Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, bordered by Portugal, France, Andorra and Gibraltar. The country has a diverse geography ranging from coastal areas to mountainous inland regions. Spain has a socialist government that provides free universal healthcare and education, and the culture is very family-oriented with strong traditions around meals and spending time together.

1. Spain By: Brittany French http://brittfrench3.edu.glogster.com/glog-5847/

2. Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula. It is in the southwest of Europe. Spain is bordered by Portugal, Gibraltar, Andorra and France . Gibraltar is a waterway that separates Spain from Africa. Where is Spain located?

3. Much of central Spain is covered by plateau surrounded by mountain ranges. There are also some lowlands located on the coast. For most of the century, most Spanish people lived in small villages or towns. Today, tourism and industry are bringing many people to the larger cities and coastal areas. Geography of Spain

4. Government -Spain has a Socialist Government. -In Spain, because it is a socialist government, all medical treatment is free. -Most medicines are also free. Medicines that do cost money are very inexpensive. -The doctors in Spain don´t make as much money as the doctors in the United States. For example: My aunt took my cousin, Giancarlo, to the emergency room in Spain in a private hospital for the price of $200, while St. Christopher´s Hospital in Philadelphia would have charged around $9,000!

5. Money In Spain, 1 Euro is equal to $1.33 in United States money. Spain has a 7% sales tax on meals. When tipping a waiter or waitress, they give 5-10% tip of what their bill is. When tipping a taxi drivers and other people along those lines, they normally give a 5% tip. In the United States, we use a dollar sign ($) where in Spain they use a Euro sign (€) when writing down a price.

6. Natural Resources -coal -iron ore -uranium -mercury -zinc -lead -copper -hydropower (There is a Spain hydropower company named Gamesa who are now putting a hydro plant near us in Langhorne, PA. They also manufacture windmills that generate power in Morrisville, PA.) -solar power

7. Schooling -Education in Spain is free and it lasts from 6 to 16 years of age. -Children from the ages of 3-5 have the opportunity of attending pre-school. -Pre-school is free for all students in Spain. -There is Primary Schooling for ages 6-11. Secondary Schooling begins when the child is between the ages of 12-15. - The child can get a job when he or she is 16 years old. -The current education in Spain is known as the Fundamental Law of Education.

8. Spain is very family oriented. Sunday is considered “Family Day” and all of the malls and stores are closed so no one in the family has to work and they can spend all day with their loved ones. Spaniards eat lunch together almost everyday. Adults leave work and children leave school almost everyday to eat lunch with their families. The grandparents usually live with the families. If the family has little children, who aren’t in school yet, they are left with their grandparents while their parents go to work. Families usually live near each other. They often buy apartments in the same buildings or houses in the same development. Family This is a picture of my Aunt Jen and my cousin Giancarlo who live in Spain.

9. Make Sure You Visit: Plaza Mayor Museo del Prado Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Parque de Retiro Museo de America Madrid Seville The Mezquita Visit the Alhambra in Granada. Plaza de la Villa Tourist Attractions **For information on these fun things to do in Spain, you can visit: http://www.in-spain.info/top20/20-things-to-do-in-spain.htm -Run with the Bulls -The unbelievable view at Ronda -See the best football in Europe -See art by Diego Velazquez See Frank Gehry's amazing architecture Test your golfing skills at Valderrama Catedral de San Isidro Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid (background picture)

10. Spain became a part of the Roman Empire in 206 B.C., where it then was conquered by Scipio Africanus. Aragon and Castile were the most important Spanish states from the 12th to the 15th century combined with the marriage of Ferdinand II and Isabella I who established the Inquisition. Roman Catholicism was established as the official religion in Spain and most Jews and Muslims were expelled. The War of the Spanish Succession, which took place from 1701 until 1714, resulted in Spain's loss of Belgium, Luxembourg, Milan, Sardinia, and Naples. The civil war that followed lasted three years, and had nearly a million deaths. The war ended when Franco took Madrid on March 28, 1939. The leader of the Popular Party, José María Aznar, became prime minister, and in the year 2000, he and his party won reelection. Aznar's backing of the U.S. war in Iraq was very unpopular because 90% of Spaniards opposed the war. On March 11, 2004, Spain suffered its most horrific terrorist attack: 191 people were killed and 1,400 were injured in bombings at Madrid's railway station. In June 2005, Spain legalized gay marriage. On March 24, 2006, the militant Basque separatist group, ETA, was responsible for more than 800 deaths and for terrorizing Spanish society with its bombings and other attacks. The government dissolved Parliament in January 2008 and called for new elections. A new citizenship law was passed in December 2008, allowing descendants of those exiled from Spain during the Spanish Civil War to lay claim to Spanish citizenship. History of Spain

11. Food Spaniards start off their day with a light breakfast. At breakfast they eat a pastry, or drink coffee or thick hot chocolate. The main meal of the day is lunch. They call it comida in Spanish. They usually eat comida at 2 or 3 o’clock everyday. Dinner is eaten at any time between 8pm and midnight.

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