Transcript Document

San Sebastián
San Sebastían, founded in 1524, is a resort city on the Bay of Biscay in northern
Spain. A major fishing port, the city is also known for its scenic beach, La Concha
(“The Seashell”).
Madrid
Madrid, the largest city in Spain, is the country’s capital as well as a financial center
and a growing metropolis. The incorporation of industrial suburbs into the city’s
limits has increased Madrid’s manufacturing base; it now competes with Barcelona
for the status of Spain’s main
La Mancha
Windmills dot the landscape in the region of La Mancha, Spain. The area is known as
the land of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, characters in a novel by Spanish author
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Considered the first modern novel, it was published in
the early 17th century and was set in La Mancha.
Arc del Triomf , Barcelona
The capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, Barcelona serves as the country’s leading
commercial and industrial city. Barcelona grew from a central area, once surrounded
by walls, called the Barri Gòtic. Designed by Josép Vilaseca, the red brick Arc del
Triomf lies to the east of the Barri Gòtic.
Barcelona Harbor
Barcelona is the industrial center of Spain. Its shipyards have played an important
role in the city’s economy throughout its history.
Córdoba
The Moorish influence in Córdoba, Spain, dates from the 8th century, when it became
a Muslim caliphate. The city’s Moorish architecture includes the cathedral, originally
an impressive mosque
Cadaqués, Spain
Situated on the Costa Brava, in the Spanish region of Catalonia, the ancient fishing
port of Cadaqués is today a popular Mediterranean tourist destination.
Biblioteca Nacional, Spain
Spain’s Biblioteca Nacional (National Library), founded in 1712, is located in the city
of Madrid. The library contains almost every book ever published in Spain along with
an art collection and archives.
Toledo, Spain
The medieval city of Toledo is situated on a high hill above the Tajo River in central
Spain. Toledo was the capital of the Visigothic kingdom in Spain. The city has narrow
winding streets and contains many historic sites.
Alhambra in Granada
The Alhambra complex sits on a hill at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range
in Granada, Spain. The Alhambra is made up of three distinct areas: a fortress known
as the Alcazaba, extensive gardens called the Generalife, and the royal palace.
Gran Via , Madrid
The Gran Via is a major thoroughfare in Madrid, Spain. Cinemas, tourist shops, and
fast-food restaurants line the street, which passes through Madrid’s show business
area.
Zaragoza
The 17th-century El Pilar Cathedral looms over a bridge spanning the Ebro River in
the Spanish city of Zaragoza. The city’s name is a corruption of Caesaraugusta, the
Roman name for the settlement.
Castle of Simancas, Spain
The castle of Simancas is located near the city of Valladolid, Spain. It was built as a
defensive fortress and was later converted into a prison. At the end of the 15th
century, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V bought the castle, and their
grandson, Charles, later converted it into the royal archive. It contains more than 30
million documents dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
The Alcázar, Seville
Traces of the centuries of Moorish rule in Spain remain throughout Seville. The
Alcázar, shown here, is a royal palace built by the Moors in 1181. A Christian king
financed the project, importing the raw materials for construction from territories his
armies had pillaged. Today the Alcázar serves as the Spanish monarchs’ official
residence in Seville.
Ebro River Delta
The Ebro River of northeastern Spain empties into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a
large delta area. The delta has fertile soil for cultivation and also features many
wetlands that support migratory birds and other species of wildlife.
Madrid’s Plaza Mayor
Built during the reign of Philip III in the early 17th century, the Plaza Mayor was
used for a variety of activities, including bullfights, executions during the Inquisition,
and festivals. Today it is one of Madrid’s main tourist attractions.
Bullfight in Jerez
The modern bullfight is much the same as it was in the early 1700s, when the sword
and the cape were introduced to this ancient practice. The spectacle is part of the
Spanish festival tradition, and thus is elevated above the status of spectator sport. This
matador taunts a bull before an audience at a bullring in Jerez, a city in southern
Spain. The intensity of the crowd’s response depends on the fluidity and dexterity of
the matador’s movements and on how closely the matador approaches the bull.
Seville, Spain
The city of Seville in Spain is situated on the Guadalquivir River. It is known for its
architecture such as this tower, dating from the Middle Ages. Seville’s most famous
landmark is the 15th-century Gothic cathedral, the tower of which can be seen rising
in the distance.
Spanish Empire
By colonizing the Americas, Spain became one of the richest and most powerful
countries of the 16th century. At the height of its power in 1588, the Spanish Empire
included the West Indies, Cuba, Florida, Mexico, Central America, much of South
America, and the Philippines.
Spread of Islam
In the 7th and 8th centuries the religion of Islam spread through conversion and
military conquest throughout the Middle East and North Africa. By 733, just 100 years
after the death of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, an ordered Islamic state
stretched from India in the east to Spain in the west.
Ruins of Numantia, Spain
This photograph shows the ruins of the Celtiberian city of Numantia, near the modern
city of Soria, Spain. In one of the most famous episodes in the ancient history of the
Iberian peninsula, the city fell to the Romans in 133 BC, after almost two decades of
resisting capture.
Nationalist Troops in Spain
In 1936 a group of military leaders tried to overthrow Spain’s elected government,
beginning the Spanish Civil War. Together with their supporters, such as the troops
shown here, they became known as the Nationalists.
Spanish Civil War Poster
Colorful and dramatic
posters were a
trademark of
propaganda during the
Spanish Civil War.
Anarcho-syndicalist
groups used this one
to build morale among
the Spanish working
class in their fight
against what they
called “the military
bully.”
Francisco Franco Salutes a Crowd
During the Spanish
Civil War, General
Francisco Franco was
the leader of the
Nationalist forces
that fought to
overthrow Spain’s
elected government.
As a result of the
Nationalist victory in
1939, Franco became
el Caudillo (the
leader) of Spain and
ruled the country
until his death in
1975.
Juan Carlos I
Dictator Francisco Franco
groomed Juan Carlos to
succeed him as leader of
Spain, designating him
heir to the throne in
1969. Juan Carlos became
king of Spain in 1975
after Franco’s death, and
he began instituting
gradual democratic
reforms, including a
popularly approved
constitution. The 1978
constitution empowers
the monarch to command
the armed forces, select
the prime minister,
convene and dissolve
parliament, and approve
laws.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
José Luis Rodríguez
Zapatero, leader of the
Socialist Workers’ Party,
was elected prime
minister of Spain in March
2004. One of his first
decisions as prime
minister was to withdraw
Spanish soldiers from
Iraq, where they had
been supporting the USled occupation.