What do you think when the word Spain comes out in a conversation? You probably think of the outgoing culture, the stunning scenery, or the great foods. There’s a reason why it ranks as the third most visited country in the world by tourists – only after France and the USA. Here, you will read about five interesting facts about Spain that you might have no idea about.
Fun Facts about Spain You Probably Haven’t Heard Of Yet
So, let’s start with the question of where is Spain? It is a country located in Europe that’s famous for being a destination for vacation and backpacking. As it’s an extremely famous country, you may think that you know a lot about it, but here are five fascinating facts about Spain that are not known by plenty of people.
It is the home of the second most spoken language globally
Spanish is a language that’s spoken by more than 440 million native speakers globally, which makes it behind only Mandarin and even more popular than English. Even though the language was originated in Spain, it is also commonly spoken in the continent of American and some parts of Asia and Africa.
Now, even though the language is the official and the majority language of the country, there are actually four other officially recognized languages in this country, which are the Aranese, Basque, Catalan, and Galician. There is also other non-official, less commonly spoken language of Romance such as Aragonese and Astur-Leonese, which are probably the equivalent of how French is also spoken besides English in Canada.
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It has a total of 49 UNESCO World Heritage sites
As of August 2021, there’s a total of 49 UNESCO World Heritage sites in this country, which is only behind Germany (51), China (56), and Italy (58), and similar to France. 43 sites are categorized as cultural, 4 sites are natural, and the other 2 are considered a combination of natural and cultural sites.
To name some of the sites that are interesting in Spanish, the famous ones are the Tower of Hercules, Mosque of Cordoba, Real Alcazar, Sagrada Familia, Burgos Cathedral, and Alhambra. In addition, you can also find natural world heritage sites such as Monte Perdido (Pirineos) and Las Medulas.
It is the biggest olive oil producer in the world
When it comes to olive oil, you might think of countries like Greece or Italy. However, do you know that Spain is actually the number one olive oil producer throughout the world? In fact, olive oil is considered an environmental and landscape heritage that helps to shape the history, tradition, and culture of this country.
On average, about 1,400,000 tons of olive oil are sold each year by this country. 60% of those are shipped to the worldwide market.
The olive oil industry is amongst the most dynamic ones in the agriculture-food system there and serves and the main driver of the economy. Moreover, it sits in the third position of the most exported food product of the country.
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It hosts various awesome festivals
The next of the most interesting things in Spain are the festivals, which are born from the passionate, lively, and colorful culture of the country. Honestly, joining the traditional festivals is one of the best ways to experience the culture there.
Spain certainly doesn’t lack festivals. Each of them has an extremely unique vibe with remarkable customs and traditions that you may not be able to meet in another part of the world.
To name some, there is La Tomatina, where about 150,000 tomatoes are thrown during the festival. San Fermin festival is where you can try to be chased by bulls. Another fascinating festival is Las Fallas where you can watch giant statues burnt. In short, you will never have to encounter a boring moment in this country.
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It boasts an artistic streak
The last one of Spain’s facts is how the country has produced some of the greatest arts and artists over centuries. These range from the 17th-century artist Diego Velázquez to the modern, 20th century big names such as Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.
For those of you who have never been on a vacation that focuses on exploring art, then Spain can make an excellent starting point. In the main cities, you’d be able to find the most famous arts throughout the country, but even if you choose to look into smaller towns, there are tons of art buildings and galleries as well.
For example, in Madrid, you can step into the iconic Museo Del Prado that can be considered as amongst the best art examples in the country, while in Barcelona, there’s the Picasso Museum. If you’re interested in the combination of architecture and painting, then it is essential to visit the Dalí Theater and Museum located in Figueres.
Spain is a country that presents you with endless possibilities of interesting destinations. If you are ready to visit the place, then consider booking airplane tickets or reserve a hotel room from the website of Airpaz.com or through the Airpaz mobile application now.
