SPAIN

Spain is a country of contrasts with very different cultures, languages, culinary habits and climates. The country varies from rainy fishing villages in Galicia to the nightlife in Madrid, the tourist coasts on the Mediterranean, flamenco dancing in Andalusia, bull-fighting in many parts of the country and the modern Barcelona in Catalonia.

Climate/working climate:
The geographical position of Spain ensures that only the north west is influenced by the jet stream but not the rest of the country. Except for this, Spain has a very irregular landscape and is one of the most mountainous countries of the European continent. This all means that we can find many different climates here that range from a sea climate, subtropical climate, Mediterranean climate to desert climates.

They sleep siesta in the afternoon in Spain, in particular, in the summer. Siestas are usually between 2 and 5 p.m. in the whole of Spain even though this may vary locally. Many shops are closed when it is siesta time and it is also the time when the main meal is eaten and, depending on the region, the time to have a rest or a nap. Normal working hours are, therefore, considerably different to what is standard in North European countries. People usually work from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 or 5 p.m. to 8 or 9 p.m. Whether shops close or not, for that matter, depends on the particular region; in the centre of the large cities, most shops are open six days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. This also applies to large international companies. Not all companies close for siesta time. This will depend on the number of Spanish people who work there.

Facts and Figures:
Capital city: Madrid
Surface area: 505,000 km², 13x the Netherlands
Population: 42,700,000
Time zone: GMT/UTC +1
Currency: euro (€)
Languages: Spanish (official)

If you want to know more, visit:
www.spanje.nl
www.spain.info