|
|
back to all reviews...
|
|
check out more reviews by country...
|
spain:
general info
· travel advisories
· getting there
· getting around
when to go
· fast facts
· history
· maps
· itinerary
· hostels
tours
· things to do
· forum
· trivia
· safety
· links
· read reviews
|
|
The Spanish are a mestizo, an eclectic cultural mlange resulting from a history that spans many
centuries, religions and rulers.
With the fall of the Romans, the country was, from 705 AD, nearly all Islamic after the Moors invaded and
occupied the southern peninsula. Moors and Christians largely resided in peace until 1469 when the marriage of Isabel de Castilla and Ferdinando de Aragon
cemented two predominantly Christian regions, and filled a power vacuum left by the loss of the Muslim leader Sultan Almanazor.
When Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, a whole new era of wealth and power began for Spain, and luckily or the coffers of the
Spanish treasury, the Aztec and Inca civilizations lay in the way. Isabel's daughter
Juana married into the powerful Hapsburg dynasty which lead Spain of the 16th and
17th centuries to continue to dominate European events. Stridently Catholics, Spain became both the victim and
propagator of countless
wars and conspiracies over the next couple of centuries, including Napoleon's invasion in the early 19th century.
All was fairly quite until 1936 when Civil War broke out. With the throne abandoned ignominiously by King
Alfonso XIII, liberals from around the globe arrived
to fight the Fascists, led by General Franco, who triumphed, thanks to some timely help by Hitler. Since the death of Franco
in 1975, the monarchy was restored and Spain had managed a rapid and relatively peaceful transition to
democracy under the supervision of
King Carlos I. In recent years, it has been governed by a succession of socialist
administrations led by Felipe Gonzalez.
Since joining the EU in 1986 there has been an increasing devolution of power to the regions. The
Balearic islands in the Mediterranean and the
Canary Islands off the north west coast of Africa are also administered by Spain.
If you know of a great destination we're missing,
review it for us!!
|
|
|
|
|
