Spain

Spain / is a member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered on the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for the small land border with the British overseas territory of Gibraltar

Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla. Moreover, the Spanish municipality of Yivia is located as an enclave within French territory. Its area is 504,030 km², thus it is the second largest country in terms of area in Western Europe and the European Union after France

Spain is bordered on the west by Portugal, while on the south it is bordered by Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory) and Morocco by the enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Gamira Island in North Africa. In the northeast, and along the Pyrenees mountain range, it is bordered by France and the Principality of Andorra

Spain also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, and a number of uninhabited islands on the Mediterranean side of the Strait of Gibraltar, known as Platas de Sobirania, meaning the sovereign sites, such as the Isles of Echevarne, the Isle of El Barran, Al Hoceima Rock and the Island of Tora. Along the Pyrenees in Catalonia, a small town called Livia is tucked away in French territory. As for the island of Los Ficanes in the Bidasoa River, it is under joint Spanish-French rule

The Spanish mainland is dominated by high plateaus and mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada. Several major rivers extend from these heights, such as the Tagus River, Abra, Douro, the Yana River and Wadi Kabir. Alluvial plains are found along the coast, the largest of which is in the Kabir Canyon in Andalusia

Due to the location of Spain and the division of its terrain, three main climatic zones can be observed. The first is the Mediterranean climate zone, which is characterized by dry and warm summers. According to the Cobain climate classification, this climatic zone is the predominant in the peninsula with two types: the typical Mediterranean climate found in most parts of the country, and the Mediterranean Galician climate (Galicia and Northwest Castile), where the summer is less hot due to the region's proximity to the ocean or because of the altitude. The surface of the sea

The semi-arid climate is found in the southeastern quarter of the country, especially in the Murcia region and in the Abra Valley. In contrast to the Mediterranean climate, the dry season extends beyond the summer. The third climatic region is the oceanic climate, which is characterized by summer and winter temperatures that are affected by ocean currents, and there is no seasonal drought

In the coastal strip near the Basque Country and Asturias and in some highlands, there is a "southern" type only slightly higher, where summer temperatures are slightly higher (average temperatures in July are between 20-22 ° C (68.0-71.6 ° F) and exceed hurricanes. Northwestern Europe) - (July average temperatures are 21 ° C (69.8 ° F) in Santander, versus 16 ° C (60.8 ° F) in Brest or Liverpool)

For some authors, Galicia also has an oceanic climate, due to the lower temperatures in summer than in the typical Mediterranean climate. However, forest fires often break out in northwest Spain due to droughts in the summer, and the sun shines for longer periods than areas affected by a typical oceanic climate

Spain's recent economic growth has benefited greatly from the global real estate boom, with the construction sector accounting for an astonishing 16% of GDP and job security for 12% of employment in its last year. According to calculations by German newspaper Die Welt, Spain was on track to overtake countries like Germany in per capita income by 2011

Nevertheless, the downside of the dissolved real estate boom has been high levels of personal debt as homeowners have struggled to make payments, and the average household debt level has tripled in less than a decade. This has put a lot of pressure on the middle and lower income classes. By 2005 the debt to average income ratio had reached 125%, primarily due to the cost of mortgages that often exceeded the actual value of real estate

During the past four decades, the Spanish tourism industry has grown to become the second largest tourism sector in the world, with a value of about 40 billion euros, or nearly 5% of the GDP in 2006. Its climate, historical and cultural attractions, its geographical location in addition to its facilities, contribute to making tourism an industry Major in Spain and to be a great source of stable employment. Spain's star hotel rating system has more requirements than other European countries, which makes Spanish hotels more valuable

Spanish architecture refers to the architecture carried out during any era in what is now Spain, and by Spanish architects all over the world. This term includes buildings within the current geographical boundaries of Spain even before the current name was given, whether it was called Hispania or Andalusia, or during the rule of the Christian kingdoms

Due to the historical and geographical diversity of the country, the Spanish architecture is diverse and has gone through a range of Romanesque, Gothic and Andalusian influences. The Romans founded the city of Cordoba and its vast infrastructure, as Cordoba became a cultural capital that later incorporated the fine Andalusian architectural style during the rule of the Umayyad Empire. The next Andalusian architectural style continued to develop under the rule of the successive Andalusian dynasties, which ended with the Bani Nasr, who built the famous palace complex called Al Hamra in Granada