Background on Spain

There is a reason why tourism is the leading industry in Spain. Every year, over 45 million people visit this country, which is about 85% of the Iberian Peninsula, but twice the size of the state of Oregon. There are many different facets about Spain which make it a great country to visit and fall in love with, here are some interesting facts:

• Benidorm, a beach town nearby Alicante has got the third most hotel rooms in Europe after London and Paris.

• Despite the beret being associated with France, the Basques in north-east Spain invented the beret.

• Paella and sangria originated in Spain
  

• Sports are huge in Spain, with soccer being the most popular. Spain is the current Basketball World Champions, European soccer champs and have won the Tour de France for three years in a row. Fernando Alonso, winner of the 2005 and 2006 Formula One World Championships, is Spanish too.

• Spain is a constitutional monarchy. The Head of State is King Juan Carlos I and the Head of the Government is President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who was elected in 2004.

• Flamenco, originated in Andalucia area of Spain, is not just a dance, but an art form that includes guitar, singing, dancing and 'palmas' (handclaps).

• Biggest Cities (by population):

1. Madrid
2. Barcelona
3. Valencia
4. Sevilla
5. Zaragoza

• Spanish is the official national language in Spain. The autonomous community system in Spain allows each region to elect a co-language. Six regions have taken up this option: Catalonia and the Balearic Islands have Catalan, Valencia has Valencian, the Basque Country and Navarra have Basque and Galicia has Galician.

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