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Spain shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal and is bordered to the north by the Pyrenees, which separate Spain from France . The Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera), lie120 miles to the southeast of Barcelona, and the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa and the tiny enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on the north African mainland are all part of Spain.
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With the exception of Switzerland , mainland Spain is the highest and most mountainous country in Europe , with an average height of 2000ft. The Pyrenees stretch roughly 250 miles from the Basque Country in the west to the Mediterranean Sea with peaks rising to over 5000ft.
The main physical feature of Spain is the vast central plateau, or Meseta , divided by several chains of sierras. The higher northern area includes Castille and León, the southern section comprises Castile/La Mancha and Extremadura. In the south the plateau drops abruptly at the Sierra Morena, beyond which lies the valley of Guadalquivir . Southeast of Granada is the Sierra Nevada, part of the Betic Cordillera, which runs parallel to the Mediterranean , rising to 3481m (11,420ft) and the highest point on the Spanish peninsula. The Mediterranean coastal area reaches from the French frontier in the northeast down to the Straits of Gibraltar, the narrow strip of water linking the Mediterranean with the Atlantic and separating Spain from North Africa.
Spain is effectively a number of separate autonomous regions each with its own local government, language and culture. Each embraces a rich cultural heritage from the Moorish influences of the South with its impressive Palaces and Mosques of Seville, Granada and Cordoba , to the northern Galician culture which can trace its ancestry to the Celtic origins (they even play the bagpipes). Ask someone from Barcelona if they are Spanish and more often than not that will reply that they are not Spanish but Catalan! This intense rivalry can best be seen when watching football and the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid has to be seen to be believed.
The Spanish people are a passionate people who wear their hearts on their sleeves. Lives are dominated by a passion for partying and ‘tapas' on an evening are established part of their daily lives. A deeply religious nation folklore is very much alive and there is always some form of festival occurring. It is almost impossible for a visitor to be anywhere in the country for more than a fortnight without something taking place. Fiestas, Saints' Days, Romerías (picnics to religious shrines) and Verbenas (night festivals on the eve of religious holidays) are all celebrated with great spirit and energy. Holy Week is probably the best time of year to visit for celebrations and it is then that the individuality of each region's style of pageantry is best revealed.
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