Spain
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Capital
Madrid
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Local time
7:28
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Population
46.51 m
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Driving side
Right
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Calling code
+34
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Currency
€ EUR (euro)
Spain
-
Capital
Madrid
-
Local time
7:28
-
Population
46.51 m
-
Driving side
Right
-
Calling code
+34
-
Currency
€ EUR (euro)
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Average Salary
$ 2 341
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Petrol price
€ 1.63 pl
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Precipitation
636mm /year
Geography & travel
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Country Area
504 782 km2
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Protected Area
28%
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Forest Area
37%
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Agricultural area
53%
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Railways
15658km
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Annual air passengers
66.67 m
Population
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Ethnicity
Mediterranean and Nordic types
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Religion
Roman Catholic - 94 %
other - 6 %
other - 6 %
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Literacy rates
98.3%
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Languages
Spanish - 74 %
Catalan - 17 %
Galician - 7 %
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Armed Forces
199 950
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Murders
1 per 100k
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Alcohol consumption
10.6 l/person
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Smoking
31.3%
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Diabetes
7.7%
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Tuberculosis
12 per 100k
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HIV
0.4%
Economy
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Industries
textiles and apparel, food and beverages, metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products
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Agriculture
grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus, beef, pork, poultry
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Natural Resources
coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury
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Energy Import
69%
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Natural Resources
coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury
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Renewable Energy
17%
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CO2 Emissions
233 977kt
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Ease of Business
28 (Best=1, Worst=200)
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ATMs per 100k people
117
What not to do when visiting Spain
Spain Don't complain about smoking - smoking is widely accepted in Spain and some Spanish believe whoever complains about smoking is actually afraid of life.
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Spain Don't forget to shake hands with everyone, from the oldest to the kids, and expect a kiss on each cheek, a hug or a pat on the back. Many men use a two-handed shake where the left hand is placed on the right forearm of the other person.
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Spain Don't eat with your hands and when finished eating, put your knife and fork on your plate parallel with the handles facing to the right.
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Did you know?
Spain's largest source of income is from tourism.
Spain Don't dally watch the street entertainers, the pickpockets are there making a living too.
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Spain Don't make any aggression towards the elderly - it's not tolerated.
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Spain Don't forget to stay patient in informal meetings - the Spanish have a very relaxed view of leisure time, but not in business.
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Spain Don't forget to dress stylishly, but modestly. Wear nice accessories too.
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Spain Don't get involved with any drugs - it has severe penalties.
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Did you know?
The most common Spanish surname is Garcia.
Spain Don't try to go shopping at 3:30 pm, usually the small shops are closed between 2-5 pm. Only tourist goes shopping at local lunchtime.
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Spain Don't carry on your wallet in back pants pocket, don't leave your bags hanging on back of chairs.
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Spain Don't be surprised with late lunch and dinner times - no one goes out much before 10 pm to eat and drink. Try to have a light snack about 5pm to put you on.
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Spain Don't be so sure everyone is sleeping between 2-5 pm. Siesta is one of the biggest myths about Spain. It doesn't mean everyone is sleeping, even everything is closed. Maybe people are having calm meal with the family…
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Spain Don't forget to give a high quality gift, such as brandy or whiskey, and bring a small gift for children as well. Open your gift immediately when received.
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Did you know?
Spanish in parts of Spain is actually known as “Castilian”.
Spain Don't ignore the flag system of beach signs and warnings.
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Spain Don't rush or refuse to dine - it's important to business relationships in Spain.
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Spain Don't necessary talk about the religion - avoid crossing the line in this topic.
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Spain Don't always think noon is at 12pm. Noon (mediodia) means lunchtime, which could be anytime between 01:30 - 4 pm.
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Spain Don't worry about eating tapas that came with your drink - it's on the house, for free with your drink. No extra pay.
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Spain Don't stop for a plainclothes police officer at tourist places - it might be a scam.
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Spain Don't wear your swimwear on the streets.
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Tell us your experience
We love to hear from people who have travelled the world and know ‘what not to do’. Why not help other people on their travels?
Spain Don’t necessarily consume alcohol or expose alcohol consumption in the street - most cities have banned it.
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Spain Don't be surprised if you see some nudity on the beaches. It's not specifically banned, but they are some areas where it's prohibited - always check. There's also an official list of nude beaches (hundreds) around Spain.
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Spain Don't be surprised your hitchhiking is suddenly not working - it's very uncommon in Spain to contrary of other countries. You'll just wait longer…
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Spain Don't drink the hot chocolate - use it for dipping your crispy churros only.
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Spain Don't expect everyone speak proper Spanish across the country - they are different regions having its own dialect or even language like Catalan, Basque, Galician or Aranese.
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Europe Don’t forget to handshake when greeting (men). Women usually greet with light kisses on both cheeks (”air kisses” where you just touch cheeks and kiss the air), a handshake is common on first meeting. Eye contact is important.
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Europe Don't smack or slurp - it's not appreciated.
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Europe Don't avoid eye contact business and personal conversations. It's a sign of courtesy.
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Europe Don't enter buses, trains or similar before everyone who wants to get out has done so.
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Europe Don't forget to wear reflectors when riding a bike or walking at dark.
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Ibiza Don't leave your id card at hotel - you'll need to show it at the door to every club or party.
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Ibiza Don't buy tickets at the door.
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Ibiza Don't miss the day parties!
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Ibiza Don't wear the wrong shoes - golden rule says no flip flops nor high heels, to stay comfortable all time.
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Ibiza Don't sneak drinks into the clubs, better have as a pre-drink.
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Ibiza Don't try to walk home from Amnesia or Privilege - hop one of the frequent night buses or taxi. Stay safe.
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Ibiza Don't miss the best sunsets around sunset cafes.
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Ibiza Don't sleep on the beach.
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Ibiza Don't stay in San Antonio if you're over 30 - it's wild young person's scene these days.
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Tell us your experience
We love to hear from people who have travelled the world and know ‘what not to do’. Why not help other people on their travels?
Ibiza Don't show up to the clubs before midnight.
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