Top 10 Interesting Facts About Spain

Although we have been living on earth for millions of years, we still don’t know a lot about it. We have made plenty of assumptions about our surroundings. There are cities that have so much to give us countries full of history, but we don’t spend the time to learn about them and prefer to trust our assumptions. This is one of the reasons why there is such a huge divide between humans. Although people travel to different countries, their knowledge about them still remains surface-level. They never figure out the true spirit of a nation. One of the places that have been ignored for a long period of time is Spain.

1. Art & Literature:

The country has had a tremendous influence on the world of art and literature. The first modern novel, named Don Quixote, was written in facts about Spain. It was written in the year 1605 by Miguel de Cervantes. The novel is adored by literature lovers all over the world. Many writers have been influenced by the novel. It is also considered the founding work of Western Literature. However, the influence of facts about Spain is not limited to the world of literature. The country was also home to various artists in the past. A significant number of well-known artists of the past lived in this country. Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Velasquez were all excellent painters of Spanish origin. Their works are studied to this day by art lovers and history enthusiasts. They continue to influence modern art in one way or the other. They have also influenced countless other artists of the past and present.

2. Tolerant:

Spain is one of the most tolerant places on earth. Its citizens are more accepting of people’s beliefs and sexualities than various other European nations. This is the reason many people who are struggling in their countries wish to immigrate to Spain so they can live freely. The culture of the country overall is quite tolerant of people who are different from the majority.

3. Peaceful:

Despite being a very powerful state with strong political system, facts about Spain has never taken part in wars. It has stayed neutral in international conflicts and worked towards making the world a better place.

4. National Anthem:

The unique national anthem of Spain has no words. So, if you are thinking of becoming a citizen of this country, you won’t have to worry about learning the words of the national anthem. All you have to do is listen to the anthem respectfully.

5. African Cities:

It is the only European state that has its cities on African soil. The cities of Ceuta and Melilla are under the control of the state of Spain. It is worth remembering that the country managed to rule over a huge portion of the world during its colonization period. Various cities and regions from that era are under Spanish control even today.

6. UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

The historical importance of this country can be measured from the fact that it has the third-highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Alhambra, Sagrada Familia, Real Alcazar, Pirineos, and Las Medulas are a few examples of the various World Heritage Sites that can be found n facts about Spain.

7. Diverse Culture:

The country is known for having one of the most diverse cultures in the world. The roots of these cultures can be traced back to the days when Iberian, Greek, and Phoenician tribes used to inhabit the region.

8. Enjoying Life:

An interesting aspect of the culture of Spain is the lifestyle of its people. For Spaniards, enjoying life is very important. They believe that things will work out if they don’t stress out about them. They take enough time out of their daily schedule to have fun with their friends and family members.

9. Olive Oil:

Andalusia is the region that produces most olive oil in the world. If you love olive oil and the dishes made from it, you should definitely try the variety that is produced in Spain.

10. Spanish:

The number of languages in the world is a little over seven thousand, but out of all of them, only a few are spoken by hundreds of millions of speakers. The world’s second most spoken mother tongue originated from facts about Spain. It is also one of the most widely spoken vernaculars in the world.

1. Catalan:

Spoken in different regions of Spain, Catalan is another Romance language that originated from Vulgar Latin. It has different names depending on the regions where it is spoken. Valencian is the most common name of this tongue after Catalan. The majority of its speakers can be found in Catalonia. People of the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands also speak this vernacular. The territories where it is spoken are often called the Catalan Countries. The vernacular began to lose its importance before the 19th century, but it made a comeback after that. Since then, it is one of the most popular vernaculars in Spain.

2. Galician:

Spoken by 2.4 million people, this is another co-official language from Spain. The majority of its speakers can be found in Galicia. However, small communities of Galician speakers can be found in different parts of the world, including Switzerland and the United States. The Galician of today originated from Galician-Portuguese, which itself originated from Vulgar Latin. The division between Galician-Portuguese happened over a long period of time. Even today, the two continue to grow apart from each other and develop more features that make them unique.

3. Basque:

Spoken by one million citizens of Spain, the tongue has six different dialects. The most common variety is known as the Standard Basque. Although it is spoken in different regions of the country, including the Basque Country, it is quickly losing importance among its native speakers. The majority of Basque speakers prefer to use Spanish in their everyday conversations. They only use Basque at home or in private conversations with friends. However, since the language still enjoys official status in the country, it is not at risk of getting forgotten.

4. Aranese:

Spoken in the Aran Valley, this tongue has only 2,800 speakers. The majority of the population of Aran Valley speaks Spanish. However, most of these people are not natives of the Valley and have moved there from different parts of Spain. More than 34% of the population of the Aran Valley is a native speaker of Aranese. Catalan is the third most popular vernacular in the region. It is considered a variety of Gascon. However, the status of Gascon is controversial. But one thing is for certain that Aranese belongs to the group of Romance languages.

Spanish Language Family:

Spanish originated from the language of the Romans. Its popularity is proof that Latin isn’t completely dead. However, Vulgar Latin isn’t the only tongue that Spanish has taken words from. A huge portion of the Spanish vocabulary is made up of Arabic words. This merger happened during the time when the Muslims ruled over the land.

Over the years, many different varieties of Romance languages have emerged in the region. Although they aren’t mutually intelligible with Spanish, they do share a close connection with it. The similarities between them are due to their common origin from Vulgar Latin. Most of the popular languages in Spain have their own daily newspapers. Interestingly, despite the many numbers of tongues that are spoken in the country, Spanish continues to be spoken by 99% of the Spaniards. It is the binding force that helps the people of the country connect with each other despite the differences between them. It is also an important part of the country’s culture.