Useful information about Spain, including all the things to know before leaving for a trip or vacation in this state of Western Europe located on the Iberian Peninsula.
Spain in a nutshell
- Capital: Madrid
- Area in sq km: 504,759
- Population: 40,409,000 (first half 2001)
- Catholic religion
Where is it
Spain is bordered by France and Andorra to the north east, Portugal to the west, north, north west and south west is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, east and south east by the Mediterranean Sea.
Spain also includes the Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean.
The territory of Spain is formed, in the central part of the country, by the vast Meseta plateau, delimited by the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees in the north, by the Iberian System in the east, by Sierra Morena in the south, and is also crossed by the internal Sierra de Gata chains , Sierra de Gredos and Sierra de Guadarrama.
Further south the Toledo mountains and the Sierra Morena.
The Guadalquivir basin extends between the Sierra Morena and the Betic System, which also includes the Sierra Nevada, comprising the highest peak of the entire peninsula, or the Cerro Mulhacèn with its 3,478 meters.
Spain is divided into the autonomous communities of Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, the Canaries, Cantabria, Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre and the Basque Country.
The Mediterranean coast is divided into the stretches of Costa Brava, Costa Daurada, Costa de Azahar, Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol.
Main towns
The most important cities are Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Málaga, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Bilbao.
Madrid, located in the Meseta plateau at 667 meters above sea level, is one of the highest capitals in Europe.
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain which bases its economy mainly on port activities and tourism.
Recommended readings- Spain: travel story between Toledo, Andalusia and Madrid
- Barcelona (Spain): what to see in the capital of Catalonia
- Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife): what to see
- Balearic Islands (Spain): useful information
- Formentera (Spain): what to see on the Balearic island
Valencia is the capital of the Valencian Community and an important port in the Mediterranean sea.
Seville, which has Iberian-Punic origins and is the capital of Andalusia, stands on the banks of the Guadalquivir river and has numerous monuments, squares and gardens including the Giralda, the Cathedral, the Alcazar, the Archive of the Indies, the square of Spain and the gardens of Maria Luisa.
Zaragoza is the archiepiscopal and university seat.
Málaga is located in the south in the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Murcia, located in the autonomous community of Murcia, is an industrial and commercial city, a bishopric and university site.
Palma, the main city on the island of Majorca and the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic islands, is highly appreciated for its beaches, entertainment and rich nightlife.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, located in the autonomous community of the Canaries, is the capital of the province of Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria.
Bilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay.
Regions
The most important regions of Spain are Madrid, Catalonia, Valencian Community, Andalusia, Aragon, Murcia, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and Basque Country.
Hydrography
The inclination of the Meseta towards the west means that most of the Spanish rivers flow towards the Atlantic Ocean, including Duero, Tagus and Guadiana.
The Guadalquivir River also flows into the Atlantic Ocean, has a constant regime, is navigable and is the most important river in Spain.
Another important river is the Ebro, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
Climate
In Spain there are various types of climate: in Meseta the climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters, the rains are scarce.
On the Atlantic coasts the climate is temperate oceanic, cool with abundant rains.
On the Mediterranean coast, winters are mild and hot summers, especially in the Andalusian region, summers are very hot and arid.
Population
The Spanish population is made up mostly of Spanish and Catalan, Galician and Basque minorities.
Within these minorities with their own ethnic and linguistic characteristics, there is a strong autonomistic aspiration (in particular the Basques) towards the Castilian dominant group.
The population is not evenly distributed over the territory, it is mainly concentrated in the coastal areas, in the capital and surroundings.
The internal areas of the country are less populated.
Time zone
In Spain the time is the same as in Italy throughout the year.
Spoken language
The official language of Spain is Spanish (Castilian). Catalan, Basque and Galician are also official languages in the respective autonomous regions.
Economy
The Spanish economy has grown significantly in recent years.
After the hard years of the dictatorship, which ended only in 1975, the Spanish economy has freed itself from isolation and operating within the European Union has achieved important objectives.
The service sector, especially the tourism sector and then also banks and telecommunications contribute with the highest percentage to the formation of national income.
The construction sector is also important.
The industry is present in the automotive, manufacturing, food and textile sectors.
The production of olive oil, wine and fruit is noteworthy, exported from Spain throughout Europe. The fish sector is also active.
When to go
On the coast of the Mediterranean Sea apart from the summer months, which have particularly high temperatures, the climate is good all year round.
In the north western part of the country the months from May to September are indicated, for the rest of the country, wanting to avoid the hottest months of July and August, the months of May, June and September are beautiful.
Necessary documents
In order to enter Spain, Italian citizens need an identity card valid for travel abroad or a passport. The country is part of the European Union and adheres to the Schengen agreement.
Phone
- To call from Italy to Spain the prefix is: 0034
- To call from Spain to Italy the area code is: 0039
Electricity
The electric current is 220 volts.
Currency
Spain's official currency is the euro.
Credit cards are accepted and ATM withdrawals are possible.
How to get
plane
Iberia, Alitalia, Vueling, easyJet, Ryanair operate direct flights between Italy and Spain.
Car
It is possible to reach Spain by car via southern France and also by ship by embarking in Genoa or Civitavecchia for Barcelona.
