1. Miguel de Cervantes, of Spain, wrote the novel Don Quijote. The story takes place in La Mancha, a town in Spain. The characters are Don Quijote, Sancho Panza (friend), Rocinante (horse) and Princess Dulcinea.

2. Every year in Buñol, Spain there is a tomato fight called “La Tomatina”. It is held on the last Wednesday in August. Beginning in 2013, one now must buy a ticket (cost: 10 Euro) to attend and participate. Spain’s former currency was Peseta.

3. Madrid is the capital of Spain (España). Spanish (Español) is spoken by more than 350 million people and is the 2 nd most widely spoken language in the world.

4. There is not a “Tooth Fairy” in Spain. There is a “Tooth Mouse”, and his name is Ratoncito Perez.

5. King Fernando and Queen Isabel (Catholic Kings) united Spain for the first time in 1492. The Kings and Queens lived in the castle El Alcázar, which Walt Disney used as the model for the castle in Sleeping Beauty.

6. Pablo Picasso was a famous artist from Spain. His most famous painting is Guernica. It is in the Reina Sofia museum. Another famous museum in Madrid is El Prado.

7. Two groups of islands are part of Spain: Canary Islands (in Atlantic, west of Africa) Balearic Islands (in Mediterranean Sea, east of Spain

8. Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest waterfall in the world. (3,212 ft) They are named after Jimmie Angel, a US aviator, who was the first person to fly over the falls. He flew over them on November 16, 1933 on a flight while he was searching for a valuable ore bed

9. Machu Picchu was built in Peru by the Inca around 1450. It is a city in the Andes Mountains. It has a 5 square mile span. There are 3,000 stone steps and 200 stone buildings. It was abandoned in 1572 because of the Spanish conquistadors, but was never found and destroyed by them.

10. Lunch, in Spain, is the main meal and is eaten around 2:00 PM. Dinner is a smaller meal and is eaten around 9:00 or 10:00 PM. Most people in Spain take a siesta (nap) after lunch, then return to work around 5:30 or 6:00 until 8:30 – 9:00 PM.

11. Spain (España) is bordered by France and Andorra to the north, Portugal to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the South and East. The Pyrenees Mountains are along the border of Spain and France.

12. Mexico City has the highest elevation and is the oldest city in North America. It is one of the largest cities in the world. It is built on a lake and is constantly sinking.

13. La Sagrada Familia is a church in Barcelona that has been under construction since 1882 and is still not finished. Architect – Antoni Gaudí

14. Some common foods in Spain are paella, gazpacho, tortilla española, jamón serrano, and chorizo.

15. “Running of the Bulls” takes place in Pamplona, Spain every year for 8 days in July. The bulls are killed each day in a bullfight. A popular sport in Spain is bull fighting.

16. La Plaza Mayor is the most popular town square in Madrid. In the center is a bronze statue of King Felipe III, from 1616.