S PAIN By Alessandro

G ENERAL S TATEMENT Spain is a country located in the South – Western part of Europe. It is in the Northern Hemisphere and its surrounding countries are Portugal and France. Spain is about 505, 370 square kilometres and in some parts there are mountainous ranges. The average temperature in Spain is 10°C to 16°C and it is mostly sunny. The population is around 46 million and the main religion that is followed in Spain is Christianity. The capital and largest city in Spain is Madrid which is near the centre of the country.

G EOGRAPHY Spain occupies around 85% of the Iberian peninsula which it shares with one of its neighbouring country, Portugal. The whole of Spain is 505, 370 square kilometres and some parts are covered with bulky mountains. Africa is only 16 kilometres away and can be seen near the South end of Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar. A famous mountain in Spain is the Sierra Nevada, which is covered in snow for most of the seasons.

C LIMATE The average temperature in Spain is 10°C to 16°C and it can get extremely cold in some regions, especially in Winter. The cities that are hit by the chilly weather during Winter are the cities near the middle of Spain like Madrid, Toledo and Salamanca. Summer in Spain can peak at 40°C in some parts but mostly stays at 25°C to 30°C. Daylight savings in Spain start at the end of March and goes through till October.

M ARINE E NVIRONMENT Spain is surrounded by three bodies of water which are inhabited by many different species of marine life. The most common of these are dolphins. Spain’s economy has relied on its species of fish that inhabit the waters as they can be caught, sold at markets or traded to inland European countries with not many waterways. Coral and seaweed are the main plants found underneath the sea.

M AJOR C ITIES The capital city and largest city in Spain is Madrid. Madrid is located in the centre of Spain and the population is 3, 265, 038. Some other major cities in Spain are Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla (Seville) and Granada. All of these cities have history as well as a modern day vibe with new and old architecture. In Barcelona, an architect called Gaudi created a church called La Sagrada Familia (Holy Family). The detail and creativity of the structure is amazing!

F LORA A ND F AUNA In Spain, more than 8000 different species of flora can be found. The variety of plants depends on the region as the different temperature affects what plants are grown. Some common flora are the Macqis scrub and the Pink Butterfly Orchid. The fauna in Spain provides a wide range of magnificent beasts including the Spanish Ibex, a rare animal that’s dying out as a result of hunting. Other animals such as brown bear, deer and the Spanish wolf are common among mountains and forests.

F LAMENCO Flamenco is a Spanish cultural show that shows grace, passion and skill. It includes traditional dancing, singing and guitar playing. The music has a slight modern vibe to it. The dancing involves stamping your feet and needs great stamina. The clothes the performers wear is a black frilly dress for the females and a dark shirt for the men.

B ULLFIGHTING Bullfighting is a Spanish tradition in which brave matadors test their skill, agility and courage against a bull. First the assistant matadors jab 4 short wooden skewers into the bull to make it angry. Then matadors holds their red cape out and wait for the bull to charge at them. When the bull gets near they pull the cape up and get out of the way.

B ULLFIGHTING This keeps on happening until either the bull dies or the president who sits up in the box throws a white flag down meaning that the bull has proven itself worthy and is set free into the wilderness. If the matador is awarded either the tail or the ear of the bull, it means he has shown extreme skill and courage in the fight. They then cut one of the parts off the bull and the matador gets to keep it.

M AP O F S PAIN

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