Important holidays: National Day: 10 10/0/2; Constitution Day: 65438+February 6th.
Capital: Madrid, population 365,438+10,000 (2004).
Area: 505,925 square kilometers
Population: 44 1 10000(2005). They are mainly Castilians (that is, Spaniards), and the ethnic minorities are Catalans (68 1 0,000), Galicians (2.75 million) and Basques (210.2 million).
Religion: 96% of the residents believe in Catholicism.
Language: Castilian (Spanish) is the official language and national language. Minority languages are also the official languages of this region.
State system: constitutional monarchy
National flower: pomegranate flower
National Stone: Emerald
Currency: Euro (old currency: peseta)
Time: 7 hours later than Beijing time, 6 hours in daylight saving time;
Spanish flag: rectangular, with an aspect ratio of 3: 2. The flag surface consists of three parallel horizontal rectangles, all of which are red from top to bottom, each accounting for1/4 of the flag surface; The middle is yellow. The yellow part is painted with the national emblem of Spain on the left. Red and yellow are the traditional colors that the Spanish people love, and they represent the four ancient kingdoms that make up Spain. There is a saying that red stands for game-writing protocol and yellow stands for yellow sand. Game-writing protocol and yellow sand symbolize the cool bullfighting of the Spanish people, which embodies the spirit of courage, tenacity and fearlessness.
National emblem of Spain: the central pattern is the coat of arms. There are six patterns on the shield: a yellow castle on the red ground in the upper left corner and a red lion wearing a crown on the white ground in the upper right corner. The castle and the lion are symbols of ancient Spain, symbolizing Castilla and Leon respectively; In the lower left corner is a yellow-red vertical bar, symbolizing Aragon in the northeast; In the lower right corner is a golden chain net on the red ground, symbolizing Navarra in the north; The bottom is a red pomegranate with green leaves on a white background, symbolizing Granada in the south; There are three lilies in the blue oval in the center of the shield, which symbolizes the country's prosperity, people's happiness and national unity. There is a big crown at the top of the coat of arms, which is a symbol of state power. There is a Hercules column on each side of the coat of arms. Also known as the Hercules Silver Pillar, the top of the left and right pillars are the crown and the imperial crown respectively, and the ribbon wound on the pillar reads "There are continents overseas".
National anthem: Royal March The Spanish national anthem originated from the March of Granada Army in Carlos III in the18th century. The Spanish royal family called it the March of Honor, and the folk called it the March of Infantry. The royal family has organized musicians to write new songs many times, but none of them can surpass this song, so this national anthem with songs and no words lasted until the end of 2007, when a nationwide lyric collection campaign was launched to determine the lyrics of the Spanish national anthem. The lyrics are "Long live Spain! /We sing together/with different voices/with the same heart; "
"Long live Spain! /From the green valley/to the vast ocean/is the hymn of brothers; "
"We love our motherland/want to hug her/under her blue sky/all ethnic groups are like a family;"
"Glorious descendants/great history/singing about justice and prosperity/singing about democracy and peace."
The four lyrics embody "unity, freedom, democracy and peace".
193 1 In the second year of the Republic of China, Ode to Diego was adopted as the national anthem, but after the failure of the democratic government, it resumed its original national anthem status.
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The whole country is divided into 17 autonomous regions, 50 provinces and more than 8,000 towns. 17 The autonomous regions are: Andalusia, Aragon, asturias, Balearic, Basque, Canary, Cantabria, Castilla-Leon, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Estremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, la rioja and Valencia.
Four major tourist areas: Canary Islands-Tropical Scenery, Sunshine Coast-Mediterranean Beach, Balearic Islands-Mediterranean Bath, Madrid-Ancient Cultural City;
Human population
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The main ethnic group in Spain is Castilians, accounting for more than 70% of the total population. Catalans, Galicians and Basques are the most important three of Spain's 20 ethnic minorities.
Catalans mainly live in northeastern Spain, and Barcelona is the important town of Catalonia. A few Catalans live in Aragon, and there are about 600,000 people in Germany, Italy, Andorra and other countries. Galicians live in the Galician region in the northwest. Their origins are related to the Portuguese, and they are also very close in culture and language. Abroad, Galicians are mainly concentrated in Argentina, with a total of 975,000 people. Basques are distributed on the west side of the Pyrenees, living in the foothills of Cantabria and along the Bay of Biscay. There are about 300 thousand people abroad, many of whom are in France. Sociologists have so far failed to find the origin of the Basque nation. In these three regions, the national language and Spanish (Castilian) are official languages.
The three largest cities in Spain are Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, with a population of more than 2 million. On the mainland, which accounts for about two-thirds of the country, the population is only one-third of the country's, and the rest are concentrated in the industrial prosperity areas bordering the Mediterranean and Atlantic. There are 263 people per square kilometer in the province of Biscay maritime and 284 people in Barcelona. In some industrial areas, such as asturias, Basque and Catalonia, there are even more than 500 people per square kilometer. In some sparsely populated areas such as teruel, Soria and La Mancha, there are only 9 people per square kilometer. In the Mainland, the only place with a relatively high population density is madrid province, where the capital is located, with more than 500 people per square kilometer.
Spain's population is aging seriously. Spain has become one of the most livable countries in Europe. With the improvement of living standards, the average life expectancy in 1980 reached 76 years, second only to the Netherlands in Europe. Although it is a traditional Catholic country, influenced by the modern concept of marriage and family, young people tend to marry late, never marry and never have children. The marriage rate of men and women of marriageable age is only about five thousandths, which means that the proportion of cohabitation is huge. At one time in the early 1980s, the number of people getting married decreased by 25% every year. At present, women have an average of 2./kloc-0 children, and the family size has shrunk to about 3 people per household, which is a low level in Europe. However, the divorce rate in Spain is also very low, only 0.5 per thousand. Spain's child mortality rate is also relatively low in Europe, below 1%. A large number of overseas immigrants have also caused the low growth rate of Spain's population, which is the difference between Spain and other western countries.
At present, there are about 3.36 million Spaniards living abroad, including 2.207 million in America and 6.5438+0.07 million in Europe. Constant immigration is the characteristic of Spain's population structure, which is related to her colonial rule. After the discovery of the New World, a large number of Spaniards flocked to Central and South America and even parts of North America to look for gold and adventure. By 19 13, the number of Hispanic American immigrants reached 220,000. After the war, the direction of Spanish immigration reversed. Before 1960, up to 85% of the immigrants' target was the Americas on the other side of the Atlantic, and then it dropped to10%; At the same time, a large number of immigrants turned their new dreams to Europe, and their favorite places were France, Germany and Switzerland. After the war, the population of Spain who emigrated abroad was 1.5 million.
capital
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The symbol of Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a bear standing enough to eat apples. It is located in an intermountain basin at an altitude of 670 meters and is one of the highest capitals in Europe. The scenery here is beautiful, the sun is shining and the air is fresh. The number of sunny days every year ranks first among the major capitals in Europe.
economy
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Economically, the West is a moderately developed capitalist industrial country. In the early 1980s, Spain began to implement austerity, adjustment and reform policies and adopted a series of economic liberalization measures. With 1986 joining the European Union as an opportunity, the economic development reached a climax. In the early 1990s, due to overheating, economic growth slowed down and fell into recession. Since the mid-1990s, with the macro-control policies adopted by western governments, the economy has started to pick up and maintained steady growth. 1in may 1998, Spain became one of the first countries to join the euro zone. At present, the western economy continues to maintain a steady growth trend.
The main economic data for 2006 are as follows:
Gross domestic product: 976.2 billion euros.
Per capita GDP: 265,438+0,834 euros.
Economic growth rate: 3.9%.
Currency name: Euro
Inflation rate: 2.7%
Unemployment rate: 8.7%
Service industry is an important pillar of the western national economy, including culture, education, health, commerce, tourism, scientific research, social insurance, transportation and finance, among which tourism and finance are relatively developed. In 2005, the output value of western service industry was 635.324 billion euros, accounting for 68% of GDP.
Tourism is an important pillar of the western economy and one of the main sources of foreign exchange. In 2005, it received 55.6 million foreign tourists, an increase of 6% over the previous year, and its net income was 46 billion euros, an increase of 1% over the previous year. There are 17402 hotels in China with about 15 1000 beds, and the occupancy rate is 53.58%. There are 77,565,438+0 travel agencies in China. In 2004, the employed population was 6.5438+0.226 million, accounting for 7.2% of the total employed population. Famous tourist attractions include Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Sunshine Coast and Beautiful Coast.
Transportation is mainly by land. In 2003, the main transportation situation was as follows:
Railway: total length 1566 1 km; There were 654 million passengers and 32.3 million tons of freight.
Highway: The total length is 665,637 kilometers, including 24,857 kilometers of national highway, 70,270 kilometers of highway managed by local government and 69,457 kilometers of other highways. There were 2.865 billion passengers and 654.38 billion tons of freight.
Water transportation: 1 18033 all kinds of ships; Passenger traffic and freight volume were 23.5 million passengers and 382 million tons respectively. There are 27 major ports, the most important of which are Barcelona, Bilbao, tarragona, Sila, Alge, etc.
Air transport: There are 47 airports in China. The main airports are Ba Laha Airport in Madrid, Palma de Mallorca Airport and Barcelona Airport. In 2003, the passenger volume and freight volume were 654.38+520 million passengers and 580 million tons respectively.
(Source: Spanish Statistical Office 2005 report)
In recent years, the financial revenue and expenditure of the West are as follows (unit: one billion euros):
200 1 2002 2003
Income: 2,595,438+0.6438+06 2,767.48+0.20089.00000000006
Expenditure 2593.45 2765.07 2680.96
Deficit 2.29 2.4 1-120.65
(Source: Statistical Report 2005)
Western fiscal revenue mainly depends on direct taxes and indirect taxes, and privatization income also accounts for a considerable proportion in recent years. The fiscal deficit in 2003 was equivalent to 0.6% of 65438+GDP. By the end of 2005, the foreign debt of the western region was11373.22 billion euros, and the foreign exchange reserves of the western region were 146 billion euros.
Major Spanish banks: Santander Central Bank of Spain, Bilbao Biscay Bank of Argentina and Volkswagen Bank.
Foreign Trade In 2005, the foreign trade of West Africa increased by 8.86%, of which imports increased by 1 1% and exports increased by 4.5%. The foreign trade situation in recent years is as follows (unit: billion euros):
In 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Import value 1840.9 20438+0.2 338+0.
Export value1378.5438+0.1464.5+0552.4.
Contrast -462.8 -606.7 -784.7
(Source: Statistics of the Bank of Spain, 2006)
It mainly imports petroleum, industrial raw materials, machinery and equipment and consumer goods. Mainly exported to automobiles, steel, chemical products, leather products, textiles, wine and olive oil. The main trading partners are the European Union, Asia, Latin America and the United States. In 2004, Spain's imports and exports to the EU accounted for 64.6% and 73.9% of the total imports and exports in that year, respectively, 14.6% and 5.5% for Asia, 3.6% and 4% for the United States.
Direct Investment In 2003, Spain's foreign direct investment was 2,434,438+0 billion euros, a decrease of 465.438+0.6438+0% over the previous year. The main investment fields are transportation, telecommunications, energy, finance, insurance and real estate. The main investment area is Latin America. In 2005, the actual utilization of foreign capital in West China was 654.38+066.1800 million euros.
People's Livelihood In recent years, the welfare expenditure of western governments has been increasing. All employees can enjoy social insurance, with the cost borne by the state at 30.8% and enterprises and individuals at 69.2%. The average life expectancy of western men is 77.2 years and that of women is 83.7 years. In 2004, there were 774 general hospitals with 65,438+900,000 doctors, with an average of 2,034 beds in each hospital and 37 beds per 10,000 people. There are 62 cars per 100 people. The average monthly salary is 26 16.5 USD.
Education:
Education in Spain was once controlled by the Catholic Church. At present, Spain's education system is mainly divided into preschool education, universal education, bachelor education, higher education and vocational training.
Children aged 2 to 3 in Germany can voluntarily attend small classes in kindergartens and large classes at the age of 4 to 5. National kindergartens are free, compulsory universal education is also free (6 ~ 16 years old), and transportation and canteens are also free. The goal of universal education is children aged 6 to 65. Three years in junior high school, two years in senior high school and three years in junior high school.
The main courses in primary schools are Chinese, mathematics, social and natural experience, artistic expression, music and physical education.
Junior high school has added humanities, natural sciences, foreign languages, religion and other courses. After finishing junior high school, students can choose to enter a comprehensive middle school (high school, also known as college preparatory course) or find a job by themselves.
There are three main courses in comprehensive middle schools: one is literature, including humanities and classical languages; The second is science, with emphasis on mathematics; Third, technical courses in agriculture and industry. Students choose different subjects to study in school, complete courses in any subject, and get a bachelor's degree after passing the examination. In two forms of vocational schools, workshop schools and industrial homes, vocational training is divided into professional theory and enterprise practice, and vocational training is also free. In addition to basic courses, you can also study industrial drawing, management and various professional courses there.
The University of Salamanca and the University of Granada in Spain are both among the oldest universities in Europe. According to the Spanish Constitution, university associations have freedom of study, freedom of teaching and university autonomy. Self-made universities can make their own rules, elect school leaders, formulate budgets and staffing, and evaluate their degrees independently.
There are 30 km universities and 4 private universities sponsored by churches in Spain. The Autonomous University of Madrid is the largest institution of higher learning in Spain. Other famous universities include the University of Madrid, the University of Salamanca and the Central University of Barcelona.
Six years in primary school, four years in middle school and four to five years in college. In 2003, education expenditure accounted for 4.35% of GDP, most of which was invested by the public sector.
The total number of students in the 2004-2005 school year was 84,465,438+0,665,438+0.6, including schools and students at all levels:
School (college) students (people)
Preschool education 3596 14 19307
Primary school 12272 2494598
Special school -29283
Middle school 6276 1876322
Preparatory course -632 154
College -5 16504
University 72 1473448
Teachers engaged in non-higher education * * 5625 10, including public schools 4 1 1399, private schools1511,and higher education * * 8668.
(Source: Statistical Report of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science in 2004-2005)
Spanish social etiquette
Etiquette and manners
Local women have a "myth". For example, when a woman turns on the fan and covers the lower part of her face, it means: I love you. Do you like me? If you open it and close it for a while, it means: I miss you very much. Therefore, women who have just arrived in Spain, if they don't understand the language of fans, it is best not to use fans.
Meeting etiquette
Spaniards usually shake hands when meeting guests in formal social situations. Boyfriends often hug each other when they meet acquaintances. Spanish names usually have three or four parts. The first two sections are my name, the penultimate section is my father's surname, and the last section is my mother's surname. Usually it is the father's surname.
business etiquette
Spaniards attach great importance to credibility and always try their best to fulfill signed contracts. Even if the contract is found to have disadvantages, it is unwilling to admit its mistakes publicly. In this case, if the other party can help them sincerely, it will win the respect and friendship of the Spanish. Spaniards are punctual only when they take part in bullfighting, but guests should also be punctual, even if the other party is late, don't blame them.
Travel etiquette
Spaniards are cheerful and enthusiastic, but easily excited. Sometimes it is normal to quarrel, and they are used to it. When a Spaniard eats, he usually politely invites people around him to share with him, but this is just a gesture of etiquette. Don't accept it easily, or they will think you are uneducated.
physical geography
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Climate: Meseta Plateau in the middle has a continental climate, the coastal areas in the north and northwest have a maritime temperate climate, and the southern and southeast have a Mediterranean subtropical climate. The northwest is humid, and the inland and southeast are dry. Average monthly temperature from north to south:1October 65438+9.4-10.3℃; July19.1-28.1℃. The annual precipitation is generally 350-500mm, and the mountain area is as high as 1, 500mm.
Mineral resources: Mercury reserves rank first in the world, including coal, iron, bauxite, molybdenum, pyrite and oil. The forest area is vast, including European oak, oak, chestnut and Chinese fir. Rich in sardines and lobsters.
Location: Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe. It borders the Bay of Biscay in the north, Portugal in the west, Morocco in Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar in the south, France and Andorra in the northeast, and the Mediterranean Sea in the east and southeast. The coastline is about 7800 kilometers long. The territory is mountainous and is one of the alpine countries in Europe. Plateau and mountains alternate with each other, with the national average elevation of 660m, 35% of the country's areas are above 1000m, and the plains only account for 1 1%, making it one of the highest countries in Europe. The main mountain ranges are Cantabria and Pyrenees in the north and morena and Andalusia in the south. The Mullah Peak in the south is 3478 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in China.
Spain is located in the southwest of Europe and shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal. Spain lies between 36 and 44 degrees north latitude, 9 degrees west longitude 18 minutes and 3 degrees east longitude 19 minutes. It is 840 kilometers long from north to south and 1000 kilometers long from east to west. With a land area of 504,750 square kilometers, the Spaniards say that their country is shaped like a cooked cowhide. After Russia, Ukraine and France, Spain ranks fourth in Europe, equivalent to one twentieth of the total area of Europe. Outside the peninsula, Spain's territory includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
The northern coast of Spain is the Bay of Biscay, and the northeast borders France and Andorra. The towering Pyrenees mountains separate these countries. Facing the Mediterranean Sea in the east and southeast, you can reach Morocco in Africa by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, which is only 14 km wide. Rectangular Portugal is Spain's neighbor to the west. The Strait of Gibraltar is the main route from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean, and its strategic position is extremely important. Spain and Britain have long been fighting for sovereignty here.
Excluding Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, the Spanish coastline surrounded by the sea on three sides is about 3,904 kilometers long, but the coast is relatively flat, and the real natural harbors are concentrated in the north, such as ferrol, Ponte Vidra and Vigo. Cartagena is the only natural port in the Mediterranean. The coastline in the southeast is not a port, but a beautiful beach resort. The famous bays in Spain are Cadiz Bay and Valencia Bay.
Spain has not only beautiful coasts, but also towering mountains. In Europe, she is the tallest country except Switzerland. Most of Spain is an ancient plateau. The famous Central Plateau stands in the middle of Spain, accounting for about 60% of the national area, with an altitude of 600-700 meters. The central plateau is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cantabria Mountains in the north and the Morena Mountains in the south, and the Iberian Mountains in the east separate the central plateau from the Aragon Plain. The west side of the plateau slowly extends, the terrain gradually flattens, and finally disappears along the Atlantic coast. If you drive around Spain, you will see snow-capped peaks and rolling hills from time to time.
Spain can be roughly divided into five geographical regions:
Northern mountainous area: There is the famous Pyrenees in Europe, and the whole mountain range stretches for thousands of miles with picturesque scenery. Throughout the year, whether on the mountains or on the plains, green is everywhere. Especially in asturias, the mountains are continuous, the pines are boundless, and the forests are gloomy.
Mount Cantabria, near the Pyrenees, is more than 2,000 meters above sea level, facing the endless Bay of Biscay in the north, with lush trees and charming scenery. There are many wide valleys between them, and the lake is as clear as a mirror. What's more worth mentioning is that there are countless waterfalls, which pour down from a height and are filled with water mist all day long, which is spectacular. It is not only an important cork producing area, but also a pastoral and industrial area where cattle and sheep are everywhere.
Central Plateau: The Cordillera Mountains in the middle of the plateau divide the Meseta Plateau into the old Castilla Plateau in the north and the new Castilla Plateau in the south. There are many famous olive groves and animal sanctuaries on this rolling mountain. The northwest of the central plateau and the northern coast of the Atlantic Ocean are mostly mountainous areas and mountainous areas. The mountain road is connected end to end, and the car sometimes travels in the mountain for a long time, as if it were still in its original position.
Aragon Plain: Aragon Plain is located in the Ebro River valley in the southeast of the Pyrenees, and it is a roughly triangular wavy plain. In the paleogeological period, it used to be a vast inland lake. Later, the lake flowed into the Mediterranean Sea and gradually became a dry land. Aragon Plain enjoys a pleasant climate, abundant rainfall and fertile soil all year round. Known as the "land of abundant water", it is not only a natural granary in Spain, but also an important producing area of grapes, oranges and other fruits.
Mediterranean coastal mountains: The coastal mountains extend from Andalusia in the southeast to Catalonia in the northeast, with a total length of 1.500 km. Walking on the soft beach, the sea and the sky are the same, and tourists are like a tide. Murata in the southern Andalusian Mountains is steep and towering, with an altitude of 3,478 meters. It is the highest point of Iberian Peninsula and is known as the "national backbone" of Spain. This mountain is full of mist and breezes all year round, and it is a good place for summer vacation.
Andalusian Plain: Located between the Mo Leneutre Mountains and the Andalusian Mountains. Here is a Ma Pingchuan, open and honest; Gwadar Keevil River runs through the whole plain from west to east, irrigating ten million mu of fertile land. Because the towering Andalusian mountains block the humid air from the ocean, the climate here is dry and the summer sun is like fire.
spanish bullfights
Bullfighting is the quintessence of Spain, which is popular all over the country and enjoys a world-renowned reputation. Although it is controversial from the perspective of animal protection, it is still preserved as an ancient tradition unique to Spain and is welcomed by many people. The bullfighting season is from March to 10. During the bullfighting season, two races are held every Thursday and Sunday. If there are holidays and national day celebrations, you can watch them every day.