Spain is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula and bordered almost entirely in the south by the Mediterranean Sea, apart from Gibraltar, France, Andorra and the Bay of Biscay which share a small land boundary. The Atlantic Ocean and Portugal are located to the west. Not forgetting the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands off the African coast, plus two cities in North Africa that border Morocco. With an overall area of 504,030 km2 Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe.
Spain has been a member of the European Union since 1986 and is developed country with the ninth largest economy in the world.
The capital of Spain is Madrid and the official language of Spain is Castlellano Spanish. Other languages also spoken in Spain include Catalan, Galician, Basque and Valencian.
More than 50 million foreigners each year visit Spain and have been doing so now for a few decades.
In most of Spain’s cities narrow twisting old streets suddenly open out to modern architecture, whilst spit-and-sawdust bars serve wine from the barrel mixed together with blaring and glaring discos. There is entertainment for each and every individual.
Culture in the country is still very evident, more so than perhaps other European countries. Spain is littered with superb old buildings, from Roman aqueducts and Islamic palaces to Gothic cathedrals. Almost every second village has a medieval castle. Spain has been the home of some of the world's great artists - El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Dalí, Picasso - and has museums and galleries to match. Expect to find music of every kind - from the drama of 'Flamenco' to the melancholy lyricism of the 'Celtic' music and 'Gaitas' (bagpipes) of the northwest.
Travelling around the country is easy with plenty of accommodation. The people are relaxed probably due to the climate and the beaches are long and sandy. Food and drink is extremely easy to come by and full of regional variety.
There are so many inland areas to be explored if you are a budding walker in mountainous as well as some spectacularly rugged stretches of coast between the beaches.
