SPAIN Mountains and Seas What could you fit into Alaska 3 times? Why, all of Spain! This neighbor of Portugal is slightly smaller than France, it's other neighbor. Spain is separated from France by the Pyreness mountains and also borders a lot of water: The Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean. Like Portugal, Spain claims two islands, the Canary Islands and the Balearics. Grapes, oranges and olives grow here and cattle and sheep ranches are found in drier parts of Spain. Madrid is the country's capital city and home to the famous Prado Art Museum Spain's Ancient Artists Around 12,000 B.C., the people who lived in Spain painted on the walls of caves. These were pictures of the animals they hunted - like bison, boar and elk. When the ancient Greeks came to Spain they called it Iberia which means "the land of gold." The Arabs took over in 759 and changed the name to Al-Adalus. They ruled the country for 700 years. For most of its history, Spain has been ruled by kings and queens. Even today, Spain's head of state is royal, King Juan Carlos I. Three Ships and An Explorer Although Christopher Columbus made his discoveries for Spain, he was actually born in Italy. He was encouraged by his father to sail on trading ships, and Columbus made many voyages to the Canary Islands and western Africa. Some people even think he went as far as Iceland. When he set sail in 1492, he thought he was going to reach some islands near Japan, but in 1493 his ships, the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, actually landed on what is today the West Indies. Columbus would make three more trips to these lands bringing settlers and priests. Some of the Spanish people did not like an Italian telling them what to do, and the priests complained about how badly Columbus treated the native peoples. His reputation got so bad that back in Spain they called him "the Admiral of the Mosquitoes" and he was sent back in chains to defend himself. When the king refused to let Columbus do anymore exploring, he remained in Spain and died in 1506. Artistic Inspiration Many great painters and writers have come from Spain. Diego Velasquez painted pictures of the Spanish royal family in the 17th century. Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali achieved recognition in our century and helped make famous two new styles of painting: cubism and surrealism. Fredrico Garcia Lorca was a poet and a playwright who made a 9 month visit to New York in 1929. During the Spanish Civil War he was executed when he was only 30. Artists outside of Spain have also been influenced by the country's people and stories. The French composer Bizet and Italy's Rossini created operas that reminded them of Spain. Their operas, Carmen and The Barber of Seville, are still popular today. The Fierce Dog Islands You might think that the Canary Islands were named for a little yellow bird…but in fact, they're named for a dog! During an early exploration of the islands someone reported seeing large, fierce dogs, and canis is Latin for dog --- and that is how the Canary Islands got its name. The French, Italians, Portuguese and Arabs all visited these islands off the coast of Morocco until Spain took them over in 1479. Christopher Columbus spent 4 weeks there loading his ships up with supplies before sailing for America. The highest point in all of Spain, 12,178 feet, is located on these small islands. To Run or To Dance? Ever think of running in front of a bull? Every July, bulls are turned loose in the streets of a town called Pamplona and people run ahead of them to the bull ring. If that sounds too scary, you might try flamenco, a type of dance that includes singing, guitar playing and palmas or hand clapping. After all this running and dancing you'll need to have something to eat. Paella is a popular dish made with shrimp, lobster, chicken, ham, vegetables and rice. On hot days, you can have gazpacho, a cold tomato soup. And for dessert, how about some hot chocolate and deep fried strips of dough call churros!