Spain Quiz
Spain eats dinner later than almost anywhere in Europe, and the clock is part of the reason.
A Spain quiz with answers that goes beyond beaches and bullrings. It asks about languages, architecture, food, festivals and a few inventions, and it should surprise people who have visited as well as those who have not.
Did you know?
- Spanish has more native speakers than any language except Mandarin Chinese, close to 500 million people. Fewer than one in ten of them live in Spain. The country with the largest number of Spanish speakers is Mexico, and the United States comes second or third.
- Spain's Christmas lottery has been held every year since 1812 and pays out more in total prizes than any other lottery in the world. Schoolchildren sing the winning numbers aloud in a televised ceremony that lasts for several hours.
- Spain has the longest high-speed railway network in Europe and the second longest in the world, after China. The first line opened in 1992 between Madrid and Seville, and trains now link most large cities at speeds of up to 300 kilometres an hour.
A country of many countries
Spain is often pictured as a single land of sun and flamenco, but it is one of the most varied countries in Europe. It is divided into seventeen autonomous regions, several with their own languages, and stretches from green Atlantic coasts in the north to Europe's driest landscapes in the south-east, plus two groups of islands and the highest mountain on Spanish soil, a volcano off the coast of Africa.
Words and walls from the south
For almost eight centuries much of the peninsula was ruled from Muslim courts, whose scholars, farmers and builders left a deep mark. Thousands of Spanish words come from Arabic, including the everyday words for oil, sugar and rice. Irrigation channels laid out then are still in use, and palaces such as the Alhambra in Granada are among the most visited monuments in Europe.
The rhythm of the day
Daily life runs later than in most neighbouring countries. Lunch is often eaten after two in the afternoon and dinner after nine at night. One reason is that Spanish clocks are set to the same time as central Europe, although the country lies far to the west, so the sun rises and sets later by the clock. The long afternoon pause is now rare in big cities but survives in smaller towns.
Food made for sharing
Spanish food is built around small dishes eaten in company. Tapas began as snacks served with a drink, and in some cities they still come free. Paella comes from the rice fields around Valencia and was originally cooked outdoors over a wood fire. Cured ham, cold vegetable soups and potato omelette are found almost everywhere, each with fierce local opinions about the correct recipe. Meals are rarely hurried, and a long conversation at the table afterwards even has its own word, sobremesa.