A country of contrasts. Of fiestas and festivals that carpet the streets in flowers, fire, and blood—from the running of the bulls to the bonfires of St. John to concerts and ballet in the gardens of the caliphs. A country of visually arresting cities, modern art forms and ancient monuments. Where the landscape ranges from tropical islands to hidden hill towns and Roman cities. Where snow-capped mountains exude serenity and nightclubs thump on past dawn, and the capital city alone is home to more than 50 museums.  Homeland of the flamenco, Picasso and Don Quixote, as well as an evolving cuisine whose contemporary practitioners are as daring and celebrated as any on the planet, Spain's 19 autonomous communities and 50 provinces are fiercely proud of their traditions.
Today, Spanish is the second most-used language in international communications. Nearly 430 million people speak Spanish worldwide, 413 million as a first language. The U.S. Spanish-speaking community ranks as the fifth-largest in the world at about 28 million, behind Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Colombia. We bring you articles and links that will help you discover Spain's rich cultural legacy:
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| Certain images instantly evoke Spain: an idealistic knight tilting at windmills; a gypsy-infused guitar lending voice to the rhythmic clapping and staccato heel tapping of flamenco; the blood-red cape of a torero goading a champion bull; a spirited ¡Olé! |
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| Spain by the numbers: Its geography, people, government and economy, as well as statistics and facts on religion, language, communications and more. |
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| From paella to tapas to the cheeses of La Mancha, Spanish cuisine is truly wondrous in scope. Here are some recipes to try at home, plus a compendium of cookbooks to expand your knowledge of Spain's wines and culinary treasures. |
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| Take a virtual tour of the motherland, from the northern provinces of Santander and La Coruña to the Moorish influence of Alhambra, the capital, Madrid, and Barcelona, Alicante and Málaga on the Mediterranean coast. |
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| Get to know Spain! From where to go and what to do to how to get there, here is must-have information to guarantee a perfect trip. |
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| Whether you want to bring a piece of Spain home with you or are itching to visit, it's all on the World Wide Web! |
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