MY

RESE
ARCH
ON A
SPANI
SH
SPEA
KING
COUN
TRY
NAME: Abuka Salmon
Teacher: Ms. Coke
Class: 2E
SPAIN

THE CULTURE OF SPAIN

The cultures of Spain are European cultures based on a variety of historical influences, primarily
that of Ancient Rome, but also the pre-Roman Celtic and Iberian culture, and that of the
Phoenicians and the Moors. In the areas of language and religion. The subsequent course of
Spanish history added other elements to the country's culture and traditions.

The Visigothic Kingdom left a sense of a united Christian Hispania that was going to be welded
in the Reconquista. Muslim influences were strong during the Middle Ages. The Spanish
language derives directly from Vulgar Latin with significant lexical borrowings (8-10%) from
Andalusian Arabic and minor influences from other languages including Basque, Iberian, Celtic)
and Gothic. Another influence was the minority Jewish population in some cities. After the
defeat of the Muslims during the Christian Reconquista ("Reconquest") period between 718 and
1492, Spain became an almost entirely Roman Catholic country. In addition, the nation's history
and its Mediterranean and Atlantic environment have played a significant role in shaping its
culture, and also in shaping other cultures, such as the culture of Latin America through the
colonization of the Americas.

By the end of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Spaniards made expressions of cultural diversity
easier than it had been for the last seven centuries. This occurred at the same period that Spain
became increasingly drawn into a diverse international culture.
 FOODS

A significant portion of Spanish cuisine derives from the Roman, Jewish, and Andalusian
traditions. The Moorish people were a strong influence in Spain for many centuries. However,
pork is popular and for centuries eating pork was also a statement of Christian ethnicity or
"cleanliness of blood", because it was not eaten by Jews or Muslims. Several native foods of the
Americas were introduced to Europe through Spain, and a modern Spanish cook could not do
without potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and beans. These are some of the primary influences that
have differentiated Spanish cuisine from Mediterranean cuisine, of which Spanish cuisine shares
many techniques and food items.

The essential ingredient for real Spanish cooking is olive oil, as Spain produces 44% of the
world's olives. However, butter or lard are also important, especially in the north.

Daily meals eaten by Spaniards in many areas of the country are still very often made
traditionally by hand, from fresh ingredients bought daily from the local market. This practice is
more common in the rural areas and less common in the large urban areas like Barcelona or
Madrid, where supermarkets are beginning to displace the open air markets. However, even in
Madrid food can be bought from the local shops; bread from the "panadera" and meat from the
"carnicera".

One popular custom when going out is to be served tapas with a drink, including sherry, wine
and beer. In some areas, like Almera, Granada or Jan in Andalusia, and Madrid, Len or
Salamanca in the centre tapas are given for free with a drink and have become very famous for
that reason. It should be noted that almost every bar serves something edible when a drink is
ordered, without charge. However many bars exist primarily to serve a purchased "tapa".

Another traditional favorite is the churro with a mug of thick hot chocolate to dip churros in.
"Churreras," or stores that serve churros, are quite common. The Chocolatera San Gins in
Madrid is especially famous as a place to stop and have some chocolate with churros, often late
into the night (even dawn), after being out on the town. Often traditional Spanish singers and
musicians will entertain the guests. [1]

A type of Spanish food known as "Tapas" from a bar in Seville.

As is true in many countries, the cuisines of Spain differ widely from one region to another, even
though they all share certain common characteristics, which include:

The use of olive oil as a cooking ingredient in items such as fritters. It is also used raw.

The use of sofrito to start the preparation of many dishes.

The use of garlic and onions as major ingredients.

The custom of drinking wine during meals.

Serving bread with the vast majority of meals.

Consumption of salad, especially in the summer.

The consumption of a piece of fruit or a dairy product as dessert. Desserts such as tarts
and cake are typically reserved for special occasions.
 RELIGION

A strong sense of national identity exists in many autonomous communites. These communities
even those that least identify themselves as Spanishhave contributed greatly to many aspects
of mainstream Spanish culture.

Most notably, the Basque Country and Catalonia have widespread nationalist sentiment. Many
Basque and Catalan nationalists demand statehood for their respective territories. Basque
aspirations to statehood have been a cause of violence (notably by ETA), although most Basque
nationalists (like virtually all Catalan nationalists) currently seek to fulfill their aspirations
peacefully.

There are also several communities where there is a mild sense of national identity (but a great
sense of regional identity): Galicia, Andalusia, Asturias, Navarre (linked to Basque culture),
Aragon, Balearic Islands and Valencia (the last two feeling attached to Catalan culture in
different ways) each have their own version of nationalism, but generally with a smaller
percentage of nationalists than in the Basque Country and Catalonia.

There are other communities which, despite a broad Spanish nationalist feeling, have strong
regional identities: Cantabria, Rioja, and Extremadura.

There are also the cases of Madrid, an administrative autonomous community between the two
Castiles; the two north African autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and the autonomous
community of Murcia. Castile was the core kingdom under which Spain eventually unified after
centuries of evolution and incorporations. Yet there are also strong movements in the provinces
of the extinct region of Leon, pushing to separate from Castile and Len.

Spain has a long history of tension between centralism and nationalism. The current organisation
of the state into autonomous communities (similar to a federal organisation) under the Spanish
Constitution of 1978 is intended as a way to incorporate these communities into the state.

While everyone in Spain can speak Spanish, other languages figure prominently in many areas:
Basque in the Basque Country and Navarre; Catalan in Catalonia, Balearic Islands and Valencia
(where it is usually referred to as Valencian), and Galician in Galicia. Spanish is official
throughout the country; the rest of these have co-official status in their respective communities
and all are major enough that there are numerous daily newspapers in these languages and,
especially in Catalan, a significant book publishing industry. Many citizens in these territories
consider their own language as their primary language and Spanish as secondary; these
languages cover broad enough regions to have multiple distinct dialects. Spanish itself also has
distinct dialects around the country, with the Andalusian dialect being closer to the Spanish of the
Americas, which it heavily influenced.

MUSIC

The music of Spain has a long history and has played an important role in the development of
Western music. It is also the main basis of most Latin American music. Spanish music is often
associated with traditional styles such as flamenco and classical guitar. While these forms of
music are common in Spain, there are many different traditional music styles and dances across
its regions. For example, music from the north-west regions has ancient celtic roots and uses
bagpipes. The jota is widespread in the centre and north of the country in its varying forms.
Flamenco originated from and remains popular in the south. Spanish music played a notable role
in the evolution of western classical music, particularly from the 15th through the early 17th
century. The breadth of musical innovation can be seen in composers like Toms Luis de
Victoria, styles like the zarzuela of Spanish opera, the ballet of Manuel de Falla, and the classical
guitar music of Francisco Trrega. Nowadays commercial popular music dominates.
 SPORTS

Sport in Spain in the second half of 20th century has always been dominated by
football. Other popular sport activities include basketball, tennis, cycling, handball,
motorcycling, Formula One, water sports, rhythmic gymnastics, golf, and skiing.
Spain has also hosted a number of international events such as the 1992 Summer
Olympics in Barcelona and the 1982 FIFA World Cup. With Rafael Nadal's Wimbledon
championships in 2008 and 2010, the tennis team winning the Davis Cup five times
(2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2011), basketball team winning the 2006 World
Basketball Championship, the 2009 EuroBasket, and the 2011 EuroBasket, Fernando
Alonso's back-to-back (2005 and 2006 Formula One championships), the football
team bringing home Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 trophies and
scar Pereiro, Alberto Contador and Carlos Sastre's 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009
triumphs in Tour de France more recently, several papers have looked beyond
Sastre's win to claim that Spain is enjoying something of a sporting "Golden Age"-
similar to the Spanish 17th century achievements in painting and literature).

FOOTBALL

Soccer is the most popular sport in Spain. La Liga or Primera Divisin (The Spanish League) is
considered to be one of the world's best competitions. Successful teams in recent European
competitions are Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Sevilla, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia and Atltico
Madrid. Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated with for much of its history, and created an
intimate rivalry. Real Madrid has been dubbed by many pundits as the most successful club in
the world, having won the UEFA Champions League a record 10 times, almost all other UEFA
club competitions at least once and the La Liga a record 32 times. This said, as of 2009, FC
Barcelona is both champion of La Liga and the UEFA Champions League's victor. Also FC
Barcelona has won the "Copa del Rey" championship. Other teams such as Atltico Madrid,
Sevilla and Valencia have also gained prominence by winning the UEFA Cup in 2009, 2006
2007 and 2012 , and 2004 respectively.

The Spanish national football team has been successful and have qualified for the FIFA World
Cup tournament thirteen times since 1930. In 2010, Spain defeated the Netherlands in the final to
win the tournament for the first time. In the European Championship they were champions in
1964, 2008 and 2012 and runners-up in 1984. Spain has won two medals in football Olympic
Games tournaments. They have won a silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and
won a gold medal during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
The youth teams have also been quite successful in the last decade. The U-20 team won the FIFA
World Youth Championship in 1999 and were runners-up in 1985 and 2003. The U-17 team was
runners-up three times and won third place in 1997 in the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

BASKETBALL

The Spanish ACB is one of the major European basketball leagues. Spanish teams such as Real
Madrid Baloncesto, FC Barcelona Bsquet and Joventut Badalona have won international
championships such as the Euroleague or Eurocup.

A number of Spanish players such as Pau Gasol and his younger brother Marc Gasol, Jos
Caldern, Ricky Rubio, and naturalized Spaniard Serge Ibaka are currently playing in the NBA.
Other Spanish players who have recently played in the league include Rudy Fernndez and
Sergio Rodrguez.

The Spanish men's national basketball team has achieved a high ranked position in the
international tournament by winning their first ever gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World
Championship, and have won six silver medals and three gold medals at the EuroBasket. Most
recently, they won the gold medal at EuroBasket 2011, a silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics
and a gold at EuroBasket 2015. The women's national team were silver medalists at the 2014
FIBA World Championship for Women.

MOTORSPORT

Alonso at the 2005 United States Grand Prix

Spain has hosted four Grand Prix motorcycle racing events. They include the Catalan motorcycle
Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix, the Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix, and the Valencian
Community motorcycle Grand Prix. Most events have received high attendance numbers.

Notable Spanish grand prix motorcycling riders include Dani Pedrosa, Nicols Terol, Jorge
Lorenzo, Marc Mrquez, lvaro Bautista and Emilio Alzamora, the third of the listed being a
two-time MotoGP champion, having won the title in 2010 and 2012. Notable retired racers
include lex Crivill, Jorge Martnez Aspar, Sete Gibernau, Sito Pons, and ngel Nieto.
In Formula One the two world championships of Fernando Alonso, in 2005 and 2006, have made
the sport popular in Spain. It was, until 2012, the only country to host two Grands Prix, the
Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona and the European Grand Prix on the Valencia Street Circuit,
which was discontinued for 2013.

In World Rally Championship Spanish rally driver Carlos Sainz was crowned world champion in
1990 and 1992 and is ranked third with most wins with 26. Sainz retired from WRC in 2005 and
switched to rally raid, where he won the 2010 Dakar Rally. Daniel Sordo has achieved best
results since then by finishing third in the World Rally Championship in 2008 and 2009.

In endurance racing, Fermn Vlez is two-time 12 Hours of Sebring winner and two-time World
Sportscar Championship Group C2 champion, Marc Gen won the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans
and 2010 12 Hours of Sebring, and Antonio Garca won the 2009 24 Hours of Daytona.
 FLAG OF SPAINS

The flag of Spain (Spanish: Bandera de Espaa, colloquially known as "la Rojigualda"), as it is
defined in the Spanish Constitution of 1978, consists of three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and
red, the yellow stripe being twice the size of each red stripe. Traditionally, the middle stripe was
defined by the more archaic term of gualda, and hence the popular name rojigualda (red-weld).

The origin of the current flag of Spain is the naval ensign of 1785, Pabelln de la Marina de
Guerra under Charles III of Spain. It was chosen by Charles III himself among 12 different flags
designed by Antonio Valds y Bazn (all projected flags were presented in a drawing which is in
the Naval Museum of Madrid).[1] The flag remained marine for much of the next 50 years, flying
over coastal fortresses, marine barracks and other naval property. During the Peninsular War the
flag could also be found on marine regiments fighting inland. Not until 1820 was the first
Spanish land unit (The La Princesa Regiment) provided with one and it was not until 1843 that
Queen Isabella II of Spain would make the flag official.[2]

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the color scheme of the flag remained intact, with the
exception of the Second Republic period (19311939); the only changes centered on the coat of
arms.
 COAT OF ARMS
The current coat of arms of Spain, although it has its roots centuries ago, was approved by law[1]
in 1981, when the present established version replaced the interim version which, in turn,
replaced the official arms of Francoist Spain. The coat of arms appears in the flag of Spain.

The Spanish coat of arms symbolizes the country, the old kingdoms of Spain, the Royal Crown,
the Imperial Crown, the Constitutional monarchy, the Spanish national motto: Plus Ultra, and the
Pillars of Hercules with the Spanish geographic situation. The Monarch, the heir to the throne
and some institutions like the Senate, the Council of State or the General Council of the Judiciary
have their own arms.

The blazon of the Spanish coat of arms is follows:

Quarterly, first quarter Gules a triple-towered castle Or masoned Sable and ajoure Azure
(for Castile); second quarter Argent a lion rampant Purpure crowned Or, langued and
armed Gules (for Len); third quarter Or, four pallets Gules (for the former Crown of
Aragon), fourth quarter Gules a cross, saltire and orle of chains linked together Or, a
centre point Vert (for Navarre); ent en point a pomegranate proper seeded Gules,
supported, sculpted and leafed in two leaves Vert (for Granada); overall an escutcheon
Azure bordure Gules, three fleurs-de-lys Or (for the regnant House of Bourbon-Anjou);
for a Crest, a circlet Or, jewelled with eight breeches of bear or oyster plant leaves, five
shown, with pearls on points Or inserted and above which rise arches decorated with
pearls and surmounted by a monde Azure with its equator, its upper half-meridian and a
latin cross Or, the crown capped Gules (the Spanish royal crown); for Supporters, two
columns Argent with capital and base Or, standing on five waves Azure and Argent,
surmounted dexter by an imperial crown and sinister the Spanish royal crown, the
columns surrounded by a ribbon Gules charged with the Motto 'Plus Ultra' written Or (the
Pillars of Hercules).[