50 Surprising Facts About Sunny Spain

Almost everyone in the world has heard of Spain. Spain sits within Europe and conquered much of the world during colonial times.

But have you ever wondered how such a small country has influenced the world so much? Here are 50 fantastic facts that will amaze you about Spain!

1. Spain has an area of 195,364 square miles (505,990.437 square kilometers), which is slightly larger than the state of California.
2. The name of Spain in the Spanish language is España.
3. It is believed that the name España comes from the word España, meaning rabbit. This name was given to the land by the Carthaginians around 300 BC.
4. While you might think Barcelona is buzzing as the capital of Spain, it’s not. Madrid is the capital of Spain.
5. Spain is the second largest country in the European Union.
6. The Spanish royal family known as The Bourbon Family has ruled since the 1700s.
7. Spain is considered an old country, but it was only officially founded on December 6, 1978.
8. The official name of the Kingdom of Spain.
9. The Spanish national anthem, called the Marcha Real, is only 1 in 4 in the world without lyrics.
10. Spanish is the second most popular language in the world. About 442 million people spoke it in 2020, with 5.85% of the world’s population.
11. The Spanish flag is yellow, with a red horizontal stripe at the top and bottom, and a coat of arms on the left side of the flag.
12. There are no laws against history about viagra nudity in public places, although it is still considered inappropriate in certain places, and some areas such as Barcelona have banned nudity on the streets.
13. There is no tooth fairy in Spain! Instead, when they lose a tooth, they put a small rat named Ratoncito Perez under their pillow for collection. The character originated in Madrid in 1894 and is a popular character in Hispanic culture.
14. Spain’s national animal is the bull; It represents their love for bullfighting.
15. Although bullfighting is banned in most countries for animal welfare reasons, it is still legal in most parts of Spain.
16. La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas del Espíritu Santo, also known as La Ventas for short, was Madrid’s main arena used for bullfighting. But it is now a museum and concerts are held.
17. La Ventas in Madrid is the 3rd largest bullring in the world, with the largest in Mexico City, Mexico, and the second largest in Venezuela.
18. Another bull-related sport is called “Running of the Bulls”. It takes place once a year in most towns across Spain and involves 6 to 10 cattle or bulls being released on a course, made up of unpaved roads.
19. Paella originated in Valencia, Spain, and was originally made with rabbits, snails, and vegetables.
20. There are many national dishes, but the best known is the Spanish Omelet or Tortilla España in Spanish.
21. The Spanish flan is a national desert of Spain and was first created in 1518.
22. Spain produces almost half of the world’s olive oil as more than 250 million olive trees grow throughout the country.
23. Mount Teide is the highest Spanish mountain at 12,198 feet (3,718 m). It is located on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
24. The highest mountain in mainland Spain is located in the southeast of the country and is called Mulhacen. It is found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and is 11,413 feet (3,478 m) tall.
25. The longest river in the Iberian Peninsula begins in Spain. It is called the Tagus River and is 626 miles (1,007 km) long. Its 445 miles (716 km) run through Spain and then along the border to Portugal.
26. The national flower of Spain is the red carnation, known as Clavel in Spanish, and it grows in southern Spain in Andalusia and Aragon.
27. There are an impressive 47 locations listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain.
28. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the oldest official restaurant in the world is in Madrid. It has been running since 1725 and is called Sobrino di Bottin.
29. The oldest building found in Spain is the Palace of Santa Maria del Naranco, Church of Saint Mary in English, built-in 848.
30. Every year there is a festival called La Tomatina. It turns into a festival of tomatoes and a huge food fight for tomatoes on the streets.
31. On the Spanish island of Lanzarote, Timanfaya National Park has a restaurant called El Diablo that uses a volcano to grill food. Above a crater in the volcano is a specially constructed grill.
32. The first type of quill pen was used in Seville, Spain, around 600-1800 AD.
33. In 1535 Guglielmo de Lorena invented the first diving bell, which would lead to significant advances in the world of diving.
34. Spain has produced some of the world’s most famous artists, from Pablo Picasso to Salvador Dali.
35. The first modern novel named “Don Quixote” was written by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. The first part of the novel was published in 1605.
36. Arnold of Villanova, born in Spain around 1240, was the first to discover carbon monoxide.
37. A Spanish engineer named Manuel Jalon Corominas invented the first mop and bucket in 1956.
38. Spain is the only monkey habitat in Europe. Barbary macaques can be found in Gibraltar, although it is a British overseas territory, located on the southern tip of Spain.
39. Between mainland Spain and the Spanish islands, there are 9,000 species of vascular plants, making it the country with the greatest diversity in Europe.
40. Only 25% of the plant species found in Spain are endemic.
41. Spain is home to many endemic animals, such as the Iberian lynx, Iberian wolf, Spanish ibex, and Iberian pig.
42. The Iberian pig is best known for its meat. It is used to make Serrano ham and the best Serrano ham comes from pigs that are fed only acorns.
43. In 1990 the Consorcio del Jamón SerranoEspañol, Spanish Serrano Ham Consortium in English, was formed. The goal was to bring together exporters and producers of Serrano ham to ensure that only the highest quality Spanish Serrano ham was produced.
44. Tapas; The concept of small meals of food with alcohol was invented in Spain.
45. Legend has it that when King Alfonso X fell seriously ill, he could digest a glass of wine as well as a small amount of food. After his recovery, he issued a statement that from then on, all inns could only serve wine with food.
46. Chorizo is originally from Spain, not Mexico.
47. There is a word in Spanish that classifies all Iberian cured and aged meat and that is “embutido”.
48. Flamenco dance is an art form that originated in Andalusia, Spain in the 18th century.
49. There are three elements that make flamenco an art and these are; Singing, which is “cante” in Spanish, dancing “baile” and playing the guitar which is “Guitarra” in Spanish.
50. The first brick of La Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, known in English as the Basilica of the Holy Family, was laid in 1882. It is still under construction (2020), meaning it holds the title of being the tallest building under construction.

And there you have it – 50 fantastic facts about sunny Spain. I don’t know about you, but I have already started packing my suitcase!

From graceful flamenco dances to flan desserts, here I come.