Spain
Joined the EU in 1986
History and Location
Spain was once called Espana. Spain is located in southwestern Europe. It is bordering the Meditteranean Sea, Norht Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains. It is southwest of France and next to Portugal.
Flag/Capital/4 major cities
Spain's flag has 3 horizontal bands. Red is the top and bottom bands. Yellow is the middle band with a coat of arms on the left side of the band. The coat of arms is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left, Castile, Leon, Vauarre, and Argon) the arms are framed by two columns representing the pillars of Hercules. The capital of Spain is Madrid. 4 major cities are Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, and Sevilla.
Tourism
One place that you should go is in the north of Spain were you can find the Spanish Basque Country. The Basque Country is part of "Green Spain" and is famous for its Spanish cuisine. Another place that you should visit is to the northwest were Galicia lies, which also forms part of "Green Spain" and is known for its principal fishing region of Europe.
Geography
High plateaux and mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada dominate mainland Spain. Running from these heights are several major rivers such as the Ebro, the Dvero, the Jagus and the Guadalquivir.
Government
Spain's government type is monarchy
Currency
Spain is a member of the euro zone since 1991. Prior to ten EURO consisted of the Spanish real, the Spanish Escudo, and spanish Peseta.
3 interesting facts
1. Spain is divided into 17 autonomous regions which all have their own directly elected authorities
2. Spanish cuisine is known for its paella (a rice dish with chicken, seafood, and vegetables), tortilla (omelette with potatoes) and sangria (red wine with fruit)
3. Spain has a rich artistic culture