Spain

[ speyn ]

noun

1. a kingdom in SW Europe. Including the Balearic and Canary islands, 194,988 sq. mi. (505,019 sq. km). : Madrid.

Spain

/ speɪn /

noun

1. a kingdom of SW Europe, occupying the Iberian peninsula between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: a leading European power in the 16th century, with many overseas possessions, esp in the New World; became a republic in 1931; under the fascist dictatorship of Franco following the Civil War (1936–39) until his death in 1975; a member of the European Union. It consists chiefly of a central plateau (the Meseta), with the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains in the north and the Sierra Nevada in the south. Official language: Castilian Spanish, with Catalan, Galician, and Basque official regional languages. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Madrid. Pop: 47 370 542 (2013 est). Area: 504 748 sq km (194 883 sq miles) Spanish nameEspaña

Spain

1. Constitutional monarchy in southwestern Europe , consisting of the Spanish mainland (bordered to the northwest by France and to the west by Portugal ), the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea , and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean . Its capital and largest city is Madrid .

Notes

During the sixteenth century, Spain was the greatest world power. Its success was based partially on the riches it acquired in the New World ( see Latin America and South America ).

In the Spanish-American War , the United States defeated Spain, freed Cuba from Spanish colonial rule, and seized a number of former Spanish colonies, including Puerto Rico , Guam , and the Philippines .

The Spanish monarchy was fully restored in 1975 after Franco's death. He had been dictator ( see dictatorship ) for thirty-six years.

Under King Juan Carlos, Spain has established a political democracy and has been integrated into the European community.

Bullfighting is a popular spectator sport in Spain.

The destruction of the Spanish Armada , a fleet sent to conquer England in 1588, marked the beginning of the decline of Spanish power.

Basque separatists have carried out many acts of terrorism against Spain.

In the Spanish Civil War , conservatives led by General Francisco Franco overthrew the second Spanish Republic .

Other Words From

• anti-Spain adjective
• pro-Spain adjective

Idioms and Phrases

see castles in the air (Spain) .

Example Sentences

He also holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from The IE Business School in Spain, according to the Northzone website.

From TechCrunch

The company surpassed Spain’s Inditex, owner of Zara, to become the world’s most valuable clothing retailer, Nikkei reported.

From Quartz

In 2014, Spain passed a law requiring Google to pay for aggregating news content in search results.

From Washington Post

We found a clinic in Spain and to be honest it was a bit of a crazy time for us.

From Washington Blade

Two of his most classic compositions, “Spain” and “La Fiesta,” would come out of that era and impulse.

From Time

Meanwhile, the Netherlands and Spain opted for the "unedited" version.

From The Daily Beast

But there were two designations that seemed anachronisms to me: -- Spain and the United Kingdom among the beer swillers.

From The Daily Beast

Beer-swilling Britain and Spain now boast impressive varietals while America is challenging France with how much wine is consumed.

From The Daily Beast

The locale was not Perugia, but Seville, in Spain, a country I have lived in and love.

From The Daily Beast

The wine-producing countries of Spain, Italy, and France, suggest limits that are double and triple that of the U.S.

From The Daily Beast

In Spain he was regarded as the right arm of the ultra-clericals and a possible supporter of Carlism.

From Project Gutenberg

As Spain, however, has fallen from the high place she once held, her colonial system has also gone down.

From Project Gutenberg

However, on reaching Spain, the magic of the Emperor's personality soon restored the vigour and prestige of the French arms.

From Project Gutenberg

General Lachambre, as the hero of Cavite, followed to receive the applause which was everywhere showered upon him in Spain.

From Project Gutenberg

His enemies persistently insinuated that he was really returning to Spain to support the clericals actively.

From Project Gutenberg