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Spain

geography Maturity 11-13 Vital Level 3 Next article →

Spain is a large and important country in Southern and Western Europe.

EU-Spain
EU-Spain

Most of its land sits on the Iberian Peninsula. The country also includes the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. You can also find the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Two cities, Ceuta and Melilla, are located on the continent of Africa. Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe. It is also a very important member of the European Union.

Flag of Europe
Flag of Europe

Nature and weather change depending on where you look. The map shows how the land sits near different waters.

EU-Spain (orthographic projection) (with de jure territory)
EU-Spain (orthographic projection) (with de jure territory)

To the north, Spain meets France and the Bay of Biscay. To the east and south, the Mediterranean Sea provides a long coastline. The west is bordered by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. Madrid is the capital and the largest city in the country. Other big cities include Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville.

Barcelona Palau Reial de Pedralbes (51135781861)
Barcelona Palau Reial de Pedralbes (51135781861)

The history of this land is very old. Long ago, people lived here as far back as 1.3 million years ago.

2014 Castro de Santa Trega. Galiza-2
2014 Castro de Santa Trega. Galiza-2

Early humans left famous paintings in the Altamira cave. Later, the Romans arrived and called the land Hispania. They ruled for over six hundred years. This time brought new laws, the Latin language, and roads. After the Romans, groups like the Visigoths and Muslim rulers lived here.

Alhambra Löwenhof mit Löwenbrunnen 2014
Alhambra Löwenhof mit Löwenbrunnen 2014

Spain became a single nation in 1479. This happened when the crowns of Castile and Aragon joined together. During the Age of Discovery, Spain led many explorations. They even completed the first trip all the way around the world. This helped them build a huge empire that reached all continents. Later, the country went through many changes and struggles. This included the Spanish Civil War and a long dictatorship.

Today, Spain is a democracy with King Felipe VI as the head of state.

El Rey Juan Carlos I (L-61)
El Rey Juan Carlos I (L-61)

It is a very wealthy and developed country. More than 600 million people speak Spanish around the world. This makes it the second-most spoken native language on Earth. Many people visit Spain to see its history and beautiful places. It is the second-most visited country in the entire world.

Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao (31273245344)
Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao (31273245344)
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🖼️ Images & Media (44)
File:EU-Spain.svg
EU-Spain.svg
File:EU-Spain (orthographic projection) (with de jure territory).svg
EU-Spain (orthographic projection) (with...
File:Languages of Spain.svg
Languages of Spain.svg
File:Climate of Spain.svg
Climate of Spain.svg
File:Flag of Europe.svg
Flag of Europe.svg
File:Bandera de España.svg
Bandera de España.svg
File:Autonomous communities of Spain no names.svg
Autonomous communities of Spain no names.svg
File:European Union main map.svg
European Union main map.svg
File:Agreement on the European Economic Area.svg
Agreement on the European Economic Area.svg
File:Escudo nacional de España, 1981 (base carpanel).svg
Escudo nacional de España, 1981 (base...
File:Increase Neutral.svg
Increase Neutral.svg
File:Decrease Positive.svg
Decrease Positive.svg

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