Spain (officially known as Reino de España) is a country that is in South-western Europe. Along with its neighbouring country, Portugal, it is situated on the Iberian Peninsula however Spain takes up at least four-fifths of the Peninsula. Spain is located directly between Portugal and France. The country borders on two oceans – the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.
It is the second largest country in Western Europe with a total area that is approximately 504,750 square kilometres. This total area includes the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, plus five sovereign regions off the coast of Morocco. The coastline spans 4,964 kilometres, with the majority of those kilometres along the Mediterranean Sea.
The most popular coastal areas in Spain are the Costas – Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, and Costa Brava.
Landscape
Out of all the European countries, Spain has the second highest altitude. It averages approximately 660 meters above sea level, with Madrid having the highest altitude of the entire country.
The Pyrenees Mountains which are located in the Northern part of the country have peaks that reach approximately 3000 meters.
In the South, the Sierra Nevada has the highest peak on the mainland. These peaks are 3481 meters.
The highest peak in all of Spain is at Pico de Teide on the Canary Islands. It has peaks that reach 3707 meters.
Spain is a diverse country that has lush, green valleys at the foot of the mountains in the north, desert areas of Extremadura, rice fields in Levante, olive and apple orchards around Andalusia, palm forest of Elche in Alicante, and many rocky coastlines.
The Climate
Spain is one of the Southern countries in Europe. For this reason, the climate is very enjoyable. Each of the different areas offers a different type of weather. For instance, in the Northwest Galicia area, the weather tends to be rainier than other parts of the country. The Interior has hot summers and cold winters.
The winter temperature at Costa Del Sol’s is around 15 to 25 degrees Celsius, and the summers can get as high as 40 degrees Celsius.
The Costa Brava region offers the most agreeable weather, with summers hovering around 25 to 35 degrees Celsius, and winters that are typically 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.
The Population
The population density of Spain is lower than most other European countries. Much of the population lives in urban areas rather than rural. There is a significant immigration population, mostly from North Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe.
The primary language is Spanish, with a mix of many other languages that are spoken by immigrants. There are several autonomous regions, with their own language. For example, the people in Catalunya have their own primary language, Catalan.
Spanish people are very friendly, and open-hearted. They love to chat with tourists.
Tourism
Spain is well-known for the (disputed) bullfights, flamenco dancers, and beaches but there is so much more to Spain. It is a diverse country with rolling hills, mountain ranges, beaches in the North, and beauty and architecture in the South.
The beaches in Spain are spectacular which is proven by the amount of vacationers that choose this region for their holiday. The Costa’s, especially Costa Brava, have a beautiful and unique set of beaches with a backdrop of the Pyrenees Mountains.