A GUIDE TO SPAIN
Flamenco dancers in polka dots. Moorish castles standing proud. Graceful matadors with sweat on their brow… Welcome to Spain. With its fabulous cities and seductive sands, this sensational slice of the European pie will keep you coming back for more. If it's lashings of R&R you're after, cast your eye over Spain's great tapas bar of beaches. Maybe you'll bask on the shores of Balearic gems like Majorca or Ibiza. Get golden on the sun-baked sands of the Canaries. Or kick back on the sublime sweeps of the Spanish Costas. Fancy something with a city slant? Then get to know your Gaudi in cosmopolitan Barcelona. Hit the sleek boutiques of Madrid. Or dig into a steaming plate of paella in beautiful Valencia. One word of advice, make the most of that afternoon siesta. You'll need it, because come sundown, oh-so-sociable Spain prepares to party…
| Factbook |
| Capital (and largest city) |
Madrid |
| Official languages |
Spanish |
| EU accession |
January 1, 1986 |
| Currency |
euro (EUR) | 1EUR = 0.79GBP |
| Calling code |
+34 |
| |
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| Area |
Total 504,030 km˛ (51st) 195,364 sq mi |
| Population |
2007 estimate 45,200,737[1] (28th) |
| Climate |
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast |
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