261 years and not a word? Spain holds a strange world record. But the Spanish are not alone in not having lyrics for their national anthem, La Marcha Real or “The Royal March” in English. Perhaps the anthem will be played again following the finals of this year’s world cupContinue Reading
Spain consists of 17 regions, also called autonomous communities. These include the island regions of the Canaries and the Balearics. In addition, there are two autonomous city areas, enclaves named Ceuta and Melilla, located on the Northwestern coast of the African continent. The regions are both political and administrative unitsContinue Reading
Spain’s population is currently about 47.3 million. But it is only in modern history that the number of people living in this country has grown to such levels. Until the mid to late 1700s the population never exceeded 10 million, so for most of the land’s colorful history Spain hasContinue Reading
Today, Tuesday 12 October, we are again celebrating Columbus Day. The festivities may be somewhat muted compared to a typical year, but at least celebrations and some parades are yet again allowed. The day, now officially called the Fiesta Nacional or Fiesta Nacional de España falls on the day ofContinue Reading
You have probably seen Spain’s national coat of arms many times. It is displayed on the flag, used by the Spanish National Assembly, the Cortes Generales, the country’s government, the Supreme Court and other state institutions. If you look closely, you will find a number of elements from far backContinue Reading
What does a typical Spanish household look like? According to figures from INE, Spain’s National Statistics Institute, it consisted of 2.5 people in 2019 – a significant decrease from 1970 – when the average household numbered 3.82 individuals. However, the sharp decline in the size of households has leveled offContinue Reading
Spain contains a very diverse group of people and come from many different backgrounds. Some people have heritage with a long history in the country while others have arrived here in modern times. To describe the people who live in Spain, we will look at some demographic and cultural factors.Continue Reading
In Spain, people think quite differently than in many other countries when it comes to municipalities and local government. For instance, the municipal reform in Norway, which began in 2014 merged 119 municipalities into 47 new and larger units. The total number of municipalities in Norway, a country about 75%Continue Reading
As of 1 January 2020, Spain has about 47.3 million inhabitants. As is the case in many Western countries, the average age of the population is rising. However, age groups and populations are unevenly distributed across Spain. Nearly 81 percent of Spaniards now live in urban areas, a figure thatContinue Reading
Spain has more than 8,000 municipalities, but many of them are nearly empty. The urbanization process continues and not only are people moving from the countryside to towns and cities, people are also moving from towns and smaller cities to the bigger ones. Also, the coastal areas and tourist destinationsContinue Reading
