Spain: People, Culture, History, and Food

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Text to type: Spain is in southern and western Europe. It covers most of the Iberian Peninsula, the land it shares with Portugal. France and Andorra are to the north. Madrid is Spain’s capital and largest city. Other big cities include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Bilbao. Spain also includes islands: the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. So everyday life has many different settings, from a large city to an island. Meal times give us another way to understand daily life. Dinner in Spain often starts from about 8:30 in the evening.

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Text to type: From 711 to 1492, Muslim-ruled lands on the Iberian Peninsula were called Al-Andalus. The Alhambra, a palace and fortress in Granada, connects us with that time. A fortress is a strong building made to protect a place. In 1492, Granada’s Muslim kingdom surrendered to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, known as the Catholic Monarchs. That same year, Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas on a journey paid for by Isabella. Much later, the Spanish Civil War lasted from 1936 to 1939. Spain’s present constitution dates from 1978. This sets out the country’s main rules. Today, Spain is a democracy with a king, and it belongs to the European Union.

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Text to type: Spain has 17 autonomous communities. An autonomous community is a region with its own government. Andalusia is in the south, Catalonia is in the north-east, and Galicia is in the north-west. The Basque Country is in the north. Spanish, also called Castilian, is the official national language. But some regions have another official language next to Spanish. Catalan is spoken around Barcelona in Catalonia. It is called Valencian in Valencia. Galician is spoken in Galicia, and Basque is spoken in the Basque Country, including Bilbao. Basque is not related to Spanish or to most other European languages. These differences are part of Spain’s local life.

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Text to type: Let’s connect three cities with three famous places. In Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia is a Catholic church designed by Antoni Gaudi. It is the tallest church in the world, and parts of it are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Granada, Andalusia, the Alhambra brings us back to Al-Andalus. This old palace and fortress is a famous example of Islamic building design. In central Madrid, the Museo del Prado is Spain’s main national art museum. It opened in 1819 and has many paintings by Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez. These places offer different ways to explore Spain: through a church, a palace, or art.

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Text to type: Lunch is usually Spain’s large main meal, starting around 2:00 to 2:30 in the afternoon. A small snack, called merienda, may come around 6:00. Dinner starts late, from about 8:30. After a meal, people may stay at the table to relax and talk. This time together is called sobremesa. Food also connects with regions. Paella is a Valencian rice dish from the east coast, cooked in a wide, flat pan. Gazpacho is an Andalusian cold vegetable soup, often made with tomato and eaten in summer. Tortilla is a thick omelette with eggs and potatoes, often with onion. Tapas are small snacks that can be hot or cold. Several tapas together can make a full meal.

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Text to type: The Seville Fair, also called Feria de Abril, is an Andalusian fair in Seville. It usually begins two weeks after Holy Week, the week before Easter. The fair has rows of decorated tents called casetas. These belong to families, groups of friends, clubs, and other groups. From about nine at night until early morning, people dance sevillanas, a folk dance danced in pairs. Southern Spain is also the home of flamenco. Flamenco is an Andalusian art of music, song, and dance. The Romani people of Andalusia helped create it. Like Valencian paella, flamenco has a local home, even though people know it far beyond that region.

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