Professional Documents
Culture Documents
AMY REINHARD
JESSICA KINSEY
Geography
Location:
Southwestern Europe
Bordering the Mediterranean
Sea, North Atlantic Ocean,
Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees
Mountains
Southwest of France
Climate
Temperate Zone
4 Types
Continental
Majority of Peninsula
Maritime
Northern Part of the country
Mild winters but not extremely hot summers
Sub-Tropical
Canary Islands
Mediterranean
Climate
Cantabrian Mountains
Dry Spain
Complex weather
Hot Summers and Cold Winters
Population
2014: 47,737,941
Country Comparison to World: 29
Growth Rate: .81%
Country Comparison to World: 135
Net Migration Rate: 7.24 migrants/1,000 population
Country Comparison to World: 19
Unemployment (ages 15-24): 53.2%
Country Comparison to World: 5
Obesity Rate: 26.6%
Country Comparison to World: 45
Population
Population
Ethnic Groups:
Mediterranean and Nordic
Languages:
Castilian Spanish: 74%
Catalan: 17%
Galician: 7%
Basque: 2%
Regions
Asturias
Andalusia
Aragon
Balearic Islands
Basque Country
Canary Islands
Cantabria
Regions
Castile-La Mancha
Saffron production- 70% of worlds
production
Must be gathered in one day- or loss of flavor
Castile-Leon
Catalonia
Extremadura
Country-style pork, lamb, and varieties of sausage
Home of Iberian Pig
Good climate for growth of mushrooms- Huge exporters
Galicia
Seafood
La Rioja
Wine
Regions
Madrid
Murcia
One main area of citrus production
Spain grows largest number of citrus
varieties in the world
Navarra
Home of Pimientos del paquillo
Valencia
The Pyrenees
Regions
Major Religions
Roman Catholic- 94%
Other- 6%
Economy
Prolonged recession
since 1986
Tax Revenue: Decreasing
2012 Debt: $2.278 trillion
Economy
Population below poverty line: 21.1%
Budget: 2013
Exports: 2013
$458 billion
Country Comparison to world: 14
Imports:
$431 billion
Country Comparison to world: 14
Government
Parliamentary Monarchy
Capital: Madrid
Independence: 1492
Legal System:
Civil Law System-Regional Variations
Government
Executive Branch:
Chief of State: King Juan Carlos
Head of Government: President Mariano Rajoy
Cabinet: Counsel of Ministers selected by the president
Legislative Branch: General Courts
Senate
Congress of Deputies
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Court
National Court, High Courts of Justice, provincial courts,
courts of first instance
Brief History
1100 B.C.- Phoenicians arrive in South creating one
History cont.
Moors came from Africa invading the Peninsula
Resided in South and Central Spain
Provided advanced agricultural technology
Spices, Fruits, and Vegetables
Food History
Spain is surrounded by water, connects to France,
production
Settlement by Romans: Iberico ham
Moor Arrival 18th Century: Introduced spices
(saffron), cane, sugar, eggplants, rice
Penelope Casas
Known for introducing Americans to Spanish food in
the 80s
Madrid
Created cookbooks
Won several awards from the Spanish
Government
Customs
Bullfighting: Evolution of
Meal Pattern
Spread meals throughout the day
Walk between meals
Take time eating
Meal Pattern
Breakfast: Smallest meal of the day
Coffee, toast and jam
Eaten at home or workers hit the cafeteria around 10:00 for
coffee break
Tapas: Little Spanish Meals
Eaten well after breakfast, but before lunch
Finger foods, warm or cold, vary by season
Patatas bravas, Spanish omelet, shrimp
Tapas Time: Bar hopping
Different Tapa at every stop
Socializing time
Meal Pattern
La Comida (Lunch): Largest meal of the day
Multiple courses with wine
Eaten between 1:30-3:00
2-3 hour break from work or school to enjoy lunch and take a
nap
Country closes shop from 2:00-4:30 or 5:00
Bean soup, Salad, Seafood, Chicken, Potatoes, Flan, Coffee
Bread is always on the table to soak up various sauces because
it is plentiful and fresh
Meal Pattern
Siesta:
Tradition that goes back centuries
People worked in agriculture and did not have air
conditioning, so large meal was needed to refuel and rest was
needed from the hot sun
La Merienda (Snack):
Dinner isnt eaten for 5-6 hours after lunch
Bread with chorizo sausage or ham
Eaten around 4:30 or 5:00
Meal Pattern
La Cena (Dinner): Smaller than
lunch
After Dinner:
Weekend socializing
Up until 3 or 4 in the morning
Churros and hot chocolate
Beverages
Coffee
Hot Chocolate: Made from fresh, whole milk
Beer
Mahou
San Miguel
winter
Beef, Pork, Lamb: Prefer veal and pig
vegetables as snacks
Legumes: Beans and chickpeas are staple foods
Nuts: Top producer of almonds, hazelnuts, and
walnuts
Herbs/Spices: Garlic, oregano, onion, thyme, and
rosemary
Patatas Bravas
8 pounds potatoes
salt, to taste
3 1/8 quarts olive oil
3 1/8 quarts tomato sauce
3 1/8 tablespoons mustard
2 1/16 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
2 1/16 tablespoons Spanish paprika
References
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world
factbook/geos/sp.html
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/culture-customs-spain14450.html
http://spainguides.com/climate.spain.html
http://www.mapsofworld.com/spain/climate-inspain.html
http://www.donquijote.co.uk/blog/traditional-spanishdrinks
http://www.foodsfromspain.com/gastronomia/history/h
istory01_portada.html
http://www.enforex.com/culture/spanish-eatingcustoms.html
References
http://www.spanish-web.com/regions/
http://www.spain.info/en/reportajes/pirineos_de_espa
na_un_gran_dominio_esquiable.html
http://www.insightguides.com/destinations/europe/spai
n/cultural-features/spanish-regional-food
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/discoverspanishfood/
a/spain_meals.htm
http://www.tienda.com/
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/discoverspanishfood/
a/introtospanfood.htm
References
http://www.ethnic-spicy-food-and-
more.com/historyofspanishfood.html
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/discoverspanishfo
od/a/SpanCuisineGenl.htm
http://www.grubstreet.com/2013/08/penelopecasas-dies.html
http://www.tienda.com/reference/askpenelope.html