Spain is having very vast cultural enviornment & for those that loves natural places, Spain is an heaven for all such peoples.

Spain, a golden country in the heart of Europe and gateway to the Americas. A mini continent blessed with sunshine and charisma and overflowing with culture, history, art, flamenco and mouth watering tapas. Spain is really a 'paradise' for everyone. Spain offers a rich natural diversity with green mountains in the North, the flat centre, and heavenly beaches along the seemingly endless Southern and Eastern coasts.

The country is a perfect balance of the ancient world and the new, where traditional cathedrals sit side by side with modern architecture in the elegant remains of Roman and Moorish cities. Typical Mediterranean cuisine is found along with fast food restaurants; football matches share the arenas with bullfights, both arousing the same passion in the old and young alike. In Spain, discotheques share the stage with gypsy-inspired "Flamenco". Traditional Spanish painters like Velázquez & El Greco live harmoniously with the modern masters Picasso and Salvador Dalí. It is a land of contrasts where contemporary European tradition blends effortlessly with exotic Moorish culture. Spain is a truly unique and magical place.

The tapa tradition is as important for the conversation and company as for the delicious food. Every Spaniard has his favourite tasca, as the tapas bars are often called, where he goes regularly to meet his friends or business acquaintances. Tapas can be found in even the smallest bar in a tiny village.
The word tapa, meaning cover or lid, is thought to have originally referred to the complimentary plate of appetizers that many tascas would put like a lid on one's wine glass. Tapas can vary from simple to complex and include cheese, fish, eggs, vegetable dishes, dips, canapés, and savoury pastries. A quantity of tapas can make an excellent meal.

Spain is known for its classical buildings & monuments.

Spain Area: 504,780 sq KM

Population: 40,341,462 (approx)

Capital: Madrid

Currency: Currently the Euro. In previous the Spanish peseta (€1=166.66 pesetas) was the natioal currency of Spain.

Languages: The national language of Spain is Castilian Spanish (Castellano) but some peoples who have learned their Spanish abroad find regional accents difficult to cope with, especially in rural Andalucia. Some of the important language groups apart from Castilian Spanish include Gallego in Galicia, Basque in the Basque Country and different forms of Catalan in Catalunya, Valencia and the Balearic Islands.

Geography: Spain is the world's 51st-largest country. It is comparable in size to Turkmenistan, and somewhat larger than the US state of California. Spain is Europe's fourth largest country after Russia, Ukraine and France. It consists of the Spanish mainland, which occupies most of the Iberian peninsula apart from Portugal, the Balearic islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, Gomera, Fuerteventura and Hierro in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco.

Religion: Over 98% of people are Roman Catholic, the rest being made up of a few Protestants, Muslims and Jews. There are also around 500,000 gypsies living mainly in the larger cities.

Emergency Numbers: (Dial Toll-Free)
Emergency services Tel: 112
Ambulance/Ambulancia Tel: 061
Fire service/Bombers/Bomberos Tel: 080
National Police/Policia Nacional Tel: 091 (for serious trouble)
Municipal Police/Policia Municipal Tel: 092 (for larger towns and cities)
Civil Guard/Guardia Civil Tel: 062 (for smaller towns and villages)

Business Hours: The normal opening hours for shops are Monday to Saturday from around 9AM or 10AM until about 1.30 PM. After siesta they reopen from around 4PM until 8PM or 9PM. Large stores usually stay open all day. Most places are closed on Sundays. Many businesses including restaurants and bars (especially in Madrid) close for holidays in August.

Economy: According to the World Bank, Spain's economy is the eighth biggest worldwide and the fifth largest in Europe. As of 2005, GDP was valued at $1.12 trillion, just behind Italy and ahead of Canada (see List of countries by GDP (nominal)).

On the brighter side, the Spanish economy is credited for having avoided the virtual zero growth rate of some of its largest partners in the EU. In fact, the country's economy has created more than half of all the new jobs in the European Union over the five years ending 2005. The Spanish economy has thus been regarded lately as one of the most dynamic within the EU, attracting significant amounts of foreign investment.