Interesting Spain Facts

50 АBOUT SPANISH CULTURE Interesting & Facts Not all Spaniards are native speakers of (Castilian) "Spanish." There are 4 official languages in Spain (Castilian, Catalan, Basque and Galician), three unofficial regional languages (Asturian, Aragonese, and Aranese), and several more dialects. The Spaniards have a completely different life rhythm from other Europeans. They typically have lunch between 1 and 3 pm, and dinner around 10 pm. Spanish culture greatly influenced modern art from the late 1800s, with artists like Antoni Gaudí (Art Nouveau), Pablo Picasso (expressionism, cubism, surrealism), Joan Miró (surrealism), and Salvador Dalí (surrealism). 4 style, which sometimes has dancing in it. Flamenco is not actually a dance; it's a musical L5 B 58 million tourists go to Spain every year, making it the fourth most visited country in the world. 6 Spain is renowned for its lively festivals, including San Fermín ("running of the bulls") in Pamplona and Tomatina ("tomato battle") in Buñol. 7 7 More than 150,000 tomatoes are usually thrown at La Tomatina. 80 The official name of Spain is "Kingdom of Spain." The national anthem of Spain has no words. 10 There are no laws about public nudity in Spain. 43% of the world's olive oil 11 production is done in Spain. 12 From 2008 to 2013 (6 years!), Spain's national football team was named 9 FIFA Team Of the Year. 13 Spain is one of only eight national teams to be crowned FIFA World Cup champions (2010). The Tooth Fairy is a mere rodent in Spain, 14 referred to as Ratoncito Pérez. Breaks, free time, and siestas are a huge 15 part of everyday Spanish culture. Spain was the world's third most popular tourist destination in 2013 (after France and the US). 16 17 Don Quixote, the famous book written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes in 1605, was voted the "most meaningful book of all time" in 2002 by a panel of 100 top authors. 18 Traditionally, you have two surnames in Spain - the first surname from your father, and the second from your mother. Spaniards celebrate the New Year by eating 19 one grape with their family for each bell strike of the clock. The quill pen is thought to have originated 20 in Spain about 1,400 years ago. The Spanish often use gestures with, or to 21 substitute for, words. Flicking the teeth with the thumbnail, wiggling fingers from the nose, and grabbing the left arm with the right while making a left-handed fist are all thought to be offensive. There are fewer marriages in Spain than 22 in any other EU country except Sweden. 23 The divorce rate in Spain is 17% (relatively low compared to over 50% in the USA). Madrid is in the physical center of the 24 country and the plaza Puerta del Sol is the exact center of the country. 25 Spain has the second highest number of bars per inhabitants. t0 takelessons For the rest of the list, visit Takelessons.com/blog/spanish-culture-z03 Sources http://gospain.about.com/od/spanishlife/tp/spanish_customs_traditions_spain.htm http://gospain.about.com/od/factsaboutspain/qt/culture_facts.htm http://www.eupedia.com/spain/trivia.shtml http://www.factslides.com/s-Spain http://www.spain-holiday.com/blog/interesting-or-odd-facts-about-spain.php http://www.expatica.com/es/about/country-facts/30-facts-about-Spain_109108.html http://facts.randomhistory.com/interesting-facts-about-spain.html https://blog.udemy.com/interesting-facts-about-spain/ http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/society/customs/fun-facts-spain http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/spain-country-profile.html http://www.monica-suma.com/2008/10/12/fun-facts-about-spain-and-spaniards/ http://ericaforspain2014.weebly.com/interesting-facts-about-spain.html 2] %23