A land of love and exotic flavors, Spain is a place to take in broad outline. If you are planning a trip, here is an overview of the country.

The official name is the Kingdom of Spain. It covers an area of about 194.000 square miles. This includes both the mainland and the Balearic and Canary Islands. The total mileage makes Spain one of the most important in Europe, about the combined size of the states of Arizona and Utah.

The capital of Spain is Madrid, which has about 5.5 million inhabitants. Other major cities are Barcelona, with 4.9 persons, Malaga, with 1.3 million euros, with 1.8 million of Seville and Valencia with just over 2 million inhabitants. The country Spain varies from flat to mountainous. Temperatures range from cold to boiling hot in winter in summer, especially in cities such as Madrid, who have no access to coastal breezes.

Until 1975, Spain was a dictatorship under the leadership area of General Francisco Franco. Upon his death in 1975 was Prince Juan Carlos de Borbon y Borbon as King and Head of State. He then moved to liberalize the country and maintains an independent head of state, who is now an elected official.

Spain has been in a constant state of near civil war for much of the last 100 years. Basque groups seek independence from the domination of the king and the federal government. This was in the form of bombings and other manifests. Barcelona is known as a Basque town, can have a great rivalry between the city and Madrid. If you have the option of a football match between the two of you do it! Violence is rare, but the injuries are unique to each case.

The people in Spain are the Spanish or Spanish language known. The entire population is just over 44 million and growing at one percent per year. Ethnic distributions are geographically oriented, as well as the Basque, Catalan and Galician. The religious tendency of the country is predominantly Roman Catholic.

The official language of Spain is Spanish. That is, Catalan-Valenciana, Galician, Basque and Minority languages are widely spoken. Education is compulsory until 16 years and literacy in the range of 98 percent.

Spain is a unique country. Whereas much of Europe seems in a rush to cultures can mesh, is to share unique in Spain.