Spain

Spain (Spanish: España), officially the Kingdom of Spain is a country and a member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe in the Iberian Pensinsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.

Spanish territory also includes the Baleric Island in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llivia is a Spanish exclave situated inside Frence territory. With an area of 504,030 square kilometers (194,610 sq mi), it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France.

In 2008 the population of Spain officially reached 46 million. Spain’s population density is lower than that of most Western European countries and its distribution across the country is very unequal. With the exception of the region surrounding the capital, Madrid, the most populated areas lie around the coast.

In 2009, Spain granted citizenship to 84,170 persons, mostly to people from Ecuador, Colombia and Morocco. A sizeable portion of foreign residents in Spain also comes from other Western and Central European countries. These are mostly British, French, German, Dutch and Norwegian. They reside primarily on the Mediterranean coasts and Baleric Island, where many are choosing to live their retirement or telework.

Spanish is spoken all over the country and sis the only language with the official status nationwide. But a number of regional languages have been declared co-official, along with Spanish, in the constituent communities where they are spoken; Basque, Catalan, Galician.

Spanish cuisine consist of a great variety of dishes which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country’s deep Mediterranean roots. Spain’s extensive history with many cultural influences has led to a unique cuisine.