Travel

Spain [1] (Spanish: Espa a ) is a diverse country sharing the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal at the western end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the country with the second-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. after Italy. and the largest number of World Heritage Cities.

Spain is considered an exotic country in Europe due to its friendly inhabitants, relaxed lifestyle, its cuisine, vibrant nightlife, and world-famous folklore and festivities. Among many places worth visiting are Spain's thriving capital Madrid. the vibrant coastal city of Barcelona. the famous "Running of the Bulls" at Pamplona. major Andalusian cities with Islamic architecture, like Seville. Granada and Cordoba. the Way of St. James and the idyllic Balearic and Canary Islands .

With great beaches, fun nightlife, many cultural regions and historic cities, Spain makes a great destination for any kind of trip. A country of large geographic and cultural diversity, Spain is a surprise to those who only know its reputation for great beach holidays. There is everything from lush meadows and snowy mountains to huge marshes and deserts in the south east. While summer is the peak season because of the beaches, those who wish to avoid the crowds should consider visiting in the winter as attractions such as the Alhambra in Granada and La Gran Mezquita in Cordoba will not be overcrowded.

Once the center of a global empire with territories in North. Central and South America. Africa (e.g. Equatorial Guinea or Western Sahara ), and Asia (e.g. the Philippines ), contemporary Spain has overcome civil war and fascism in the 20th century to stand proud and centered in itself.

Spain holds a historical attachment to its neighbors, Andorra. Portugal and France. to its former colonies, to former citizens and their descendants, and to a special category of former citizens, namely Sephardic Jews.

Individuals from these categories may acquire Spanish citizenship in an accelerated fashion which may or may not require that the individuals reside in Spain, and residency requirements are as short as one to three years depending on the category. Citizens of countries in the European Union may acquire citizenship after living in Spain for five years. Citizens of any other country may acquire citizenship after residing in Spain for ten years.

The population of Spain is growing in large part due to migration from areas that have a historical or linguistic attachment to Spain, such as Latin America [e.g Cuba. Ecuador. El Salvador and Peru ], Europe (mostly Eastern Europe), Africa and Asia.

Spain is divided into autonomias or autonomous regions, plus two independent cities. Some of the autonomias - notably the ones which have other official languages alongside Spanish - are regions with their own unique historical tradition. These include the Basque Country or Euskadi (Basque ), Galicia (Galician ), Catalonia or Catalunya. the Valencian region or Comunitat Valenciana. and the Balearic Islands or Illes Balears (Catalan ), but also Andalusia. Travelers to these parts of the Iberian Peninsula should respect their history and language. The Canary Islands lie off the coast of Morocco and are geographically part of Africa, as are the two cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

For ease of reference, Spain's many regions can be grouped as follows: