Ms. Lopez
Latin Culture Period 3
6 September 2012
Espana
In my essay about Espana I will be talking about some interesting facts about this country, such as their population, geography, climate, politics/economy, customs/art/ religion, and education. Espana has a very diverse population and the population in Espana is approximately 46,661,950. The capital of Espana is Madrid and they have about 4 distinctive languages and around 7 dialects. The most common language spoken in Espana is Spanish and the regional languages are Aranese, Basque, Catalan, Valencia, and Galacian. The ethnic groups in Espana vary like there are 88.7% Spanish and 11.3% other. The 11.3% are Romanian, Moroccan, Ecuadorian, Columbian, and British. The geography in Espana is very diverse. The water percentage is 1.04 and the geography covers approximately 504,782 km squared. In the west, Espana borders Portugal and in the south it border Gibraltar. Some geographical sites you may see are the high plateaus, there high mountain ranges, such as the Sierra Nevada, and rivers like the Tagus and Ebis. In Espana’s geography, you can also find alluvial plains along the coast, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Pyrenees in Catalonia is surrounded by France. Another thing you may find is famous monuments, aqueducts, mountain springs, beautiful gardens, around 700,000 trees, and huge cathedrals. Also in Espana, the climate is very diverse like the geography and the population but is extremely diverse. Espana’s climate can be divided into five areas which are oceanic climate, continental, Mediterranean, mountain, and semiarid. A continental Mediterranean climate is in the land areas of Peninsula, which is the largest city in Madrid. On oceanic climate can be found in Galician and the coastal strip near the Bay of Biscay. A semiarid climate or arid Mediterranean is found in the south east. Also a Mediterranean climate region extends from the Andavusion plain along the Southern and eastern coasts and the Subtropical climate is found in the Canary Islands. Politics in Espana are like the United States, separated into the executive and legislative branches. The legislative branch is made up of the Congress Deputies which is made up of 350 members. The Spanish constitution of 1978 is the process of the Spanish transition to democracy and the constitutional history of Espana dates back to the constitution of 1812. Espana is composed of 17 autonomous, or having self-government, communities and two autonomous cities. The Head of the state since the 22nd of November in 1975 is King Juan Carlos 1 and the council of ministers are designated by the president. Espana’s customs/art/religion varies and there heritage is very diverse. First, let’s start with the religion. In Espana, 76% of Spaniards identify themselves as Catholics, 4% are members of a different religious faith, and 19% identify themselves as non-religious. They are known for their culturally diverse heritage. There cultures include Iberian culture, Celt Iberian, Latin, Visigoth, Roman Catholic, and Islamic cultures. For fun and celebrations there is flamenco dancing, bull fighting, holy week, spring fair, soccer, and the park every Sunday is a tradition. For entertainment, Spaniards usually watch bull fights, dance, or go to church. Also Spanish artists have been highly influential in the development of various European artistic movements. Some famous or important painters are Picasso, Goya, Velasquez, and there is also El Greco. In Espana, they are