Spain
Legal breakdown by identity
Learn about Spain
Beyond the scoreLearn about Spain.Official names, languages, local time and practical context for understanding Spain beyond its legal score.
Destination overview
About Spain.
Sun, stone, and a coastline that never ends
Spain wraps around the Iberian Peninsula with Mediterranean beaches on one side, Atlantic surf on the other, and mountain ranges stitched through the middle. You can spend a morning in a whitewashed Andalusian village, an afternoon on a Basque Country clifftop, and an evening watching the sun drop into the sea from a Galician harbour. The landscapes shift fast and the light does something different in every region.
Read more about Spain
Cities that stay up late
Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Bilbao: each one has its own rhythm and none of them believe in early nights. Spanish cities run on a schedule that baffles newcomers and then converts them entirely. Dinner at ten, streets alive past midnight, coffee at a pace that suggests nobody has anywhere to be. The architecture spans Roman ruins, Moorish palaces, Gothic cathedrals, and buildings by Gaudí that look like they grew rather than were built.
Food worth rearranging your day for
Eating in Spain is less a meal and more a social event that happens to involve food. Tapas bars serve small plates that turn a quick bite into a three-hour tour of the neighbourhood. Pintxos in San Sebastián, paella on the Valencian coast, jamón carved thin enough to read through, and churros dipped in chocolate so thick it barely moves. Every region guards its own specialities with pride, and the arguments about whose version is best are half the fun.
Culture that moves you, literally
Flamenco is the one that gets all the attention, and rightly so, but Spain's cultural life runs far deeper. Festivals fill the calendar year-round, from fire-lit fallas in Valencia to tomato-throwing chaos in Buñol and human towers in Catalonia. The Prado, the Reina Sofía, and the Guggenheim Bilbao sit alongside tiny galleries in villages you have never heard of. Spain has a way of making art feel like something that belongs in the street, not behind a rope.
Official names
- Kingdom of Spain (English)
- Reino de España (Spanish)
Regions
- African Atlantic Ocean7, Applies to Canary Islands
- Iberia2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 22 and 23, Applies to Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Cantabria, Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Community of Madrid, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Navarre, Region of Murcia and Valencian Community
- Northern Africa12, 13, 18, 20 and 21, Applies to Ceuta, Chafarinas Islands, Melilla, Peñón de Alhucemas and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
- Western Europe2, 3, 4, 6 and 8, Applies to Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Basque Country and Cantabria
- Western Mediterranean1 and 5, Applies to Alborán Island and Balearic Islands
Continents
- Africa7, 12, 13, 18, 20 and 21, Applies to Canary Islands, Ceuta, Chafarinas Islands, Melilla, Peñón de Alhucemas and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
- Europe1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 22 and 23, Applies to Alborán Island, Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Cantabria, Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, Community of Madrid, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Navarre, Region of Murcia and Valencian Community
Total population
49,128,297
2025 data
Capital
- MadridMAD
Currency
- Euroall, Applies to all constituent destinations (EUR · €)
Driving side
- rightall, Applies to all constituent destinations side of the road
Electricity
Languages
Spanishall, Applies to all constituent destinations
Official in practice1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, Applies to Alborán Island, Aragon, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile and León, Ceuta, Chafarinas Islands, Community of Madrid, Galicia, La Rioja, Melilla, Navarre, Peñón de Alhucemas, Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Region of Murcia and Valencian Community · Official by law1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, Applies to Alborán Island, Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, Ceuta, Chafarinas Islands, Community of Madrid, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Melilla, Navarre, Peñón de Alhucemas, Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Region of Murcia and Valencian Community · ISO 639-3: spa
Spanish Sign Language1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, Applies to Alborán Island, Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Ceuta, Chafarinas Islands, Community of Madrid, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Melilla, Navarre, Peñón de Alhucemas, Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Region of Murcia and Valencian Community
Official in practice1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, Applies to Alborán Island, Asturias, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Chafarinas Islands, Community of Madrid, Extremadura, Galicia, Melilla, Navarre, Peñón de Alhucemas, Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Region of Murcia and Valencian Community · Official by law2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 12 and 17, Applies to Andalusia, Aragon, Balearic Islands, Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Ceuta and La Rioja · ISO 639-3: ssp
Caló2, 10, 11, 14 and 17, Applies to Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, Community of Madrid and La Rioja
Indigenous2, 10, 11, 14 and 17, Applies to Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, Community of Madrid and La Rioja · ISO 639-3: rmq
Catalan3, 5, 11 and 23, Applies to Aragon, Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencian Community
Official in practice23, Applies to Valencian Community · Official by law5, 11 and 23, Applies to Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencian Community · Indigenous3, 5 and 23, Applies to Aragon, Balearic Islands and Valencian Community · ISO 639-3: cat
Catalan Sign Language5 and 11, Applies to Balearic Islands and Catalonia
Official in practice5, Applies to Balearic Islands · Official by law11, Applies to Catalonia · ISO 639-3: csc
Occitan11, Applies to Catalonia
Official by law11, Applies to Catalonia · ISO 639-3: oci
Show 11 more languages
Valencian Sign Language23, Applies to Valencian Community
Indigenous23, Applies to Valencian Community · ISO 639-3: vsv
Basque6 and 19, Applies to Basque Country and Navarre
Official by law6 and 19, Applies to Basque Country and Navarre · Indigenous6 and 19, Applies to Basque Country and Navarre · ISO 639-3: eus
Galician16, Applies to Galicia
Official by law16, Applies to Galicia · Indigenous16, Applies to Galicia · ISO 639-3: glg
Leonese9, Applies to Castile and León
Indigenous9, Applies to Castile and León
Guanche7, Applies to Canary Islands
Indigenous7, Applies to Canary Islands · ISO 639-3: gnc
Asturian4 and 8, Applies to Asturias and Cantabria
Indigenous4 and 8, Applies to Asturias and Cantabria · ISO 639-3: ast
Aragonese3, Applies to Aragon
Indigenous3, Applies to Aragon · ISO 639-3: arg
Extremaduran15, Applies to Extremadura
Indigenous15, Applies to Extremadura · ISO 639-3: ext
Fala15, Applies to Extremadura
Indigenous15, Applies to Extremadura · ISO 639-3: fax
Tarifit12, 13, 18 and 20, Applies to Ceuta, Chafarinas Islands, Melilla and Peñón de Alhucemas
Indigenous12, 13, 18 and 20, Applies to Ceuta, Chafarinas Islands, Melilla and Peñón de Alhucemas · ISO 639-3: rif
Darija12 and 18, Applies to Ceuta and Melilla
Official in practice12 and 18, Applies to Ceuta and Melilla · Indigenous12, Applies to Ceuta · ISO 639-3: ary
Current time and time zone
- 7, Applies to Canary Islands
Western European TimeGMT
Atlantic/Canary · Standard GMT, daylight WEST
Largest cities
- MadridMAD · 3,416,729
Located in Community of Madrid · 2024 data
- BarcelonaBCN · 1,701,765
Located in Catalonia · 2023 data
- ValenciaVLC · 824,340
Located in Valencian Community · 2024 data
- ZaragozaZAZ · 691,037
Located in Aragon · 2024 data
- SevilleSVQ · 687,488
Located in Andalusia · 2024 data
Busiest airports
- Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas AirportMAD · 60,147,361 annual passenger movements
Located in Community of Madrid · 2023 data
- Barcelona El Prat AirportBCN · 47,300,000 annual passenger movements
Located in Catalonia · 2023 data
- Palma de Mallorca AirportPMI · 33,298,379 annual passenger movements
Located in Balearic Islands · 2024 data
- Málaga-Costa del Sol AirportAGP · 24,923,774 annual passenger movements
Located in Andalusia · 2024 data
- Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández AirportALC · 18,300,000 annual passenger movements
Located in Valencian Community · 2024 data