Spain

Madrid serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Spain, positioned in Southern Europe. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Madrid became Spain's capital in 1561 when Philip II chose it for its central geography rather than any prior grandeur, and the Prado Museum — containing Velázquez's Las Meninas and Goya's Black Paintings — is housed in a building originally designed as a natural history museum, an accident of repurposing that produced one of Europe's great art institutions.

With a population of approximately 47.4M, Spain is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is Spanish, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Spain is reached via the dialling code +34. Spaniards observe the sobremesa — the extended period of conversation after a meal when the table is not cleared and no one leaves — as a social institution so entrenched that business lunches routinely run three hours and the concept of rushing a meal is treated as a minor social failure.

Spain spans 505,992 km², in the Southern Europe subregion of Europe. Geographically centred around 40.0°N, 4.0°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Europe convention.

The official currency is the euro (€), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Spain's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

The emblematic dish of Spain is Paella. Paella originated in the Valencia region as a midday meal for agricultural workers, cooked over wood fire with rabbit, snails and whatever vegetables the season offered — the seafood version now ubiquitous in tourist restaurants is a coastal adaptation that Valencians regard with undisguised suspicion.

Football holds a special place in the heart of Spain's national identity. Spain's football national team won three consecutive major tournaments — Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012 — a tiki-taka dominance built on FC Barcelona's La Masia academy system and a generation of players including Xavi, Iniesta and Villa that transformed possession football into a tactical doctrine studied globally.

The highest point in Spain is Teide, rising to 3,718 metres above sea level. The Picos de Europa, in Asturias and Cantabria, rise to 2,650 metres from a coastline just 15 kilometres away — a compression of landscape so dramatic that it shapes local microclimates, produces a dense network of canyon walking routes, and supports the Iberian brown bear population in its last viable habitat.