Facts about Spain

Fact about Spain a predominant country on the Iberian Peninsula,which occupies almost 85% of its area, has some unique facts of its own. The Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from the African continent. The Cantabrian Mountains clearly separate the country into two distinct halves: the rainy north and the dry south. The country comprises of mainland Spain , the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic . Three main rivers span the country, namely Ebro in north-east, Tajo in central Spain and Guadalquivir in the south.Some of the Fact about Spain rather the Fast Fact about Spain

Fast Fact about Spain:

Area: 504,780 square kilometers. Population: 40,341,462 (approx) Currency: Euro,formerly Peseta

• Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
• Language: Official language is Castilian Spanish,however many other language dialects are also in use.
• Religion: Roman Catholicism
• Visa: Visa is not required for any EU national staying in the country for three months. Other nationals however require visa.
• Geography: Spain is Europe 's fourth largest country including the Canary and Balearic island groups.
• Time: It follows the Central European time which runs 1 hr behind GMT.

Interesting Fact about Spain:

• Business: Normal working hours for shops across the country are from 9 am to 8 pm from Monday to Saturday. During the afternoon, shops normally stay closed. However, large business houses stay open throughout the day. Restaurants and bars, especially in the city of Madrid , stay closed during the holidays in August.
• Museums: Generally remain closed on Mondays and public holidays but stay open on Sunday mornings. Museum hours vary with each season.
• Banks: They function on all days throughout the week till Saturday from 9 am till midday or 1 pm. Banking hours are however longer in summers.
• Taxis: Taxis for hire are easily identifiable with the green light overhead but tourists should be careful with the meter. Late night journeys demand extra payment.
• Tipping: The people of Spain are not used to big tipping but if one is satisfied with the food one can leave few coins which will be appreciated.
• National Holiday: Spain observes its national day on 12 th October, because significantly ,on the same date in 1492 Columbus set foot in the Americas .
• The Flag of Spain : It depicts a Coat of Arms which is the exact replica of the original Coat of Arms worn by King Ferdinand.
• Airports: Spain has almost 61 airports with unpaved runways.
• International Disputes: These disputes with the U.K. And Portugal actually dates back to almost 200 years in history. Dispute with U.K. Exists over the Rock of Gibraltar and over Olivenza with Portugal .
• Coastline: Spain 's vast stretches of coastline serve as the largest area for narcotics trafficking into Europe .
• Foreigners: Spain has almost 3.7 million foreigners residing within its territory,almost one-third of the nation's population.
• Economy: Spain 's economy is the 7 th largest in the world and this is one of the important Fact about Spain which any one will admire to know.

Gastronomical Delights: Olive oil is used in all dishes all over Spain and the food is incomplete without Sherry. Paella, a rice dish of Spain , is renowned throughout the world. Each region serves a specialty of seafood.