Spain+(Kendall)

=Kingdom of Spain =



//Capital//: Madrid //Population//: Approximately 47 million //Demographics//: Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians. 70% of Spain’s student population attends public schools or universities Average life expectancy is 79 years. //Religion//: No official religion. 94% Roman-Catholic; 6% Islamic and Protestant //Official Languages//: Spanish (74%), Catalan, Valencian, Galician, Basque //Monetary System//: Euro. //Economy//: 12th largest in the world Largely agricultural World’s largest producer of olive oil Europe’s largest producer of strawberries, oranges, and lemons Industries are concentrated around Madrid Tourism is Spain’s greatest source of income Most exports are machinery and pharmaceuticals Unemployment Rate: 21.5%
 * __Genera__****__l In__****__fo__**

Spain is located in Southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is approximately 504,000 square miles and covers 84% of Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered by the countries of Portugal and France, as well as the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and the Bay of Biscay. The land is mostly flat plateau, however, the altitude varies from sea level to 3,718 meters above sea level on the Canary Islands, which makes it the 2nd highest European Country after Switzerland. Spain has 5 major mountain ranges: Sierra Morena, Cordillera Cantabrica, Pyrenees, Sistema Central, and Cordillera Subbetica. It has a temperate climate (clear and hot summers, cloudy and cold winters) with temperatures averaging 50 degrees at the lowest, and 75 degrees at the hottest.The country is split into 19 autonomous communities (15 on mainland, 4 islands) each with their own capital.
 * __Geography__**



Spain's government is a Constitutional Monarchy, ruled by the Constitution of Spain (approved 1978). The government has 3 main independent institutions: an Assembly of Representatives, an Assembly of Senators, and a Judicial Branch. The Monarchy is the Constitutional Head of State, however, the King's duties are mainly only ceremonial. The monarch is responsible for appointing officials and being the commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed Forces. Since 1975, the King of Spain has been His Majesty King Carlos 1.The President of Government (or Prime Minister) is the main political figurehead. He/she is nominated by the King of Spain and elected by the Congress of Deputies. It is the duty of the President to appoint vice-presidents to ministries, such as finance or foreign affairs. The current President of Spain is Mariano Rajoy, of the People's Party of Spain, who was elected in 2011.
 * __Government__**

Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy King of Spain, Juan Carlos I

__**History**__ //The Beginning.// The Iberian Peninsula has been settled for thousands of years, but in the 2nd century BC, Romans began to enter Spain. Romans are significant because they laid the foundation for Spain's current religion, language, and laws. They remained the dominating group until the 7th century AD when Moors from North Africa arrived. The Moors then became the dominating group for almost 4 centuries. During this time, Christians strove to regain territory in Spain from the Muslims in the 800-year Reconquest. Christians had to pay a special tax, and this caused most to either converted to Islam or left Spain. However, by 757 AD many Muslim strongholds had fallen to the Christians and they now occupied almost one-fourth of the Iberian Peninsula.

//The Spanish Inquisition.// In 1479, Catholic Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand began ruling Spain. In 1482 they launched the final crusade of the Reconquest with the goal of routing out all Spaniards who did not practice Christianity as the Catholic Church wished them to. In April 1492 they ordered the expulsion of all Jewish peoples who refused to have a Christian Baptism. A few years later, the overseer of the Inquisition, Cardinal Cisneros attempted to eradicate Islam from Spain, as well. He carried out forced mass baptisms, burned Islamic books and banned the Arabic language.

//Spain's Conquest.// The Spanish Conquistadors brought large areas of the New World under Spain's control. They also contributed to the Spanish economy by introducing many plants, fruits, and vegetables to Europe.Francisco Pizarro was a conquistador who's expeditions discovered Panama, the Pacific Ocean, and Costa Rica. Pizarro is also credited with founding the city of Lima, which is now the capital of Peru. When Pizarro found the Peruvian city of Cusco, he wrote back to King Charles I saying "//This city is the greatest and the finest ever seen in this country or anywhere in the Indies... We can assure your Majesty that it is so beautiful and has such fine buildings that it would be remarkable even in Spain.//" Another Spanish Conquistador is Hernando Cortes, who led an expedition into Mexico and conquered the Aztec Empire. The most famous conquistador is Christopher Columbus, who was not actually born in Spain, but sailed for Spain to the American Continents. He explored Cuba, the Bahamas, Haiti, and is credited with discovering America.

Christopher Columbus, Hernando Cortes, Francisco Pizarro

__**Tourism**__ //Bilbao Guggenheim Art Museum// Located in the center of the city of Bilbao Houses 19 different galleries, including work from Picasso and Dali

//Plaza de Cibeles// Located in a grand square in Madrid Houses the following: The Fuente de la Cibeles, one of the most important symbols in Madrid, built in 1777 The Communications Palace, Madrid's official "City Hall" Spain's central bank headquarters Palacio de Linares, a cultural center and art gallery

//The Alhambra// Built in the 1300's in Granada, Spain Moorish Palace of the Nasrid Dynasty

__**Culture**__ //The Running of the Bulls// Annually from July 7-14 n the city of Pamplona Runners gather at the bottom of Santo Domingo until 12 fighting bulls are released The bulls run a half mile behind the runners until they are finally put into pens Tradition started in 1591 to honor a patron saint

//Fútbol// Spain's national sport There are sports newspaper dedicated entirely to it The Royal Spanish Football Federation is the organizing body

//Food// Tortilla de Patata (Spanish Omelet) is the most commonly served dish in Spain Contains potatoes, onions, and eggs The Paella is also one of the most common dishes It is a mixture of meat, beans, vegetables, and rice


 * __Current Events__**

http://www.expatica.com/es/news/spanish-news/spain-plans-code-to-protect-poor-from-eviction_210023.html

In the middle of Spain's current economic crisis, many families were unable to pay their mortgages and were being evicted from their houses. The economy minister said that the government realizes how humiliating the evictions are, and has introduced a plan to parliament to prevent banks from predatory lending. The code of conduct for the banks requires that the surrender of the house be the only payment for those who default on their mortgages, no monetary compensation can be required. This action shows that Spain's government is responsive and sympathetic to its citizens.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57382369/$500m-salvaged-treasure-being-returned-to-spain/

In May 2007, a shipwrecked galleon was discovered in the Atlantic Ocean near Portugal. The ship is believed to be the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes, a Spanish ship that was sunk in 1804. Approximately 500 million dollars worth of silver coins and artifacts were on the ship, and it may be the richest shipwreck treasure in history. A Florida-based company spent $2.6 million salvaging, transporting, and storing the treasure until it can be returned to Spain. The company is not expecting any compensation for this, though, because the Spanish government says they shouldn't have tried to salvage the treasure in the first place.

__**Resources**__ http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2878.htm http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/history http://www.buzzle.com/articles/famous-spanish-conquistadors.html http://www.destination360.com/europe/spain/guggenheim-museum http://www.aviewoncities.com/madrid/plazadecibeles.htm http://www.spain-info.com/Culture/bullrunning.htm