Spain

Map of Spain within Europe. Dark green is Spain. Light green is the European Union

Spain is a country in the Iberian peninsula. It has boundaries with Portugal to the west and with France to the north. It has coastlines on the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The capital is Madrid. Other major cities include Barcelona and Seville.

Its king is Juan Carlos. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is currently the Prime Minister.

Spain was formed out of the union of Castille and Aragon in the 15th century. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella also established the Spanish Inquisition and expelled Jews from Spain. They conquered Granada, ending the Moorish presence in Spain as well. Financing Christopher Columbus' voyage led to the establishment of an empire in the New World.

By 1898 most of the empire had broken free and Spain fought a war against the United States in which it lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

The national language is Spanish, a romance language which originated from Latin. Southeastern Spain was a Carthaginian colony but fell under Roman control during the Punic Wars. Later, Spain was invaded by the Vandals and Visigoths, and then the Moors.