interesting spain

The official nomenclature of Spain is the Kingdom of Spain. Spain is located in Southern Europe and has two enclaves, territories surrounded by other countries in North Africa. The origin of the names Espania and Spain is said to be rooted in the Roman name 'Hispania'. Here are some interesting facts about Spain.

Spain is bound by the Mediterranean Sea on the south and the east. It shares it borders with the Bay of Biscay on the north and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It's terrestrial borders are shared with Morocco, Gibraltar, Andorra, Portugal and France. Spain is the largest of all the sovereign states making up the Iberian Peninsula.

The Iberians, Basques and the Celts were the original inhabitants of Spain. It became a part of the Roman Empire in 206 B.C. It was later ruled by Visigothic rulers, Muslims, the Franks and the Christians.

In the 1600s, Spain ruled the entire Iberian Peninsula, a number of Caribbean Islands, most of central America, South America and parts of North America. The Spanish Empire, as it was known then, also included Austria, parts of France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

Spain is the country nearest to Africa. Spain has contributed a lot to world history and culture. In ancient times, the Pheonicans traded with Spain for minerals. When Spain was ruled by Islam, it was famous for its learning. Cordoba in Spain became the global centre for studying literature, philosophy, medicine and science. Eusaska, the language spoken by the Basque population, is one of the oldest living languages in the world. The Basque people live in the Pyrenees in North Central Spain.

Spain has been instrumental also in the discovering of places and other important landmarks in the extension of the globe. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer was the first to complete a circumnavigation of the globe. He was financed by Spain.

Christopher Columbus was financed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who then ruled Castille and Aragon in Spain for his journey to America. Spanish Explorers also have claimed a number of countries in the early sixteenth century. Francisco Pizarro invaded Peru, while Pedro de Mendonza colonized Argentina and Hernan Cortes annexed Mexico.

The Spanish have contributed a lot towards literature as we know it today. Ernest Hemingway wrote the famous novel 'For Whom The Bells Toll' about the Spanish Civil War. 'Don Quixote', which is considered by some to be the first modern novel, was written by the Spanish Miguel de Cervantes. The oldest known Spanish poem is about the Eil Cid, an eleventh century hero from Castille.

Today, Spain is an constitutional monarchy consisting of a parliament with two legislative chambers and a hereditary monarch. A council of Ministers is presided by the President of Government for the executive branch, whereas the legislative branch consists of a Congress of Deputies. The President of Government post is equivalent to the post of a Prime Minister in other countries.

The Congress of Deputies consists of three hundred and fifty members, all of them elected by popular voting. They serve a four year term. The Senate in the legislative branch is consists of two hundred and fifty seats. Two hundred and eight seats are elected by popular vote, whereas the other fifty one are elected by the regional legislatures. They serve a four year term.

Spain is the eighth largest economy in the world. The purchasing power parity as of 2006 is estimated to be more than one thousand billion dollars. The real growth rate as of 2005 is estimated to be about three percent. The purchasing power parity per capita is about twenty six thousand dollars.