Interesting Facts about Spain

Do you know the facts about Spain? If you are shifting in this country, it is better to know little about its culture, diversity, traditions, and customs.

Spain is a country of snow-capped mountains, sophisticated cities, stone castles, vast monuments which together make it a perfect travel destination.

The country is culturally and geographically diverse. If you are planning a long trip to Spain, you must know fun facts about Spain to make your vacation more exciting. To help you, we have listed some interesting facts about Spain that you should know before going there! 

At first, we will discuss Spain’s general facts that some of you might already know, but for those who don’t, scroll down to get useful information about Spain. 

General Facts about Spain

General information is the primary information that you must know before knowing other fascinating facts about Spain. Here we have mentioned some general information which includes-

• Capital: Madrid
• Monarch: King Felipe VI
• Total Population: 46,5 million
• Prime Minister: Pedro Sanchez
• Currency: Euro
• Religion: 68% Roman Catholic
• Member of Nato: Yes
• Official language: Spanish
• Co-official languages of Spain: Galician, Catalan, Occitan, Basque
• National song: Marcha Real
• Government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Life expectancy: 83.2 years
• Member of EU: Yes
• Time zone: CET +1, CEST +2
• Land area: 505,990 km2  Largest Lake: Lago de Sanabria
• National Day: 12th October
• Highest Mountain: Mount Teide 
• Country Code: ES
• Country Number/Prefix: +34

Let’s have a look at these below-mentioned fun facts to get more knowledge about Spain. 

List of 30 Fun Facts about Spain 

Spain is the country of joy and happiness. Explore these fun and fascinating facts about Spain, which will make your curious mind thrilled and excited. It includes 

Second-largest country of Europe

Spain is the second-largest European country after France. It constitutes around 506,000 square kilometers of Europe’s area. It also includes the North African coastline and the Canary Islands. 

 Spain was once the collection of separate kingdoms

Like many other European countries, Spain was once a collection of separate kingdoms. It changed in the 15th century when Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragon got married. Their marriage made a united alliance and joined their respective territories. 

Spanish is the World’s second most widely-spoken language

There are around 440 million native Spanish speakers around the World, it seems like it is the second spoken language of the World. Spanish is the official language of Spain, but the other regional languages like Basque, Catalan, and Galician, have an equal status in their respective regional boundaries. 

Nudity is legal in Spain

Spain has a Mediterranean climate of mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers, which may make you strip off while traveling in Spain. And you will be pleased to know that nudity is legal in Spain, but it may consider inappropriate in a few local places.

Spain is the World’s largest producer of Olive Oil

When you wonder about Olive Oil, Italy may come first in your mind, but in reality, Spain is the World’s largest producing center. It produces about 44% of the total amount of Olive Oil. Andalusia is a famous region that provides most of the Olive Oil.

This is the fun fact that not many tourists know about!

Spanish people live longer

According to the research, Spain has the second-highest life expectancy accounts for an average of 83 years.

Spain is not quite as religious as you think

Spain has cultural diversities and possesses different religions, still not as religious as you think. According to the stats, only 13.6% of Spain’s population goes to church every Sunday. It clearly shows that the majority of Spain’s population is not religious. 

Hub for the highest amount of bars in Europe 

Spain has the highest amount of bars in Europe, and the fantastic thing is that they are open for both during evening/night or day. 

Constitutes highest beach land 

If you start combining Spanish beaches into one area, it would be around 8000 kilometers long. You cannot deny that this is one of the most famous summer destinations to enjoy vacations. 

Some of the famous Spanish islands are the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

Childcare is limited in Spain 

The amount of out of school hour’s childcare is limited in Spain. That’s why grandparents take care of their grandchildren instead of their parents. 

Spain has below-average high school qualifications

According to the research, around half the adult population up to the age of 64 have just a high school diploma. Their population accounts for 75%, which is quite a shocking number. But the younger generation in Spain is now bucking the trend by acquiring higher qualifications.

 Botin is the World’s Oldest Restaurant

Spain has World’s oldest restaurant called Botin that has been opened since the year 1725. Botin has made a world record as it is still doing well. If you visit Madrid, don’t forget to try the cuisine at this ancient restaurant. 

Enjoying life is an essential element of the Spanish culture

The famous Spanish expression Mañana, Mañana means tomorrow, tomorrow but is used to express free life and no stress because things will pass just fine.

This expression defines Spanish culture, where you can experience and feel the true enjoyment of life and relax whenever possible. 

People here don’t live for the sake of living; instead, they live to enjoy every moment of their life. That is why both food and wine are the necessities of the Spanish people.

They value breaks and free time. If they take breaks, that doesn’t mean Spanish people aren’t focused; they just want to live life to the fullest.

Eat 12 grapes to follow Spanish New Year’s custom

Spain has an unusual but fun belief that aims at eating 12 grapes when the clock struck 12 at the New Year’s Eve. The main objective is to eat one grape each time the timer hits a beat. If you manage to eat the same way, you will be lucky for the rest of the year.

The tradition was made famous by the Spain locals by believing this belief.

One of the most diverse cultural countries 

Spain is one of the most diverse cultural countries. Their culture is divided between different regions and boundaries. 

Every region has its own traditions and specialties. Some of them even have their own languages, such as Basque and Catalonia. 

 If you are a female entrepreneur, then settle in Spain

During the first five years of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, female entrepreneurs built new businesses for about 40% of the total number of new start-ups. It created a significant boost to the economy.

Try paella

If you are going to Spain for a trip, make sure to try paella, Valencian dish of colorful rice. Outsiders believe that paella is the national dish of Spain, but Spaniards don’t. 

They categorize paella as typical local food.  

Personal consumption of Cannabis is legal 

It’s legal to consume cannabis, which makes Spain unique among other European countries.

Personal Cultivation of cannabis is also allowed in the country. But it is still not legal to smoke cannabis in public; you can consume it privately in your personal space.

Spain has 44 UNESCO World Heritage sites

You will be amazed to hear that Spain has 44 UNESCO world heritage sites. Some of the popular historic sites include Real Alcazar, Alhambra, Tower of Hercules, Sagrada Familia, the mosque of Cordoba, and Burgos Cathedral.  

When it comes to natural world heritage sites, it has popular destinations such as Palmeral of Elche, Teide National Park, Pirineos, and Las Medulas.

Traditionally each person has two surnames

It is a Spanish tradition to keep two surnames. The first surname is of father’s, and the second one is the mother’s surname. 

 The winds of change

Spain gives the highest significance to renewable energy sources. It was the first country in the World to adopt wind as the most significant energy source. Spain has set an example for other countries to do the same. And after that, several countries had adopted the wind source and installed turbines. 

The ‘first’ novel was written in Spanish

The very first novel was written in the year 1605, named Don Quixote. The book was written by Miguel de Cervantes and considered as the founding work of western literature. 

Spain still has a king

Just like other countries, Spain also has a king, which is still the head of state. The king doesn’t have any powers towards country’s rules and regulations. Felipe VI is the current King of Spain.

More than 1 million hectares land is dedicated to wine

When it comes to Spanish wines, there is no shortage of variations and numbers. Besides regular red wine and white wine, they also produce Cava. 

150,000 tomatoes thrown to celebrate a festival 

Every year 150,000 tomatoes are thrown just to celebrate the world-famous La Tomatina festival. The festival is held every year in August. The festival is celebrated in the small town of Buñol, near Valencia.

Locals and travelers from different parts of the World join together to smash tomatoes on each other. If you are going for a la Tomatina festival, enjoy smashing tomatoes, but make sure to avoid injuries. 

Enjoy the san Fermin 

Spain is famous for its festivals. It has a wide range of kooky festivals celebrated every year. San Fermin festival is the most adventurous festival where the group of bulls will chase you. 

Enjoy the best Christmas in Spain 

Spain celebrates El Gordo, country’s national lottery just before Christmas. The total prize fund of this lottery is €2.24 billion. This is the World’s largest total prize fund for the lottery. It means if you win, it will be the best Christmas present you have ever got. 

 

Spain is a giant of world football

Spain has a lot of world-famous football players, which makes this country a giant world for football. They also won the European championships in both 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup. 

Spain has the greatest artistic streak

Spain has the World’s greatest artists. The county has famous artists such as Diego Velázquez, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dali. 

Bonus Facts about Spain

Can’t get enough? Here we have listed some additional facts about Spain!

• In 2017, the country had the highest tourists from abroad, which accounts for more than 82 million. 
• Spain is the second-largest producer of saffron in the World, after Iran.
• Spain has more than 8000 beaches.
• It was one of the first countries which had banned smoking in bars and work sites.
• If you want to cross the Spanish-Portuguese border, you can only do it using a cable car. 

Final Words 

Spain has a rich history, culture, traditions, religions and has a variety of kooky festivals. Enjoy and explore the local streets of Spain to relish your vacation. Spain has a lot to offer for everyone, from food to nightlife, and everything in between available in just one go! 

Here we have listed fun facts about Spain that will make your upcoming trip more exciting. Spain is a fascinating country that has so much unique to offer to all new visitors. You may surely get curious after reading fascinating facts about Spain.

Make sure to cover all the above-mentioned points to acquire useful information about Spain.  Explore every street, enjoy every festival, just relish each moment in Spain to make the best souvenir! 

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