SPAIN - GENERAL INFORMATION
OVERVIEW
Spain is Europe's fourth largest country, and its climate varies dramatically according to altitude as well as latitude. In the province of Granada, it is possible to ski in the mountains and lounge on a beach, both on the same day. True alpine conditions prevail in many of Spain's mountains, from the Pyrenees along the border with France to the Sierra Nevada above Granada in the south, while the central two-fifths of the country, is primarily high plains crossed by mountain ranges and rivers. Besides the mainland peninsula, Spanish possessions include the Mediterranean Balearic Islands, the Canary Archipelago (in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa) and the Moroccan coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
Spain is the third most popular tourist country in the world, and it’s not hard to see why. Mediterranean beaches, sangria in the sun and paella by the plateful. What will never change is the Spaniards’ passion for partying. Snack on tapas as you skip from bar to bar, before heading off to enjoy Spain’s infamous nightlife.
CAPITAL
Madrid
THE PEOPLE
Spain has a population of about 40.2 million people, consisting mainly of Spaniards, Basques, Catalans, Galicians, and Moroccans.
LANGUAGE
Castilian Spanish (Castellano) is the national language, though visitors who have learned their Spanish abroad find regional accents difficult to cope with, especially in rural Andalucia. Other important language groups include Gallego in Galicia, Basque in the Basque Country and different forms of Catalan in Catalunya, Valencia and the Balearic Islands.
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.
CLIMATE
Spain's climate is as diverse as its geography. The Mediterranean coast is temperate with hot summers and mild winters. The northwest coast is cooler, with more rain, warm summers and cold winters. The central meseta (where the capital city Madrid is situated) experience more extreme temperatures, and it is usually very hot in summer and very cold in winter, when snow is not unusual. The Pyrenees at an altitude of about 3,000 metres can be very chilly in the evenings, even in the middle of summer.
TIME
Central European Time, GMT + 1 hour and GMT + 2 hours from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Passports: A passport valid for at least three months beyond the planned stay, is required by all visitors to Spain, except for nationals of the EU, holding a valid national ID card.
Visas: Are required by all except the following:
Nationals of EU countries, Britain, Canada, USA, Australia, Japan, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland regardless of purpose and/or length of stay.
Nationals of Andorra, Anguilla, Argentina, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Israel, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Macau (SAR), Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, St Helena, San Marino, Singapore, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela for stays of up to 90 days.
CURRENCY
The new monetary currency in Spain, is the Euro, which is divided as follows: bills of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500; and coins of 1 and 2 Euro and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents. Tourists reaching Spain without foreign currency can obtain Euros through any bank, ATM machines, or exchange bureau.
CREDIT CARDS AND TRAVELLERS' CHEQUES
All major credit cards are honoured in Spain. Traveller’s cheques can be exchanged for cash currency at most hotels and shops and foreign exchange offices in the main railway stations and airports.
BANKING HOURS
Monday to Friday: 9h00 to 14h00
Saturdays: 9h00 to 12h00
Sundays and National holidays: closed all day
WATER
The drinking of bottled water is advisable.
EATING IN SPAIN
It's almost impossible to talk about a 'Spanish cuisine' because each of Spain's regions produces a distinct, local cuisine.
Breakfast (desayuno) Spaniards eat late breakfast usually just a café con leche, a pastry grabbed at a cafe on the way to work.
Lunch (comida/almuerzo) is eaten late, usually around 2.30pm, and is the main meal of the day for most Spaniards. Most restaurants offer a very reasonably priced menú del día at lunchtimes, a fixed-price menu of several courses.
Dinner (cena) is a lighter affair, and rarely eaten before about 10.00pm, but you can always get the famous Spanish bar snacks called tapas if you can not hold out that long.
SHOPPING
Spain is no longer the bargain it used to be. Nevertheless the best products to buy in Spain are the unique handcrafted items, such as: contemporary antique paintings and sculptures, knotted rugs, guitars, handmade shawls, decorative pottery, handmade furniture and ornamental combs and fans. Spanish leather goods are also good quality and good value for money but not cheap.
SHOPPING HOURS
The normal opening hours for shops are Mondays to Saturdays from around 9h00 or 10h00 until about 13h30. After siesta they reopen from around 16h00 until 20h00 or 21h00. 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.
