Welcome to Spain...

Spain is located in southern Europe in the Iberian Peninsula together with Portugal. It has borders to France and Andorra in the north, to Portugal in the west and in the south it is only separated from Africa by the 15 km. wide Strait of Gibraltar. Apart from the Peninsula, Spain is made up by the Balearic Islands lying to the East of the peninsula, and by the Canary Islands, which are found more than 1,000 km. south of the Peninsula, just off the coast of Africa. Two Spanish cities (Ceuta and Melilla) located in the north of Africa also form part of the nation.

The climate in Spain has a great diversity. In the North of Spain lies the green and rainy part of the country. Along the whole coastline to the south and east of Spain you find a very dry zone with high average temperatures all year around. Lastly the climate in the central part of Spain varies from dry and hot in the summer to cold and rainy/snowy in the winter. The Spanish population is concentrated in the cities near the coastal regions, with exception of Madrid and a few other cities. The costal regions are as well the most popular destination for the many tourists visiting Spain each year. The tourist comes to Spain to experience the sun, the food and hospitality as well as to discover the country''s rich heritage of monuments and sights, the imprint of the different civilisations, share in the local fiestas and traditions and to study the customs and language.