Portal:Spain
THE SPAIN PORTAL
EL PORTAL DE ESPAÑA
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Spain (Spanish: España), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España), is a country in southern Europe. It is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. The country consists of Peninsular Spain which is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, two archipelagos, one in each sea, and two autonomous cities in North Africa. The mainland area of Spain is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the southern and eastern areas, the Cantabric Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Spain is organised as a parliamentary democracy and is a constitutional monarchy. Spain has been a member of the European Union since 1986 and is a developed country, with the ninth largest economy in the world and fifth largest in the EU. With an area of 504,030 km², Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe (behind France).
Spain flourished under the Roman empire Hispania, thus becoming one of the Empire's most important regions at the time. During the times of the Middle Ages, Spain was under Germanic rule, only later to come under the rule of the Islamic caliphate. Spain emerged as a unified country in the 15th century, following the completion of the reconquest of the Iberian peninsula in 1492. It has been an important source of influence to other regions, chiefly during the Modern Era, when it became a global empire that has left a legacy of over 500 million Spanish speakers today, making it the world's second most spoken first language.
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The Libro de los Juegos, ("Book of games"), or Libro de axedrez, dados e tablas, ("Book of chess, dice and tables", in Old Spanish) was commissioned by Alfonso X of Castile, Galicia and León and completed in his scriptorium in Toledo in 1283, is an exemplary piece of Alfonso’s medieval literary legacy.
The book consists of ninety-seven leaves of parchment, many with color illustrations, and contains 150 miniatures. The text is a treatise that addresses the playing of three games: a game of skill, or chess; a game of chance, or dice; and a third game, backgammon, which combines elements of both skill and chance. The book contains the earliest known description of these games. These games are discussed in the final section of the book at both an astronomical and astrological level. Examining further, the text can also be read as an allegorical initiation tale and as a metaphysical guide for leading a balanced, prudent, and virtuous life. In addition to the didactic, although not overly moralistic, aspect of the text, the manuscript’s illustrations reveal a rich cultural, social, and religious complexity.
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Active windmills shown turning in La Mancha. The area is now famous for its windmills and scenic views.
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Joan Lluís Vives (6 March 1492 - 6 May 1540) was a Spanish scholar and humanist. Vives was born in Valencia. As a child, he saw his father, grandmother and great-grandfather, as well as members of their wider family, executed as Judaizers at the behest of the Spanish Inquisition; his mother was acquitted but died of the plague when he was 15 years old.[1] Shortly thereafter, he left Spain never to return.
He studied at Paris from 1509 to 1512, and in 1519 was appointed professor of humanities at the University of Leuven. At the insistence of his friend Erasmus, he prepared an elaborate commentary on Augustine's De Civitate Dei, which was published in 1522 with a dedication to Henry VIII of England. Soon afterwards, he was invited to England, and acted as tutor to the Princess Mary, for whose use he wrote De ratione studii puerilis epistolae duae (1523) and, ostensibly, De Institutione Feminae Christianae, on the education of girls.
Did you know?
- ...that the Spanish National Badminton Championships is a tournament organised Federación Española de Bádminton to crown the best badminton players in Spain?
- ...that Francisco Abreu won both the 1973 German Open and the 1976 Madrid Open?
- ...that the former mining railway which previously linked La Camocha to Veriña now operates as a La Camocha Greenway for hikers and cyclists.
- ...that the Canary Island Pine (pictured) cannot withstand low temperatures or hard frost?
In the news
- 18 June 2018 – Corruption in Spain
- Iñaki Urdangarin, brother-in-law of King Felipe VI of Spain, enters prison to serve the sentence of almost 6 years for the Nóos case. (La Vanguardia)
- 15 June 2018 – 2018 FIFA World Cup
- Cristiano Ronaldo scores a hat-trick achieving Portugal's 3–3 draw against Spain. (Reuters)
- 13 June 2018 – 2018 FIFA World Cup
- Julen Lopetegui is ousted as coach of Spanish national football team, one day before the 2018 FIFA World Cup. (The Guardian)
- 11 June 2018 – European migrant crisis
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announces that he will allow a migrant vessel carrying 629 rescued migrants, including children and pregnant women, to dock in Valencia after Malta and Italy both refused the vessel. (BBC)
- 10 June 2018 – Basque nationalism, Politics of Spain
- Tens of thousands of Basque nationalists form a 202-kilometre (126 mi) human chain asking for greater autonomy. (BBC)
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| “ | When you want to make it clear to the rest of the world that you are not an imperialist, the best countries to have with you are Britain and Spain. | ” |
Featured content
Battle of Bicocca • Battle of Ceresole • El Greco • Italian War of 1521–1526 • Lince (tank) • Salvador Dalí • Same-sex marriage in Spain • T-26 • War of the League of Cambrai • Verdeja (tank) • War of the Spanish Succession
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- Related projects
WikiProject Basque • WikiProject Catalan-speaking Countries • WikiProject Galicia • Spanish Translation of the Week
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Spain topics
| History | Roman Spain | Spanish Empire | Francoism | Modern Spain |
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| Geography | Cities | Islands | Municipalities | Comarcas | Provinces |
| Government | Constitution | Foreign relations | Military | Elections | Autonomous Communities | Honours |
| Politics | Political parties (PSOE, PP, Podemos, Ciudadanos) | Elections | Prime Minister |
| Economy | Companies | Communications | Transport | Central Bank | European System of Central Banks | Stock Exchange |
| Culture | Bullfighting | Spanish language | Cinema | Cuisine | Education | Literature | Music | Holidays | Public broadcasting | Football | Wine |
| Society | Demographics | Spanish |
| Miscellaneous | Time in Spain |
Related portals
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| Crown of Aragon | Galicia | Basque | Catalan-speaking countries | Europe | European Union | Latin America | New Spain |
