NationMaster - Discussion

momyty 25th April 2011	Great Website!
kate 31st December 2009	you should add race statistics
phottoshop 26th April 2009	DOWNLOAD ADOBE ACROBAT - $59.95 >>> CLICK HERE DOWNLOAD NOW
Casey 24th April 2009	Yeah, free galicia, the basque country, valencia, and catalonia and let them all stop with the nonsense and come crying back in a year begging for money, protection and resources. you got the good life, stop complaining.
Breoghain (REPUBLIC OF GALIZA) 29th December 2008	Galiza (Galicia in spanish) is celtic-suevi ancient nation occupied by Spain in the 15th century. We are now trying to build a new State in Europe. The Galician Free State. In the past, the Suevi Kingdom of Galicia was the first medieval kingdom in Europe. This is a strong truth that Spain denies. Free Galiza !!!
Lizeth Padilla (San Diego) 18th February 2008	What Are major holidays in Spain?
Julio Cortes (Mexico) 11th April 2007	Latins are Portuguese, Spaniards, and Italians. Latinos are people of Latin American descent. A Hispanic is one who speaks either Spanish or Portuguese. Doesn't anyone get it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:European_American#Mediterranean.2FMiddle_Eastern_Ethnicity
CelticSpaniard 31st January 2007	Aplastaland you are forgetting of the 1st literary romance language ever; Valencian language.
Ichigo 4th June 2006	I need 3 native products. Can anyone think of something?
Cyio-chan (China) 19th May 2006	I need some iteresting cultural facts about Spain A.S.A.P! Pretty please! It is for my school project and it is due Thursday the 25. If you could help, many thanks. CC
shawty 22nd March 2006	does any body know the entertainment of Spain.
Andrés (acastrero) 18th December 2005	Hello I just want to insist on the fact that also Aranès (Occità) is spoken in Spain, and probably you must also tell something about Asturleonés (bable) and Aragonés, I think they are nearly dead languages, but I think there are still some speakers of Bable, specially in Asturias, in the North of the Iberic Peninsula. Thanks for your time and congratulations, I think the web is great and is getting better. I made a very important project about Democracy and prosperity, and partly it was thanks to your data, so thanks. Visca la Terra (Long life the land).
Andrés 10th December 2005	Hey Eric You say Nafarroa was annexed in the XVth Century. Yes, Castilla conquest Nafarroa in the XVth Century, and promised to respect their language, culture, laws... everything, and it was like that until the XIXth Century, and there were several wars (guerras carlinas) mostly 'cause of that, but what about Catalunya and the Crown of Aragon? Catalunya was no conquested until 1714, u can not say Spain was born before 1714, and I'll say more, the first time Spain is called Nation was in 1812, in The Constitution of Cádiz, also known as "La Pepa", and this "Spanish Nation" included the Spaniards of "the two hemispheres", so South America. Don't think Argentina, Mexico or Perú is part of the Spanish Nation, what do you think? If you studied History when Spain was under Franco I understand that u think Spain is very old... as old as the world, and that Spain exists thanks to God, because Santiago, St Jaques, came to Spain to fight the moors, and it was alredy Spain, well, on fact, when the villages fought the Romans, before Christ, it was alredy Spain, well, when the Greeks came to Iberia, it was alredy Spain... Yes, yes, I know, Spain , the Christian Kingdom has always existed, yes, ant it is ONE, GREAT, and FREE. Sure, and you can also say "if you are Spanish speak Spanish" or "Speak the Language of the Empire" or like in France "Soyez propres, parlez Français (be nice, speak French)", sure... But if you have not studied Franco's history, I can't understand why do you think this... God save all nations! Visca la Terra!!!
Andrés 10th December 2005	Andaluz and Valencià are not languges. (And I don't think Caló is a languge, but to say the truth i don't know). Andaluz is a dialect, not a dialect but a few of dialects spoken in Ancalucía. They speak a very different Castilian, but that's not a language. I have never had problems to understand my family from Cádiz, Jaén, etc. or my teacher from Granada, they speak the dialect but it's not a language. The point of Valencià is much more different, because no one says Andaluz is a language, but some people do say Valencià is a language, 'cause of politics, but if inside Andaluz there are different ways of speaking inside València there are many many dialects. The Catalan spoken in some places is exactly the same spoken in an area Catalonia, in other areas they have a very different dialect... Catalan language has a lot of dialects, but mainly the separation is between Western and Eastern Catalan, and not only València is say "Western", but half Catalunya. This stuff about Valencià is silly. And well, as any other Catholic country, Catalunya is divided into "arcbishops" (think is the word, just in case let's say like areas "ruled" by "important priests"), and the one of Tortosa takes land of Catalonia and Valencia. If the same language wasn't spoken there I can't imagine how could this be possible, just an example. Visca la Terra! What is right is that the Catalan Language is also known as Valencià in València, but is the same language!!! Visca la Terra
Augustus Luciano 7th December 2005	From the time I lived in Europe, many of us were discriminated against by groups of people that in reality did not have anything in common with us. Being Mediterranean and not some white dude is tough when you live in an all-white neighborhood. And also, never in my life would I regard a white person as a fellow Latin.
JP 6th December 2005	XC, you understood what I meant without a problem. If I was Mexican I would want to be known as a proud Mexican, not even Hispanic, Latino or other stupid labels, since as a Mexican, I would not be a Columbia or anything else. Now if I was Columbia, then I would be proud and only want to be known as a Columbia. This would apply for any country that I would be part of....Forget the American stupidity and ignorance while trying to lump and discriminate against groups of people that in reality do not have anything in common. They don't even call the people from Holland Hispanics or the French descendants in the Caribbean Hispanic or Latino....And by the way, most so called white Americans have Indian and or black ancestry hidden in their past. The US is one of the most mixed countries in the world. That is not a bad thing, but do not be hypocritical about others....
XC 5th December 2005	yes i agree with the fact that Portuguese should not be called "Hispanics" because i do not see how they would all under that category. I am Mexican but i also see the ignorance of "Americans" when they label themselves "whites" or when they go around criticizing and labeling other races. that just shows their ignorance and stupidity. if they do not the England established Jamestown back in 1607 which was the first successful colony in what is now "the united states of America" why do they believe they have the right to label races when they don't even know? what about if we labeled them British and many other names of countries that made the united states what it is know?
Marissa 4th December 2005	Anyone know what information i need to have to do MLA sources?
Fred Pimentel 29th November 2005	JP, I definitely agree with you. I am of Portuguese descent and I do not have anything in common with the mixed peoples of central and south america. It is an insult to me if you call me hispanic or latino... Also if you want to do that, then call the people from holland hispanic because they were a spanish colony and so were the phillipine islands etc. My family is from portugal not from spain or any of its halfbreed colonies. I dont have anything in common with spanish traditions or customs nor do I care to. These so called idiots that are writing in like Colossi and Quesada are just like the idiots that are in the US trying to create politically correct labels for people and trying to lump them toguether under one label. Central and South Americans are mixed breeds and have nothing in common with Europeans except that they speak a language (called by them Spanish) wich in reality is a half baked Castillian and they cant deny it.
JP 29th November 2005	If you want to call Spaniards and Portuguese as hispanics, then you need to differentiate them from the spaniard or portuguese mixed with local indian and blacks which is what Latin America and South America is comprised mostly of. So I guess the currently known hispanics from the Americas will be correctly referred to as half-breeds, or mesticos/mestizos or mulatoes. That is the only way that you can do it, because the population in central and south america is mixed european and local or black, not strickly european. And by the way, the romans divide IBERIA once they conquered it into 3 provinces. Lusitania (portugal) Hispania Tarraconense and Hispania Baetica. Keep in mind that the whole are ALREADY HAD A NAME: IBERIA and that even after the Roman withdrawal it branched into a multitude of countries. Out of that Portugal was born in 1128 with the battle of Sao Mamede. Spain DID NOT exist until the other countries merged and finally came together in 1497 wich is a few hundred years AFTER the creation of Portugal.
mary young 20th November 2005	could I see a map of Mridin, Spain
LUCY 15th November 2005	I NEED PICS. 4 MY PROJECT!!!!!
Cherif 10th November 2005	I need like a SWOT analysis for Spain in order to host WTO Ministerial 2007 for my project! and i need a Public relation actions of the goverment in dealing with different issues and problems
Briana 7th November 2005	What holidays does Spain celebrate? i need info ASAP
Greenspan 26th October 2005	Spain in 2005 is entering into new "golden age"...Spanish economy rules again in Latin America, where most important companies are controlling national markets like Argentina, Brazil or Mexico..."...In Europe, Spain has become last years in a key economic player, with a big & fast growing market, and the control of Portuguese market...
Typsi 24th October 2005	J.P., people aren't as ignorant as you and I used to think. Your comparing the Hispanic/Latino matter with the matter on who we refer to as Indians is flat out ridiculous. 1st of all, people from India were called Indians way before America was mistaken for India and the Natives were referred to as Indians. 2nd of all, Italians are and have always been Latins and Latin has nothing to do with the Celtic people. 3rd of all, Latin is not a dead language, despite it is no longer the official language of Vatican City; some people still speak it there.
J.P. 19th October 2005	The meaning of the term "Latino" by Giuseppe DeSicilia Almost everyone who lives in America has most definitely heard the term "Latino", or has heard of "Latin music". If you look on a Census sheet, you see a box titled "Hispanic/Latino". If you have cable or satellite television, there are channel packages titled "Latino Max". If you see a Mexican family on television, they are called a "Latino" family. The truth is, the term "Latino" is a term as politically incorrect as calling Native Americans "Indian". Where does the term Latino come from? Obviously it means a Latin person. To be Latin, don't you have to speak Latin? The Latin language originated in Roma, Italian (Rome, Italy) a few thousand years ago. It was inspired by early Italic and Celtic languages from the north, was refined with Greek words, but it was spoken as a language in Italy. Eventually Latin spread through the Mediterranean area, each country brutally destroying it, creating their own versions of its words, adding their own words, and eventually forming the modern day romance languages, such as Italian, Romanian, French, and Spanish/Portuguese. Now you may ask "If the Italians were the original peoples who spoke Latin, wouldn't Italian be the closest language to Latin?" The answer is yes. Italian's father was known as a barbaric form of Latin spoken by the lowbrow people. It later evolved into the Italian language. Now what someone might ask is "So if the Italians invented the Latin language, wouldn't Italian people be Latino? The Census bureau doesn't seem to agree, or at least isn't in touch historically. Their definition of Latin is someone whose racial background comes from Mexico/South America. Why is that? Since Spaniards came from Spain, somehow Spaniards taught the Maya/Aztec/Inca natives how to speak Spanish. The Spaniards came to Mexico/South America looking for gold in the age of exploration, and while they enforced their culture into the natives as they raped and mutilated them, they accidentally formed Mestizos, half native half European people. After a couple hundred years of mixing into the Native South Americans, Mexicans, Brazilians and other modern cultures were formed. But that still doesn't explain why they are called Latino, does it? The truth of the matter is, there is no true reason why they are called Latino. The obvious reason would be that since Spanish was a romance language formed from Latin, they must be Latin too? No, that doesn't make any sense. Italians are the ones who created the Latin language, not the Spaniards. Latin is a dead language, and there is and never was such thing as Latinos. If there were, Italians would be them. It is as gross of an ignorant description as calling Native Americans "Indians". Why weren't people from India called Indians a couple of hundred years ago? That is another story altogether. The term Latino is one of those racial categories that the government makes up because they do not know how to categorize native south Americans because they already gave Native Americans that title, so they make up a category based on what language they speak, and not what race they are. Imagine seeing these boxes on that census sheet: White, Black, Asian, and Jewish. A few people would get angry with that. Jewish is not a race, it is a religion, just as the term Hispanic/Latino is not a race, it is a language preference that isn't Latin to begin with.
Will 19th October 2005	I need to know interesting landmarks and a percent break own of languages spoken in spoken in Spain right now, can u help out, now?
Daniel 19th October 2005	I am from Madrid. Spain. About 3.000 years ago Phoenicians called the Iberian peninsula (Spain+Portugal)Spahan: "land of rabbits" (looks like there were a lot). For ancient Greeks we were Iberia. For Romans Spain+Portugal (2.000 years ago)was Hispania, it was part of the empire and it was divided in different provinces. During Middle Ages people from Iberia, even from different kingdoms understood the Iberian peninsula as a whole: Hispania->España (Spain). (The word Hispanic meant in its origin something from Hispania, although in USA is used for south Americans) That Portugal is not part of Spain is just a historical matter and could have been different. I feel pretty much at home when I visit Lisboa (Lisbon). From the XVI to XIX centuries, Spain discovered and conquered south, central and part of North America (California, Florida), a whole continent. Our language and part of our old traditions are still there,although in some places are mixed with local traditions. All the countries that speak Spanish were not so very long ago part of the same empire, they still feel as brothers between them and in some they still call Spain "the motherland". We all form what is called Hispanidad. Last time I went to USA they asked me if i had came from Spain in bus. Of course, I answered, just like Columbus. Im not sure if they did know him. Ah, for Jennifer: Spain's GNP per capita is 23.300 $ (2004)(wikipedia.org)
Jennifer 17th October 2005	What are some major holidays in Spain?
Maya 14th October 2005	Whats the average earnings in Spain? (its for a project)
BarcelonaMan 30th September 2005	Madrid is the capital of Spain and gives the 56% of the full nation PIB. Some regions like Cataluña or comunidad autonoma vasca just give a 6%, Spain has got many different languages like Valenciano, Andaluz and Cale.
Aplastaland 14th September 2005	Well, the points listed in the article are correct, but I would add: Languages spoken (ordered from more to less spokers): Spanish (Español/Castellano), Catalan (Català), Basque (Euskera), Galecian (Galego), "Aranés", and Bable. How old is Spain; I like to date it in the post-roman visigoth encroaching, unified (nearly as it is today plus Portugal) under the ruling of Don Pelayo. The Arab invasion respected the northern mountains, and, while the "Reconquista", the different reigns became independent due to political decisions of the kings (many princes, rebellious people, etc.). The origin of Cataluña is in the called "Marca Hispánica", a group of counties under french control. Spain is a decentralized country divided in 17 communities and 2 cities (Ceuta, Melilla). The Head of the State is the King, and the Government President is elected every four years. Every community and city has its own independent elections -4 years, too-.
DeV 25th August 2005	Does anyone know what holidays Spain celebrates?
dev 25th August 2005	Does anyone know the holidays Spain celebrates?
Javier 12th August 2005	J.P. is right in most of his claims, but not all. The term "hispanic" is quite confusing. As a Spaniard when I was in the States they past me a paper for statistics: it was a complete mess. An Italian, for example, would write in "race"="Caucasian"; Spaniards, being of the same "race" (which is an obsolete concept, anyway) than Portugueses, French or Italians, would write "Hispanic". Now, I´ve heard they distinguish Caucasian, African and Native Hispanic. J.P. is not right about the concept of Hispanic, which now adays includes ALL people from Spanish speaking countries, being from America or Spain (and technically also from Guinea Ecuatorial). That would exclude of course Brazilians and Portuguese, which share a lot of things with us because they are culturally Iberians. It is true that Portuguese culture and language is more close to Spanish that a lot of dialects of India or China, that are considered dialects of the same language. Friends, the different between dialect and language in many cases is political (Urdu-Indi,Croatian-Serbian...) but let us not be pushy and let the Lusofonía be proud of their heritage.
Oscar 27th July 2005	J.P., Argentines don't bullfight and nor is their cusine anything like Mexico's, yet they are Hispanic. Like the rest of Latin America Argentina's cusine and culture could easily be considered just as different to Mexico's as Spain's. And speaking of ignorance Albanian is not a Romance language.
Typsi 26th July 2005	J.P., speaking of ignorance, everybody should know that Albanian is not a Romance language and it is neither Hellenic. Albanian is an Indo-European language which sets by itself.
Ramirez de Quesada 23rd July 2005	Portuguese culture IS hispanic, as well as American culture. Bless me God!
J.P. 22nd July 2005	Not even Spanish culture is Hispanic much less Portugal. Hispanic culture is the one that was created with the colonization and mingling of the Spanish bloodlines with the local Indian cultures (and sometimes even the slave culture imported from Africa to the Americas for labor). Other than language (Castillian, bullfights) what do you think that they have in common? If you go to spain you definetely dont see tacarias, and burritos, sombreros (mexican style)or mariachi bands all over the place do you?
Someone 18th July 2005	U're right, but Spain and Portugal have many things in common. Their language descends from Latin and has Arab influence. In fact! Portugal could be part of Spain if the Kingdom of Castille had taken control of it like it did to Leon and Navarra. Also, if you speak Spanish u can perfectly understand portuguese... There is also this language, I think it's Basque (not sure) that is a transition between Spanish to Portuguese. To end this... yes "Latino" refers to Latin Americans, but "Latin" refers to two things: 1) The Italic tribe where the Roman Empire started. 2) To people from the countries that speak a language descending from Latin worldwide. (Ex: French, Italian, Romanian, Moldavian, Spanish, Portuguese, Galician, etc. They are very similar between each other). And... No! Albanians are not Latins! I they belong to the Dacian branch, not to the Latin.
Fernando Alonso 5th July 2005	it is like saying that Japan has a Chinese culture
FERNANDO ALONSO 5th July 2005	Spanish is a Latin language. about 85% of Spanish vocabulary derived from Latin & Greek.
J.P. 30th June 2005	Portuguese culture is NOT hispanic. Their culture is different from Spain. Most people are ignorant and dont know what hispanic means. Hispanic: Was used to identify the mixed race of the Central american indian with white spanish blood and black blood. They spoke the same language which is really Castillian, but their food and customs are very different from Spain. If you have ever been to Spain, you dont really eat tacos, tortillas, chilles like candy or any of that. The only thing they have in common is the language and bullfights...Also they are probably mostly catholic, however bullfights, being catholic, does not make you a hispanic. As far as the text books they seem to all copy the same misinformation and use the term Spain for maps before 1479 which is a lie. Before that time, the iberian peninsula had Castille, Aragon, Leon, Navarro, Portugal etc as totaly independent countries. Spain did NOT exist as a nation until 1479. But that is how ignorant some people are. Same thing applies for the term latino/a: The term was invented to identify all of LATIN CENTRAL AMERICA and South America, otherwise you would have to call portuguese, italians, albanians, romanians, French, Canada (partial, dutch, belgium, and so on all latinos, ....Wrong. Also take a look at the islands that were colonized in the caribean by the french...they dont call them latinos....why not... Also keep in mind that the Roman empire took over england and partial ireland, germany, etc but you dont call them latinos.... As far as english is concerned it is the language that has more latin imported than any other...aprox 65% of terminology has been burrowed. Example: medical terms, anthropology, astrology,french terms (latin based)scientific terms, botany, etc.... So here is the summary: Portuguese= Portuguese of Lusitani (of old lusitania), Spain=Spaniards, Central america=hispanics/latinos South america"=hispanics/latinos except for brasil=latino but not hispanic, they speak portuguese. Or if you really dont want to be racist/ignorant, THEN DONT TRY TO LUMP THE ALL TOGUETHER. IDENTIFY THEM BY THEIR COUNTRY AND THAT WAY YOURE NOT A RACIST PIG. They are SPANIARDS, MEXICANS, ITALIANS, BRASILIANS, FRENCH, ETC
Castile 29th June 2005	Portuguese culture can be considered inside hispanic culture and outside spanish culture...Actually, in economic terms Portugal depends of Spain...and is considered as part of the Spanish Market (this is why most big companies in the world design a spaniard to represent the company in both spain and portugal...)
nicholas 21st June 2005	i would just like to know how common is the portoguese and the spanish language. thanks
MJ 15th June 2005	KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND OUT ABOUT LAST NAME ORGINS IN SPAIN?
bob 14th June 2005	what is spanish food
Steven Colosi 13th June 2005	I however, found in one dictionary where Hispanic is applied to both Spanish and Portuguese culture and language. Usually and most commonly, Hispanic solely refers to Spanish culture and language.
Steven Colosi 13th June 2005	I however, found in one dictionary where Hispanic is applied to both Spanish and Portuguese culture and language. Usually and most commonly, it solely refers to Spanish culture and language.
pascale 10th June 2005	what about a weak point for spanish?
Gerardo Lorenzana 2nd June 2005	Steven Colosi you make a good point about as to why Portuguese Culture shouldn't be considered different than Spanish...they probably shouldn't. Only thing is though, Hispanic largely a linguistic term tied in to the Spanish language. Other facets of the culture should be considered Iberian or Mediterranean...it's common in the US not to realize this!
Eduardo 1st June 2005	How many people live in Mexico?
Ionut 29th May 2005	Thank you ACASTRERO.I have to write a paper about the political system in Spain.I have to make a difference between a federal system and the system of Spain,particularly.Can you provide me with some info?
britney 26th May 2005	I need to have 15 interesting unique facts about Spain...soon! Anyone have any?
ACASTRERO 23rd May 2005	Completely sure it is decentralized. Because the Government in Madrid has most of the power, and I'd say more, it is being decentralized.
Ionut 6th May 2005	Is Spain a federal state or just a decentralized one? Give reasons please.
Andrés 27th April 2005	My God! Yes, Ferran d'Aragó and Isabel of Castilla (she was not supposed to be the queen but finally she was) got married, but as it was written in a document before the wedding(Las Capitulaciones de Barcelona, I think)the different countries were completely independent, and the king could not for example even use the money of Castilla to build in Aragon. To say that different countries with the same king are the same country would be as say that Australia or any other country that recognises the Queen of England as Queen is not independent, and well, I think Australia is independent, and I KNOW the Crown of Aragon was independent since "la guerra de suceción" that started in 1700. In 1640 the King of "Spain" tried to have the same laws in the different countries, and there started a war in Portugal, the south of Italy, Catalonia... if they had different laws they were different countries, I think. Spain was like Germany before the Zollverrein till Felipe V. On fact, the kings before him had to go to the different kingdoms to be recognised as kings and so on.Well, there are many facts that shows that it was like that till the XVIII century, I just don't want u to get wrong.
Vanessa 26th April 2005	I am trying to find an English man who moved to Spain some 10 years ago. Any suggestions as to how to go about this would be very greatfully received. He was a skilled car mechanic and I think he will still be following this trade. He must be in his mid 50s and is called Tim Taylor. Please contact me on v.treasure@tiscali.co.uk
Map head 10th April 2005	The Canary Islands are located off the western coast of North Africa. http://nationmaster.com/country/sp-spain
Javier 10th April 2005	Where are the Canary Islands on a physical map?
Reconquista 9th April 2005	1714!!! Where did you get that date, Andrés? In 1474, Queen Isabel I of Castilla ascended to the throne, marrying Fernando II of Aragón in 1479. The marriage created the Kingdom of Spain.
Gonzalo 9th April 2005	I see this site as a source of misinformation. You can say what you want, no matter the true. Thanks this site I came to know that Aragón was independent till 1714 despite the fact that there were only one King or Queen of Spain since 1500aprox. Have you ever heard of Phllip II or Charles 1st of Spain? Do you know that the Spanish Crown funded and sponsored the trip of Colon in 1492? Try another way to get knowledge. Don't put yourself in the hands on very untrustful sources.
Andrés 28th March 2005	Spain was born, if not later, in 1714, not before. Until that year, the crown of Aragon was completely independent, as well as Castilla. They were different countries, with different laws, taxes... they had their own borders. I'm not sure but I think they had even different coins.
Angy 14th March 2005	Does any one know how old Spain is?
Angy 14th March 2005	Does any one know how old Spain is?
Benito Sebe 13th February 2005	As Juan said, this article miss Galician people. This is another community with little autonomy and a big historical background. Administratively we have the same consideration that Basque and Catalonia communities. But, Juan, you have missed that in the second republic, Galicia reach the political autonomy, as the Basque and the Catalonia, in the last days of the republic but we didn't make use of it because the begining of the civilian war.
Al Sosa 21st January 2005	Thank you Steven Colosi for bringing to my attention that Albanians speak a language derived from their ancient Illyrian ancestors.
Al Sosa 19th January 2005	Thank you Steven Colosi for bringing to my attention that Albanian speak a language derived from their ancient Illyrian ancestors.
Al Sosa 19th January 2005	Thank you. Steven Colosi for bringing to my attension, that Albanians speak a language derived from their ancient Illyrian ancestors.
Al Sosa 19th January 2005	Thank you, Steven Colosi for bringing to my attension, that Albanians speak a language derived from their ancient Illyrian ancestors.
Juan Aguilera 9th December 2004	The original peoples of the Iberian peninsula (in the sense that they are not known to have come from elsewhere), consisting of a number of separate tribes, are given the generic name of Iberians. This includes the Basque, the only pre-Roman Iberian people surviving to the present day as a separate ethnic group. The most important culture of this period is that of the city of Tartessos. Beginning in the 9th century BC, Celtic tribes entered the Iberian peninsula through the Pyrenees and settled throughout the peninsula, becoming the Celt-Iberians. The seafaring Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians successively settled along the Mediterranean coast and founded trading colonies there over a period of several centuries. Around 1,100 BC Phoenician merchants founded the trading colony of Gadir or Gades (modern day Cadiz) near Tartessos. In the 8th century BC the first Greek colonies, such as Emporium (modern Empires), were founded along the Mediterranean coast on the East, leaving the south coast to the Phoenicians. The Greeks are responsible for the name Iberia, after the river Iber (Ebro in Spanish). In the 6th century BC the Carthaginians arrived in Iberia while struggling with the Greeks for control of the Western Mediterranean. Their most important colony was Carthago Nova (Latin name of modern day Cartagena). The Romans arrived in the Iberian peninsula during the Second Punic war in the 2nd century BC, and annexed it under Augustus after two centuries of war with the Celtic and Iberian tribes and the Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian colonies becoming the province of Hispania. Some of Spain's present languages, religion, and laws originate from this Roman period. As the Roman empire declined, the Suebi, Vandals and Alans each took control of part of Hispania. In the 5th century CE the Visigoths, a romanized Germanic tribe, conquered all of Hispania and established a relatively stable kingdom lasting until 711, when it fell to an invasion by Islamic North African Moors and became part of the expanding Umayyad empire, under the name of Al-Andalus. When the Umayyad empire gave way to the Abbaside empire, an Umayyad exile established the Califate of Cordoba, effectively making Al-Andalus independent from the empire. Modern Spain began to take form during the Reconquista, the struggle between the Christian kingdoms arising in the northern regions left unconquered by the Moors and the Muslim kingdoms into which Al-Andalus eventually split. Christian Spain was controlled by Germanic tribes, mainly Franks and Visigoths. Two states came to dominate these areas: Aragon and Castile. In 1492, Granada, the last of the Moorish kingdoms, was defeated by the Catholic monarchs, Isabel I of Castile (Isabel La Católica) and Fernando II of Aragon (Fernando el Católico or Ferran el Catòlic). The kingdom of the Catholic monarchs then imposed the Christian religion; in 1492, Isabel and Fernando ordered the expulsion of all Jews from their dominions, having imposed physical segregation in 1480 (two years after the establishment of the Inquisition) and, in 1502, Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity or be banished. After the conquest of Granada, Isabel funded Christopher Columbus in his attempts to reach Asia through a western route across the Atlantic Ocean -- resulting in the "discovery" of the "New World". By 1512, most of the kingdoms of present-day Spain were politically unified, although not as a modern centralized state. The grandson of Isabel and Fernando, Carlos I, extended his crown to other places in Europe and the rest of the world. And the unification of Iberia was complete when Charles I's son, Felipe II, became King of Portugal in 1580, as well as of the other Iberian Kingdoms (collectively known as "Spain"). During the 16th century,with Carlos I and Felipe II, Spain became the most powerful European nation, its territory covering most of South America, the Iberian peninsula, southern Italy, Germany, and Holland. This was later known as the Spanish Empire. It was also the wealthiest nation but the uncontrolled influx of goods and minerals from Spanish colonization of the Americas resulted in rampant inflation and economic depression. In 1640, under Felipe IV, the centralist policy of the Count-Duke of Olivares provoked wars in Portugal and Catalonia. Portugal became an independent kingdom again and Catalonia enjoyed some years of French-supported independence but was quickly returned to the Spanish Crown. A series of long and costly wars and revolts followed in the 17th century, beginning a steady decline of Spanish power in Europe. Controversy over succession to the throne consumed the country during the first years of the 18th century (see War of the Spanish Succession). It was only after this war ended and a new dynasty was installed -- the French Bourbons (see House_of_Bourbon) -- that a centralized Spanish state was established. Spain was occupied by Napoleon in the early 1800s, but the Spaniards raised in arms. After the War of Independence (1808-1812), a series of revolts and armed conflicts between Liberals and supporters of the ancient regime lasted throughout much of the 19th century, complicated by a dispute over dynastic succession by the Carlists which led to three civil wars. After that, Spain was briefly a Republic, from 1871 to 1873, a year in which a series of coups reinstalled the monarchy. In the meantime, Spain lost most of its colonies in the Americas during the 19th century, a trend which ended with the loss of Cuba and the Philippines after the Spanish-American War of 1898. The 20th century initially brought little peace; colonization of Western Sahara, Spanish Morocco and Equatorial Guinea was attempted as a substitute for the loss of the Americas. A period of dictatorial rule (1923-1931) ended with the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic. The Republic afforded political autonomy to the Basque Country and Catalonia and gave voting rights to women. However, with increasing political polarisation and pressure from all sides, coupled with growing and unchecked political violence, the Republic ended with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936. Following the victory of the nationalist forces in 1939, General Francisco Franco ruled a nation exhausted politically and economically until his death in 1975. After World War II, being one of few surviving fascist regimes in Europe, Spain was politically and economically isolated and was kept out of the United Nations until 1955, when it became strategically important for U.S. president Eisenhower to establish a military presence in the Iberian peninsula. This opening to Spain was aided by Franco's rabid anti-communism. In the 1960s, more than a decade later than other western European countries, Spain began to enjoy economic growth and gradually transformed into a modern industrial economy with a thriving tourism sector. Growth continued well into the 1970s, with Franco's government going to great lengths to shield the Spanish people from the effects of the oil crisis. Upon the death of the dictator General Franco in November 1975, his personally-designated heir Prince Juan Carlos assumed the position of king and head of state. He played a key role in guiding Spain further in its growth into a modern democratic state, notably in opposing an attempted coup d'etat in 1981. Spain joined NATO in 1982 and became a member of the European Union in 1986. With the approval of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the arrival of democracy, the old historic nationalities — Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia — were given far-reaching autonomy, which was then soon extended to all Spanish regions, resulting in one of the most decentralized territorial organizations in Western Europe.
Steven Colosi 9th December 2004	I don't understand why Hispanic shouldn't refer to Portuguese Culture instead of just pertaining to Spanish Culture especially when their cultures are more related to each other than our government gives them credit for. The definition is no doubt ignorant of that fact.
NationMaster 9th December 2004	According to the CIA World Factbook, 94% of Spaniards are Roman Catholic. This is consistent with the Catholic Church's practice to claim all baptized as Catholic regardless of self-identification, and with the CIS poll's finding that 91% to 96% of all parents are remembered as being Catholics. Despite only 80% of Spaniards self-describing as Catholics, 94% report having baptized their children but only 79% being inclined to baptize new children. 90% had a religious wedding. Licensing information: This article uses material from Wikipedia (credits) and is made available under the terms of the GNU FDL http://explanation-guide.info/meaning/Spain.html Copyright © 2003-2004
4th December 2004	Spanish ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types: This just shows that the Spanish are bicaucasian. MFO Freedom of Information Act page Privacy Policy © 1997-2004 www.mediterraneanfoundation.org/grecolatin.htm
laurebt 27th November 2004	whatis the absolute location,relative location,area of spain?

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