Interesting Facts About . . . Spain
1. Many different groups of people have settled in Spain
throughout history, including Iberians, Phoenicians,
Greeks, Romans, Visigoths, Celts, Basques, and the
Moors (Muslims who came from North Africa).f
2. The quill pen is thought to have originated in Spain about
1,400 years ago.f
3. The most enduring contribution of Spain to the world is its
language, which was imported to the Americas with the
expansion of the Spanish Empire in the 16th century.
Now, more than 400 million people speak Spanish in 22
countries, including 35 million who speak it in the
United States.a
4. Since the Pyrenees Mountains were such a significant
barrier in the north, and Spain is just 9 miles from Morocco
in the south, Spain shares much of its early history with
Africa.c
5. The official name of Spain is the Kingdom of Spain.f
6. The Iberian Peninsula was one of several refuges during
the last ice age, so it was largely from Spain that northern
Europe was repopulated after the ice age ended.c
7. Famous Spaniards include Seneca, Hadrian, Antonio
Banderas, Penelope Cruz, Salvador Dalí, El Greco, Pablo
Picasso, Francisco de Goya, Jose Carreras, and Plácido
Domingo.a
Spain is one of the most visited countries in
the world
8. In 2006, 58 million tourists visited Spain and its islands.
Foreign tourists spent $51 billion in 2006. Spain is the
second most visited country in the world after
France.a
9. Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (1499-1543)
discovered California.f
10. In 1603, Spanish sailor Gabriel de Castilla (1577-1620)
became the first man ever to see Antarctica.f
11. Spanish sailor Juan Sebastián Elcano (1476-1526) was
the first man to circumnavigate the world.f
12. Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475-1519)
was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.f
13. The first novel, Tirant lo Blanc (1490), was written by
Spanish author Joanot Martorell (1413-1468). Translated
as Tirant the White, it played an important role in the
development of the Western novel.f
14. The Phoenicians who entered Spain in the 8th century
B.C. called the peninsula Span or “the hidden land.”e
15. The official language of Spain is Castilian Spanish
(74%), though Catalan (17%) Galician (7%), and Basque
(2%) are also spoken.a
16. Tomás de Torquemada (1420-1498) was the first
Grand Inquisitor in the Spanish Inquisition. His name has
been associated with the Inquisition’s horror, fanaticism,
and bigotry. Ironically, he was a descendent of a
converso, or someone who had converted to Christianly
from Judaism or Islam. In 1832, his tomb was raided and
his bones were stolen and burned.f
17. During the last ice age, most of Europe was covered in
glaciers, but most of Spain was far enough south to
escape the ice. Consequently, plants that were wiped out
across Europe survived in Spain. Europe as a whole has
9,000 plant species; there are over 8,000 plant species in
Spain alone, with 2,000 of them being unique to the
country.c
18. Spanish inventor Manuel Jalón Corominas (1925-2011)
invented the mop in 1956.f
19. Spanish sailor and engineer Isaac Peral (1851-1895)
designed the first fully operative military submarine.f
20. Spanish surgeon and scientist Miguel Servet (15111553) was the first European to describe pulmonary
circulation.f
21. Spanish double agent Joan Pujol Garcia is perhaps the
only person ever to receive an Iron Cross from both the
British and the Germans. Code named Garbo, he played
an important role in the success of D-Day at the end of
WWII.f
22. Spain is home to a type of tailless monkey, the
macaque, which is the only type of wild monkey that lives
in Europe.a
Spain sells over 3 billion corks per year
23. Spain and Portugal provide most of the world’s cork.
Cork trees flourish in the dry Meseta region in Spain.c
24. The Moors, who ruled Spain for 800 years, introduced
new scientific techniques to Europe, such as an astrolabe,
a device for measuring the position of the stars and
planets. At its height, Córdoba, the heart of Moorish
territory in Spain, was the most modern city in Europe,
with streetlights and running water.e
25. The famous Spanish poem Cantar del mio Çid tells the
story of the legendary El Cid, a Spanish hero in the war
between the Christians and Moors. The poem was based
on a real man, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043-1099). He
actually was a mercenary who fought on both sides. His
name “El Cid” comes from the Arabic al sayyid meaning
“the lord.”a
26. Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe
after France and the second most mountainous after
Switzerland.c
27. In 1478, the Pope gave the Spanish King, Ferdinand V,
power to initiate the Spanish Inquisition, during which
people were tortured to prove they were true Christians.
Thousands of converts fled Spain as the Inquisition
spread fear across Europe. During the first 50 years of the
Inquisition, 5,000 people were executed. The Inquisition
was finally abolished in 1834.f
28. In 1492, Ferdinand V of Aragon and Queen Isabella
paid for Christopher Columbus to explore the west in
search of a new route to India. Columbus landed on
one of the islands of the Bahamas by mistake. His
mistake made Spain one of the richest nations in the
world for a time.f
29. In 1588, the king of Spain sent 133 ships (the Armada)
to England. Almost half of the ships sank in stormy
weather or while fighting the British navy. It was a
significant defeat for Spain and marked the beginning of
the end of Spain’s global power.e
Spain produces over 260 olive varieties
30. The largest producer of olive oil, Spain accounts for
45% of the world’s total olive oil production.a
31. In 2012, the population of Spain was 47,042,984,
making it the 27th most populous country in the world and
the 5th most populous nation in Europe.g
32. Spain is divided into 17 regions. Fifteen of the regions
are on the mainland of Spain. The other two regions are
island groups. The Balearic Islands lie off Spain’s eastern
coast. The Canary Islands are off the western coast of
Morocco.f
33. The oldest known cave painting is found in the Cave of
El Castillo in northern Spain. There researchers have
found a faint red dot that is thought to be over 40,000
years old. The second-oldest known cave art is in France.
The Cave of Altamira near Santander, Spain, is also
known as the “Sistine Chapel” of cave painting.f
34. The ancient Roman Aqueduct of Segovia in Spain was
built in the 1st century A.D. and still supplies water to the
city.f
35. The outer castle wall of the Moorish palace Alhambra
(literally “the red one”) at Granada is one of Spain’s
architectural masterpieces. Alhambra was the seat of
Muslim rulers from the 13th century to the end of the 15th
century. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
and has inspired many stories and songs.a
36. Philip III expelled the Moriscos (Christians of Moorish
ancestry) between 1609 and 1614. The Moriscos had
significantly contributed much to Spain economically. After
he expelled them, his reign saw the decline of Spain as a
great European power.e
37. The estimated annual cost of desertification in Spain
due to climate change and pool land use is $200 million.a
38. The Basques in Spain were great warriors and the only
people in Spain who never totally came under control of
the Romans. Some Basque separatist groups are
currently fighting for complete independence from Spain.
The Basque region in Spain is one of most prosperous.f
39. Muslims founded the first Spanish university at Valencia
in 1209.f
40. Enrollment at Spain’s universities more than doubled
from 692,000 in 1982 to 1,540,596 in 2001.e
41. The Moors occupied Spain for 800 years; consequently,
over 4,000 Arabic words and Arabic-derived phrases have
been absorbed into the Spanish language. Words
beginning with “al,” for example, are derived from Arabic.
The Moors were also advanced in medicine, science, and
astronomy, and Arabic words such as algebra, alcohol,
chemistry, nadir, alkaline, and cipher entered the
language. Even words such as checkmate, influenza,
typhoon, orange, and cable can be traced back to Arabic
origins.c
The reddish resin is used to stain
Stradivarius violins
42. On the Canary Islands lives the dragon tree, which was
once thought to be the source of dragon’s blood because
its orange fruit contains a thick, red liquid. On the island of
Tenerife, the oldest and tallest dragon tree reaches 70
feet high.c
43. A common expression in Spain, Ojalá (o-ha-LAH),
meaning “I hope that” or “So it may come to pass,” derives
from the Muslim war cry Wa Allah. The expression Si Dios
quiere (see dee-OS kee-AY=reh) is similar to the common
Arabic expression Insha’Allah (EN-sha ahl-LAH). Many
Spanish cities (such as those that begin with “al”) have
Arabic origins, such as Almeria, Albarracin, and Alicante.f
44. Spain was neutral in WWI and WWII but experienced a
civil war (1936-1939) which killed over 500,000 people.
The victorious General Francisco Franco ruled as a brutal
dictator until his death in 1975. After his defeat, Spain
began to transform itself into a modern, industrial, and
democratic European nation.e
45. The total area of Spain is 505,370 sq. km, which makes
it the 52nd largest country in the world. It is slightly more
than twice the size of Oregon. It is Europe’s third-largest
nation.g
46. Spain is one of the most decentralized democracies in
Europe. Each of its 17 regions manages its own school,
hospitals, and other public services.a
47. Under Islamic law in Spain during the Middle Ages,
Christians and Jews were considered dhimmi, which
allowed them to practice their religion as “people of the
book” but they had to pay a special tax.a
48. The etymology of “Spain” is unknown. Some historians
believe it derives from the Punic word for “rabbit,”
Ispanihad. Other historians note that the ancient Romans
called Spain Hesperia ultima, or “the ultimate west.”
Additionally, the name might derive from the Basque word
Ezpanna meaning “edge” or “border.” And still yet, some
historians claim that the term is from the Phoenician spy,
meaning “to forge metal.”f
49. When a child loses a tooth in Spain, a small mouse
called “Ratoncito Pérez” leaves a surprise under the
pillow.f
50. Penelope Cruz was the first Spanish actor to win an
Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in the 2008
romance comedy-drama Vicky Cristina Barcelona.a
51. Along with El Greco (1541-1612) and Francisco José
de Goya (1746-1828), Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is one
of Spain’s most famous artists. One of his most famous
paintings is Guernica, which depicts an air attack during
the Spanish Civil War.f
52. Long after primitive horses became extinct in the
Western Hemisphere, Spanish conquistadors introduced
the horses we know today. Christopher Columbus (who is
actually Italian) and Hernán Cortés are just two of the
explorers who brought horses to the Americas. Today the
Andalusian, also known as Pure Spanish Horse, is known
around the world for its beauty and athletic ability.a
53. Tipping is not common in Spain, especially for cheap
dinners.f
54.
.dSpain’s national sport is fútbol, or soccer.f
55. The name “Madrid” is from the Arabic magerit, which
means “place of many streams.”a
56. One of the country’s best known works of fiction is the
novel Don Quixote, written by Miguel de Cervantes (1547-
1616). The novel has inspired a wide range of literary
movements, from the 18th century picturesque to 21st
century postmodernism.a
57. The Spaniards invented a diving bell in 1538. It was a
bell-shaped device made of leather and metal and was
lowered over the person to keep the water out.a
58. The most popular type of music in Spain is the
Flamenco. Flamenco is thought to have been developed
by the Moors who brought it to Spain from North Africa in
the early A.D. 700s. It has been influenced by Andalusian,
Islamic, Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures.e
Bullfighting was originally a sport for the
aristocracy
59. Bullfighting has been a popular sport in Spain for
thousands of years. Called corridas, bullfights are
considered either a contest of art and skill or a cruel
sport.c
60. Spain has many festivals, and one of the most famous
is the Running of Bulls. It occurs on St. Fermin’s Day in
July in the northern town of Pamplona. Over 1 million
people attend the festival. Ernest Hemingway’s novel The
Sun Also Rises introduced the festival on a wider scale in
the United States.c
61. La Tomatina, or “The World’s Biggest Food Fight,” is
held ever year on the last Wednesday of August in the
town of Buñol, outside of Valencia. Over 150,000
tomatoes are thrown.c
62. Spain has a huge contrast in rainfall between the wet
regions of the northwest and the arid areas elsewhere.
Consequently, Spain is divided into “wet” and “dry” Spain.
La Coruña, for example, receives more than 39 inches of
rain per year. In contrast, cities such as Zaragoza and
Valladolid receive less than 12 inches of rain per year.a
63. Spain has some of the largest gold deposits in Europe.
It is also one of the world's biggest producers of granite
and marble.c
64. While Spain relies on imports for most of its oil and for
50% of its coal, the country has uranium deposits, and in
1999 nuclear power accounted for 29.5% of the country’s
electricity. It also is investing in sustainable forms of
energy such as solar and wind. Spain is one of the most
advanced countries in Europe in developing wind farms.a
65. The Rio Tinto River in Spain is so polluted by toxic
pollution from 5,000 years of mining that it contains little to
no life.a
66. Spain had one of the fastest growing populations in
Europe in the early 1980s. In 2000, Spain had the lowest
average birth rate of any country in the world, at just 1.19
children per woman. It is predicted that around 300,000
immigrants need to enter Spain each year to balance the
declining number of young people.e
67. Spain is the least densely populated country in Europe,
with just 202 inhabitants per square mile.e
68. There are over 500,000 Gypsies currently living in
Spain, with nearly half of them living in the south. Gypsies
are thought to have originated in India in the 15th
century. Many Gypsies have moved to urban Spanish
areas, though a large number still follow the Gypsy
tradition of traveling constantly.e
69. There are fewer marriages in Spain than in any other
EU country except Sweden. Additionally, the age at which
people first marry has increased (which is typical of the
rest of Europe).e
70. Spain has a very low divorce rate, and few children are
born outside of marriage. Just 5% of children are born to
couples that are not married in Spain. In contrast, the
number is 50% in Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.e
71. In 1993, just 1.7% of student enrollment for technical
institutes and colleges were women. In 2000, it was up to
40%.e
72. For nearly 500 years Roman Catholicism was the
official religion of Spain. It ceased to be the official religion
of Spain in 1977. Around 85% of Spanish consider
themselves Catholic and 40% go to church regularly.
There are around 350,000 Protestants, 400,000 Muslims,
and 15,000 Jews.a
73. Traditionally, Spanish women keep their maiden name
after marriage. For example, if Eva García Piñedo married
Carlos Hernández Rio, she may keep her own name,
(García Piñedo). She could also be known as Señora de
Hernández Río. In Latin America, she might also be called
Eva García Piñedo de Hernández. The de (“day”) means,
literally, that Eva is “of” her husband. The last name of
their children would be Hernandez García. In the next
generation, the mother’s maiden name would be
dropped.c