SPAIN: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

I’ve had an interest in Spain for quite a while. And my kids go to a Spanish immersion magnet elementary school (well, my daughter finished and is now in middle school). Their math and science classes are taught in Spanish, and most of their Spanish teachers come from Spain. (However, I think most of the Hispanic students who attend are from Latin America.) A few years ago, I read James Michener’s Iberia, which gave a history of many of the key areas around Spain.

The Spanish name for the country, España, is a little unclear on its origin but is generally thought to have stemmed from some kind of Phoenician or even some Greek-influenced one. There are quite a few theories out there, and everyone probably thinks theirs is the right one. 

Spain is located in the southwest corner of Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula. It’s bordered by Portugal to the west and France to the north. The country of Andorra lies in the Pyrenees between Spain and France, while the British territory of Gibraltar (where the famous Rock of Gibraltar is) lies on the opposite end of the country. Spain also has several islands (mainly the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco) as well as a few exclaves bordering Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla). Spain’s climate can vary, depending on where you are and how high in the mountains you are. They have either a Mediterranean climate, semi-arid, or oceanic climate.

Ceuta

The earliest people in this area were the Celts, Basques, and Iberians, followed by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians before being incorporated into the Roman Empire. It became Gothic during the Middle Ages (as opposed to being Goth), and then Muslims from North Africa crossed the Mediterranean and took over the land for themselves. It essentially became a Muslim state, and many of the existing cathedrals were either torn down or redesigned as mosques. Although Christianity was restored after the Spaniards eventually kicked them out, there are several Spanish words of Arabic origin (sukkar – azúkar – sugar; azzayt – aceite – oil). Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon got married and Spain basically reunited. They hired an Italian named Christopher Columbus (as we call him in English) to find a way to Asia, which ended up one of the biggest screw-ups in history. He found islands, sure, but they were in the Caribbean, which he promptly claimed for Spain. But he also killed off practically everyone already there through torture and disease, raping and pillaging. But it began Spain’s conquests (i.e. stealing) lands in the Americas. Other Spaniards did end up making it to Asia and took over the Philippines and stopped by quite a few other islands as well. During the 1550s, they also made their way around the bottom of Africa. And of course, none of this was done without fighting and arguing with the British, the French, and the Dutch who were all doing the same thing. The 1700s and 1800s were nothing but strife between Spain and France, especially against Napoleon, which left Spain reeling from the impacts of it all. They lost a lot of the land they had accumulated, including Cuba toward the end of the century. While the Second Republic of the 1920s caused a bit of political and social turmoil, they also established universal suffrage. And then came WWII. Francisco Franco put Spain in the same club as Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Communist Russia. When Franco died in 1975, the country began the process of becoming a democracy again. In recent decades, there have been movements for certain minority areas to gain its own autonomy, namely the Basques and Catalonia, but none have succeeded yet. In 2005, Spain joined a handful of countries to legalize same-sex marriage. 

 

This guy had an obsession with statues of himself on horseback, the last of which were taken down in 2008 (33 years after his death). 

Located on the River Manzanares, the capital city is Madrid. This city is pretty much right in the center of the country. It’s generally hot in the summers with plenty of sunshine to mild in the winter. Not only does the city serve as the nation’s center of government, but it’s also a hub for transportation, commerce and finance (many multinational companies have branches here), media, culture, education, sports (including bullfighting), and entertainment. Madrid is especially known among the art world for its famous Prado Museum, but there are numerous other art museums and galleries spread throughout the city.

Spain has a mixed economy but also has a somewhat high unemployment. Many Spanish companies have risen to international levels, especially with Latin America and Asia. Spain’s known for certain agricultural products: olive oil, wine, olives, cereal grains, citrus fruits, grapes, cotton, and other fruits. It’s also the second most visited country in the world. In fact, the main office for the World Tourism Organization is located in the capital. Cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Leon, and Castile remain top cities for tourism.

Roman Catholicism is still the dominant religion in Spain, although it’s not an official religion anymore. It still has a long history in Spain, and there have been four Popes from Spain. Even though 70% identify themselves as Roman Catholic (and most of those people don’t even attend church at all), nearly a quarter of the people say they have no religion at all. The rest of the people are either Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, or some other Asian religions. There used to be quite a few Jews in Spain until they expelled them all in 1492 until about the 19^th century. However, if you can prove you were part of the Sephardic Jews that were kicked out in 1492, then you can request Spanish nationality. I can’t even find my college IDs from 20 years ago.

Not surprising that Spanish is the official language of Spain. The version considered the official version is also called Castilian Spanish. However, there are also other languages that share that official status: Catalan (which I think is like a cross between Spanish and Portuguese), Galician, Basque, and Occitan. Other minority languages include Aragonese in Aragon and Astur-Leonese in León.

I was looking through a list of famous people from Spain, and it was rife with actors, musicians, artists, explorers, filmmakers, writers, athletes, and scientists that I didn’t always realize who were from Spain. They have contributed and shaped the world as we know it (whether for good or bad, it is what it is). I’m excited to take a closer look at a country I’ve been interested in (and from the point of view of moving to).

Up next: art and literature