Spain

Curious and interesting facts about Spain

·         The Spanish name for Spain is España.

·         The Spanish language is spoken in many areas of the world due to the early influence of the Spanish Empire.

·         The largest city and capital of Spain is Madrid.

·         The second largest city is Barcelona, which is located in Catalonia.

·         The population of Spain is around 47 million.

·         The currency used in Spain is the Euro.

·         It is believed that modern humans first arrived in Spain around 32000 years ago.

·         Mount Teide is the highest mountain in Spain (3718 m, 12198 ft) and an active volcano.

·         The Pyrenees is a mountain range that divides Spain and France.

·         Spain includes a number of islands including Mallorca, Tenerife, Ibiza and Gran Canaria. Many can be found in the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa.

·         The Spanish tourism industry is one of the largest in the world.

·         Spain produces a large amount of renewable energy, including wind power and solar power.

·         Spain has a variety of foods and unique dishes such as paella (a type of rice dish) and tapas (a range of small snacks or appetizers).

·         Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Spain.

·         The first 'novel' is attributed to a Spaniard – Spain Cervantes’ Don Quixote,      written in 1605, is considered to be the first modern novel. 

·         Spain has 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – pre-historic rock art, historic cities and buildings, bridges, national parks and landscapes. Only Italy with 49 sites and China with 45 have more.

·         The next time you use a stapler, thank the Spanish – the first known stapler was made in the 18th century in the Basque country for the French King Louis XV – and every single staple was engraved with the royal emblem. Spain has also given the world the mop and bucket (1956), the forerunner of the modern cigarette (17th century) and the astronaut’s space suit (1935).

·         Spain produces over half of the world’s olive oil – more than some 1.5 million tons, and almost all of it comes from the southern region of Andalusia. It’s also the third largest wine producer after France and Italy, making 3.3 million tonnes (metric tons) in 2013.

·         Spain has produced some of the world’s greatest artists – Velázquez in the 17th century, Goya in the 18th and 19th to Picasso, Miró and Dali in the 20th.

·         There's no tooth fairy in Spain – when Spanish children lose a tooth, they put it under their pillow and a small mouse called Ratoncito Pérez comes to collect it and leaves a small gift or money in its place.

Asturias

- The Principality of Asturias is constituted of a single province and its capital is Oviedo. It is limited by high mountain ranges, Cordillera Cantabrica, where you find some outstanding natural preserves such as the national parks Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa and Parque Natural de Somiedo.

- Asturias is well known for its green landscapes, and just at a few kilometers from high mountain peaks there is the Cantabric coast with great beaches and colorful fishing villages.

- Major attractions are the Way of Saint James/ El Camino de Santiago with its numberless pre-romanic monuments, which leads through Asturias and the Ruta de la Plata, "silver route", which starts in Asturias.

- Asturias too is the home of ancient rites and beliefs, and this region's popular customs are among the most interesting of Spain. Artisany and gastronomy are of high reputation, you may try excellent sea-food along the coast and, in the mountains, typical dishes such as Fabada, made of a special sort of beans, blood sausage and various cheese specialities, together with a glass of cider.

Luarca

 

-  Luarca is the principal town in the municipality of Valdés in Asturias, Spain. A fishing and pleasure port, it has a population of 5,354 (2008) and an area of 5.94 km² (2.29 sq mi). The town is 90 km (56 mi) from the capital, Oviedo. The Nobel laureate for medicine in 1959, Severo Ochoa, was born in Luarca.

- The Way of St. James named The Northern Way (Camino de la Costa) passes Luarca.

- Fishery and agriculture have dominated the region for hundreds of years

- The town experiences warm summers and relatively mild winters, but strong storms occur in autumn.

- The Fishery Harbour is one of the most beautiful palces in town.

Luarca Video