Studying in Spain: A Bit of Research About Spain...

SPAIN - ESPANA

Oficially: Kingdom of Spain (Reino de Espana)

Geography: 505,370 sq km (Texas is 1.38 times the size of Spain)

Terrain is mainly flat, highest point being 3,718 m on the Canary Islands.

Religions: Roman Catholic (94%), other (6%)

Population: 47,042, 984 (July 2012 est.)

Major Cities: Madrid 5.762 million, Barcelona 5.029 million, Valencia 812,000

Unemployment Rate: 37.9% (ranked 9th in the world) compared to 17.6% (ranked 67) for U.S.

Government: Parliamentary Democracy--party in power elects the Prime Minister, monarchy is hereditary. U.K., Italy, France also have this same type of government.

Chief of State: King Juan Carlos I.

President of Government (Prime Minister): Mariano Rajoy

Vice President: Soraya Saenz de Santamaria

Political Parties: Two main parties among many

Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol (PSOE) "Spanish Socialist Worker's Party" (left wing)

Partido Popular (PP) "People's Party" (right wing)

National Symbol: Pillars of Hercules--Mythology behind why the Strait of Gibraltar exhists between Spain and Morocco (making Africa and Spain merely 8 miles apart). One of Hercules' tasks was to tare a mountain range apart--thus creating the Gibraltar mountain of Spain and either the Jabel Musa/Mount Acho Mountains of Morocco.

Note the same Pillars on the Spanish Flag

Exchange rate: $1.30 = 1 EUR

$100 U.S.D = 76.82 EUR

$10 = 7.68 EUR

Customs:

Corrida del Torros/Tauromaquia (Running of the Bulls/Bullfighting)

Developed as an evolution to the Roman gladiator games. Toreros (matadors/bullfighters) bait bulls at close ranges--so much that the Torero is at risk of being injured/killed by the bull. After the bull has been hooked several times by other matadors in the area, the Torero kills the bull by a single sword stab (called an estocada).

La Siesta (the nap)

Seeks to balance work with pleasure--around midday, students and professionals return to their home around midday for a few hours of rest and family time accompanied by a big lunch. However, larger, faster moving cities have moved away from this tradition while smaller cities still practice siestas.

Dining Traditions

Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, making breakfast and dinner small affairs. Dinner takes place late at night (9 pm or 10 pm). Many spaniards go out for Tapas. Tapas are a variety of snacks/appetizers/fingerfood. They are not really meant to be consumed as a whole meal but rather as fingerfood while conversing and standing around socially.

Nightlife

Spain is known for its nightlife. Most people don't go out until 11 pm and usually don't come back until the wee ours of the morning. Bars stay open much later than they do in the states.
During the evenings, Spaniards like to take a "paseo" and stroll to 2 or three bars for drinks and tapas. It is not uncommon to dress formally for a paseo.

Attire/Temperature

During the Summer months temperatures can get up to 113 degrees farenheight (45 degrees Celcius). For this reason, many market places remain closed during the Summer. In Madrid, May and July usually have more pleasant temperatures (20-32 degrees C). With that being said, ideal clothing is loose cottons light in color. Hats are also reccommended as the sun shines 12 hours a day during the Summer.

MADRID

Spain's Capital and Largest City

3rd Largest City in Europe (Behind London and Berlin)
3,097 sq. miles (8,022 sq. km)

Location: On the Manzanares River in the center of Spain. Economic, political and cultural center of Spain. The monarch and seat of government reside here.
Government: Mayor--Ana Botella (PP)
Landmarks:

Palacio Real de Madrid

Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid)--official residence of the monarch and family (however King Juan Carlos I and his family live in the more modest, Palace of Zarzuela, on the outskirts of Madrid)
Teatro Real--major opera house that stages around 17 opera titles per year as well as 3 ballets and several recitals.
Buen Retiro Park--"Park of the Pleasant Retreat". Previously owned by the monarch, now one of Madrid's largest public parks. Filled with gardens, sculptures, monuments, galleries, and a lake. The park also includes the only public monument of the devil, "Fountain of the Falling Angel", depicting Lucifer falling from heaven. Other features include Palacio del Cristal, Paseo de las Estatuas, and Bosque de los Ausentes.
19 C. National Library- Biblioteca Nacional de Espana with 26 million items
Golden Triangle of Art- Made up of three museums in the Paseo del Prado: Prado Museum (pre 20C art), Museo National de Arte Reina Sofia ( 20C modern art), Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (historical-contemporary art)
Paseo del Prado- One of Spain's main boulevards. Dense with trees and is packed full of monuments, museums (Golden Triangle of Art), and inthe visinity of Madrid's stock exchange as well as Spain's House of Congress.
Cibeles Palace and Fountain-- Plaza de Cibeles is a square of marble sculptures, palaces and fountains. Contains the Bank of Spain, Palacio de Buenavista, Palacio de Linares, and the Palacio de Cibeles. Loacation is on the intersection of Paseo del Prado, Paseo de Recoletos, and Calle de Alcala.