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Gibraltar
Spain claims that Gibraltar, at its southern tip,
is Spanish. However, since 1713 this rocky outcrop
has been a British colony.
Gibraltar is just 2.5 sq miles
(6.5 sq km) in area. Most
of the 29,000
inhabitants work
in tourism.Barcelona
The city of Barcelona lies on the
Mediterranean coast of eastern Spain.
It is the second-largest city in the
country (Madrid is the largest) and
is a bustling port of almost two million
people. Barcelona is the capital of the
province of catalonia. It lies at the
heart of a large industrial area and
was the site of the 1992
olympic Games. Its people
speak catalan, a
language that sounds
similar to Spanish but
has many differences.
The city is renowned
for its beautiful
architecture and many
historic buildings.The Rock of Gibraltar
towers over the
entrance to the
Mediterranean Sea.olIveS
The deep fertile soils and
warm climate of southern
and eastern Spain are ideal
for olive cultivation. The
country is one of the world’s
leading olive producers. Most
of the crop is made into olive oil.PaInTInG
Many great artists lived and worked in Spain. Diego velasquez
(1599-1660) was famous for his pictures of the Spanish royal
family. Several modern painters, including Pablo Picasso
(1881-1973), and Salvador Dalí (1904-89), were born in Spain.Velasquez
included himself
as the painter
in his picture
The Maids
of Honor.The Cathedral of Sagrada
Familia in Barcelona was
designed by Antonio Gaudí
and begun in 1882. It is
still not finished today.InDuSTry
Farming and fishing were once
the basis of the Spanish
economy. The country
has now developed
additional industries,
including textiles,
metals, shipbuilding,
auto production, and
tourism. Iron, coal, and
other minerals are mined
in the cordillera cantabrica
in the north of Spain. In the
1980s, many foreign-owned
electronics and high-tech
industries began to locate in the
country. Major agricultural products
include cereals, olives, grapes for wine,
and citrus fruits, especially oranges from
around Seville.Find out more
europe, history of
european union
Painters
Trade and industryspainIn the coastal towns of Spain many people work in fishing
or in the related industries of boatbuilding and netmaking.US_498_Spain_3.indd 498 22/01/16 4:49 pm