Spain

Useful information about Spain

Capital: Madrid.

Beaches in Spain: Spain has more than 5,000 miles of beautiful coastline; most of this is adorned by equally beautiful beaches. Some of the best beaches in Spain rank among the greatest in the world and can be found scattered all around Spain and the Islands. Spanish beaches are undoubtedly one of the main tourist attractions in Spain .
By definition, a great beach is one that gets you hooked and makes you hate the idea of leaving when your holiday is over, the kind of beach that elicits constant dreams and makes you plan to revisit even before the holiday tan is gone.
Family beach holidays are where some of the best memories are made and should be enjoyed to the max when holidaying with your family. Spain has more blue flag beaches than any other country in Europe, here are some of the best.

The Gastronomy of Spain: The gastronomy of Spain is as rich and varied as the country itself. First class ingredients, excellence in cooking, wise old tradition and promoting new culinary concepts, have led Spain to be on top of the culinary list in Europe.
To define Spain in terms of gastronomy, is easy: olives, extra virgin olive oil, cured Serrano ham, fresh vegetables, sherry and garlic.  Add all of this to the chicken, fresh fish,  seafood, or any kind of meat, and you are summing up  the superb Gastronomy of Spain.
When you arrive in Spain for the first time, you will hopefully wish to taste lot  all that the gastronomy Spain has to offer and discover that paella is not the only dish consumed and sangria not the only famous drink.
The Spanish cuisine is extremely diverse and ranges from snacks (tapas) to generous portions of fresh regional and local dishes based on meat or fish and other unique dishes.

The Country: Spain is a country located in south-western Europe, bordered by France to the north-east, Portugal to the west, and the small British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar towards the southern tip. Its area is just over 505,000 square kilometres, positioning it as 52nd largest country in the world, and second in the European Union, which Spain forms part of. The country’s government system is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, with a democratic approach to leadership. The Spanish capital city is Madrid, located in the exact centre of the country.
The territory of Spain is comprised of its mainland ( around a fith of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands archipelago, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the mainland’s east coast; the Canary Islands archipelago, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of southern Morocco; and the seaside enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, located in northern Morocco.
The country has a population of about 55 million, concentrated mainly in the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville. The coastal regions of Malaga, Alicante Valencia and Catalonia also have a higher density of population per square kilometre.
Politically Spain is divided into autonomous communities, which are further divided into provinces, the smaller regional areas known as comarcas and finally municipalities, which are the individual villages, towns and cities. In total, there are 17 communities plus Ceuta and Melilla, and 50 provinces.