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Mini-Guide To Spain

Situated in Southern Europe, Spain borders the Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans. It is also at the southern most point possible to see the African coastline in the distance. Madrid is the capital city of Spain although Barcelona (which is slightly smaller) is sometimes incorrectly assumed to be the capital. Although Madrid is located in the middle of the country, most of the country's population is located around the coast where it is less mountainous.

Or view the list of airports in Spain.

Spanish tourism continues to grow with cheap flight airlines such as Easyjet, Ryanair, Flybe and bmibaby offering affordable flights from major towns and cities across Europe. For many British people, Spain has become a second home with retired people moving out to the warmer climate to enjoy the final years of their life. The official currency of Spain is the Euro - which was adopted to replace the Peseta on 1st January 2002. The Canary Islands are also part of Spain - even though they are located off the western coast of Africa. The Lanzarote, Tenerife, Grand Canaria and Fuerteventura islands are a popular tourist destination with almost guaranteed good weather all year round. In 2006, Spain received the most blue flags (indicating clean, safe and accessible beaches) of any country in Europe. The term siesta originated in Spain and means to have a short sleep - normally after lunch. As the temperatures at the hottest part of the day in the summer can be well into the upper 30 degrees, the draining heat and humidity are best left for a few hours with a short nap.