Spanish History 101

Okay, so my apologies for not writing this blog at the very beginning. Yesterday, I went to lunch with my two teachers from elementary school (I was lucky to have two in five years!), my elementary school computer teacher, and my elementary school principal. During our conversation, someone asked me about Spain and Madrid. So today's blog is going to be my attempt to give a brief history lesson.

Spain is the world's 51st-largest country. Slightly smaller than France, but larger than California. It borders France and Andorra to the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the northwest, Portugal to the West, Gilbraltar and Morocco to the south and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. Madrid has a Continental Mediterranean climate - an odd mix of cold, but mostly dry winters, and hot, dry summers. Because of it's inland location and altitute, there isn't much of an influence from the oceans on Madrid's weather.

Spain is a country that is rich in history. The Moors had a huge influence in southern Spain, something you will find evident is towns like Cordoba. Perhaps the epitome of the Moorish influence in Spain would be the Alhambra, a sprawling palace that sits high in the mountains of Granada. There are also signs of Roman architecture in Spain. Several Roman theatres have been excavated in towns like Zaragoza and Merida.

For centuries, Spain was one of the most powerful empires in the world. After all, it was King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel that sent Christopher Columbus on his journey in which he accidentally discovered the New World. Because of its position in between the Atlantic Ocean, Strait of Gilbraltar, and the Mediterranean, Spain was a naturally heavy-fortified country. No wonder the 1588 defeat of the Spanish Armada was such a turning point in history.

Now let's fast foward to present-day Spain. After being ruled for hundreds of years by various monarchs, Francisco Franco began his dictatorship in 1936. Spain broke out in Civil War for the next three years and saw over half a million of its citizens killed. In fact, Madrid was the first European country to be bombed by aircraft. Following Franco's death in 1975, King Juan Carlos I, Franco's hand-picked successor became the leader of Spain. However, unlike his predecesor, Juan Carlos embraced democracy. Since 1978, Spain is comprised of autonomous communities. Spain's national government is very similar to the American government. Think of the autonomous communities as states - each with a separate leader, governing body, and rules. Spain is led by a Prime Minister. However, it is the virtually powerless King who is considered the most important person in all of Spain who acts as head of state in interactions with other leaders. You won't find Jose Luis Zapatero, the prime minister at the White House. Confused? Remember that it was the King and Queen that Michelle and Sasha Obama visited on their trip to Spain, not the prime minister. But once again, know that the King has no power. The power lies in the Spanish National Assembly. To further complicate matters, autonomous communities such as Cataluna, Basque, and Galicia have their own regional languages and would like to separate themselves from Spain and form their own country.

This is Spanish history in a nutshell. I will try and post a blog on Madrid later.