Spain
Spain Destinations Travel Guide
Language: Spanish
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Calling Code: 34
Description of Spain
Spain, also called Kingdom of Spain, is a
transcontinental country, member of the European Union, constituted
as a social and democratic State of law and whose form of government
is the parliamentary monarchy. Its territory, with capital in
Madrid, is organized into seventeen autonomous communities and two
autonomous cities, these formed, in turn, by fifty provinces.
Spain is located as much to the south of Western Europe as in
the north of Africa. In Europe, it occupies most of the Iberian
peninsula, known as mainland Spain, and the Balearic Islands (in the
western Mediterranean Sea); in Africa there are the cities of Ceuta
(in the Tingitana peninsula) and Melilla (in the cape of Tres
Forcas), the Canary Islands (in the North-East Atlantic Ocean), the
Chafarinas Islands (Mediterranean Sea), the Vélez Peñón de la Gomera
(Mediterranean Sea), the Alhucemas Islands (Gulf of the Al Hoceima
Islands) and the Alboran Island (Alboran Sea). The municipality of
Llivia, in the Pyrenees, constitutes an enclave entirely surrounded
by French territory. Complete the set of territories a series of
islands and islets in front of the own peninsular coasts.
Spain covers an area of 505 370 km², being the fourth largest
country in the continent, after Russia, Ukraine and France. With an
average altitude of 650 meters above sea level it is one of the most
mountainous countries in Europe. Its population is 46 659 302
inhabitants (2018) The peninsular territory shares land borders with
France and with Andorra to the north, with Portugal to the west and
with the British territory of Gibraltar to the south. In its African
territories, it shares land and sea borders with Morocco.
Travel Destinations in Spain
Madrid (Spain) |
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Green Spain
Galicia (Spain) |
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Northern Spain-Pyrenees
Aragon (Spain) |
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Eastern Spain
Valencian Community (Spain) |
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Catalonia (Spain) |
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| Tarragona | |||
Andalucia
Andalucia (Spain) |
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Central Spain
Castile and León (Spain) |
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Castile-La Mancha (Spain) |
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Origin of the word Hispania
The name of Spain derives from Hispania, name with
which the Romans designated geographically the whole of the Iberian
peninsula, an alternative term to the name Iberia, preferred by the
Greek authors to refer to the same space. However, the fact that the
term Hispania is not of Latin origin has led to the formulation of
several theories about its origin, some of them controversial.
Hispania comes from the Phoenician "i-spn-ya", a term whose use
is documented from the second millennium BC, in Ugaritic
inscriptions. The Phoenicians constituted the first non-Iberian
civilization that arrived in the peninsula to expand its trade and
founded, among others, Gadir, the current Cádiz, the oldest
inhabited city in Western Europe.The Romans took the name of the
defeated Carthaginians, interpreting the prefix "i" as 'coast',
'island' or 'land', with the meaning of a 'region'. The spn lexeme,
which in Phoenician and also in Hebrew can be read as saphan, was
translated as 'rabbits' (actually 'damans', some animals the size of
the rabbit spread across Africa and the Fertile Crescent). The
Romans, therefore, gave Hispania the meaning of 'land abundant in
rabbits', a use picked up by Cicero, Caesar, Pliny the Elder, Cato,
Livy and, in particular, Catullus, who refers to Hispania as a
peninsula cuniculosa (in some coins minted in the time of Hadrian
figured personifications of Hispania as a lady sitting and with a
rabbit at his feet), referring to the time he lived in Hispania.
On the Phoenician origin of the term, the historian and Hebraist
Cándido María Trigueros proposed in the Royal Academy of Good
Letters of Barcelona in 1767 a different theory, based on the fact
that the Phoenician alphabet (like the Hebrew) lacked vowels. Thus
"spn" (sphan in Hebrew and Aramaic) would mean in Phoenician 'the
north', a name that would have taken the Phoenicians when arriving
at the Iberian peninsula bordering the African coast, seeing it to
the north of its route, reason why "i-spn-ya" it would be the 'land
of the north'. On the other hand, according to Jesús Luis Cunchillos
in his Grammatical phoenician grammar (2000), the root of the term
span is spy, which means 'to forge or beat metals'. Thus, "i-spn-ya"
would be the 'earth in which metals are forged'.
Apart from
the theory of Phoenician origin, which is the most accepted despite
the fact that the precise meaning of the term remains the subject of
discussions, various hypotheses have been proposed throughout
history, based on apparent similarities and more or less related
meanings. At the beginning of the Modern Age, Antonio de Nebrija, in
the line of Isidoro of Seville, proposed his autochthonous origin as
deformation of the Iberian word Hispalis, which would mean 'the city
of the West' and that, being Hispalis the main city of the
peninsula, the Phoenicians and then the Romans gave their name to
their entire territory, and later, Juan Antonio Moguel proposed in
the 19th century that the term Hispania could come from the word
éuscara Izpania, which would mean 'part of the sea' being composed
of the voices iz and pania or bania which means 'to divide' or 'to
depart' In this respect, Miguel de Unamuno declared in 1902: "The
only difficulty I find [...] is that, according to some countrymen
Mine, the name Spain derives from the Basque 'ezpaña', lip, alluding
to the position that our peninsula has in Europe." Other hypotheses
implied that both Hispalis and Hispania were derivations of the
names of Hispalo and his son Hispan or Hispano, son and grandson,
respectively, of Hercules.
Evolution from the word Hispania to Spain
From the Visigoth period, the term Hispania, until
then used geographically, began to be used also with a political
connotation, as shown by the use of the expression Laus Hispaniae to
describe the history of the peoples of the peninsula in the
chronicles of Isidoro de Sevilla .
You are, oh Spain,
sacred and always happy mother of princes and peoples, the most
beautiful of all the lands that extend from the West to India. You,
by right, are now the queen of all the provinces, from whom you
receive your lights not only the sunset, but also the East. You are
the honor and ornament of the orb and the most illustrious portion
of the earth, in which the glorious fecundity of the Goth nation is
greatly enjoyed and splendidly flourished. With justice it enriched
you and nature was more indulgent with the abundance of all created
things, you are rich in fruits, in copious grapes, in happy harvests
... You are located in the most pleasant region of the world, nor
are you Burning in the tropical heat of the sun, you do not get
numbed by glacial rigors, but, clinging to a temperate zone of the
sky, you nourish yourself with happy and soft zephyrs ... And for
that reason, a long time ago, the Golden Rome, head of the people,
he wished you and, although the same Roman power, first winner, has
possessed you, however, at last, the flourishing nation of the
Goths, after innumerable victories all over the world, with hard
work you conquered and loved you and So far you enjoy safe between
regal and very powerful treasures in safety and happiness of empire.
Isidoro de Sevilla, Santo (6th-7th century). History of Regibus
Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum [History of the kings of the Goths,
Vandals and Swabians].
The word Spain derives phonetically
from Hĭspanĭa, on a regular basis through the palatalization of the
/ n / en / ñ / ante Latin iod-ĭa, the loss of the initial H- (which
occurs in late Latin) and the opening of ĭ in initial position a / e
/. However, Spain can not be considered the translation into Spanish
of the Latin word Hispania, since modern usage designates a
different extension.
Historical use of the term Spain
Use of the term Spain until the Middle Ages
The evolution of the word Spain is in accordance with other cultural uses. Until the Renaissance, names referring to national and regional territories were relatively unstable, both from the semantic point of view and from their precise geographical delimitation. Thus, in the time of the Romans Hispania corresponded to the territory they occupied in the peninsula, the Balearic Islands and, in the third century, part of North Africa - Mauritania Tingitana, which was included in the year 285 in the Diocesis Hispaniarum.
With the Muslim invasion, the name Spania or Spain was transformed into اسبانيا, Isbāniyā. The use of the word Spain continues to be unstable, depending on who uses it and under what circumstances. Some chronicles and other documents of the High Middle Ages designate exclusively with that name (Spain or Spania) the territory dominated by the Muslims. Thus, Alfonso I of Aragon, «the Battler», says in his documents that «He reigns in Pamplona, Aragon, Sobrarbe and Ribagorza» and, when in 1126 he makes an expedition to Malaga, he tells us «he went to the lands of Spain » But as of the last years of the twelfth century, the use of the name of Spain for the entire Peninsula, whether of Muslims or Christians, became widespread again. This name covered five kingdoms of Spain: Granada (Muslim), Leon with Castile, Navarre, Portugal and the Crown of Aragon (Christians).
Identification with the Crowns of Castilla y Aragón
As the Reconquista progressed, several kings proclaimed themselves princes of Spain, trying to reflect the importance of their kingdoms in the Peninsula. After the dynastic union of Castile and Aragon, the name of Spain was used in these two kingdoms to refer to both. This name appeared in the documents of the years 1124 and 1125, on the occasion of the military expedition by Andalusia of Alfonso the Battler, they referred to this one -that had unified the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon after his marriage with Magpie I of León- with the terms "reigning in Spain" or reigning "in all the land of Christians and Saracens of Spain."
Culture
In Spain, parties are usually
celebrated throughout the year. That, yes, they reach their peak
around August 15, when half of Spain is celebrating.
The
activities related to the bulls are characteristic throughout Spain.
In addition to the well-known bullfights or the running of the
bulls, other types of events, such as prize-winning contests or
embolados bulls, are usually held. For years, these celebrations
have been the subject of heated debate between their detractors and
their followers. In Catalonia, bullfights have recently been banned
and in the Canary Islands for years they have not been done due to
the animal protection law. Nevertheless, the defenders of these
traditions affirm that they are indissoluble of the Spanish culture
and that the art of bullfighting can not be lost. Bullfighter José
Tomás awakens passions throughout the geography.
In the
southeastern area, Moors and Christians are celebrated, where the
conquest of this area by the Arabs and their subsequent conquest by
the Christians is simulated.
Each region has its own folk
music, with the sound of bagpipes in Galicia, flamenco in Andalusia,
jotas de Castilla y Aragón or the sardanas de Cataluña, among
others.
Holy Week [1] is very important throughout the
country.
In recent years, festivals of pop, rock and
electronic music have become fashionable, and many cities celebrate
musical and cultural events of this type throughout the year. The
International Festival of Benicàssim, the Sònar and the Primavera
Sound of Barcelona, the Rock in Rio de Madrid, the Sonorama of
Aranda de Duero, the Creamfields of Almeria or the Bilbao BBK live,
to name but a few.
Festivals
Jazz festivals
Flamenco
Festival of Jerez de la Frontera. It is considered to be the best
flamenco festival in the world. In its last edition, 140
performances and 36 flamenco courses were held. The festival was
attended by 32 different nationalities and 120 media outlets from
around the world.
Cante de las Minas Festival, in La Unión
(Murcia).
FIB International Festival of Benicàssim It is one of
the largest independent music festivals in Europe. It is celebrated
in mid-July in the town of Benicàssim, Castellón.
Primavera Sound
. Independent music festival that takes place at the end of May in
Barcelona. It has built a great reputation based on bringing new
musical proposals while consecrated legends of international rock
and pop
Art Exhibition of Benicàssim MABE The MABE Art Exhibition
is held annually during the month of October in the town of
Benicàssim.
Climate
Mediterranean in the south and east, oceanic in
the north and continental coast in the center. Cold in winter and
hot in summer in the interior, warm in winter and hot in summer on
the Mediterranean coasts.
Electricity
Electricity in Spain
operates at 230 volts and 50 hertz, standardized in the European
Union and used in much of Africa and Asia . The most common
connectors are the schuko type for 16 amps (Picture on the left).
Although in very old facilities are still known as europlug , in
most cases are compatible, despite being limited to 10 amps.
Arrive
Spain is a member of the European Union (EU) and the
Schengen treaty, which governs its visa policy. Citizens of other EU
countries and countries with which the EU has special treaties do
not need a visa. There is no border control between Spain and other
nations of the Schengen Treaty, except to access Ceuta and Melilla,
which are not part of the customs union. Since May 2004, citizens of
the following countries do not need a visa to enter Spain. Citizens
of these countries (except those of the EU) must stay for less than
three months in half a year and will not be able to work in Spain:
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei,
Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic , El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein,
Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Holland,
Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Switzerland, Singapore, South Korea,
United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican and Venezuela. There
are different ways to enter Spain. From neighboring countries, it is
possible by car or train, from further away you should probably use
a plane.
By plane
The airport infrastructure in Spain is
very notable, and it has communications with a large number of
international destinations. The main airport is the Madrid-Barajas
airport, which in addition to being the most important in the
country, is one of the most important in the world for passenger
traffic (around 50 million annually). The main destinations of
Barajas are all the important and quite small airports in Europe, as
well as, to America and especially to Latin America where Iberia
(with its subsidiaries Air Nostrum and Iberia Express), which
operates from this airport, is the leading airline among these two
continents. At the same time, it also has a great variety of flights
to the north, west and center of Africa, as well as the Near and Far
East in the case of Asia.
Other important and international
airports in the country are Alicante, Barcelona-El Prat, Gran
Canaria, Malaga-Costa del Sol, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife South.
Many of the most important airlines in the world operate through
these airports (especially in Madrid), such as Air China, Air
France, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines,
Lufthansa, United Airlines and US Airways. In addition, numerous
low-cost lines operate, such as EasyJet, Ryanair and Vueling.
AENA (Spanish Airports and Air Navigation), flight schedules.
Air transport companies.
By ship
Spain is a common
destination for cruises that travel the Mediterranean, with its main
ports of Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga or Ibiza. It is also common
for Atlantic cruises to stop in Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Arrecife
as part of the route to Madeira or Morocco, even as the last stop
before crossing to America.
There are ferry connections from
mainland Spain to the islands, for example, the Valencia-Mallorca or
Denia-Ibiza route. The Ferries also communicate the islands of the
archipelagos with each other. From Malaga and other Andalusian
cities you can take Ferries to Ceuta and Melilla.
By car
Spain has the largest network of motorways and highways in Europe,
as well as the third largest in the world. In general, it has a high
quality road infrastructure. There are freeways and freeways as well
as toll roads in which the maximum speed is 120 km / h. The rules of
circulation are met, to a large extent, to the letter, being able to
face large economic amounts if they are not respected. For all this
it is more than advisable to travel the country with a rental
vehicle.
Поездом
Поезд в Испании очень развит. Все
железные дороги управляются RENFE (Национальной сетью испанских
железных дорог), принадлежащей государству, и другими более мелкими
компаниями, которые также являются публичными. Существует большая
разница между скоростным поездом (High Speed Spanish AVE) на
средние и большие расстояния и региональными поездами. AVE соединяет
некоторые испанские столицы провинций с очень правильным
обслуживанием и точной пунктуальностью (AVE гарантирует
пунктуальность в 5 минут). Другие поезда дальнего следования, такие
как Altaria, Alvia, Arco и т. Д., Современные, но не такие
пунктуальные и быстрые. С другой стороны, региональные поезда
известны и подвергаются критике за их пунктуальность (за исключением
Сообщества Мадрида), так как они продолжают использовать старую
дорожную инфраструктуру, перегружены и испытывают недостаток
инвестиций. (Http://www.renfe.es) или в автоматах, расположенных на
станциях. Как правило, современные железнодорожные станции
соединяются напрямую с сетью метро в крупных городах, поэтому это
очень удобный способ путешествовать, если вы не перевозите много
багажа.
Таможня
В соответствии с положениями Закона о
предотвращении отмывания денег и финансирования терроризма все
путешественники, независимо от того, являются ли они гражданами
Испании, въезжают или выезжают из страны с наличными деньгами или
чеками, номинально равными или превышающими десять тысяч евро (10
000,00 евро) должны быть заявлены на таможенных постах и заполнить
некоторые формы. Больше информации в налоговом агентстве.