the Canary and Balearic Islands, the total area of \u200b\u200bSpain is 504 782 km² (together with small sovereign territories on the African coast, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla), Spain is in Europe, being the fourth largest country after Russia , Ukraine and France. The average height of the surface of Spain is 650 meters above sea level.

The country of Spain is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe.

The country of Spain has land borders with:

• Portugal in the west of the Iberian Peninsula;
• The British possession of Gibraltar in the south of the Iberian Peninsula;
• Morocco in North Africa (semi-enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñon de Velez de la Gomera);
• France and Andorra in the north.

Spain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south and east.

The national holiday in Spain is Spain Day, celebrated annually on October 12. In 1492, Christopher Columbus, leading a Spanish expedition, went to the lands of the New World. The arrival of the first Spaniards in America is associated with the concept of "Hispanidad" - the commonwealth of Hispanic peoples.

The country of Spain considers this day to be a kind of birthday of the community of the peoples of the Spanish language, the day of Spanish civilization. Spain Day is twofold. The discovery of Columbus happened on the day of the Holy Virgin of Pilar, whose image is strongly associated with the legend of the emergence of Christianity in Spain. That is why the noisy Fiesta del Pilar takes place on this day. As the holiday is celebrated: Various musical, theater and dance events are thundering everywhere, street performances, processions of giant puppets, contests and competitions are held.

The unique atmosphere filled with fireworks, bright outfits and fiery rhythms attracts thousands of tourists these days.

Of the fifteen mainland autonomies of Spain, four reach out to the Mediterranean Sea, where resort areas have been developing for several decades. Spain is a great choice for living and recreation!

Why is Spain good?

The fact that it has the best climate in Europe, where the day is rare when the sun does not shine, filling the atmosphere with energy, light and warmth.

It offers exquisite and healthy cuisine, fine wines, clean beaches, most of which have been awarded the blue flag of ecological purity, warm transparent sea, rich nature, beautiful and diverse architecture, a huge amount of entertainment for every taste and for every age.

But the most important wealth of Spain is its people, always friendly and ready to help anyone, even a stranger. That is why it is so pleasant to relax here, so you want to live here!
Spain has managed to merge the most diverse traditions and form a great and beautiful culture.

Spain is the birthplace of Cervantes and Lorca, Gaudí and Dali. Almost the entire country is one huge open-air history museum, surrounded by endless beautiful beaches and resort areas, many of which are considered the best in Europe.

In addition, there is a secret relationship between the Spanish and Russian souls: coming here, you will feel comfortable.

Tourists traveling in Spain by car occasionally meet black silhouette figures of bulls installed near the roads. Nobody asks why they are “grazing” here, because the answer is obvious. The fighting bull is a symbol of Spain, replicated in hundreds of thousands of souvenirs that people take with them in memory of the country.

The views of Spain and the regions of Spain are very diverse. The center of the country is located 300 kilometers from the sea. In the relief, the dominant role is played by systems of mountain ranges and alpine plateaus.

Features of Spain: Highlands and mountains make up about 90 percent of its territory. Almost half of the country's surface is occupied by the vast, the largest in Europe high - with an average height of 660 meters - the Meset plateau.

In the north, Meseta is bordered by the powerful Cantabrian Mountains, which stretch along the coast of the Bay of Biscay for 600 kilometers, isolating the interior from the influence of the sea. In their central part there is the Picos de Europa massif (from Spanish - the Peaks of Europe) with heights up to 2648 m.

The Cantabrian Mountains are an orographic and tectonic continuation of the most powerful mountain system in Spain - the Pyrenees.
The Pyrenees are several parallel ridges stretching from west to east for 450 kilometers. This is one of the most remote mountainous countries in Europe.

From the northeast, the system of the Iberian Mountains adjoins Meset, the maximum height (peak of Mon Cayo) is 2313 meters.

Between the eastern Pyrenees and the Iberian mountains, the low Catalan mountains stretch, the southern slopes of which drop off like ledges to the Mediterranean Sea.

The entire southeast of the Iberian Peninsula is occupied by the Cordillera Betica, which is a system of massifs and ridges. Its crystalline axis is the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Most of the territory of Spain is located at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level. It is the second tallest country in Europe after Switzerland.

The only large lowland - Andalusian - occupies the south of Spain. In the north-east of Spain, in the valley of Spain's main fishing river, the Ebro, lies the Aragonese plain. Smaller lowlands stretch along the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main rivers of Spain (and the only navigable river in the lower reaches), the Guadalquivir, flows along the Andalusian lowland. The rest of the rivers, including the largest ones: Tajo and Duero, whose lower reaches are located on the territory of neighboring Portugal, Ebro, Guadiana, are distinguished by sharp seasonal fluctuations in level and rapids.

Large parts of the country suffer from a lack of water. Related to this is the problem of erosion - millions of tons of the topsoil are blown out annually.

The capital of Spain, Madrid is located in the geographical center of the country and is the “highest” capital in Europe.

On the coast, the views of Spain are very beautiful, there are more than two thousand beaches, and the waters of Spain are very warm. Coast of Spain: Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Assar, Costa de Almeria, Costa Blanca, Mar Menor, Costa del Sol, Costa de la Luz, Rias Bajas, Rias Altas , Costa Cantabrica, Canary and Balearic Islands.

It is pleasant to live in Spain, as the State of Spain is one of the warmest in Western Europe. The average number of sunny days is 260-285. The average annual temperature on the Mediterranean coast is 20 degrees Celsius. In winter, the temperature drops below zero, usually only in the central and northern regions of the country. In summer, the temperature rises to 40 degrees and above (from the central part to the southern coast). On the northern coast, the temperature is not so high - about 25 degrees Celsius.

The size of Spain is 504 782 km², in this regard, Spain is characterized by very deep internal climatic differences, and it can only conditionally be entirely attributed to the Mediterranean climatic region. Due to the size of Spain, these differences appear in different parts of Spain, both in temperature and in annual amounts and rainfall patterns.

In the extreme northwest, Spain's climate is mild and humid, with little fluctuations in temperature throughout the year and a lot of rainfall. Constant winds from the Atlantic bring a lot of moisture, mainly in winter, when foggy and cloudy weather with drizzling rains prevails, almost without frost and snow. The average temperature of the coldest month is the same as in the northwest of France.

Summers are hot and humid, the average temperature is rarely below 16 degrees Celsius. Annual precipitation exceeds 1070 mm, and in some places reaches 2000 mm.

Completely different conditions in the interior of the country - on the plateau of Old and New Castile and the Aragonese plain. These areas are affected by the influence of the plateau-basin relief, significant altitude and local continental air. They are characterized by a relatively low amount of precipitation (no more than 500 mm per year) and sharp temperature fluctuations over the seasons.

Old Castile and the Aragonese plain have fairly cold winters with frost and strong, harsh winds; summers are hot and rather dry, although the maximum precipitation occurs during this season of the year.

New Castile has a slightly milder climate, with warmer winters but also low rainfall. Agriculture in all of these areas requires artificial irrigation.

Spanish news reports all the time that the Spanish economy is in crisis. Companies in Spain and companies in Spain cannot provide enough jobs and therefore 25% of the population is unemployed. Moreover, according to the International Monetary Fund, the country of Spain in 2015 is the fourteenth economic power in the world, according to nominal GDP.

Traditionally, the Kingdom of Spain is an agricultural country and is also one of the largest producers in Western Europe; Since the mid-1950s, the industrial growth of the Spanish economy has been rapid and quickly reached more weight than agriculture in the Spanish economy.

Spanish banks prepared development plans that began in 1964 that helped expand the economy, but in the late 1970s, Spain's industry entered a period of economic recession due to rising oil prices and increased imports associated with the establishment of democracy and the opening of borders.

At the same time, the income received from tourism has grown significantly.

In the early 1960s, a stabilization plan was adopted that later became known as the "Spanish economic miracle". In 1960-1974, economic performance grew at an average of 6.6% per year, which was higher than that of any other country in the world (with the exception of Japan). The most important role was played by the opening of Spain as a world resort center.

The population's money for shopping in Spain was greatly reduced and in 1959-1974 more than 3 million Spaniards left the country in search of work in order to send the money earned back to their homeland. In 1973, Spain's industry was hit again by the energy crisis, due to Spain's dependence on other countries, unemployment rose to 21% in 1975. But in the 1980s, business in Spain began to take off again.

Although growth rates were below 1960s levels, they nevertheless remained the highest in Western Europe. However, in this case, the growth in production was accompanied by inflation and high unemployment (up to 22% of the working-age population).

In the 1990s, the country took a leading position in the EU (although it is still a recipient, that is, it receives subsidies to support agriculture and some areas from pan-European funds).

Landmarks of Spain. Top 10. (video):

In 2004, Spanish exports amounted to over 135 billion euros, imports - about 190 billion euros. The main partners in foreign trade are the EU countries, the USA, Latin America.

Modern Spain is one of the largest centers of international tourism (62 million people in 1997, 95% of tourists are from EU countries; the main tourist centers are Madrid and Barcelona), as well as resorts - Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol. In 2004, 53.6 million foreign tourists visited Spain (2nd place in the world). The industry's revenues in 2004 were about 35 billion euros. More than 65% of tourists are from EU countries.

This area employs 1.3 million people. The popularity of tourism is due to the fact that a trip to Spain for vacation is very cheap compared to other countries.

Spain form of government - parliamentary monarchy. The monarch is only a tribute to tradition and does not have any significant powers.

The head of state is the King of Spain.

Currently - Philip VI King of Spain. Leticia is the Queen of Spain.

Legislature is a bicameral Parliament of Spain - General Cortes (Kongres of Deputies and Senate). Consists of the Senate (259 seats - some deputies are elected by direct universal suffrage, others are appointed by the provincial legislatures; all senators are elected for a 4-year term) and the Congress of Deputies (350 seats - are elected by party lists for a 4-year term). The executive branch is headed by the Prime Minister of Spain, the leader of the party that won the majority of votes in the elections to the Spanish parliament.

• The body of constitutional review - the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional),
• The highest court is the Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo),
• The highest courts of the Autonomous Communities are the Tribunal Superior de Justicia,
• Courts of Appeal - Provincial Audiences (Audiencias Provinciales),
• District courts - courts of first instance and investigation (Juzgados de primera instancia e instrucción),
• The lowest level of the judicial system - justices of the peace (juzgados de paz),
• Impeachment Court - Audiencia Nacional,
• Supreme Audit Institution - Court of Accounts (Tribunal de Cuentas),
• The governing body of the courts is the Consejo General del Poder Judicial.

In total, more than 500 political parties and public organizations are officially registered in Spain.

Spain party policy:

1. People's Party of Spain,
2. Spanish Socialist Labor Party, PSWP,
3. Communist Party,
4. Regionalists.
5. Major regional parties include the Catalan bloc Convergence and Union, the Catalan party Esquerra Republikana, the BNP, and the Canary Coalition.

Spanish foreign policy

Foreign policy of Spain: The preamble of the Spanish Constitution proclaims the readiness to “cooperate in strengthening peaceful relations and cooperation with all countries of the world”. Currently, Spain's foreign policy is mainly based on three areas: Europe (especially the EU), the Ibero-American direction, the Mediterranean countries.

Domestic policy of Spain: Laws of Spain cannot contradict the current Constitution of Spain and the EU. The inhabitants of Spain are equal before the law; no discrimination of any kind based on origin, race, sex, religion, social status or any other grounds specified in EU laws is allowed.

Corruption and unemployment are the two main problems in Spain. At the start of the 21st century, Spain fell into a whirlpool of crisis trials and entered a period of severe, protracted financial, economic and social upheavals. The country is facing fundamental problems not only of an opportunistic but also of a structural nature. This circumstance significantly complicates and slows down the process of overcoming the crisis, as well as entering the trajectory of recovery growth.

See also our other articles:

• Spain photo
• Russian Spain. Full information

The economic recession, in turn, gave rise to many new problems, including within political ones.

Spain is considered to be an open-air museum. The vastness of this country carefully preserves cultural and historical monuments that are world famous.

Museums of Spain: The most famous museum in Spain, the Prado Museum, is located in Madrid. Its extensive exposition cannot be viewed in one day. The museum was founded by Isabella of Braganza, wife of King Ferdinand VII. Prado has its own branch, located in Cason del Buen Retiro, and stores unique collections of Spanish painting and sculpture of the 19th century, as well as works of English and French painters.

In the museum itself, there are large exhibitions of Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Flemish and German art. The Prado owes its name to the Prado de San Jerónimo alley, where it is located, which dates back to the Enlightenment. The Prado Museum currently holds 6,000 paintings, over 400 sculptures, and numerous treasures, including royal and religious collections. During several centuries of its existence, the Prado was patronized by many kings.

It is believed that the very first collection of the Prado Museum was formed during the reign of Charles I, known as the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Charles V. His heir, King Philip II, became famous not only for his bad character and despotism, but also for his love of art. It is to him that the museum owes priceless acquisitions of paintings by Flemish masters. Philip was distinguished by a gloomy worldview, it is not surprising that the ruler was an admirer of Bosch, an artist known for his bizarre pessimistic fantasy.

Initially, Philip acquired Bosch's paintings for El Escorial, the hereditary castle of the Spanish kings. It was only in the 19th century that the paintings were transferred to the Prado Museum. Now you can see such masterpieces of the Dutch master as "The Garden of Delights" and "The Hay Carrier". Currently, in the museum you can enjoy not only painting and sculptures, but also theatrical performances designed to "revive" famous canvases. The first such staging was dedicated to the paintings of Velazquez and was a huge success with the public.

Spain Dali: The Dali Theater Museum is a museum of the surrealist painter Salvador Dali, located in Figueres, Catalonia. The official opening of the museum took place on September 28, 1974. The center of the museum complex is the building of the old city theater, where in 1918, at the age of 14, Dalí exhibited his works for the first time in a collective exhibition together with Josep Bonaterra Gras and Josep Monturiole Puig.

Spain's culture is diverse. There are many more unique museums and galleries in Spain: the Picasso Museum and the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, located in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bthe National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid, the El Greco Museum in Toledo, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art in Cuenca.

The art of Spain - art world famous Spanish artists. Moorish heritage, especially in Andalusia, is evident today in cities such as Cordoba, Seville and Granada.

The most famous Spanish artists :

• Salvador Dali - Spanish painter, graphic artist, sculptor, director, writer. One of the most famous representatives of surrealism.
• Pablo Picasso - Spanish painter, sculptor, graphic artist, ceramist and designer. The founder of Cubism.
• Francisco de Zurbaran - Spanish artist, representative of the Seville school of painting.
• Juan Gris - Spanish painter and sculptor, one of the founders of Cubism.

In Spain, children enter primary school at the age of 6 and study there for 6 years. At the age of 12, they are transferred to a secondary school, where they study for 4 years. After high school, you can continue your studies at Bachillerato High School if you plan to enroll in Universities in Spain, or enroll in an FP vocational education course.

Today Islam is intensively spreading in Spain due to the influx of immigrants from Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. More than a million Muslims live in Spain today, the vast majority of whom are immigrants and their descendants. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 50,000 Spaniards have converted to Islam, and most of them reside in Andalusia. The first mosque in Spain since the Moors was expelled from Spain in 1492 was erected in 1982.

Bullfighting in Spain, or in another way bullfighting

It is a Spanish term for one of the most common forms of tavromachia. It is a spectacle for which thousands of people come to Spain every year. It is part of the culture of Spain. This is a huge number of world famous subjects in art.

Bullfighting was born in ancient times. By the eighteenth century, she received exactly the form that we see now. Bullfighting is held according to strict canons and rules. The most common form is the Spanish foot bullfight.

Flamenco

Spain Flamenco is the general term for southern Spanish (Andalusian) folk music - song (cante) and dance (baile). There are two stylistically and musically different classes of flamenco: the most ancient cante hondo / jondo (literally hondo. Deep, that is, serious, dramatic style), it is also - cante grande (large, high style); and the more modern cante chico (chico is literally small, that is, lightweight, simple style).

Within both classes of flamenco there are more than 50 subclasses (genres), the exact border between which is sometimes difficult to draw.

What is the time in Spain? The time in Spain now has a standard time zone: UTC / GMT +1 hour.

Daylight saving time in Spain starts on Sunday, 30 March 2014, 02:00 local standard time.

DST ends in Spain on Sunday, 26 October 2014 03:00 local daylight time.
It is not difficult to guess that tourist Spain lives according to the hours adopted in Western European countries. Accordingly, Spain Moscow has a different time and the difference is plus two hours. The time difference with Moscow on the Canary Islands is plus 3 hours.

Medieval Spain until December 31, 1900 enjoyed solar time. On July 22, 1900, in San Sebastian, the President of the Council of Ministers of Spain Francisco Silvera proposed a decree to the Regent of Spain, Maria Cristina, on the standardization of time in the country; setting the time in Spain Greenwich Mean Time (UTC ± 00: 00) as standard time in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands from January 1, 1901. The law was passed by Maria Christina of Austria on July 26, 1900.

Franco Spain: In 1940, Francisco Franco changed the country's time zone by moving the time forward one hour - 23:00 hours on March 16 GMT became 00:00 on March 17 CET.

This translation took place during the Second World War, in order to synchronize with time in the European countries occupied at that time by Nazi Germany. Some Western European countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, France remained in "German time" after the war in addition to Spain.

The borders of Spain are huge, so different parts of Spain live at different times.

In Galicia, the westernmost region of the continental part, the difference between the official local time and the mean solar time during the summer period is at least two and a half hours.

Political steps have been taken to change the time to the same in Portugal (UTC ± 00: 00), as this country and Galicia are located at approximately the same longitude. For example, in Vigo, in summer, the astronomical noon occurs at about 14:40, and the sunset - at about 22:15 local time, while in Menorca, sunset occurs at about 21:20.

The inhabitants of Spain have deep legends of antiquity, which are passed down from generation to generation. Different cities cherish their legends of Spain.

One of the legends of Spain was born in the small town of Teruel. Like the unhappy love of Tahir and Zukhra, Romeo and Juliet, Constance and Dartanyan, the Spanish lovers Isabel and Diego also failed to connect their fates. Isabel Segura was a girl from a wealthy and noble family, Diego was a poor youth.

The Isabel family made incredible efforts to separate the young, but nothing worked. Then the girl's father set a condition: "Get rich and get Isabel as your wife." Diego returned rich five years later, but it was too late. His beloved married another. The young man died of grief, and Isabel's heart could not stand it.

The townspeople, in the chapel of Saints Cosmas and Damian, who are venerated as miracle workers, put a sculpture of lovers holding hands. This touching story is remembered by the inhabitants of Spain, and every year on February 14 on Valentine's Day, a performance dedicated to this love is held.

The next Spanish legend is about a cruel beauty, whose name they scare small children. What did she do? The legend begins quite harmlessly, in the spirit of similar stories. Many years ago Maria lived in a small village - a girl of extraordinary beauty. She herself was sure that there was no one more beautiful in this world.

She drove all the suitors away from herself, believing that they were not worthy of her. Once a rich handsome Ranchero arrived in the village. He was brave, sang beautifully, rode a horse well. Maria, using her charm, decided to lure him into her nets. They were soon married. They had two children. But Mary believed that only she had the right to love and admiration from her husband.

When Ranchero returned from his trip and poured out all his love to the children, Maria was furious. And, no matter how sad it is to say, she took the children, tied them up and threw them into the river. Realizing what she had done, Maria burst into tears. Since then, she has been called La Llorona - a crying woman, her moans are heard at night by the river. Moms forbid their children to go late at night so that La Llorona does not steal them.

And another legend of Spain. It says that in ancient times one girl, deceived by her groom, ran to church for consolation. After all, the groom before the crucifixion swore his love to her. When she turned to God, asking to confirm his oath, the Savior's hand rose and remained in this position.

Lope de Vega and Grillparzer wrote their works based on the legends of Spain. After reading them, you can learn many more Spanish legends.

It is difficult to find an architectural structure that would attract tourists more than the castles of Spain, shrouded in many legends, witnessing various wars, victories and losses, triumph and sorrow. Here, literally every centimeter is steeped in history, and sometimes, it seems, you can hear the clink of swords, the cries of the vanquished and the jubilation of the victors. And also the castles are very romantic. Not all the same to fight! There must be a love story here, be it a princess or just a beautiful lady and some, if not a prince, then at least a brave knight.

For a castle lover, it's hard to find a better country than northern Spain. Ancient Spain to this day left as many as 10312 castles. The first castle in Olita was built by King Sancho VI the Strong and became a royal residence.

Now it is called the Old Palace and not only kings, but also any mortals can accommodate there, since the hotels of Spain have received this castle at their disposal. It is now one of the Parador Nacional hotels.

Montserrat Monastery Spain. The fantastically beautiful Montserrat mountain range is located 50 km from Barcelona, \u200b\u200bamong the rocks of which is hidden a Benedictine monastery - the spiritual symbol and religious center of Catalonia, where thousands of pilgrims from all over the world flock every year. The monastery, built back in IX, received the same name Montserrat, which means "cut" or "jagged mountains". Now 80 monks of the Benedictine order live on the territory of the monastery.

Palaces of Spain. The Alcazar in Segovia is the palace and fortress of the Spanish kings in the historical part of the city of Segovia (province of Castile and Leon, Spain). Located on a cliff at the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers, near the Guadarrama mountains (part of the Central Cordillera). This cliff position makes it one of the most beautiful and recognizable palaces in Spain.

The Alcazar was originally built as a fortress, but managed to visit the royal palace, state prison, and the royal artillery academy.
The fortresses of Spain today are not only attractions, museums and exhibitions in Spain that attract tourists.

These are also hotels in perfectly preserved medieval fortifications - full of beauty and charm of the past, equipped with all the comforts of the present era.

Well, those who want to admire the Moorish heart of Spanish Granada should certainly visit the magnificent Alhambra, which has been the residence of both Muslim and Christian rulers during its long life.

Spain's production is the fifth largest in the European Union (EU) (in terms of nominal GDP) and twelfth in the world. In terms of purchasing power parity, it is also one of the largest in the world.

According to the classification of the International Economic Forum, which analyzes the specific positions of countries in 14 sectors of production, Spain is in the top five in almost all sectors of the intermediate technological level, especially standing out as a manufacturer of auto parts and accessories (tenth in the world), industrial machinery and equipment (15th ), audio-visual aids (17th place), products of organic and inorganic chemistry (15th place), metal products (13th place) and footwear (3rd place).

But in terms of competitiveness in the field of information and communication technologies and the production of electronic components, it is only in the third ten countries. Among the top 100 brands in the world, Manufacturing Spain does not have a single one, although there are industry leaders: Freixenet (sparkling wines), Chupa Chups, Telefonica (telecommunications), Repsol (energy), Pronovias (wedding dresses) and Lladro "(Porcelain figurines), as well as included in the top three Zara, in the top five -" Sol Melja "(hotel business). Possession of a global brand is considered an important competitive advantage and one of the signs of a high level of economic development.

Agriculture occupies a special place in the structure of the economy and influence on the development of Spain. It employs 2.3% of the Spanish labor force. A small group of landowners own large tracts of land in the south of the country. Key indicators: Spain is the third in the world in wine production, fourth in citrus fruits, and also provides ¼ of the world's production of olives and olive oil.

Spain is also a major producer of wheat (20 percent of the planted area), rice (the highest yield in the world), almonds, tobacco and vegetables (60 percent of the planted area).

It owns the largest fishing fleet in Europe. For the extraction and processing of seafood and fish, Spain is in the top ten. Livestock is developing successfully: goats and sheep are bred in arid regions, and in the north - cattle.

The wines of Spain are among the most famous wines in the world. Traditionally, Spanish wines are considered to be more astringent and stronger than Italian and French ones. Many Spanish wines do have a strong flavor profile, especially the red Spanish wines that form the basis of the Spanish wine range outside the country. However, Spain also produces excellent white and rosé wines.

Clothing from Spain and bags from Spain are also very popular as they offer you not only fashion, but also a lifestyle: all the most progressive trends are simple, comfortable and reliable.

Mining is carried out for mercury (1st place in the world), pyrites (2nd place in the world), iron ore, lead, zinc, uranium, coal. Ferrous metallurgy smelts steel and pig iron. The north of Spain concentrated most of the iron and steel enterprises (in the ports of Gijon, Aviles and Bilbao), near the country's largest coal basins - Asturias and Leono-Valencia, which account for 9/10 of all reserves of coal and anthracite.

The natural resources of Spain in the mountainous regions contain a lot of minerals. Spain is in first place in Western Europe in the production of high-quality metal-containing raw materials, while there are no large deposits of most energy carriers and it has to import 97% of domestic oil and 30% of coke. Per capita fresh water reserves in the country are about 2,400 cubic meters.

The economic development of Spain is hampered by traditional problems, which are the traditionally low percentage of official employment of the population and, as a result, the high level of official unemployment, which even during the years of rapid economic growth does not fall below 8-10%, which would be a catastrophic indicator for most other countries. but is perceived as the norm in Spain. Although, at the same time, the high level of official unemployment partially mitigates the presence of a large shadow sector of the economy, in which many illegal immigrants are employed.

Also striking is the long-standing geographic imbalance between the more developed northeastern region and the rest of the country.

In addition, a characteristic feature of Spain is the extremely low resistance of the economy to various kinds of crisis phenomena, as well as a pronounced dependence on various kinds of “soap bubbles” (real estate, re-mortgaging, external loans). Spain's economic development was heavily influenced by the crises of 1993 and 2008-2012, exposing a number of traditional Spanish weaknesses, partly due to cultural reasons - the decreased competitiveness of the economy associated with the country's accession to the eurozone, as well as low labor productivity compared to the countries of northeastern Europe and Asia.

We offer to see what the statistics of wine imports in the world looks like

Spain's statistics report that the decline in production is mainly to blame for the decline in the purchasing power of the population (9.9%) and the increase in the cost of purchasing new equipment and maintaining existing equipment (9.7%). The declining profitability of industry also affected the income of intermediary organizations (the amount of money they earned decreased by 13.1%). Spain has not experienced such big production problems before.

The national cuisine of Spain, formed on the basis of the variety of culinary traditions of its regions, is due to geographic location, climate and cultural characteristics. Spain's food is tasty, easy to prepare and mostly cheap. The most important thing is fresh food and a little dexterity.

Spain's recipes are as varied as the country itself, each region is rich in something of its own, but the main ingredients are almost everywhere the same: rice, cereals, fish, seafood and of course vegetables. The national dish of Spain is ogli podrida, thick soup, stew with vegetables.

1. Gazpacho
2. Spanish pea soup
3. Walnut Mushroom Soup (Welsh Recipe)
4. Biscay Braised Cod
5. Jamon with melon
6. Spanish tortilla with sausage and many others.

Spanish Cuisine Recipes: There are numerous cookbooks and even more sites on the internet dedicated to Spanish recipes. Most of the sites offer step-by-step recipes with photos so that any housewife can cook gazpacho, paella or any other Spanish dish herself.

The national cuisine of Spain is a combination of a huge number of different culinary schools, Moorish and Roman with elements of African and French cuisines.
Traditional Spanish dishes are light, rich in protein and vitamins. In Spain, food is a cult, you have to eat slowly, tastefully, washed down with excellent local wine.

Spanish recipes:

Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup. Poor peasants came up with it - nourishing, cheap and fast.
Mix all ingredients:

1. Blanch the tomatoes, pour over with cold water, peel and blender.
2. Peel the cucumber, onion, garlic and peppers - in the same place.
3. Soak bread in water, add to vegetables. Instead of bread, you can sprinkle bread crumbs or just crushed ordinary crackers.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add olive oil and juice from half a lemon.

Beat everything and the refreshing soup is ready.

Poor man's potatoes.

This is a classic Spanish dish and can be served with sausages or grilled chicken.

1. Preheat oven to 200g C. Grease a heat-resistant dish and lay out potatoes, peppers and onions in layers, sprinkling each level with seasonings, garlic and parsley. Place a bay leaf in front of the last layer of potatoes.
2. Sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil. Then heat on the stove until the oil boils.
3. Add wine and water so that the liquid reaches the middle of the potatoes and wait until it boils. Then put in the oven for 1 hour, until the potatoes are soft with a golden crust.

Spanish cuisine photo:

Spanish wines are some of the most famous wines in the world. It is believed that Spanish wine is more astringent and stronger than, for example, French or Italian.

Wine of Spain is divided into several categories:

• Table wines (Vinos de Mesa)
• Table wines proper (Vinos de Mesa)

• Table wines with the right to be labeled "wine of the land" (Vinos de las Tierras) (local wines)

• Quality wines produced in certain regions (Vinos de Calidad Producidos en Regiones Determinadas, VCPRD)
• Quality wines with geographical indications (Vinos de Calidad con Indicaciones Geográficas)
• Wines with appellations of origin (Vinos con Denominaciones de Origen, DO)

• Wines with recognized designation of origin (Vinos con Denominaciones de Origen Calificadas, DOCa).
• The abbreviation in Catalan differs from Spanish: DOQ (Denominacions d'Origen Qualificades)
• Pago wines (Vinos de Pagos)

Spain's white wines are made mainly from the Viura variety. The best Spanish white wines are those from Catalonia - Penedes and Ampurdan.

Red Spain or Spanish red wines are another story altogether. High-quality red wines from Spain have good saturation, a little oak flavor and a wonderful aroma, as they mature in oak barrels. The most famous Spanish wine is produced in Rioja and is based on tempranillo grapes.

Dry wines of Spain are very popular. And wines from regions such as Catalonia, Jumilla, Ribera del Duero, Navarre, Rueda, Aragon are reputed to be the most delicious. It is very easy to buy Spanish wine, if you are in the country, go to any supermarket and select the desired region from the shelves. If you are a true connoisseur and want to buy Spanish wines as a gift or for a special occasion, then go to the wine store and they will help you choose the perfect combination of price and quality.

Everything you need to know about Spain

• Official language
  Spanish;


• The official name of the country
  The Kingdom of Spain;


• Location
  Spain is a country located in the southwest of Europe and is considered a member of the European Union. A well-known fact about Spain is that the state occupies most of the Perinean Peninsula. Almost 80% of Spain's territory includes the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands. Spain is the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France. Not every tourist interested in all the facts about Spain knows that it is the most mountainous country in all of Europe;


• State structure
  The form of government is the Constitutional Monarchy.
  The king is the head of state .;


• Capital of Spain
  the city of Madrid;


• Currency
  Remembering all the known facts about Spain, the first thing that comes to mind is that the country is a member of the European Union. In this regard, the official currency is the EURO (€), equated to 100 cents .;


• Difference in time
  Spanish time is 3 hours behind Moscow time;


• Electrical voltage
  220V.

All tourists, as a rule, are interested in collecting information about the country, with which states the kingdom borders and which sea in Spain. Spain received a rather interesting location - in the north and west it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea.

And here are all those land borders that Spain has:

• in the west - with Portugal;
• in the south - with Gibraltar;
• in the north - with France and Andorra;
• in North Africa - from Morocco.

All the most important about the climate in Spain

We can safely speak of Spain as the warmest country in Western Europe.
The number of sunny days a year is 260 - 285 days. Everything, of course, is changeable and changeable, but basically (according to statistics) this is so.
The average annual air temperature is + 20 ° C.

The climate of Spain is very interesting in relation to the territory of the country:

• in winter, the air temperature in the northern and central regions can drop below zero degrees;
• in summer, at the height of the season, in the central and southern regions of the Mediterranean coast, the temperature can rise to 40 ° C, and in the northern part of the coast it can be no more than + 25 ° C.

All this information gives, albeit a brief, but quite understandable idea of \u200b\u200bSpain as a resort country for thermophilic tourists.

All the most interesting facts about the population of Spain

According to the October 2011 census, the population of Spain is 46.16 million.
Almost 76% of the population are urban residents, according to statistics from the same period.
95% of the inhabitants of Spain are Catalians, which did not prevent 67% of them from expressing their agreement on the legalization of same-sex marriage.
9% of the population are emigrants.

All about the resort cities of Spain

Largest cities in Spain

• Madrid -;
• Barcelona -;
• Valencia -;
• Seville;
• Zaragoza;
• Malaga.

Holiday destinations in Spain

The place where the country is located is not stingy with the resorts located in Spain. Any tourist will find where to relax in Spain, taking into account their preferences. Whether it's just an excursion or a beach vacation.

• Barcelona;
• Costa Brava;
• Costa del Maresme;
• Costa Dorada;
• Gran Canaria;
• Mallorca -;
• Tenerife -

Having visited one of the resorts in Spain, you can get some idea of \u200b\u200bit as a country as a whole. Although, in fact, it is difficult to judge Spain by one part of it.

Some more interesting information about Spain

• The shops are open from 10:00 to 20:00. Break - from 14:00 to 17:00;
• Bars and bakeries open at 8:00;
• It is better to arrange shopping in large cities of Spain, because all boutiques of famous brands are located there;
• Pottery, leather goods, fans, olive oils and wines brought from there will remind of Spain;
• Leaving a tip in Spain is optional, because it is already included in the cost of services and amounts to 10-15% of it. If you liked the service so much and you want to thank the institution, then it is customary to leave a tip in the amount of 5%;
• The national holiday is celebrated on October 12 and is called "Day of the Spanish Nation".

Spain flag	Coat of arms of Spain

Visa to enter the country

All citizens of the Russian Federation must know if they and their fellow travelers need a visa to Spain.
Tourists wishing to go on vacation to Spain should be aware of this before traveling without fail. The visa is issued at the Consular Section of the Spanish Embassy in Moscow.

Spain is the very country about which you want to know as much as possible, but you can never learn absolutely everything! Spain opens up in a new way every time. This is evidenced by the fact that the number of tourists returning to the country is growing every year.

The heart of youth tourism is the Balearic Islands, especially Menorca, Mallorca and Ibiza, famous for their nightlife. Cultural and eco-tourism is developed in the interior regions of the country. But the basis of the hospitality industry is made up of beach resorts: the Catalan Costa del Maresme, and the Costa de Valencia in the autonomous community of Valencia, the Andalusian resorts of the Costa de la Luz, Costa Tropical, Costa de Almeria,.

Many tourists are attracted by annual festivals, a significant part of which is dedicated to local saints, folklore and traditions. Especially popular are Ensierro in Pamplona, \u200b\u200bthe Seville Fair, Romeria de El Rocio, Tomatina in Buñol, Fallas in Valencia, carnivals in Cadiz and the Canary Islands; music festivals Primavera Sound, Sonar, Festimad and Festival International de Benicassim; Mostra de Valencia Film Festivals, Sitges Festival, Valladolid International Film Festival.

Economy, employment

Spain has a traditionally high level of unemployment, especially among youth. According to statistics, during economic crises, one in five Spaniards does not work anywhere.

The vast majority of the population is employed in the service sector. Historically, Spain is an agricultural country, but nowadays relatively few people are involved in this area.

Winemaking is very well developed (pictured on the left). Here is the world-famous region - the country of wine and vineyards.

The cultivation of citrus fruits, vegetable growing, animal husbandry and fishing are developed. Spain is almost a quarter of the world's production of olives and olive oil - the most popular among tourists. Due to the variety of food products, it is so rich in dishes for every taste, and Spain itself has firmly established itself in the list of the best countries for gastronomic tourism. In many ways, the famous and magnificent contribute to this.

Residents of Spain

In ancient times, the Iberian Peninsula was inhabited mainly by the Iberians, who later mixed with the Celts and assimilated by the Romans. The formed Ibero-Roman community was consistently diluted by the Germans and Arabs with the Berbers, and several nationalities were formed. We talked about this in detail in the article "". The indigenous people of Spain: Spaniards (Castilians), Basques, Catalans and Galicians make up the vast majority of the country's population.

The Spaniards are predominantly Catholic (about 75%). The second and third places are occupied by Islam (over a million) and Orthodoxy (about 900 thousand people). Orthodox Christians are mostly from Eastern Europe. Almost every tenth resident of Spain is an immigrant or descendant of immigrants.

The current Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, whose life story is an example of purposeful movement towards a goal, faced many problems in his post, and his activities have repeatedly become the object of harsh criticism. However, he did and continues to do a lot for his country. Let's talk about the main milestones of his life and professional path.

Childhood and origins

Mariano Rajoy Bray was born in 1955 in Santiago de Compostela, the capital of the Spanish district of Galicia. He comes from a famous family. His grandfather Enrique Rajoy Lelup was a famous lawyer and teacher at the university. He worked with a group of like-minded people on the Statute of the Autonomy of Galicia. This law was adopted only in the late 70s, and grandfather Mariano had to pay for his participation in the creation of this document with work. During the years of the dictatorship, he was removed from teaching. Mariano Rajoy's father, Mariano Rajoy Sobredo, was also a lawyer, he worked as the president of the court in his hometown of Pontevedra, where the future prime minister spent his childhood. Later, my father was transferred to Leon. The Rahoy family had three more children. When Mariano was young, his father met and became close friends with Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, father of the future secretary general of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party, the current prime minister's main political opponent. The fathers of the country's future major political figures maintained comradeship until the end of their days.

Education

Mariano Rajoy received his secondary education at a Jesuit school in the city of Vigo, where he studied for 10 years. After school, he, by family tradition, enters the law faculty of the University of Santiago de Comostelo. Already in the last year of the university, Mariano successfully passes the competitive exams for the position of property registrar.

The beginning of the professional path

Mariano Rajoy began his career, whose biography was originally associated with jurisprudence, as the registrar of property of the Galicia district. He became the youngest employee in the history of the department to take such a position - he was only 24 years old.

First steps in politics

In 1981 Rajoy Mariano joined the right-wing People's Alliance party and a year later became a deputy of the first convocation of the parliament of autonomous Galicia. An active young man quickly moving up the hierarchical ladder in the party, in 1982 he became the general director of communications for the autonomous government of Galicia and the secretary of the committee for interaction between the central authorities and the leadership of the Galicia district. In 1983, Mariano Rajoy was elected a member of the legislative council of the city of Pontevedra. In 1986, he became a member of the Lower House of the Spanish Parliament - the Congress of Deputies - from the province of Pontevedra. But at the same time, the government of Jose Luis Barreiro resigns in Galicia, and Rajoy becomes vice-president of the government of Galicia. For several years, Mariano Rajoy has been actively involved in the work of the district government and is engaged in political struggle in his party.

Big politics

In 1996, early parliamentary elections are held in Spain, and the party of which Rajoy Mariano was a member won the majority of votes and the right to form the government. The party owed such results, among other things, to Rahoy's good work. His longtime associate Jose Maria Aznar became the country's new prime minister. And Mariano for the third time received the mandate of the Congress of Deputies from the province of Pontevedra. Aznar did not forget the merits of Rahoy and appointed him minister of public administration, which he established by a special decree. So began the path of Mariano Rajoy to the heights of power. In each of his positions, he showed himself to be a proactive, responsible and active employee, and this, apparently, was the secret of his success.

Ministerial portfolio

Very quickly Mariano Rajoy changes his insignificant portfolio of Minister of Public Administration to a more significant one. In 1999, he becomes Minister of Education, Culture and Sports, replacing Esperanza Aguirre. She left after harsh criticism of her activities, and Rahoy tried to take into account her mistakes. He put a lot of effort into improving the work of museums, and also made serious adjustments to the education system, introducing the rules for obtaining education through the Internet. In 2000, elections are held in Spain, and Mariano Rajoy is in charge of the campaign headquarters of the People's Party. As a result of the popular vote, the party gains a record majority. Aznar became prime minister again and appointed Rahoy deputy prime minister and made him minister of his administration. In 2001, a two-year truce was violated with the left-wing Basque party, which was fighting for the autonomy of its land. This event led to the resignation from the post of Minister of the Interior Jaime Mayor Oreju, who took part in the presidential elections, and Mariano Rajoy moved to his chair. In this position, he focused on strengthening the fight against the terrorist organization "Basque Country and Freedom", he devoted a lot of effort to strengthening and expanding the interaction of Spain with France, and also dealt with the issues of finding stateless persons on the territory of the country, issues of drinking alcohol in public places and prevention of alcoholism. In July 2002, a major reshuffle took place in the Cabinet of Ministers again, and Rahoy became the Prime Minister's official representative and again took the seat of the Minister of the Prime Minister's Administration. In 2003, he resigned from all posts and focused on party work.

People's Party

Back in 1981, Mariano Rajoy became a member of the leftist Party People's Alliance, which later became known as the People's Party. It was this political force that gave him the opportunity to start his path in politics, nominating him as a member of the Congress of Deputies. In 1988 he became general secretary of the regional branch of the party in his native Galicia. In 1989, changes took place in the party: in addition to the fact that it received a new name, the movement was headed by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, one of the founders of the bloc. He appointed Rajoy as chairman of the party's national executive committee and represented the province of Ponteverda at the highest party levels. In 1989, Fraga, in fact, transferred control to Aznar, who left Mariano as a member of the executive committee and appointed him as his first deputy. In addition, he again became a representative in the Congress of Deputies on the party lists of his movement. In 1993, the People's Party became the main opposition force in the country. And in 1996 she won the elections and became the ruling force in Spain for 8 years.

In 2004, the People's Party lost in elections to its main rival, the socialist Zapatero party, but retained a fairly large number of seats in parliament and the Senate.

Opposition activities

After the defeat in the elections, the "People's Party" changes its leader - Mariano Rajoy becomes it. For 7 years he became the main oppositionist in Spain. He actively criticized the ruling party, as well as many of the actions of his predecessor. He blamed Aznar's government for the horrific terrorist attacks in the country. In the course of his struggle, he repeatedly expressed controversial ideas, for example, he refused to believe that it is necessary to deal with the prevention of the consequences of climate change. Journalists accused him of receiving too high a salary, which was even higher than that of the Prime Minister. In 2008, Rahoy lost the elections again, and many journalists and party members began to doubt the advisability of continuing his political activities. The People's Party has nominated Soraya Saenz de Santamaria to the Congress of Deputies. But Mariano did not give up, he actively conducted public discussions with the socialists, spoke out on many socially significant issues, conducted active campaigning work, and in 2011 he finally managed to achieve his goal.

Prime Minister

In 2011, early elections were held in which the "People's Party" was again represented by Rahoy. The campaign was very sharp and bright, and on November 20 the news spread around the world: "Mariano Rajoy is the Prime Minister of Spain." He still got the desired post. He appointed Soraya Saenz de Santamaria as his Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Administration. He had to face a lot of problems: the financial crisis, migrants, corruption scandals ... All this led to the fact that the popularity of the "People's Party" is rapidly falling. In 2015, the next elections essentially failed, and Spain plunged into a deep government crisis. The parties that received the majority of votes could not agree on the persons in the government in any way, and for some time Rahoy is the technical prime minister. And only in 2016 he managed to form a "minority government" - for the first time in Spain.

Disappointing results

Over the course of his political career, Rahoy has made unfortunate mistakes more than once. Thus, he could not be forgiven for the obvious opposition to the Catalan referendum. Many opponents accused him of money-grubbing and corruption. In 2013, journalists found documents revealing “black schemes” for receiving illegal donations and income by the People's Party and its leaders. In 2013, a lawsuit was brought against Rahoy and 62 deputies for misappropriation of budget funds. All this happened against the background of active calls by the Prime Minister for the need to save and raise taxes. In 2016, something unprecedented happened! Mariano Rajoy is the prime minister of Spain who has been recognized as persona non grata in his hometown of Pontevedra. This decision was made by the local authorities after the Prime Minister extended the license of a local pulp mill, which greatly damages the environment, for 60 years.

and public position

The Prime Minister of Spain has repeatedly allowed himself controversial and even scandalous statements. His performances are always vivid, and often Mariano Rajoy's speech without translation can even be understood - he is so emotional and artistic. He voiced his life principles more than once, his favorite phrases: "time will put everything in its place", "revenge is a dish that needs to be served cold" and "the persistent get success." Indeed, his life principle is calmness and confidence in his righteousness. He never changed these rules. But it is difficult to talk about his stable social position, since at different periods of his life he declared different values \u200b\u200band goals, and in such flexibility, apparently, lies the secret of his political long life.

Personal life

Mariano Rajoy says about himself that he is a happy person and a one-man woman. He met his future wife, Elvira Fernandez Balboa, in a bar in 1992. He was immediately struck by this girl on the spot and began to look after her. They got married in 1996. In 1999, the couple had their first son, Mariano Rajoy Fernandez, in 2005, their second son, Juan Rajoy Fernandez, was born.