Spain

SPAIN
Madrid
- The capital and largest city of Spain.
- The third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and
Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous in the European Union after Paris and
London.
- According to legend Madrid was founded by Ocno Bianor (son of King Tyrrhenius of
Tuscany and Mantua) and was named "Metragirta" or "Mantua Carpetana".
- It is the largest metropolitan area in Spain and by one measure the fourth largest in
European Union and the 45th largest in the world.
- Madrid hosts the largest Plaza de Toros (bullring) in Spain, Las Ventas, established in
1929.
- The region of Madrid features the rare Continental Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa)
with cool winters due to altitude, including sporadic snowfalls and minimum temperatures often
below 0 °C (32 °F).
- LANGUAGE: Spanish or Castilian (español or castellano)
- CURRENCY: Euro (€)
- DEMONYM: Spanish or Spaniard
- RELIGION: Catholic
Places of Interest:
1. The Royal Palace of Madrid (Spanish: Palacio Real de Madrid)

- It is located on Bailén Street, in the Western part of downtown Madrid, East of the
Manzanares River, and is accessible from the Ópera metro station.
- Also known as the Palacio de Oriente (English: The East Palace), is the official
residence of the King of Spain in the city of Madrid and it is only used for State Ceremonies.
- Royal collections of great historical importance are kept at the palace, such as the Royal
Armory and weapons dating back at the 13th century.
2. Jardines del Buen Retiro / Parque del Buen Retiro

- Literally mean "Gardens" or "Park of the Pleasant Retreat" or simply El Retiro.
- The "Lungs of Madrid", is the main park of the city of Madrid, capital of Spain.
- A large and popular 1.4 km2 (350 acres) park at the edge of the city center, very close to
the Puerta de Alcalá and not far from the Prado Museum.
- A magnificent park, filled with beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful
lake and host to a variety of events, it is one of Madrid's premier attractions.
3. Calle de Alcalá
- The longest and oldest street in Madrid. It starts at the Puerta del Sol and goes on for 10.5
km, to the northeastern outskirts of the city.
- It was the old road which led to the city of Alcalá de Henares (from which it takes the
name) and continued to Aragón; today, this route is covered by the A-2 motorway.
4. Santa María la Real de La Almudena
- The principle church of the Diocese of Madrid, the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la
Almudena, is a relatively modern building, started in 1883 and not completed until 1993.
- Plans for the building were progressed when Pope Leo XIII separated the capital from
Toledo in the creation of the Diocese of Madrid-Alcalá.
- The cathedral is consecrated to Santa Maria de la Almudena, a name which has Arabic
origins: al mudayna, means "the castle".
- The nearest Metro station is Opera, and the Cathedral is open to the public from 10am to
7.30pm, though it is closed to visitors during Mass. On Sundays, it is open from 10.30 to 12 mid-
day, and in the afternoon from 1.30pm to 7pm.
5. Puerta del Sol (Spanish for "Gate of the Sun")

- One of the most well known and busiest places in Madrid.
- This is the centre (Km 0) of the radial network of Spanish roads.
- The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the
Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year.
- The Puerta is located in the very heart of Madrid. Immediately to the southwest lies the
Plaza Mayor; the Palacio Real, the official home of the Royal Family, is further west
6. Temple of Debod
- A well-known Ancient Egypt temple in Modern Spain.
- Located northwest of Plazade Espana.
- Temple of Debod or Templo de Debod, was donated to Spain by the Republic of Egypt in
1968.
Ibiza (Catalan: Eivissa)

- An island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Iberian
Peninsula, Spain.
- Ibiza is a part of a group of the western Balearic archipelago called the Pitiusas or "Pine
Islands" composed of itself and Formentera.
- The third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain.
- Well-known for its summer club parties which attract large numbers of tourists, but the
island and the Spanish Tourist Office have been working in order to promote more family-
oriented tourism.
- LANGUAGE: Catalan and Spanish
- DEMONYM: English, Spanish, Catalan
Places of Interest:
1. Sant Antoni or Sant Antoni de Portmany (Spanish: San Antonio Abad)

- A town on the western coast of Ibiza.
- It is the second-largest town and municipality in Ibiza; an island long considered by
clubbers to be the clubbing capital of the world.
2. The Egg
- The best known landmark in Sant Antoni, located in the centre of the main roundabout at
the entrance to the town.
- A statue erected in the early 1990s to commemorate the local claim of having been the
birthplace of Christopher Columbus (there is a similar claim that Hannibal was born in the
region).
- The statue is in the shape of an egg, containing at its centre a model of his ship; the Santa
Maria.
Malaga (Phoenician: Malaka, Arabic: Mālaqah (‫))مالقة‬

- A city in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain.
- It is the second most populous city of Andalusia, the sixth largest in Spain and 43rd-most
populous municipality in the European Union, with a population of 566,447 in 2008.
- Málaga is the birthplace of artist Pablo Picasso and was the port city for Spanish military
leader Bernardo de Gálvez, who served as Louisiana Governor.
- LANGUAGE: Catalan Dialect called Ibicenco and some speak Spanish or Castilian
(español or castellano)
- DEMONYM: Malagans
Places of Interest:
1. Gibralfaro Castle
- One of the interesting tourist destinations in Malaga.
- It is situated on the highest part of the hill located in the city center.
- It is present above the Alcazaba.
- It was built as a fortress to protect the Alcazaba.
2. Calle Larois or CALLE MARQUÉS DE LARIOS

- The main shopping street in the centre of Malaga.
- Its name is due to the marques of Larios whose family built the street in the XIX century.
3. Alcazaba
- A Moorish fortification in Spain.
- The word derives from the Arabic word Al-casbah, a walled-fortification in a city.
- The alcazaba in Granada constitutes the oldest portion of the Alhambra palace.
- The word alcazaba can be confused with alcázar, which has its etymology in the Arabic
al-qasr, which denotes a castle.
Barcelona
- The capital and the most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and
the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008.
- It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and
Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft).
- Barcelona is recognised as a global city because of its importance in finance, commerce,
media, entertainment, arts and international trade.
- The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Phoenician Barkeno.
- LANGUAGE: Spanish and Catalan
- DEMONYM: Barcelonian, barcelonés, barcelonense
Places of Interest:
1. La Sagrada Familia (official Catalan name; Spanish: Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada

Familia; "Expiatory Church of the Holy Family"),
- The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, often simply called the Sagrada
Família, is a massive, privately-funded Roman Catholic church that has been under construction
in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain since 1882 and is not expected to be complete until at least 2026.
- Every part of the design of La Sagrada Família is replete with Christian symbolism, as
Gaudí intended the church to be the "last great sanctuary of Christendom".
2. Park Guell (Catalan: Parc Güell, Spanish: Parque Güell)

- A garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of el Carmel in the
Gràcia district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí".
- It has since been converted into a municipal garden.
3. La Rambla
- A street in central Barcelona, popular with both tourists and locals alike.
- A 1.2 kilometer-long tree-lined pedestrian mall between Barri Gòtic and El Raval, it
connects Plaça Catalunya in the center with the Christopher Columbus monument at Port Vell.
- Most of the time, there are many more tourists than locals occupying the Rambla, which
has changed the shopping selection, as well as the character of the street in general.
4. Torre Agbar
- A 33-story tower at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- It was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel in association with the Spanish firm
b720 Arquitectos and built by Dragados.
- The Torre Agbar is located in the Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona.
5. Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music)

- A concert hall designed in the Catalan modernista style by the architect Lluís Domènech i
Montaner.
- The Palau is located on a cramped street, the Carrer de Sant Francesc de Paula, in the
section of old Barcelona known as La Ribera.
- The project was financed primarily by the society, but important financial contributions
also were made by Barcelona's wealthy industrialists and bourgeoisie.
6. Gran Teatre Del Liceu
- A beautiful theatre (bar perhaps some parts of its new interior), the Gran Teatre del Liceu
was originally constructed in 1847, funded by its Catalonian patrons.
- It is the most important opera venue in Barcelona and arguably the best to date in Spain.
- In January 1994 the building burnt down. Everyone in Barcelona mourned its loss, but
the tragedy released funding which may otherwise have been impossible to obtain for restoration
and refurbishment. To the joy of much of the city, it reopened in the summer of 1999.

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SPAIN

1. The Royal Palace of Madrid (Spanish: Palacio Real de Madrid)

2. Jardines del Buen Retiro / Parque del Buen Retiro

5. Puerta del Sol (Spanish for "Gate of the Sun")

Ibiza (Catalan: Eivissa)

1. Sant Antoni or Sant Antoni de Portmany (Spanish: San Antonio Abad)

Malaga (Phoenician: Malaka, Arabic: Mālaqah (‫))مالقة‬

2. Calle Larois or CALLE MARQUÉS DE LARIOS

1. La Sagrada Familia (official Catalan name; Spanish: Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada

2. Park Guell (Catalan: Parc Güell, Spanish: Parque Güell)

5. Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music)

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