Spain+Steven

General Information
Spain is a European country located on the Iberian Peninsula, east of Portugal and south of France. Spain is most well-known for having influenced the entire world with its colonial empire, and as a result helped make Spanish the second-most spoken first language in the world. The capital of Spain is Madrid, and it is also the largest city in Spain as well. The official language of Spain is Spanish, but Basque, Catalan, Galician, and Occitan are recognized regional languages that are also widely spoken. Roman Catholicism is the most widely-practiced religion, although it is no longer the official religion. Spain uses a branch of the Euro known as the Spanish peseta as their monetary system; they are one of the 17 countries in Europe to use a form of the Euro. Two of the major industries in Spain are the tourism and automotive industries; Spain has a thriving tourism industry that employs about 2 million people, and the automotive industry is among the top ten in the world. Automobiles are also one of Spain's top exports. Spain officially reached a population of 46 million people in 2008 and the number has been growing slowly in recent years.

Geography
Spain has a mostly Mediterranean climate (with a few semi-arid zones in the southeast), with about a third of the land used in farming and ranching, a third of it being woodland areas or forests, and the other third being used for existing or future urban areas. Much of the farmland is located in the middle of the country, where the climate is mostly Mediterranean, as to the far north the climate is heavily influenced by the ocean and in the south the land isn't as fertile due to the semi-arid climate. The mostly stable climate of Spain allows for substantial benefit to the economy, allowing them to produce more crops for domestic and international sale. The northern coast gets the majority of Spain's yearly rain, with the rest of it being in the Mediterranean middle zones. The semi-arid south receives little rain, comparably. Spain does not have many natural disasters to deal with as some countries, increasing the stability of the climate and the safety of its citizens.

Brief History
Spain's original inhabitants are the Iberians, who settled most of the land between the southwest and northeast. The Celts also inhabited the northwest and northern reaches of the country. The middle of the country was where the two groups met and intermarried to form a group known as the Celtiberians. The Celtiberians fought against the Romans, who were seeking to make the land part of their empire, from 181 to 133 BC. The native Celtiberians lost the conflict, however, and were integrated as part of the Roman Empire for over 600 years. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Spain began to rule itself again, and began to rise to power in the Medieval ages (from around 400 - 1500 AD). Spain became a true power when it began integrating itself with the Catholic church, and became known officially as The Kingdom of Spain. During this time, they began to rapidly colonize the rest of the world, with colonies especially prominent in South and Central America. In the late 1800's, however, Spain began its transition from a monarchy into a republic. From 1936 until 1975, however, the dictator Francisco Franco was the authoritarian ruler of Spain. After his death in 1975, Spain adopted a form of government known as a constitutional monarchy, where a Prime Minister is the commander in chief with a king acting as a public figurehead.

Government
Spain is currently governed by a constitutional monarchy under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and King Juan Carlos I. Prime Minister Rajoy is the official figurehead, similar to our President and not unlike the Prime Minister of Britain. King Juan Carlos I, however, is merely a public figurehead for ceremonial duties, much like Queen Elizabeth of England.

Culture
Spain has a very rich and long-seated culture comprised of classic Roman and modern Western influences. Spain has the second highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, exceeded only by Italy. (A World Heritage Site is defined as "a monument or location, natural or man-made, of significant historical or cultural significance".) Spanish citizens dress not unlike the rest of the modern world, essentially the same as we do here in America. The most widely recognized national sport in Spain is football (soccer), and is a very important aspect of life to many Spanish citizens. Spain is home to one of the oldest professional football clubs, Real Madrid, which turns 110 this year. As such, football is widely recognized as the national sport of Spain and is very popular among its citizens. Spain is also well known for its art; in the city of Valencia, there is a massive complex known as the "City of Arts and Sciences," which is similar in function to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., however the City of Arts and Sciences has entire buildings dedicated to the art of Spain, unlike the Smithsonian. Spain is considered to go hand in hand with flamenco music, which originated in the country, as well as the dance styles that go along with the music. The most widely recognized instrument to originate from Spain is the guitar, which is a staple in flamenco music. Spanish holidays are a mix of Roman Catholic, national, and public holidays, and each municipality may designate 14 days as public holidays, with any of the aforementioned Roman Catholic, national, and public holidays.

Tourism
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Valencia is the aforementioned City of Arts and Sciences. It is regarded as the most important tourist spot in all of Valencia and receives thousands of foreign visitors each year.

Another incredibly popular tourist destination is Las Ventas, the largest bullfighting ring in all of Spain, which is located in Madrid. It was founded in 1929 and is one of the most popular destinations for tourists visiting Madrid.

Current Events
The ex-mayor of the town of Benalmadena was found not guilty after being denounced at the town hall for supposedly committing tax fraud. He had reportedly lied about the tax of certain pieces of land increasing in price, but these claims were later disputed in court and he was recently found not guilty and the court has dismissed the claims against him.

A Spaniard who was arrested in the US for a triple assassination in 1994 was denied a repeat of his court case by an American judge who felt that there was substantial evidence against him. The Spaniard, a man known as Pablo Ibar, is currently the only Spaniard on Death Row in the U.S., and felt that he could prove himself innocent if given a repeat of his court case. The judge, however, denied and Pablo Ibar is still on Death Row.