Spain

SPAIN




 * Coat of Arms:** The country's coat of arms is composed of six (6) other coats of arms, including those of Aragon, House of Bourbon, Castile, Granada, Leon and Navarre.

On either side of the Coat of Arms are the Pillars of Hercules, an ancient name given to the Straits of Gibraltar. It is topped by the royal crown of Spain (World Atlas: Symbols).

THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY APPLIED TO SPAIN 1. LOCATION Absolute Location

The latitude and longitude of Spain are: 40° 27' N / 3° 44' W. This means Spain is North of the Equator by 40° 27' and West of the International Meridian/Greenwich Meridian or Prime Meridian by 3° 44'.

Relative Location

Spain is in the south western part of Europe. It is located on the Iberian Peninsula.

The following countries surround Spain: Andorra, France, Portugal and Gibraltar, which is a British colony. There is a lot of water around Spain: The Atlantic Ocean, the Bay of Biscay, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Alboran, the Balearic and Mediterranean Seas.

There are only 13 km between Spain and Morocco or Europe and Africa. The Strait of Gibraltar divide the two continents.

2. PLACE

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS (mountains, rivers, soil, beaches, wildlife)

Spain is the third largest country in Europe.

45% of its land is part of the Meseta Plateau, which is very hilly. The Cordillera Central divides this hilly plateau in two parts.

There are many mountain ranges in the north, east, and south. In the West, the hilly plateau slopes down towards Portugal.

At 3,481 meters, the highest peak of Spain is found in the southern mountain range called Sierra Nevada.

Lowlands are fertile in the Andalusian Plain in the southwest.

Coastal plains are found all around Spain, between the mountains and the sea. There are only 13 km between Spain and Morocco or Europe and Africa. The Strait of Gibraltar divide the two continents.

1,500 rivers flow through Spain. The largest and most important rivers are: The Duero, Ebro, Jucar, Tagus, etc.

HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS (values, attitudes, perceptions)



PAELLA, made of rice, shrimps, mussels, peas, and other delicious ingredients.

Tortilla: eggs, potatoes and onions.

3. HUMAN/ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS

Flamenco dancer

Matador and Bull: Bullfighting

A market in Barcelona

A beach in Valencia

City of Madrid

Streets of Palma

"The Spanish climate and habitat are so varied that all manner of wildlife is sustained from exotic butterflies, flamingos, eagles, bears, lynx, snakes, wolves, etc. to the wild horses of San Lorenzo, Galicia and, in the coastal areas, dolphins, seals, whales, etc" (http://www.practicalspain.com/Wildlife.htm).

The short-toe eagle is the bird symbol of Spain.

4. MOVEMENT

In the 1500s, Spain was a rich country because they had colonies in the Americas. They extracted the gold and other valuable objects from the Americas.

During WW2, Spain did not fight, but it was on Germany's side.

Spain had a dictator for president for many years, until 1975.

Spain joined the European Union in 1986.

(http://www.ducksters.com/geography/country.php?country=Spain)

Spain manufactures cars and boats

They also make a lot of clothes.

5. REGION

74% of the population speak Castillan Spanish (official language) 17% Catalan 7% Galician 2% Basque These last three languages are official in the regions they are spoken.

The President is Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

94% of the population are Roman Catholic, 6% practice other religions.

The architecture of Barcelona is impressive, thanks to Gaudi.



Another of Gaudi's buildings.

The Sagrada Familia

And finally, we cannot talk of Spain and not mention Picasso!

And Dali...



VIVA ESPANA!