Spain - All countries are different, Spain is a little more so!
Steeped in romantic history and a passionate people, which you can sample in their fine Riojas!

Romantic, colorful, exciting Spain - with its convoluted history of Moorish and Christian civilizations, brilliant artists, bullfights, saints and miracles – who isn’t drawn to this breathtaking country of 3,000 castles?

The geography is as varied and dramatic as its history – remote forested northern Spain contrasts starkly with the open plains and immense olive groves of the south. The stunning Pyrenees loom over the brilliant turquoise Mediterranean, fringed by the pine-clad Costa Brava.

The Spaniards are an exciting, energetic and sociable people – there’s always a fiesta somewhere! They seem to live life more intensely than anywhere else and cram more into their 24 hours. This is visible in their remarkable artists from Velasquez to Picasso, their brilliant writers like Cervantes and Garcia Lorca, and their incomparable architecture from León’s soaring cathedral to the breath-taking Alhambra in Granada.

Spain is truly a country of superlatives – way too much to try and squeeze in one paragraph. You’ll just have to see for yourself. Beware, though, Spain is addictive!

Spain By Numbers

Area:	499,542 sq km / 310,401 sq miles
Population:	40,397,842
Capital city:	Madrid (Population: 3,500,000)
Coastline:	4,964 km / 3084 miles
Climate:	temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Language:	Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
Religion:	Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Currency:	Euro €
Government:	Democratic Monarchy
Chief of State:	King Juan Carlos I
Prime Minister:	Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
Background:	Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986), have given Spain one of the most dynamic economies in Europe and made it a global champion of freedom. Continuing challenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and relatively high unemployment.
(facts & Figures from the CIA factbook)