Spains Geography and Culture

Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Spain’s Geography and Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Spain, claiming over half a million acres on the Iberian Peninsula, fronts on the North Atlantic, the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Balearic Sea. It borders the Pyrenees of France. and Portugal to the West. Morocco is its nearest Southern neighbor, across the Straits of Gibraltar (known in Classical times as the Pillars of Hercules) (n.a., Spain) . Archeological evidence shows long habitation ranging from the pre-human (n.a., Spain History). Today’s populations represent a mix of Iron-Age Celtiberians, and subsequent conquerors; Romans, Visigoths, and Arabs, plus European allies/enemies (Gascoigne) . More recently, Spain has absorbed expatriates, ‘snow birds’ (Govan), and immigrants from less advantaged regions, including former New World colonies (Worden). Gypsies have alwa ys had a presence as well (n.a., Spain – The Gypsies). The rich legacy thereby bequeathed includes the Paleolithic cave art of Altamira to the north, Neolithic passage tombs at Los Millares to the South (n.a., Los Millares (3200-2200 B.C.)), Alhambra’s Moorish beauty (n.a., Alhambra), traditional bull-fighting, Flamenco music and dancing, the Prado’s treasures, medieval walled communities such as Toledo, and magnificent cathedrals and shrines everywhere. All are compelling. Daily life in Spain is idiosyncratic, although the siesta is disappearing (Deschenaux) . One wonders whether its demise will doom the nightly round of tapas bars; only feasible given a daytime rest. Gastronomy is unlikely to abate, given Madrid’s self-proclaimed ‘museum of ham’ (McLane). The distinctive cuisine of Spain includes the bounty of sea and land, plus colonial acquisitions such as potatoes and tomatoes.Advertising Looking for essay on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When might we journey there? Works Cited Deschenaux, Joanne. Less Time for Lunch: the siesta in Spain is disappearing under the pressures of international business and big-city commuting, from HR Magazine. June 2008. 5 January 2010 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_6_53/ai_n27875070/. Gascoigne, Bamber. History of Spain. From 2001, ongoing. 5 January 2010 http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab50. Govan, Fiona. â€Å"British Expatriates March In Spain To Protest Against Chaotic Planning Laws.† 10 January 2009. The Telegraph. 5 January 2010 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/4213997/British-expatriates-march-in-Spain-to-protest-against-chaotic-planning-laws.html. McLane, Daisann. â€Å"In Madrid There’s No Such Thing As Too Much Ham.† 9 July 2000. New York Times. 5 January 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/09/travel/frugal-tra veler-in-madrid-there-s-no-such-thing-as-too-much-ham.html. n.a. A Traveller’s Geography of Spain. 2010. 5 January 2010 http://goeurope.about.com/library/bl_spain_geography.htm. —. Alhambra. 2010. 5 January 2010 http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/The_Alhambra.html.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Spain’s Geography and Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More —. Los Millares (3200-2200 B.C.). 2010. 5 January 2010 http://www.unique-almeria.com/los-millares.html. —. Spain. 27 December 2010. Central Intelligence Agency. 5 January 2010 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.html. —. â€Å"Spain – The Gypsies.† Country Studies. US Library Of Congress. 5 January 2010 http://countrystudies.us/spain/41.htm. —. â€Å"Spain History.† 2010. Brittanica. 5 January 2010 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/557573/Spain/ 214578/History. Worden, Tom. â€Å"Spain Sees Six-Fold Increase in Immigration Over Decade.† 10 February 2010. The Guardian. 5 January 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/08/spain-sixfold-increase-immigrants. This essay on Spain’s Geography and Culture was written and submitted by user Malik B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.