From the largest unfinished church in the world to the biggest annual food fight, these are the most interesting facts about Spain.
Fast facts
Official name: Kingdom of Spain
Population: 47,280,433 (2024 est.)
Area: 505,370 sq km
Capital city: Madrid
Major languages: Castilian Spanish (official nationwide), Catalan, Basque, Aranese
Major religions: Christianity (58.2% Roman Catholic), 37.5% agnostic, atheist or non-believer
Time zone: UTC+01:00 (Romance Standard Time)
Interesting facts about Spain
1. Spain is located in southwestern Europe and borders France, Andorra, Portugal, Gibraltar and Morocco.
2. Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth largest in the entire continent.
3. Spain’s border with Portugal is considered the longest uninterrupted border in Europe.
4. Evidence of the first known hunter-gatherers in Spain dates back to 800,000 years with the discovery of hominids on the Iberian Peninsula.
5. The Iberian Peninsula, which is often used to refer to Spain and Portugal, got its name from the Ebro River and the Iberians who occupied the land in the 6th century BC. A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water but connected to the mainland.
6. From approximately 1100 BC until the mid-3rd century BC, the Phoenicians and the Greeks colonized parts of Spain, and they were eventually displaced by the Romans and Carthaginians.
7. Muslims, who had consolidated their occupation of land from the mid-8th century, were conquered by Christian monarchs in 1492, the very year Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas.
8. The Spanish Empire was at its height in the 16th and 17th centuries as they made their mark in the Americas. Spain controlled much of South America, Central America, Florida, Cuba, and the Philippines by the 1550s, which aided the spread of Christianity.
9. By the 19th century, all the Latin American colonies had won their independence, and the Spanish-American War of 1898 ended Spanish rule in the Western Hemisphere, enabling the US to pursue its strategic and economic interests.
10. The Spanish Civil War (1936-39) resulted in the deaths of an estimated one million people, which led to a ruling dictatorship. In 1975, Spain transitioned to a democracy and joined the EU in 1986.
11. Europe’s only land border with Africa is in Spain, due to the territories it occupies: . Many people try to cross the Morocco-Ceuta border every year and go to extreme lengths to reach Spanish soil. Once a migrant enters the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa, they can claim political asylum or the status of an economic migrant. Some are deported.
12. As a constitutional monarchy, King Felipe VI of Spain celebrates 10 years as the head of state but has little role in the governance of the country.
13. The Spanish flag features three horizontal stripes: the top and bottom stripes are red, and the middle stripe is yellow. The yellow stripe is twice the height of each red stripe. On the left side of the yellow stripe, there’s a detailed coat of arms that includes a crowned shield divided into four quadrants, each representing different historic kingdoms of Spain. Flanking the shield are two columns, which symbolize the Pillars of Hercules, with a banner displaying the motto “PLUS ULTRA,” meaning “More Beyond,” indicating Spain’s imperial ambitions beyond Europe.
14. Spain has the fourth largest Spanish-speaking population in the world. Only Mexico, Colombia and Argentina have a larger number of speakers.
15. Restaurante Botín in Madrid is the oldest restaurant in the world, according to the Guinness World Book of Records. It was opened in 1725, but the building has existed since 1590. The four-floored restaurant has maintained its old interiors and its original firewood oven.
16. The Spanish town of Buñol hosts La Tomatina, a tomato-throwing event said to be the largest food fight in the world. With 27,000 pounds of tomatoes and up to 20,000 people who take part each year, the festival is nothing short of chaos.
17. Public nudity has been legal in Spain since 1988, except in certain areas such as Barcelona, which has had to clamp down on this law with its own regulations and fines. While nudity is usually confined to the beaches, a court backed the rights of a man walking around the streets of Valencia in the nip in 2023.
18. Alicante in Spain has an average of 349 hours of sunlight per month and has the highest number of sunshine hours in Europe.
19. Thanks to sunny and windy weather, Spain has optimal conditions for harnessing renewable energy sources. A renewable energy leader in Europe, Spain has launched a $2.5 billion USD plan in 2024 to support green hydrogen and move towards clean energy.
20. In 2023, 50.8% of Spain’s electricity came from renewable sources, a record for the country.
21. Spain is home to a staggering 50 World Heritage Sites and 32 properties on the tentative list as of 2024. Despite its size, Spain has the fifth highest number of World Heritage Sites in the world.
22. Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, or Sagrada Familia, is the largest unfinished church in the world. The church received a permit to continue its construction work in 2019, and it anticipates its completion by 2026.
23. In 2022, Spain had the highest unemployment rate in the EU (12.9 %).
24. Spain is regularly cited in surveys as having one of the best work-life balances in the world. With 26 days of statutory annual leave and a 37.8-hour average work week, Spain ranks fourth best among 41 countries surveyed by the OECD.
25. Spain has the second-best travel and tourism economy in the world after the United States, according to The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI).
26. Notable artists from Spain who had a huge influence on Western art include Salvador Dali (1904 – 1989) and Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973). Diego Velázquez was recognized as the leading Spanish painters of his era (1599–1750).
27. Spain has the highest child poverty rate in Western Europe, at a rate of 22.1% in 2017, according to a 2020 IMF-commissioned study. Over 26% of people in Spain were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2018, as reported by the United Nations.
28. Spain is known for its siesta, or “nap”, derived from the Latin word “sexta”, the 6th hour after dawn. At this time, agriculture workers would take a break from their work due to the intense heat. Many shops close for two or three hours, even to this day. In recent years, however, less than one-fifth of Spaniards take a break at this time.
29. Spain has the world’s richest lottery. Known as “El Gordo,” they hand out more than $2.8 billion USD in prizes.
30. San Fermin is a unique week-long festival in Spain, during which bulls are let loose in the streets of Pamplona. They follow a fenced route, and many people enjoy watching or running away from the bulls.
31. In 2022, Spain was the world’s largest exporter of a number of food items, including pig meat, olive oil, citrus fruit and cucumbers.
32. Flamenco, a popular form of dance, originated in southern Spain. The Andalusian Roma (Gypsies) are said to have brought it to the country.
33. Spain’s national anthem, known as Marcha Real, has no words at all, as the Spanish were never able to agree on the lyrics. Bosnia Herzegovina, San Marino and Kosovo are the only other countries that do not have lyrics.
Every effort has been made to verify these facts about Spain using primary sources. However, if you find an error or have any questions, please contact us.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.