Car Hire in Spain

GREAT VALUE CAR HIRE IN SPAIN!

Information on Spain

Spain is located in southern Europe in the Iberian Peninsula together with Portugal . It has borders to France and Andorra in the north, to Portugal in the west and in the south it is only separated by Africa by the 15 km. wide Strait of Gibraltar . Apart from the Peninsula Spain is made up by the Balearic Islands lying to the East of the peninsula, and by the Canary Islands , which are found more than 1,000 km. south of the Peninsula , just off the coast of Africa . Two Spanish cities ( Ceuta and Melilla ) located in the north of Africa also forms part of the nation.

The climate in Spain has a great diversity. In the North of Spain lies the green and rainy part of the country. Along the whole coastline to the south and east of Spain you find a very dry zone with high average temperatures all year around. Last the climate in the central part of Spain varies from dry and hot in the summer to cold and rainy/snowy in the winter.

The Spanish population is concentrated in the coastal regions, with exception of Madrid and a few other cities. The costal regions are as well the most popular destination for the many tourists visiting Spain each year. The tourist comes to Spain to experience the sun, the food and hospitality as well as to discover the country's rich heritage of monuments and sights, the imprint of the different civilisations, share in the local fiestas and traditions and to study the customs and language.

Facts about Spain

Size: 506,000 square meters Spain is the second largest country in Europe after France.

Population size: 40 million.

Density: 80 inhabitants per square meter.

Mean Altitude: 600 m. (which makes Spain the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland ).

Highest Point: Pico de Teide ( Tenerife ), 3,719 m.

Tourism: Over 45 million tourists visit Spain each year ( Spain is one of the top 3 most visited countries in the world).

Foreigners Living in Spain : 95,141 (official number of legal emigrants in 1996, which is estimated to be much higher today)

Political Structure: Parliamentary monarchy (since 1978).

Regions: Spain is made up of 17 autonomous regions.

Time zone: +1 GMT (except Canary Islands , which are 1 hour behind).

Currency: Euros (from 1/1 2002, before pesetas).

Language: Spanish (Catalan, Valencian, Gallego, Euskera are independent languages spoken in Catalonia , Valencia , Galicia and The Basque Country).

Religion: 98% of the population are Catholic (there are freedom of religion in Spain ).

Measures: Weight in kilograms, distance in the metric system, temperatures in Celsius.

Visiting Spain

Spain is a country, which offers visitors a excellent diversity of interesting places to visit. Each region has its own specialty depending on the climate, geography, history and traditions.

In the north of Spain you find the Basque Country. The Basque Country is part of "Green Spain" and is famous for its cuisine, the green countryside, which attracts tourist interested in nature, mountains and the sea. Bilbao , the Capital of the Basque Country, attracts tourists for being a beautiful town and for the modern museum Guggenheim (see photo), which is most famous for its extraordinary architecture.

To the Northwest lies Galicia , which also forms part of "Green Spain". Galicia is like the Basque Country known for its green countryside and as being the principal fishing region of Europe . The last also attracts tourists to Galicia to experience the great variety of fresh fish.

Barcelona , the Capital of Catalonia (Northeast) and second largest city of Spain , has been home of many of the most famous artist of Spain . In the city you find splendid architecture by Gaudi, and painters such as Dali and Picasso also spend long periods Catalonia .

Valencia lies along the Mediterranean cost (south of Catalonia ) and attracts a lot of tourism for its beaches and the climate. Another speciality of Valencia is the paella and the many popular town festivals celebrated there (i.e. "Fejas" in April).

In the center of Spain lies Madrid . As the capital of Spain since 1576, Madrid hosts many historical monuments. The Royal castle and museums like el Prado and Reina Sofia (with paintings of Velasquez, Goya, Miro and Picasso) are only a few of the many great attraction the city can present.

The rest of central Spain is mainly know for the historic cities (many of which are officially designated World Heritage sites), great natural beauty and specialties like the red wine from Riojo or the Jamon Serrano (Spanish Ham) from Extramadura.

Andalucia lying in the south is the area of Spain , which attracts most tourists. The many superb beaches and the perfect climate is one of the reasons. People also come to Andalucia to discover the culture and history of the area (like the Moorish Monuments Alhambra in Granada and the Mosque in Cordoba ). The Festivals all over Andalucia from April to October, the hospitality of the people, and the great possibility to practice golf and water sports are other reason why the region is so popular.

The Balearic and Canary Islands , in the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic ocean are other important tourist areas of Spain . People mainly visits these islands for the sun and the beaches.

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