1. Spain is the only European country that has a physical border with an African country

We start with one of the most fun geographical facts about Spain: it has a land border, not a maritime one, with an African country. That country is Morocco. How is it possible? Because Spain maintains a small enclave on the African continent called Ceuta.

This city has had strategic importance since the first millennium BC, and has passed through many different hands before arriving in Spain in 1668.

2. Spanish is the second most spoken native language in the world

With more than 570 million Spanish speakers, Spanish is the second most spoken language after Mandarin Chinese. Spain, most Latin American countries and Equatorial Guinea have Spanish as (one of) their official languages. A total of 21 nations speak Spanish daily.

3. Spain is the third country in the world with the highest number of places declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO

There are 49 UNESCO World Heritage Sites spread across Spain, from entire historic centers to bridges, buildings and prehistoric rock art.

4. Spain has a lot of islands

On any itinerary through Spain, you will come across some beaches. It is not only the Iberian Peninsula where you will find Spanish territory. In the Mediterranean are the famous Balearic Islands, among which is the famous island of Ibiza, and in the Atlantic Ocean, the Canary Islands.

It also has the Sovereignty Squares off the Mediterranean coast of Morocco.

5. There is a Spanish royal family

If you thought there isn’t one, we tell you that you need to know this curious fact about Spain. It is a constitutional monarchy and the current monarch – since 2014 – is King Felipe VI. Democracy began to take place after the Glorious Revolution of 1868 deposed the then Queen Elizabeth II.

6. The first circumnavigation of the world was carried out between 1519 and 1521

And a Spanish expedition did it. Setting sail from Seville in 1519, the expedition was led by Ferdinand Magellan. The objective was to find a route to East Asia through the Americas and the Pacific. Although Magellan was Portuguese, the Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano finished the work in 1522.

7. Spain is not all “Spanish”

It’s probably a mind-boggling fact about Spain right now, but what you thought was normal, run-of-the-mill Spain is not so simply defined. It is made up of several Autonomous Communities that have a certain level of self-government.

Galicia is Celtic. Basque is spoken in the Basque Country (which is not similar to any European language). Valencia, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands are Occitan and Catalan. Very interesting.

8. The first “novel” is attributed to a Spanish author

There are other authors, but let’s say that Don Quixote, written in 1605, was the first “modern” novel in the world. Written by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, it tells the story of a man who has read too many tales of knights, romances and chivalry.

9. The oldest restaurant in the world is in Madrid

Any gastronomic information about Spain makes us want to go again to try everything tasty that exists in the Iberian nation. In this case it is El Restaurante Botín, the oldest in the world, recognized as such by the Guinness Book of Records, no less. Inaugurated in 1725, you have to visit it when you are in the Spanish capital.

10. Spain was under Muslim control for five centuries

The so-called “Moors”, from northern Africa, invaded Spain in the year 711. They called it Al-Andalus. What followed is a long history of Arabic and Islamic influence on the language, culture and art of Spain, until the invaders were finally expelled in 1492. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the southern region of Andalusia.

11. There are some pretty famous festivals in Spain

You probably already know about the bulls, right? It is celebrated every year in Pamplona. What you probably don’t know is that it’s part of a longer nine-day festival in honor of San Fermín. There are other “bull runs”, but this is the most famous.

On the other hand, the Tomatina is celebrated, the largest food fight in the world. It started in 1945 when a guy started throwing tomatoes at his friends. It was banned in the 1950s, but was reinstated in 1957, when residents held a funeral for the holiday, with a tomato in a coffin.

12. There is a town in Spain where 700 people have the last name “Japan”

One fact about Spain that you probably don’t know is that there is a small town called Coria del Río, near Seville, with many inhabitants who descend from Hasekura Tsunenaga, a 17th century samurai who stopped there during a diplomatic trip. “Japan’s Hasekura” became simply “Japan.”

13. In Spain there is no Tooth Fairy, but a tooth mouse called Ratoncito Pérez

Yes, a strange fact about Spain: there is no Tooth Fairy. Okay, that’s not the strangest part. Instead of a tooth fairy, they have a tooth mouse… It is called Ratoncito Pérez, and has its origin in the stories of the 19th century writer, Luis Coloma.

14. The Spanish national anthem has no lyrics

Most national anthems are there to be sung and half-forgotten while you hum trying to at least sound like you know the words. In Spain this is not the case: you will not have to try to remember anything other than the melody of its national anthem. It used to have lyrics, but it doesn’t anymore. It is called “Royal March” and is one of the oldest national anthems in the world, written in 1761.

15. Around 44% of the world’s olive oil is produced by Spain

That is more than double what Italy produces. Yes, although olive oil is closely associated with Italy, Spain produces more. Spain also produces a lot of wine, with one million hectares dedicated to wine production (ever heard of Rioja?). So, yes, Spain is also the second largest wine producer in the world.

16. The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is not finished yet

The famous cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudí began construction in 1882 and has been in the works for more than 130 years. It is expected to be completed in 2026. It is probably the most visited work in the world, attracting 2.8 million visitors each year.

17. The first known stapler came from Spain

I bet you were waiting for a fact about Spain as incredible as this. But yes, the first stapler. Spain. Well, from the Basque Country. It was made in the 18th century as a gift for King Louis XV of France. Apparently, each staple was engraved with Louis’s royal emblem.

18. Spain receives more tourists than the number of people who live in it

Tourism is big news in Spain. However, it is a little-known fact about Spain that tourism is so big. In 2018, the country received 82.5 million tourists, making it the second most visited nation on the planet. The population of Spain is 46.7 million, so tourists make up almost double the population.

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