Spain

Europe 
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France.

40°26′N 3°42′W

"Plus Ultra" (Latin) "Further Beyond"
King    Juan Carlos I	Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

Capital
Madrid

Government
Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

Religion
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

Population
46,030,109

Ethnic group
87.8% Spanish, 12.2% (Romanian, Moroccan, Germans, Ecuadorian, British) other.

National Language                   
Spanish
          
National Day
12 October (1492); year when Columbus first set foot in the Americas.

Anthem
"Marcha Real"

Currency
Euro (€)

Attractions
Altamira Cave Paintings, Burgos Cathedral,  Canary Islands,  El Escorial,  Guggenheim Museum,  Ibiza,  Plaza Mayor of Madrid,  Mezquita of Cordoba,  Pamplona,  Royal Palace in Madrid,  Seville Cathedral & Giralda Tower,  Toledo Old Town  

Website     

Art & Cultural

The ICON

The Alhambra The Alhambra ("the red fortress"), is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying the top of the hill of the Assabica on the southeastern border of the city of Granada in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. The Alhambra's Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista (reconquest) by the Reyes Católicos ("Catholic Monarchs") in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the inspiration for many songs and stories.

Sagrada Familia