About Spain
Spain occupies around 80% of the Iberian Peninsula in the south-west of Europe, with the remaining 20% being occupied by Portugal. With the Pyrenees as a natural frontier, Spain borders on France and Andorra in the north.
Additionally, Spanish territory includes –
The Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean (near the Moroccan coast);
The Balearic Islands – Menorca, Ibiza and Mallorca - in the Mediterranean Sea; and
Mlilla and Ceuta in northern Africa.
Interesting Facts
The Spanish name for Spain is España;
It’s because of the early influence of the Spanish Empire that the Spanish language is spoken in so many areas of the world;
The second largest city in Spain is Barcelona, located in Catalonia;
In the year 2012, the population of Spain was approximately 47 million people;
It’s estimated that the first modern humans arrived in Spain approximately 32,000 years ago;
Mount Teide in Spain is an active volcano, with a height of 12,198 feet;
The Pyrenees is a mountain range dividing Spain and France;
Spain controls a number of islands, including Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Mallorca, and Tenerife;
The tourism industry in Spain is one of the largest in the world;
Spain is officially known as the Kingdom of Spain, and it’s a second largest country in the EU;
Originally, Spain was comprised of separate kingdoms, with most speaking different languages. Following the marriage of two Catholic monarchs these kingdoms unified and became the basis for most of the different regions in today’s modern Spain. Today Spain has 17 autonomous regions, with 15 on the mainland and the Canary and Balearic Islands, and the two autonomous enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta in North Africa.
More than 406 million people worldwide speak Spanish, making Spanish the second most widely spoken language in the world today - Chinese being the first.
Three-quarters of Spain’s population live in urban areas, with 6 million in Madrid and 5 million in Barcelona. Interestingly, both these cities now have larger populations than New Zealand or Ireland!
Spain has a very high life expectancy of around 82 years. The United nations predict that by the year 2050 Spain will be the world’s oldest country, with almost half of the population aged over 60 years;
Spain’s economy is ranked 13th in the world;
The first modern novel is attributed to a Spaniard. ‘Don Quixote’ (full title is actually ‘The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha’) was written by Miguel de Cervantes. It was published in two volumes (1605, 1615) and is considered to be one of the most influential literary works and one of the greatest works of fiction ever published.
With so many different languages spoken in Spain you need to be sure that you have the most professional and experienced translators working on your Spanish translation projects. Eging Translation is renowned as the fastest and most accurate professional Spanish translation service in the world, with speed and quality being just part of our standard services. We’re ready to take your instructions right now!
