Spain

Country Briefs: Located in southwestern Europe, bordering Portugal, Gibraltar, morocco, France and Andorra, is the beautiful country of Spain. Walking down the narrow twisting old streets, gazing at the contemporary art and architecture, basking in the glory of snow capped peaks and vibrant arts such as Flamenco, Spain is a different experience altogether.

Covering an area of 504,782 square kilometers Spain is bigger than the Iberian Peninsula. The estimated population of the country is 44,108,530 people and its capital is its largest city, Madrid. Due to its ideal geographical location and scenic splendor Madrid is an ideal vacation destination.

However pondering over the past it is revealed that Spain was quite different from what it is today. The foremost tribes in the region were the Iberians who had arrived here in the third millennium BC. The Iberians included the Basques, indigenous people who inhabit parts of both Spain and France. At the onset of the 9^th century BC, Celtic tribes entered and settled in the Iberian Peninsula and were known as the Celtiberians.

During the 8^th century BC the Greeks, Phoenicians and the Carthaginians settled near the Mediterranean coast and the Greeks named the region Iberia, after the river Iber.

In 2^nd century BC, during the Second Punic War (fought between Carthage and Rome from 218 to 202 BC) the Romans arrived in the Iberian Peninsula and annexed it under Augustus along with the Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian colonies that became the province of Hispania. Hispania was a source of food, olive oil, wine and metal for the Roman Empire. The long and successful Roman rule left a profound impact on the culture of Spain.

During the 8^th century the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by the Moors and so ended the Visgothic rule in the region. The Visgothic Spain was the last series of Christian countries conquered by the Umayyad Empire. However, the Islamic army suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Franks in the Battle of Tours that was fought on 10^th October 732. 

In 11^th century the Muslim Spain divided into small warring kingdoms. Due to this small Christian kingdoms were able to make significant advances in the south direction. In the years that followed Muslim Spain also retreated southwards as a result of which the art and architecture of Muslim Spain entered into Christian north. But in 11^th century Spain went more and more under Christian control.

On 16^th July 1212, the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa was fought and it proved to be a major turning point in the history of Iberia. This battle proclaimed the collapse of the Moorish regime particularly in Cordoba and Seville. By mid-13^th century almost the entire Iberian peninsula except Granada.

The political unification of different Iberian states of Castile and Leon, Aragon and Navarre laid the foundation of the Spanish Empire. In the years that followed the Iberian Peninsula augmented its physical area.

During the 16^th century under the rule of Charles V and Philip II, Spain emerged as he most powerful state in Europe. The Spanish Empire then included territories of South America, Central America, Mexico, eastern Asia, southern Italy, Sicily, Germany and Netherlands.

However a series of steady and expensive wars in early 17^th century led to a collapse of Spanish power in Europe. The prominent war was the War of the Spanish Succession from 1701 to 1714. As a result of this war the Austrians gained most of the Spanish territories in Italy and Netherlands. At the end of the 19^th century and after the Spanish- American War Spain lost most of its old territories to United States.

From 1923 to 1931 Spain was under dictatorial rule, which ended with the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic. In July 1936 the Spanish Civil War broke out. Though the Spanish Civil War was called the first war of the Second World War yet Spain under the leadership of General Francisco remained neutral during the Second World War.

Over the years Spain progressed greatly and it also became a member of NATO and European Union in 1981.

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