Hunting for Spain facts? Before we get to facts, let us get some quick knowledge about Spain. Spain is a country located in the Southwestern part of Europe. It also has some areas of territory across the Atlantic Ocean and the Strait of Gibraltar. It was formerly known as the Kingdom of Spain.
Spain is a beautiful country known for its Tomatina Festival, delicious cuisine, and travel destinations. Today we will learn more about this amazing country in our Spain facts article.
Spain Facts 1-10
1. Spain has a population of 48 million people as of 2021. The capital city of Spain is Madrid. It has 6.6 million inhabitants.
2. Spain was formerly called the Kingdom of Spain or Reino de Espana. The form of government in Spain is parliamentary monarchy.
3. Castilian Spanish is spoken by 74% of the population. Catalan is spoken by 17% of the population. The other languages spoken in Spain are Basque, Galician.
4. Over 98% of the population is literate meaning they can read and write. 94% of the population are Roman Catholics.
5. Red carnation is the national flower, short-toed eagle is the national bird, and bull is the national animal of Spain.
6. Official Spanish anthem is ‘La Marcha Real’ or the Royal March. It is one of the four anthems in the world without any lyrics.
7. Spain is located on the Iberian peninsula and is in the southwestern part of Europe.
8. Spain shares borders with Andorra, France, Portugal, and the UK (Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory). The longest border Spain shares is with Portugal.
9. Two Spanish enclaves Melilla and Ceuta are situated within Morocco, and hence, Spain shares a border with Morocco as well.
10. The Straits of Gibraltar separates the African continent from Spain. This passage connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Spain Facts 11-20
11. Spain is divided into 17 autonomous regions with their own federal government.
12. It is a little larger than double the size of the United Kingdom and about twice the size of Oregon (USA).
13. It is surrounded by Mediterranean Sea in the south and east, and the Atlantic Ocean in the Northwest. It is surrounded by Portugal from the west and France and Andorra from the north. Pyrenees mountain range acts as a natural border between Spain and France and Andorra.
14. It is the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine, and France. It is the second largest country in the European Union after France. It has the 5th largest population in Europe.
15. Barcelona, Zaragoza, Madrid, Seville, Valencia are the five largest cities of Spain.
16. Balearic Islands and Canary Islands are the two island regions that belong to Spain.
17. Balearic Islands is 50 miles or 80 kilometers from the eastern coast of Spain. They are present in the Mediterranean Sea. The four islands present in Balearic Islands or Islas Baleares are:
- Menorce
- Mallorca
- Formentera
- Ibiza
18. Canary Islands are 62 miles or 100 kilometers west to Morocco. Did you know that volcanic eruptions of the Canary hotspot created these islands? Some of the islands which belong to Canary Islands or Islas Canares are:
- La Gomera
- Gran Canaria
- La Palma
- Tenerife
- El Hierro
- Lanzarote
- Fuerteventura
19. Tenerife is the most populous and the largest island of the Canary Islands and El Hierro is the smallest island.
20. There are several other islands in the group of Canary Islands. Over 2 million people reside in the Canary Islands.
Spain Facts 21-30
21. Mallorca is the largest island of Spain. Rio Ebro is the longest river in Spain. It is 566 miles or 910 kilometers long.
22. Lake Sanabria is the largest natural lake of the country. Mar Menor is the largest saltwater lagoon of both Spain and entire Europe.
23. Mulhacen is the highest mountain present on the mainland Spain. It has an altitude of 11,414 feet or 3,479 meters. El Teide on Tenerife is the highest mountain of Spain. It has an altitude of 3,718 meters or 12,198 feet. It is a dormant volcano.
24. Punta de Tarifa is the southernmost point of both Spain and Europe.
25. Some of the major attractions of Spain are Plaza de Cibeles, Sagrada Familia Basilica, Arts and Science Museum Complex, Santiago de Compostela, etc.
26. 80% of the Spanish population live in urban areas. Like the UK, Spain has a royal family. They live in Zarzuela Palace, present outside of Madrid.
27. The present King of Spain is Felipe VI since 2014. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have 2 daughters.
28. Spanish people love soccer. The most famous soccer clubs are Barca or FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
29. Spain is also famous for Tomatina Festival (takes place in Valencia), bullfights, Running of the Bulls, Flamenco dance (in Andalusia and other towns) etc.
30. Some of the popular Spanish people are as follows:
- Joan Miro – Sculptor and painter
- Miguel de Cervantes – Author of Don Quixote
- Antoni Gaudi – Architect.
- Salvador Dali – Painter
- Rafael Nadal – Tennis player
- Pablo Picasso – Painter
Spain Facts 31-40
31. Spanish is the second most spoken native language in the world. Spanish is spoken in countries such as Spain, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Columbia, etc.
32. There are four official languages of Spain. They are:
- Castilian Spanish – It is spoken across the whole country and is referred to as the typical Spanish language.
- Catalan Spanish – It is spoken around Barcelona and Valencia.
- Basque – It is spoken in Basque situated in the north of Spain.
- Galician – It is spoken in Galicia situated in the northwest part of Spain.
Apart from the official languages, other unofficial languages spoken are Aragonese, Asturian, and Aranese.
33. Some of the animals that you will encounter in Spain are Iberian lynx (nearly extinct), Iberian fox, Iberian wild boar, Cantabrian brown bear, short-toed eagle, lizards, geckos, etc.
34. Some of the famous foods of Spain are coca, chorizo, gazpacho, paella, empanada, chocolate con churros, etc.
35. Spain produced 1.8 million tons of olive oil in 2018 and 1.2 million tons in 2020. Needless to say, it has the highest number of olive trees in the world. The majority of olive oil production takes place in Andalusia. 43% of the world’s olive oil production takes place in Spain.
36. Other major exports of Spain are machinery, petrol products, cars, etc. Top agricultural products exported are melons, nuts, and citrus fruit peels. Germany, Italy, and France are major trading partners of the country.
37. Did you know nudity is legal in Spain?
38. According to data, Spain has the second highest life expectancy of all the OECD countries. The life expectancy is 83 years. Japan has higher life expectancy at 85 years. Spanish women live for 85 years and men live for 79 years.
39. According to the United Nations by 2050, 30% of the Spanish population will be either 60 years or older.
40. With 13.8% unemployment rate, Spain has the second-highest unemployment rate in Europe. Greece tops the list.
Spain Facts 41-50
41. 40% of all the businesses started in Spain after 2008 were set up by women.
42. Spain has the third highest UNESCO World Heritage sites. Italy and China have more world heritage sites than Spain. Italy and China both have 55 world heritage sites each and Spain has 47.
43. Spain is the first country to use wind as the primary source of electricity.
44. Spain is the second most favorite destination spot for travellers after France. In 2018, Spain received a whopping 82.8 million visitors. Spain has 8,000 beaches.
45. Every year on 15 May, single women in Madrid go to Ermita de San Isidro chapel and prick their fingers, and put their blood in a vessel in order to find a life partner.
Another bizarre Spain fact is that they celebrate new year by eating a grape with their family for every bell strike of the clock.
46. Most of the Spaniards have two surnames – one from father and one from mother.
47. Very few marriages take place in Spain than any other country in Europe, apart from Sweden.
48. The divorce rate in Spain is 17% which is way lower than the USA’s divorce rate which is 50%.
49. It is normal to see dirty bars in Spain. A dirty bar is a good bar. It also has the second highest number of bars per person.
50. Spain introduced potatoes, oranges, avocados, sugar, and chocolate to other European countries.
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