Spain Exports

According to National Geographic MapMaker (mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org), the following items are major exports of SPAIN: automobiles, beverages (especially wine), chemicals, citrus fruit, clothing and textiles, coal, consumer goods, copper, dairy products, fluorspar, footwear, grain, grapes, iron ore, kaolin, machine tools, machinery, magnesite, meat, medical devices, medical supplies, medicine and pharmaceuticals, metal products, olives, packaged food, potash, pyrites, refractory materials, seafood, sepiolite, ships, tungsten, and zinc. According to the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports (February 2017 statistics) include France (top importer), Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, Morocco, Poland, China, Turkey, Switzerland, Mexico, Romania, Austria, Sweden, Brazil, Algeria, and Czech Republic.

Happy Halloween!

Spain Endangered Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for SPAIN in Western Europe lists 3 extinct species, 1 extinct-in-the-wild species, 131 critically endangered species, and 188 endangered species. Critically endangered species in Spain include the Alfalfa Arborea (Moon Trefoil) plant, Angelshark, Atlantic Sturgeon, Bogardilla fish, El Hiero Giant Lizard, Escobilla de Masca plant, La Gomera Giant Lizard, La Palma Giant Lizard, Marmohaya plant, Palma Stick Grasshopper, and Tenerife Stick Grasshopper. Spain’s endangered species include the following: Anís de Jandía plant, Aran Rock Lizard, Black Right Whale, Canarian Shrew, Chafarinas’ Skink, Dusky Grouper fish, Gomera Green Bush Cricket, Lisneja Skink, Mediterranean Pillow Coral, Metlesics' Himantoglossum orchid plant, Sei Whale, Spanish Algyroides (Spanish Keeled Lizard), Spanish Fir, Spanish Toothcarp fish, Two-Fingered Sink, White-Clawed Crayfish, and Zamárraga (Erigeron de Sierra Nevada) flowering plant.

Species Named After Spain

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, over thirty (30) species are named after SPAIN, a Western European country with over 47 million residents and located on the Iberian Peninsula. These species include the Atlantic Spanish Mackerel, Narrow-Barred Spanish Mackerel, Papuan Spanish Mackerel, Rough Spanish Lobster, Royal Spanish Lobster, Small Spanish Lobster, Spanish Argus butterfly, Spanish Brassy Ringlet butterfly, Spanish Chalkhill Blue butterfly, Spanish Eagle, Spanish Fir, Spanish Flag fish, Spanish Greenish Black-Tip butterfly, Spanish Grunt fish, Spanish Lemon Thyme, Spanish Mackerel, Spanish Marbled White, Spanish Moon Moth, Spanish Oak, Spanish Painted Frog, Spanish Psammodromus lizard, Spanish Purple Hairstreak butterfly, Spanish Ribbed Newt, Spanish Seabream fish, Spanish Slipper Lobster, Spanish Sparrow, Spanish Toothcarp, Spanish Zephyr Blue butterfly, Spotted Spanish Mackerel, and Streaked Spanish Mackerel.

Top Ten New Species Discovered

On May 22nd, the SUNY-ESF Institute for Species Exploration announced ten recently discovered species that topped its list, ranging from a one-celled organism to a much larger tree species (SUNY stands for State University of New York and ESF stands for Environmental Science and Forestry). The Olinguito mammal (in the raccoon family) lives in the Andes mountains of Colombia and Ecuador. Kaweesak's Dragon Tree was discovered in Loei and Lop Buri provinces in Thailand. Named after the Antarctic Geological Drilling Program (ANDRILL), the ice-dwelling Andrill Anemone were discovered under a glacier on Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf. Aptly named for its appearance, tiny Skeleton Shrimp were found in a cave on Santa Catalina island in California, USA.

The Orange Penicillium fungus was discovered in Tunisia soil, while scientists found a type of one-celled Amoeboid Protist in underwater caves in the Mediterranean Sea, specifically off the coast of Spain. Northeastern Australia is a habitat for the rare Leaf-Tailed Gecko. Clean Room Microbes have an interesting discovery story. They were discovered in spacecraft assembly clean rooms, where most microscopic organisms cannot survive, in the USA (Florida) and French Guiana. Another interesting small organism is the Tinkerbell Fairyfly, a parasitic wasp discovered in Costa Rica. Finally, eyeless Domed Land Snails certainly have a ghostly appearance with their translucent shells. They were found in western Croatia's Lukina Jama-Trojama caves.

Canary Islands

An autonomous community and archipelago belonging to Spain, the CANARY ISLANDS (Islas Canarias) sit in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, located west of southern Morocco. They are not named after canary birds, but may have been named after the Latin word for dogs (canariae). King Juba II, leader of Mauretania in the Roman Empire, was the first Western person to discover the Canary Islands and may have seen large dogs on an island he named Canaria; this island is now called Gran Canaria. As shown on my map, other major islands besides Gran Canaria include Fuerteventura, Gomera, Hierro, Lanzarote, La Palma, and Tenerife. The Canary Islands' largest island in area, Tenerife, boasts the enormous SOLTEN solar energy plant and other alternative energy source initiatives. Tenerife has high elevations in the center, with mountains like Pico de Teide soaring over 3,700 kilometers tall. The islands have a booming tourism industry, and there are bountiful ecotourism opportunities. There are several Spanish national parks on the islands, including Parque Nacional de Garajonay, P.N. del Teide, P.N. de Timanfaya, and P.N. la Caldera de Taburiente. Finally, people on the Canary Islands use the Euro as their currency, just like in Spain.

Current and Historic Capital of Spain

Quick GeoFact: The capital of SPAIN, Madrid, hasn't always been its capital. Valladolid, about 100 miles northwest of Madrid, was the capital up until 1561.

Islands of Portugal and Spain

PORTUGAL and SPAIN, Western European countries that are both located on the Iberian Peninsula, possess several islands and island groups. The Azores and Madeira belong to Portugal, while Spain boasts the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands. While the Balearic Islands are in the Mediterranean Sea, the rest are situated in the Atlantic Ocean.

Catalonia

Spain Week in July

Catalonia is a region in northwestern SPAIN, with surrounding regions being Paragon (west of Catalonia) and Valencia (SW of Catalonia); it also borders France and the tiny country Andorra. Some residents of Catalonia wish for greater political autonomy or an outright independence from Spain. Catalonia's capital is the well-known city of Barcelona, famous for its bullfighting. Other cities in Catalonia include Badalona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Lleida, Mataró, and Tarragona. That is the last post of SPAIN WEEK; thanks for reading the GeoFact of the Day Blog!

Andalusia

Spain Week in July

Andalusia is a large region and autonomous community in the southernmost area of mainland SPAIN. Andalusia is Spain's second-largest region, followed by Castile and León. Autonomous communities are first-level administrative divisions in Spain which have a sense of autonomy in Spain's decentralized unitary political structure. The capital city of Andalusia is Seville, also known as Sevilla in the Spanish language. Other cities include Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, and Jerez de la Frontera.

Castile-La Mancha

Spain Week in July

Castile-La Mancha is a region located in central SPAIN, southeast of Madrid, Spain's capital. Autonomous communities are first-level administrative divisions in Spain which have a sense of autonomy in the country's decentralized unitary political structure. The capital of Castile-La Mancha is Toledo. The largest city is Albacete, and other towns include Fuente el Fresno, Miguelturra, Tomelloso, Socuéllamos, and Mahora. Located in northeastern Castile-La Mancha, La Ciudad Encantada is an interesting geological site featuring rocks shaped like mushrooms, animals, and more.

Spain's Sierra Nevada Mountains

Spain Week in July

There is a Sierra Nevada mountain range in SPAIN, just like in the western United States. It is located in southern Spain in the region of Andalusia. Nearby cities include Granada (north of the range) and Almería (SE of the range). Mulhacén is the highest mountain on the Iberian Peninsula and is located in the Sierra Nevada range.

Extremadura

Spain Week in July

Extremadura is a region and autonomous community in west-central SPAIN, bordering Portugal. Autonomous communities are first-level administrative divisions in Spain which have a sense of autonomy in the country's decentralized unitary political structure. The capital is Mérida, and other cities include Badajoz, Cáceres, Don Benito, and Plasencia. Extremadura's total population is 1,097,744 (as of 2009), and Extremadura is the 5th largest-in-area autonomous community in Spain. Monasterio de Yusta is a famous monastery in northeast Extremadura.

GeoFact of the Day | Balearic Islands' Capital

The capital of the Balearic Islands, an archipelago located in the Mediterranean Sea and west of SPAIN, is Palma (Palma de Mallorca). Palma has a population well over 400,000. To learn more about the Balearic Islands, visit my Balearic Islands post!

Balearic Islands

An archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, the BALEARIC ISLANDS belong to Spain as an autonomous community. These islands are located east of the Iberian Peninsula and sits in the Balearic Sea, which separates the islands from the mainland. The capital is Palma (also named Palma de Mallorca), which has more than 400,000 inhabitants. Alcúdia, Felanitx, Ibiza, Mahon, and Sant Antoni de Portmany are some other cities. The Coves del Drac (or Cuevas del Drach) is a system of four caves.

Spain

SPAIN is located in western Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain borders 3 countries: Portugal, France, and the tiny Andorra. Portugal is west of Spain and Andorra and France are northeast. Speaking of Andorra and France, the Pyrenees (Pirineos) mountain range serves as a natural border between northeastern Spain and southwestern France, with the small principality of Andorra completely surrounded by these mountains. The capital is Madrid, and major cities include Barcelona, León, Seville, and Valencia. Spain is divided up into autonomous communities, which are like regions. The currency is the Euro, and the previous currency was the Spanish Peseta. The Peseta's ISO 4217 currency code was ESP.