World Cultures

Name:___________________________
Unit I Europe Block:_______
Exploring a European Country Research cti!ity
Instructions: Using the Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (found through the
library database Gale Virtual Reference Library; username and password is colonials), research a
uropean nation of interest to you and complete the items below thoughtfully and completely!
"e prepared to share what you#$e learned with your peers!
%! &o what e'tent was this country ruled by others( Use e$idence to support your answer!
Up to the %)**s, it was ruled by the +uslim +oors! ,fter becoming a republic in the year of
%-.%, /pain had a ci$il war from %-.01%-.-!
2! 3hich 2*
th
century e$ents had the greatest in4uence on this country( 5hoose t"o e$ents
and e'plain their impact!
&he 6lympic games in "arcelona in %--2! &he economic impact of the world coming to the
country made for much money and 7obs throughout /pain! ,nother e$ent was the ci$il war from
%-.01%-.-! &his was a big impact with General 8ranciso 8ranco ta9ing o$er the country!
.! :dentify the following:
#opic $etails
3ell 9nown cities, regions, or
landforms
+adrid, "arcelona, 5anary :slands, "alearic :slands, :berian
+ainland
Relati$e si;e (si;e in
relationship to another
place)
Little less than the states of Utah and <e$ada
=escription of natural
en$ironment
&he a$erage ele$ation of the country is 2,%0) feet which is the
second highest in urope after /wit;erland! &he +ainland is a
broad plateau(li9e a table!)
>opulation si;e ?? +illion
=egree of di$ersity
(%@homogenous; %*@$ery
di$erse) with e'planation
&he country has 0 ethnic and local groups! &he most dominant
are the 5astilians that li$e in the central part and the Galicians
li$e in the <orthwest region! &he "asAues li$e in the east, and
the 5atalans li$e in the southern part of /pain!
LanguagesB,lphabets /panish
?! Cow does %olklore in4uence the people#s world$iew or actions( 'plain your answer using
speciDc details!
"ullDghting is one of /pain#s well 9nown traditions which means they ha$e it e$ery year! ,lso,
they ha$e 4amenco and 7ota dancing which is a big impact in /pain! &his is good for /pain
because their fol9loric tradition is $ery rich which is a big help to them!
)! 3hat religion(s) is practiced in this country, and how does it impact the people(
:n /pain, E0F are Roman 5atholics and 5atholicism but %-F of people in /pain don#t
declare ha$ing a religion!
0! ,re rites o% passage in this country similar to or diGerent from rites of passage in the U!/!(
'plain your answer using speciDc pieces of e$idence!
+ostly the rites of passages in this country is $ery similar to the U!/! &hey ha$e a $olunteer
army much li9e what we ha$e in the United /tates today! +ost people also ha$e "aptism, 8irst
5ommunion, and +arriage 7ust li9e the U!/!
E! 3hat tips on interpersonal beha$ior might you gi$e to an ,merican who is about to tra$el to
this country( >ro$ide at least three!
:f you $isiting /pain, ma9e sure you don#t go shopping between the times of 2:**1?:**
because that is their lunch brea9! /econdly, when seeing someone that you 9now, people
usually sha9e hands but women usually 9iss someone#s chee9 on both sides! Lastly, when
eating dinner in /pain, they usually don#t ha$e it until %*:.* because e$eryone stays out late
and li9e to ha$e a great time!
H! :s the standard of li!ing in this country better, worse, or about the same as that of the U!/!(
Iustify your answer with at least three pieces of e$idence!
&he standard of li$ing in the country of /pain is about the same as the U!/! 6ne piece of
e$idence is that people in /pain lo$e to go shopping, li9e we do here! /econdly, /paniards and
,mericans are interested in owning cars! Lastly, people in /pain li9e to be entertained which is
similar li9e the U!/!
-! :s %amily important in this country( 3hy or why not( Use speciDc details in your response!
<ot really, because a lot of people in /pain ha$e small families with usually two children! &he
mother of the family usually ha$e the big responsibility of rearing them while the father#s are
laid bac9 and formal with them! /paniards marry within their social class and di$orce has
been legal since the %-H*s!
%*!=oes this country ha$e distincti$e traditional clothing( 'plain your answer citing speciDc
details!
>eople in /pain don#t ha$e particular clothes to wear but the a$erage clothes that people
wear are sports clothes or blue 7eans! "ut businessmen wear a suit and tie while
businesswomen wear suits or dresses with high heels!
%%!Cow has globali;ation impacted %ood and diet in this country( 'plain your answer using
speciDc facts!
Globali;ation has not had much to do with food and diet in /pain! +ost of /pain has a
$ariety of regional dishes in which they ma9e a use of garlic, fresh $eggies, and oli$e oil! 3ine,
champagne, sherry, and brandy are e'ported to other parts of urope and to <orth and /outh
,merica!
%2!Cow might your educational e'perience in this country diGer from the schooling you recei$e
in the U!/!(
/chools in the U!/ reAuire starting at the age of 0 all the way up to %H but then you ha$e a choice
of going to college right after your high school years! :n /pain, schooling is free and goes from
the ages of 01%0! Uni$ersity education is general and students ha$e to ta9e an e'am to enter a
college! &hey recei$e a diploma after three years of study and a licenciature(license) after
completing speciali;ed study for two more years!
%.!3hat cultural in4uences or accomplishments is this country best 9nown for( List and
describe at least three!
5ultural in4uence is that of painting, >ablo >icasso, is the most in4uential painter of the 2*
th

century! &heir architects are 9nown throughout the world since they are so good and creati$e!
&he boo9 =on Jui'ote written by a /paniard, +iguel de 5er$antes, is the most widely translated
boo9 in the world besides the "ible!
%?!/ummari;e the o$erall economy of this country in &'( sentences!
&he ser$ice sector has gotten larger, along with manufacturing! /pain has de$eloped a $ery
prosperous tourist industry, /pain has become the second most $isited country in the world!
%)!Cow do people of this country spend their leisure time( List at least )!e acti$ities! 3ould
you want to li$e there(
&hey play soccer, watch bullDghting, go to the beach, bi9eBhi9e, and go dancing! Kes, : went to
/pain for a trip and : lo$ed it there because there is a lot going on and you would ne$er get bored
with yourself!
%0!List (in order of signiDcance) what you feel are the three biggest pro*lems that this country
needs to resol$e!
8amily Life, >ollution, and &raLc
%E!,re all people treated eAually in this country( 3hy or why not( 'plain your answer using
speciDc e$idence!
<o, the reason being is people usually marry in their own social class which means many people
are loo9ed down upon! 8or e'ample, if you come from a wealthy family then that means you
ha$e to marry someone else that is also wealthy and $isa $ersa with a poor family!