Fascinating Facts About Spain

• The capital city of Spain is Madrid
• There are 50 provinces in Spain
• There are 17 autonomous communities in Spain – Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile- La Mancha, Castile and León, Catalonia, Extremadura,  Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre and Valencian Community. There are also 2 autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla.
• The Spanish language is spoken by around 420 million natives and apart from Spain it is the official language of 19 countries in America.
• Other official languages in the country of Spain are : Basque “Euskara”, Catalan and Galician
• The dialing code for Spain is (00) 34
• Before the Euro was introduced Spain’s currency was the Peseta
• Spain is the World’s main producer of Olive Oil
• Spain has many wine regions or “DO’s” (Denominaciones de Origen). 2 are classed as “qualified” DO’s, meaning their quality standards are a bit higher than the rest – DOC Rioja and DOQ Priorat.
• There are over 400 grape varieties planted throughout Spain
• Rioja is the most famous and most productive wine region of Spain
• Spain is home to the World’s Number One Restaurant – El Celler de Can Roca, Girona
• There are 174 Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain (8 ***  /  20 ** / 146 *)
• The National Anthem of Spain has no words
• Henry VIII’s 1st wife, Catherine of Aragon, was Spanish
• Since the beginning of the Modern Olympics in 1896 Spain has hosted 1 Olympic Games – Barcelona 1992
• The World’s oldest restaurant is in Spain. Other restaurants claim to be older, but the Guinness World Records awarded the title to Restaurante Botín in Madrid, open since 1725. Roast suckling pig is their signature dish.
• There are 44 UNESCO sites in Spain
• Spain was neutral in World War 1 and World War 2

Visit Spain on one of our Private Culture, Food and Wine Tours to see the wonderful historic treasures and fascinating culture of this country and taste fine wine, local foods and much, much more!