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Spain: An Overview

Introduction

For a long time, Spain has been one of the property buyer’s favourites. The second largest country in the EU, it offers something for everyone, from apartments set in busy tourist developments to tranquil farmhouses (fincas) located some 40km (roughly an hour’s drive) from the beach, lunch and a lazy afternoon in the sun.

According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, around 600,000 Britons now live in Spain. They enjoy a comfortable lifestyle in one of the friendliest countries in Europe. While the cost of living has climbed recently, Spain is still cheaper than the UK.

Many Britons live around the coasts (costas), but a move inland has begun among those buying property and seeking tranquillity and life among the Spanish.

Geography

Spain occupies approximately 80 per cent of the Iberian Peninsula. It has borders with France and Andorra to the north and Portugal to the west. In the middle of the country is an enormous plateau known as the Meseta Central, which consists of Madrid, Extremadura and La Mancha. In the south, the Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from North Africa by just 14km.

The Spanish Costas are: Costa Brava (from the French border to just north of Barcelona); Costa Dorada (from just south of Barcelona); Costa del Azahar (known as the Orange Blossom Coast); Costa Blanca (from Denia to La Manga); Costa Calida (from Aguilas, a few kilometres from the province of Almeria, to El Mojon on the boundary with Alicante); Costa del Sol (from Motril to Cadiz); and Costa de la Luz, which is divided into two sections: Costa de la Luz (Huelva Province) and Costa de la Luz (Cadiz Province).

Climate and weather

It’s perfectly possible to be skiing on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada in the morning and then enjoy a late lunch in the sun in Granada, just half an hour away, so varied is Spain’s climate. Many Britons choose to move to the Canary Islands because of their year-round sub-tropical springtime.

Mediterranean Spain’s summer runs from late April or early May until mid-September. The Costa Brava, at the north-eastern tip of Spain, is cooler than, for example, the Costa del Sol. However, it is the Costa Blanca that gets star billing from the World Health Organisation as one of the healthiest places in the world in which to live.

In Madrid, winter temperatures can easily drop below freezing, and in the summer, 40 degrees Centigrade is not unusual. The bonus is that humidity is low, making the extremes bearable.

History

One of the most significant events in Spanish history was the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. In 1479, Portugal had recognised the rights of Spain over the Canary Islands, and this became a launch pad for the Spanish state to conquer and occupy much of South America by the middle of the 16th century.

The following two centuries were a time of turmoil and wars. It was during the Peninsular War (1808–14), when the Spanish rose up, with British help, against French occupation, that Spanish nationality crystallised. By 1898, Spain had lost the last of its overseas colonies, but took Morrocco as a protectorate.

Spain remained neutral throughout the First World War. From 1936 to 1939, the country was engulfed by a civil war, in which it became a battleground for fascists and socialists from all over the world. General Francisco Franco succeeded in overthrowing the republican government and established a dictatorship that lasted until his death in 1975.

More pages

Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Spanish culture
Page 3: Natural beauty
Page 4: National holidays

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