Bibliography

Blomquist, Christopher. A Primary Source Guide to Spain. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2005.
Croy, Anita. Countries of the World-Spain. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2010.
McKay, Susan. Festivals of the World-Spain. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 1999.
"Spain".The World Book Encyclopedia. 2008 ed.
Spain. Anonymous. http://www.reference.allrefer.com/countryguide-study/Spain

"All About Spain" completed by: Chase Turknett and Travis Toole

Economy of Spain

This picture is a map of Spain.



Do you know the currency system of Spain?

Its basic unit is the euro. One hundred cents equals one euro. The euro replaced the peseta in 2002. Spain has a large role in the economy of Europe. The major imports of Spain are fuel and chemicals. The major exports of Spain are machinery, motor vehicles, and agricultural produce such as grains, olives, grapes, oranges, and other fruits. Clothing and shoes are also exported from Spain.

• Spain's economy is affected by its physical landscape because most of the land is made up of poor soil on rocky land. The climate is also very dry there which affects the type of crops Spain can grow. Spain does not have a lot of natural resources and does not have a lot of industrial materials.


• Spain's economy affects their cultural system by employing many peole in the service industries. Tourism is an important source of money for Spain. Many visitors come to the beaches of Majorca, Spain each year. The visitors add money to the economy through trade, vacationing, visiting Spain's castles, and attending the bull fights. More than two-thirds of the Spanish people are employed in the service industries. Spain's cultural events such as the colorful festivals, the famous bullfights, and the beautiful beaches attract more than six million visitors each year who add money to Spain's economy.

Government of Spain

Spain's government is a parliamentary monarchy which is a type of democratic government. It officials include a king, a prime minister, the Cabinet, and the parliament. The king is the head of state and represents the country. The King is Juan Carlos. The prime minister leads the national government He heads the Cabinet which carries out the day-to-day operations of the government. The parliament is also called the Cortes and is the group that makes the country's laws. The parliament has two houses called the Chamber of Deputies (with three hundred and fifty members) and the Senate (with two hundred and sixty members). Spain's government has a system of check and balance because it has a democratic form of government that does not allow one part to gain too much power.

Spain's old form of government, a dictatorship, was repressive because it did not allow people to have a say in who ran the government. Since the government is now a parliamentary monarchy, the people have more freedom. Since 1981 elections have been held every four years.

Spain's government has changed over time. It was a world power in the 1500's because of explorers who set up Spanish colonies in the Americas. Spain began to lose wars and colonies. In 1939 General Francisco Franco took over Spain's government and made it a dictatorship. The Spanish people did not like having a dictatorship and wanted a government that was more democratic. The Spanish people are happy with the type of government they are under called the parliamentary monarchy.

Culture of Spain

How does Spain's culture affect its people and religion?

Spain's system of values includes most of the people celebrating religious holidays. Religion is important to almost half of Spain's people. More than ninety percent of the population is Roman Catholic. When Spain's government was a dictatorship under General Franco people were not allowed to practice the religion they wanted. When King Carlos made the government democratic in 1978 a parliament was elected and people were able to practice whatever religion they wanted. Even though most people are Catholic, they are free to practice any religion.

The majority religion is Catholicism. The most celebrated week is Holy Week which is celebrated all over Spain at the end of March or during April. It is held from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. The Spanish have many festivals to celebrate this week when Christ died on the cross. They have parades with floats and wooden figures to represent the saints. Most people join in the celebrations with singing, dancing, and even being part of the Pampolona or bull fighting. Most of the festivals have religious meaning. The Catholic faith is so important to the people of Spain that most of the national holidays are religious.
The Catholic belief system affects how Spain interacts with other countries because it allowed them since the 1980's to reconnect with the rest of the world. Spain's king made the government more democratic and offers religious freedom to everyone. The Spanish people interact well with people from other countries. They are friendly with their neighbors to the east in Portugal and also with their neighbors to the northeast in France.

History of Spain

• Romans founded Spain. People from Africa arrived in Spain at least forty thousand years ago.




• Islamic population had Spain under control in A.D. 711. The Moors' historical accomplishment was bringing the religion of Islam to Spain's belief system.




• The Granada were sent out of Spain.




• The Muslims ruled Spain for eight hundred years.



• Christopher Columbus began the Age of Exploration when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella I sent him to look for land and discovered America in 1492. Spain became powerful in the 1500's due to the explorers Pizarro and Cortes who set up Spanish colonies in the Americas.




• A historical accomplishment of Spain is that the Romans built an aqueduct that can still be seen today.




• The Moors introduced scientific inventions like the astrolabe which is used to measure the position of stars and planets.




• A third historical accomplishment is the building of the cathedral The Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain that used to be a mosque.




• A fun fact about Spain is that they have "The running of the bulls" which is when bulls and people race through the streets to get to the bull ring where the bullfights will take place.



• A historical accomplishment that was a driving force was Ferdinand and Isabella I forced the Muslim Moors out of Spain and ordered everyone, including the Jews, to become Catholic.

Geography of Spain

• Spain's exact coordinates are four degrees west and forty degrees north.


• Spain is connected to the continent Europe and is located in south western Europe.


• The region Spain is in is south and is on the Iberian Peninsula


• Most of Spain is on a plateau called the Meseta which has many hills and mountains Spain has a rocky landscape.


• On the northeast border the Pyrenees Mountains seprate Spain From France.


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  Spain's climate has hot, sunny summers and cold winters.

What physical features are emphasized by Spain?

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  Many people visit Madrid because of its beautiful mountains and nice weather.


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  People like to visit the Mediterranean beaches and islands.