Spanish is a beautiful language spoken by more than a third of the world’s population.The Spanish language is a part of the Indo-European family of languages. The family includes English, French, German, Scandinavian languages, and many Indian languages.Another sub-category that the Spanish language falls into is the Romance language. This is a small group of languages, including Portuguese, French, and Italian. Being a Romance language gives Spanish a lot of intercontinental connection. Learning Spanish is not difficult. Like all other languages, the Spanish language has clues about the history and culture of its mother country, Spain. When you start understanding Spanish, you understand more about Spanish culture. Did you know that Spanish is the official language or one of the official languages of 18 Countries in Latin America? Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela are Spanish-speaking countries. Spanish speakers are all over the world. The Spanish language has been here for upwards of 1,500 years. It has witnessed the fall and rise of great empires, and millions of people speak Spanish around the world. It is a popular choice as a foreign language to learn because of its easy grammar rules and massive reach. You will definitely find speaking Spanish as easy as when you learn Spanish.With almost 500 million Spanish speakers, it is the second most spoken language as mother tongue. Although Chinese Mandarin is a language with the highest number of native speakers, you need to look at Spain’s population and compare it to China’s to understand the reach. Spanish is also credited as one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Here are some interesting fun facts about the Spanish language as well as facts about Spain that will arouse your curiosity and motivate you to learn Spanish.History Of The Spanish LanguageAccording to most scholars, traces of the Spanish language were found in old Latin texts of the ninth century. The language was established in a standard form in Toledo in the 13th century.Spanish is also known as ‘Castellano’, the Spanish word for ‘Castilian’, because of its emergence in the Kingdom of Castile. If you speak Spanish today, this is the dialect from which it developed.Spanish-speaking countries include most Central and South America outside the Iberian Peninsula except Brazil. The Spanish in Latin America also has several dialects derived from Castilian.In English, ‘Castilian Spanish’ refers to different dialects spoken in Spain’s northern and central parts.The origin of the Spanish language is in the Iberian Peninsula, where it was a dialect of spoken Latin.After the Western Roman Empire’s demise in the fifth century, the dialect developed further. We know it as Vulgar Latin today, and it is not the Classical Latin that is used in literature.The Spanish spoken in the European countries is Castilian Spanish or Castellano.During the Roman Empire, the official language of the Iberian Peninsula was Latin, but it was mixed with the locally used languages. This uniqueness was enhanced further by the Visigoths, who conquered some areas of the peninsula in the fourth century. This was the time when the Roman Empire was declining.The Visigoths spoke Latin with some other influences, and linguists believe that this was the beginning of the widely spoken language as we know it today.The Muslim Moorish conquerors arrived after the Visigoths, and there are more than 4,000 words of Arabic origin to show their influence on the language.However, almost 75% of the Spanish vocabulary has its origin in the Latin language.Among the surprising facts about the Spanish language is that not everyone in Spain speaks it. In Galicia, they speak Galician and in Catalonia Basque and Balearic Islands.Famous Quotes In Spanish With MeaningsOne of the best facts about Spain is that there is an impressive literary Spanish culture, and a long list of influential Spanish authors, both old and new, supports this fact. Miguel-de-Cervantes is, after all, considered the godfather of the modern novel.Learning Spanish or any new language is never complete without learning the popular sayings or quotes.The Spanish language is full of insightful and colorful sayings. You can learn the intricate facts about the Spanish language through the quotes.A language learner can learn and appreciate much about a culture through quotes and sayings. Moreover, these quotes can also help you to understand and learn new words and grammar of the language. Some of the most popular Spanish quotes are:A mal tiempo, buena cara:The literal meaning is, ‘in bad weather, a good face’.This actually means that a person should have hope and be brave even in the face of adversity. Your attitude should be good even if the situation is bad.Favor con favor se paga:Favor for a favor is what it literally means. It is like saying, you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours.If you do something for me, then I will do something for you.El amor todo lo puede:Probably the most popular Spanish quote — love will find a way.It can also mean that love can conquer everything or do it all.Lo que no me mata, me alimenta:This is similar to what Nietzsche said, ‘what does not kill you makes you stronger’.If it does not kill you, it nourishes you. This is used to give courage while facing adversity and unpleasant situations courageously.Nunca seras capaz de cruzar el oceano hasta que pierdas de vista la costa:In English, there is a similar saying, ‘you can never cross the ocean until you dare to lose sight of the shore.’It means that you cannot always do the safe thing if you want to achieve something big.Famous Spanish PeopleSpain is famous worldwide for Flamenco dance, music, bullfights, and weather, but that is not all it boasts of. There are writers, poets, actors, painters, sportspersons that are famous worldwide.Spain is a kingdom, and thus it is best to start with the King of Spain when it comes to famous Spaniards. King Felipe VI was born in 1968 and took over the Spanish Empire after his father, King Juan Carlos I, in 2014.He is married to Queen Letizia, and they have two daughters: Leonor and Sofia.King Ferdinand II (1479-1516):The first king of Spain and was credited with uniting Spain.Hernan Cortes (1485-1547):At the tender age of 19, he left Spain seeking fortune across the oceans. He was one of the first conquistadores to reach Mexico, and now it is the largest Spanish-speaking country.He led an expedition and overthrew the Aztec Empire in 1519.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616):In the league of the most famous Spanish writers globally, he is the author of ‘Don Quixote’.His work is often considered the first modern novel and rated as one of the best in world literature.Francisco de Goya (1746-1828):A famous painter and printmaker who further developed his style during the Spanish Age of Enlightenment.He is most famous for the 14 ‘Black Paintings’ that he painted on the walls of his home but now are on display at the Museo del Prado.Manuel de Falla (1876-1946):The Spanish pianist and composer won several awards and was loved for his opera, ‘La Vida Breve’, which in English means ‘Life Is Short’.Julio Iglesias:He is often called the father of Latin pop music. His son Enrique Iglesias is a famous singer and songwriter too.Pablo Picasso (1881-1973):An avant-garde painter, designer, printmaker, Pablo Picasso is well known for his works and lifestyle.He had different creative periods and is credited with the ‘Cubism’ in art.Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926):This Spanish architect was the best exponent of Catalan modernism. Most of his work is in Barcelona and the most fascinating yet unfinished cathedral of the Sagrada Familia.Salvador Dali (1904-1989):He created fantastic paintings for his surrealist artwork. He was renowned for his technical skill, precise craftsmanship, and striking yet sometimes bizarre imagery.Among the present-day famous people, there is no one better than; Rafael Nadal is a professional tennis player and has been ranked among the top consistently over the years.He has over 20 grand slam titles in his kitty and is a hero to most Spanish kids and aspiring players.Meanwhile, of the many outstanding football players that Spain has produced, a few of the greats are Sergio Ramos, David Villa, Andres Iniesta, and Carles Puyol.All About SpainThe Kingdom of Spain or Spain as we know it, is a country in southwestern Europe with Madrid as the capital. Spain has breathtaking landscapes and wonderful cultural heritage to offer. Spain has so much going for it that it is always one of the top places to visit on any European vacation itinerary.Its varied destinations range from spectacular beaches to historical sites, its amazing cuisine, and not to forget the football fans who come thronging to Barcelona and Madrid.Madrid is both the capital and the geographical center. Puerta del Sol (the Sun Gate) in Madrid is the kilometer 0 of all the radial roads in Spain.Spain has an amazing 47 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, only behind Italy, China, and Germany. These sites include historic cities, churches, and much more.The EU’s second-largest country, the Kingdom of Spain or Spain for short, is the second-largest country in the European Union after France. It measures around 195,367 sq mi (506,000 sq km), including the Canary Islands and the Spanish territories along the North African coastline.Catalonia is an Autonomous Region that is small but has the fourth-highest income in Spain and has its Catalan language.In world-famous Spanish cuisine, olive oil is heavily used in all preparations.10% of the total world’s olive oil production comes from the province of Jaen in Andalucía. Olive oil is easily available and is credited for the long lives of the people in Spain. But the most important role is that it helps in preparing fantastic food.Madrid also has the oldest ever restaurant in the world. Sobrino de Botín is the oldest restaurant as recognized by Guinness World Records. It opened in 1725 and is still a favorite among tourists and locals.According to the statistics available, Spain has one of the highest life expectancies among all the OECD countries at 83 years.Among the many interesting facts about Spain is its unique national anthem. In contrast, most national anthems are sung out by people, not Spain. You will not have to make an effort to learn all the words because there are no words in it.There used to be words, but now the national anthem, called ‘Marcha Real’ is only a tune. Only a few other countries have national anthems without words.Learning a new language is beneficial in several ways. It boosts memory and sharpens the mind.When you learn new languages, you increase your chances of becoming a true world citizen.If you know the language of the place you’re traveling to, you will always be able to make friends easily and not feel like an outsider. We hope that you’ve found these interesting facts about Spain fun to read and that it has encouraged you to learn the Spanish language!
Spanish is a beautiful language spoken by more than a third of the world’s population.
