Spain

Land of the rabbits, cradle of empires.

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth-most populous European Union member state. Spanning the majority of the Iberian Peninsula, its territory also includes the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid.

Quick Facts

Key era

1974–2012

Major trophy clash

2010 FIFA World Cup Final

Legendary dutch figures

Johan Cruyff
Marco van Basten
Ruud Gullit

Legendary spanish figures

Luis Suárez
Xavi
Andrés Iniesta

Defining venue

Soccer City (2010)

Lore & Background

In early antiquity, the Iberian Peninsula was inhabited by Iberians, Celts, and other pre-Roman peoples. The Roman conquest created the province of Hispania, which became Romanised and Christianised. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Visigoths established a kingdom. In the early 8th century, most of the peninsula was conquered by the Umayyad Caliphate. The northern Christian kingdoms launched the Reconquista, culminating with the fall of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. The dynastic union of the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon in 1479 under the Catholic Monarchs is often seen as the de facto unification of Spain.

Reader's Guide

Spain is a secular parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with King Felipe VI as head of state. The official language at the national level is Spanish, the world's second-most spoken native language, although other regional languages have co-official status in their respective autonomous communities.