The document provides an overview of Spain, highlighting its provinces, languages, government structure, cultural practices, and major cities. It covers aspects of daily life such as work schedules, food, transportation, housing, arts, shopping, and sports, alongside unique cultural traditions like the Day of the Three Kings. Additionally, it includes interesting facts about renewable energy, geography, and health care in Spain.

1. SPAIN

2. MAPS
Above: Provinces of Spain
Spain
Below Right: Language Map of Spain.
Spain has Castilian Spanish (official) 74%.
Catalan 17%. Galician 7%, and Basque 2%

3. Islands and Peninsulas
Portugal and
Spain are part
of the Iberian
Peninsula.
The Balearic
Islands are in
the
Mediterranean
Sea.
The Canary
Islands are in
the Atlantic
Ocean.
Canary Islands
Balearic Islands
Above Left:
Satellite view
of Iberian
Peninsula.
Below Center:
Palma de
Mallorca
in the Balearic
Islands.
Below Left:
Resort in the
Canary Islands

4. Government and Money
The Peseta was the
original currency in
Spain from 1869 to
2002.
The Peseta was
replaced with the
Euro after 2002.
Spain’s government is
a Constitutional
Monarchy.
Spain has a President
elected by the people.
Above Right:
The Euro Coins
Above Left:
The Spanish Capital
Building in Madrid
Below Right:
The Euro Bills
Below Left:
Courthouse in
Bilbao

5. SCHEDULE
Typical work hours are 9am
to 1pm and 4pm to 8pm.
Everybody returns home for
the main meal (lunch) with the
entire family around 2pm.
Children eat their snacks after
school (around 5:30pm): a big
sandwich made with baguette
bread.
After a light meal around
10:00pm, the usual bedtime is
at midnight.
Above: Main meal (lunch)
Below: Afternoon snacks

6. FOOD
People don’t eat
junk food or drink
sodas.
The main meal
has two courses
plus fresh fruit for
dessert.
Fresh fish is very
popular (sold and
cooked whole).
Tapas are a bite
size portion of any
dish.
Above Left: Paella
Above Right: Whole Fresh Fish
Below Right: Baby Eels
Below Left: Tapas
in Coffee Shop

7. SCHOOL
Preschool is mandatory and
College is always free.
There is no need for school
buses: all children walk because
schools are very close.
Children go to school from 9am
to 1pm; they go home for the
main meal (lunch) and they
return to school from 3pm to
5pm.
Students have to learn at least
two foreign languages (most of
the time three) by the time they
finish high school.
Above: Children walking to school.
12
1
6
2
4
3
5
8
7
9
10
11
Below: School Schedule

8. TRANSPORTATION
There is no need to own
a car (it is optional)
because people either
walk or use the variety of
public transportation: bus
lines, subways, trains,
bridges, ferries, and
street cars in most cities.
Trips are never long
because everything
(workplace, school,
stores, churches, offices)
is close by.
Above Left: Regional Bus.
Above
Right:
Bullet
Train
Center Left: City Bus
Below Left: (Puente Colgante)
Suspension Bridge
Center Right: Street Car.
Below Right:
Subway
entrance.

9. The Typical House
People own apartments
instead of houses, but
nobody rents.
People don’t spend much
time at home (just to eat
and sleep); that is why
living spaces are smaller.
All neighborhoods have a
plaza where people meet
to talk and children play
together.
The average apartment in
the city has 3 bedrooms,
1 small kitchen, 1 living
room, and 2 bathrooms.
Also a patio.
Above: Modern Apartments
Below: Old Apartments

10. Major Cities
Above Left: Barcelona
Below Left: Valencia Above Right: Madrid (capital)
Below Right: Bilbao

11. Arts
Above Center: Guggenheim Museum
in Bilbao
Below Center: Flower Puppy in
Bilbao
Below Right:
Sagrada Familia
Church in Barcelona
Below Left: Giant Spider
Sculpture in Bilbao
Above Left: La Alhambra
Church in Granada
Above Right: Metropol
Parapol structure in
Seville
Center Left: Berklee College
of Music in Valencia

12. Shopping
Most stores are small
family owned
businesses located at
the ground level of
apartment buildings.
Coupons don’t exist
and sales are only
twice a year (at the
end of each season).
All supermarkets have
delivery service and all
retail stores do
alterations for free.
Above Right: Large Supermarket
Below Right: Inside a Mall
Below Left: Small Family
Owned Store

13. Sports
Soccer is extremely popular
among adults and kids
(everybody watches it).
Sports are separated from
academics, so schools and
colleges don’t have their
own sport teams. Kids who
want to participate in sports
have to join an athletic
association.
Bullfighting is seasonal and
popular in some cities.
Above:
Bull Fighting
Below: Soccer (fútbol)

14. Entertainment
Parties or gatherings at
home don’t exist;
people always go out.
Walking outside for no
reason and at all times
is part of the culture
regardless of the
weather conditions;
people don’t stay home.
During the weekends
the streets can be full
with people until 2 or
3am.
Below: People at
Coffee Shop relaxing
Above: People
walking outside

15. Holidays and Events
The 6th of January is a very special
cultural and religious holiday: The Day
of the Three Kings.
Instead of Santa Claus, The Three
Kings, or Wise Men (Melchior,
Caspar, and Balthasar) bring presents
to children the night of January 5th.
Each child chooses his/her own King
and writes a letter to him.
Children have to clean their shoes
very well and place them by the
window at night. The morning of the
6th they will find candy inside the
shoes and presents all around.
Below and Above:
The 3 Kings

16. Interesting Facts
1. Spain produces a large amount of renewable energy, including wind
power and solar power.
2. The Pyrenees is a mountain range that divides Spain and France.
3. Mount Teide is the highest mountain in Spain (3718 m, 12198 Ft) and
an active volcano.
4. Spain is a developed country with a high quality of life.
5. The population of Spain in 2012 was around 47 million.
6. The Spanish tourism industry is one of the largest in the world, bringing
in billions of Euros into the Spanish economy.
7. There is no tooth fairy in Spain but rather a tooth mouse called
Ratoncito Perez.
8. The name Spain comes from the word Ispania, which means the land
of rabbits.
9. Spain was not part of the first or second world war because Spain had
its own civil war at that time.
10. Spain is the only country in Europe that produces bananas.
11. Spain’s doctors and hospitals are free.
Above: Mount Teide
Below:
Ratoncito Perez,
the tooth mouse