Spain: Difference between revisions

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	* ] (''galego'') in ] (''Galiza'').		* ] (''galego'') in ] (''Galiza'').

	Catalan, Galician and Spanish are all ~~descenced~~ from Latin and have their own dialects; there are also some surviving dialects of Latin such as ] or ''Bable'' in ] and part of ], ] in part of ], and Aranese (a Gascon ] variant) in the ] on the northwest tip of ]. The Spanish spoken in America is descended from the dialect of Spanish spoken in southwestern Spain.		Catalan, Galician, and Castilian, the latter commonly called Spanish since it was declared the official language of all of Spain in the sixteenth century, are all descended from Latin and have their own dialects; there are also some surviving dialects of Latin such as ] or ''Bable'' in ] and part of ], ] in part of ], and Aranese (a Gascon ] variant) in the ] on the northwest tip of ]. The Spanish spoken in America is descended from the dialect of Spanish spoken in southwestern Spain.

	Spain was the most powerful country in the 16th century. The Spanish Empire extended all over the world.		Spain was the most powerful country in the 16th century. The Spanish Empire extended all over the world.

Revision as of 15:08, 31 October 2002

File:Spain flag medium.png

The Kingdom of Spain is a country located in the extreme southwest of Europe. It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal. In the northeast it borders France and the tiny principality of Andorra, along the Pyrenees mountain range. It includes the Canary Islands off the Atlantic coast of Morocco, and the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in northern Morocco. The "rock of Gibraltar" has been held by Great Britain since the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714.

Spain is a parliamentary monarchy with a constitution dating from 1978. Spain joined NATO in 1981 and is a member of the European Union since 1986. The Euro became Spain's currency on January 1, 1999.

Administratively, Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities with various levels of self-government. The capital is Madrid.

Four major languages are spoken in Spain, each is official in certain regions:

Spanish (castellano or español), official language throughout Spain, as mandated by the current Constitution of 1978
Catalan (català or valencià) in Catalonia (Catalunya), the Balearic Islands (Illes Balears), and part of Valencian autonomous community (València, where the language is officially called Valencian).
Basque (euskara) in Basque Country (Euskadi), and part of Navarre.
Galician (galego) in Galicia (Galiza).

Catalan, Galician, and Castilian, the latter commonly called Spanish since it was declared the official language of all of Spain in the sixteenth century, are all descended from Latin and have their own dialects; there are also some surviving dialects of Latin such as Asturian or Bable in Asturias and part of León, Aragonese in part of Aragón, and Aranese (a Gascon Occitan variant) in the Val d'Aran on the northwest tip of Catalonia. The Spanish spoken in America is descended from the dialect of Spanish spoken in southwestern Spain.

Spain was the most powerful country in the 16th century. The Spanish Empire extended all over the world.

National Parks

Coto Doñana National Park

From the CIA World Factbook 2000. Not Wikified.