putman

=Report on Spain By:Robin Putman=

===**﻿ Major Government:** ===

** ﻿ Brief history of the country including any important people and major wars:**
==== Populated by Celtics, Iberians and Lusitanians, Hispania was conquered by Rome and the Visigoths took control of it after the Roman Empire's collapse. The moors took over the country in 711 and the christians refugeed in the northern mountains. It took them 8 centuries to reconquer the whole peninsula. During that time, the christians society split in several countries with different languages (Portugal, Castile, Catalonia....) being Portugal the only one that would not be part of the reunited country Spain. The reconquest impulse, Columbus voyage and the marriage policy of Isabella and Ferdinand made Spain the leading country in the world, dominating the Americas, Netherlands, Half Italy, Portugal, Philippines and several posessions all over the world, being the first empire where the sun never set. Too many wars and the sucession war in early 1700s became the reasons for the decline, being the Napoleon's domination the starting point for losing the american territories. The decline led to several civil wars and a fascist dictatorship that lasted 40 years. Since the return of democracy in 1978 Spain is back on the 1st world, having the 2nd life expectancy in the world and getting the 9th GDP in the world. ====

Euro
 ** Notes can be found in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500-euro denominations **.  ** Coins start with the 1-cent piece and end with the 2 euro piece :**

**Major cultural traditions and (holidays/foods etc..):**
==== Christmas-'Hogueras' or bonfire, this tradition predates the beginning of the celebration of Christmas, Winter Solstice, that is, the shortest day of the year, This tradition in Spain witnesses the jumping of men over men which is a symbolic representation of a victory over illness, The Christmas dinner is only eaten after mid night and everybody stays awake with the logic that "it is a good night so it is not to be wasted by sleeping", The family gets together for dinner after which they celebrate by singing carols, Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, ﻿ and Lent ====

**Geography:**
==== Spain is bounded to the north by the Bay of Biscay, France, and Andorra; to the east by the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; and on the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. In the south west the 13km wide Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from Africa. ====

** Major tourist attractions and or historical sights: **
====Madrid, Andalucia, Ceuta & Melilla, Castile/La Mancha & Extremadura, Castile/León & La Rioja, The Northern Region, Navarre & Aragon, Valencia & Murcia and Catalonia (including Barcelona ====

**Median Family Income:**
32 thousand

[[image:http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/spain/map_of_spain.jpg]]


**BOOK SOURCE: Grinsted, Katherine. Spain. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens, 1999** [|CX1839300526&docType=GALE&role]= [|CX1839300526&docType=GALE&role]= [|**http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar522760&st=spain%27s+government**] [] <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">co_dis_of_fam_inc_gin_ind-distribution-family-income-gini-index&date=2005 <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">﻿[]
 * <span style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">INTERNET SOURCES: **