Summary culture studies Spanish
Chapter 1. Country and population
1.1 Geographical location
- Iberian Peninsula (Península Ibérica)
- Capital: Madrid
- The Balearic Islands (Las Islas Baleares):
Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and Cabrera
- The Canary Islands (Las Islas Canarias):
Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, la Gomera, la Palma and el Hierro
- Enclaves in Morocco: Cueta and Melilla
- Enclave in France: Llívia
1
1.2 Hydrography
- Most rivers are not of economic importance.
- Most important rivers (río): el Duero, el Tajo, La Guadiana, el Guadalquivir and el Ebro.
Furthermore, la Segura and el Júcar.
, - Galicia: Rías (fjords): narrow Rías Altas in the north and the wide and long Rías Bajas in the
south (Vigo).
1.3 Climate
Climate zones:
1. Atlantic Sea climate: soft summers, soft winters and can be found on North Coast of Spain
2. Mediterranean country climate: hot summers, cold winters and can be found in the centre
of Spain
3. Mediterranean Sea climate: hot summers and soft winters, can be found along the
Mediterranean Coast line of Spain
4. Subtropical climate: summer and winter practically the same, can be found on the Canary
Islands
2
1.4 Population: composition & spread
- Almost 47 million, due to a great growth after 1900
- Birth rate was very high during the Franco regime
- The birth rate is currently low, 1.31 children per woman
- Population is very unequally divided
1.5 Languages and dialects
- Spanish is spoken by more than 473 million people in 23 countries.
- Especially in South America (except for Brazil), the Guyana’s and in many states of the USA,
Spanish is an important language.
,Languages and dialects in Spain
4 languages:
- El castellano (Castilian)
- El catalán (Catalan)
- El Gallego (Gallician)
- El vasco o Euskara (Basque)
→Dialects: Andalusian, Aragonese.
During the regime of Franco, people were only allowed to speak the Castilian (Castellano)
1.6 Religion/Religious customs
3
Relegion and religious customs in Spain
- Fiestas: religious festivities e.g., Semana Santa (Holy week) in Sevilla and Zamora
- Feria: feast (market)
- Romería: pilgrimages to a sanctuary, chapel or holy statues. Usually with a picnic before and
a ball later afterwards (e.g., Camino de Santiago and la Romería del Rocío during Pentecost)
Camino de Santiago
- Pilgrimage
- The body of the Apostle James the Greater (Sanctus Jacobus > Sant lago > Santiago) was
brought to Spain from Jerusalem.
- Buried on the West Coast of Spain
, - A few centuries later, a shepherd saw a star (Estrella) above the field (campo) where the sain
James was buries
- Campo Estrella = Compostela
- From the middle ages onwards, many people have been wanting to make this journey at
least once in their lives.
Fiestas en España
- January 6th: Los Reyes Magos (Epiphany/ Three King’s Day)
- 12-19 March: Las Fallas in Valencia (mascletá)
- Week before Easter: Semana Santa
origin dates back to the second half of the sixteenth century, when the first cofradías were
founded (brotherhoods
- Pentecost: El Rocío
- July: Sanfermines in Pamplona
- July 25th: el día de Santiago
- October: Wine festivities
- 24/25 December: Christmas (misa de gallo, villancicos, belén, turron)
- December 31st: New Years Eve (Nochevieja, uvas)
1.7 Media
During Franco’s regime all press van censured. After his death, when the censorship was lifted, 115
newspapers appeared in Spain.
Largest newspapers in Spain:
- El País
- ABC
- El Mundo 4
- La Vanguardia
- El Periódico (Cataluña)
- El Correo Español (País Vasco)
As far as magazines are concerned, at the moment here are over 200 magazines in Spain. Something
that is also popular in Spain is reading Revistas del Corazón (tabloids), of which Hola, Semana,
Lecturas and Diez Minutos are the popular ones.
1.8 Leisure time
Leisure time of the Spaniards
- Soccer (45% are soccer fans), many fan clubs in the large cities
- Corrida de toros: bull fights. Many people detest this, but if you can look at it from the
perspective of a Spaniard, you will soon draw the conclusion that this event belongs in the
Spanish culture. It is about various rituals that go along with it.
- Flamenco : 'Flamenco, Flamenco' can be considered to be the greatest exponent of Carlos
Saura's particular and personal way of producing musical cinema. This has enabled audiences
all around the world to enjoy our films and our art, through music, dancing and incredibly
beautiful singing.
- National lottery (Gordo de Navidad)
ONCE (Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles) : Spaniards are also gamblers. You can
find a lottery ticket salesman trying to lure you into buying a ticket for the ONCE on every
corner of the street. The gorde de navidad (a special Christmas lottery) has existed for over
twee centuries. Every year, on the 22th of December the numbers for this special lottery are
drawn
Chapter 1. Country and population
1.1 Geographical location
- Iberian Peninsula (Península Ibérica)
- Capital: Madrid
- The Balearic Islands (Las Islas Baleares):
Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and Cabrera
- The Canary Islands (Las Islas Canarias):
Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, la Gomera, la Palma and el Hierro
- Enclaves in Morocco: Cueta and Melilla
- Enclave in France: Llívia
1
1.2 Hydrography
- Most rivers are not of economic importance.
- Most important rivers (río): el Duero, el Tajo, La Guadiana, el Guadalquivir and el Ebro.
Furthermore, la Segura and el Júcar.
, - Galicia: Rías (fjords): narrow Rías Altas in the north and the wide and long Rías Bajas in the
south (Vigo).
1.3 Climate
Climate zones:
1. Atlantic Sea climate: soft summers, soft winters and can be found on North Coast of Spain
2. Mediterranean country climate: hot summers, cold winters and can be found in the centre
of Spain
3. Mediterranean Sea climate: hot summers and soft winters, can be found along the
Mediterranean Coast line of Spain
4. Subtropical climate: summer and winter practically the same, can be found on the Canary
Islands
2
1.4 Population: composition & spread
- Almost 47 million, due to a great growth after 1900
- Birth rate was very high during the Franco regime
- The birth rate is currently low, 1.31 children per woman
- Population is very unequally divided
1.5 Languages and dialects
- Spanish is spoken by more than 473 million people in 23 countries.
- Especially in South America (except for Brazil), the Guyana’s and in many states of the USA,
Spanish is an important language.
,Languages and dialects in Spain
4 languages:
- El castellano (Castilian)
- El catalán (Catalan)
- El Gallego (Gallician)
- El vasco o Euskara (Basque)
→Dialects: Andalusian, Aragonese.
During the regime of Franco, people were only allowed to speak the Castilian (Castellano)
1.6 Religion/Religious customs
3
Relegion and religious customs in Spain
- Fiestas: religious festivities e.g., Semana Santa (Holy week) in Sevilla and Zamora
- Feria: feast (market)
- Romería: pilgrimages to a sanctuary, chapel or holy statues. Usually with a picnic before and
a ball later afterwards (e.g., Camino de Santiago and la Romería del Rocío during Pentecost)
Camino de Santiago
- Pilgrimage
- The body of the Apostle James the Greater (Sanctus Jacobus > Sant lago > Santiago) was
brought to Spain from Jerusalem.
- Buried on the West Coast of Spain
, - A few centuries later, a shepherd saw a star (Estrella) above the field (campo) where the sain
James was buries
- Campo Estrella = Compostela
- From the middle ages onwards, many people have been wanting to make this journey at
least once in their lives.
Fiestas en España
- January 6th: Los Reyes Magos (Epiphany/ Three King’s Day)
- 12-19 March: Las Fallas in Valencia (mascletá)
- Week before Easter: Semana Santa
origin dates back to the second half of the sixteenth century, when the first cofradías were
founded (brotherhoods
- Pentecost: El Rocío
- July: Sanfermines in Pamplona
- July 25th: el día de Santiago
- October: Wine festivities
- 24/25 December: Christmas (misa de gallo, villancicos, belén, turron)
- December 31st: New Years Eve (Nochevieja, uvas)
1.7 Media
During Franco’s regime all press van censured. After his death, when the censorship was lifted, 115
newspapers appeared in Spain.
Largest newspapers in Spain:
- El País
- ABC
- El Mundo 4
- La Vanguardia
- El Periódico (Cataluña)
- El Correo Español (País Vasco)
As far as magazines are concerned, at the moment here are over 200 magazines in Spain. Something
that is also popular in Spain is reading Revistas del Corazón (tabloids), of which Hola, Semana,
Lecturas and Diez Minutos are the popular ones.
1.8 Leisure time
Leisure time of the Spaniards
- Soccer (45% are soccer fans), many fan clubs in the large cities
- Corrida de toros: bull fights. Many people detest this, but if you can look at it from the
perspective of a Spaniard, you will soon draw the conclusion that this event belongs in the
Spanish culture. It is about various rituals that go along with it.
- Flamenco : 'Flamenco, Flamenco' can be considered to be the greatest exponent of Carlos
Saura's particular and personal way of producing musical cinema. This has enabled audiences
all around the world to enjoy our films and our art, through music, dancing and incredibly
beautiful singing.
- National lottery (Gordo de Navidad)
ONCE (Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles) : Spaniards are also gamblers. You can
find a lottery ticket salesman trying to lure you into buying a ticket for the ONCE on every
corner of the street. The gorde de navidad (a special Christmas lottery) has existed for over
twee centuries. Every year, on the 22th of December the numbers for this special lottery are
drawn
