1. No, Spain is not somewhere around Colombia or Bolivia, and we're definitely not Mexico. Spain is actually in western EUROPE, bordering with France and Portugal. Geography is important.
2. Spain is NOT a Latin-American country, so please don't call us latinos/as or look for burritos and tacos because you won't find them unless you go to a Mexican restaurant. As a matter of fact, the only thing we have in common with Latin-America is the language. Spain's culture and gastronomy is Mediterranean, and we have way more in common with Italians or the French people, for example.
3. We descent from a huge variety of ancient civilizations and peoples, including the Romans, Iberians, Celts, Muslims, and germanic peoples. Their legacy lives in every aspect of Spain's culture, including the language and architecture. It's easy to spot ancient ruins and castles all around the country. In Spain, history is alive.
4. In Spain, each region is completely different, and I mean this. To start with, there are different languages and dialects, and the Spanish language differs from north to south, east to west, or from the coast to the interior (don't get scared if you don't understand Catalonian or Andalusian people). So does traditions, gastronomy, and even how cities look. Just about everything, really, and this is where Spain's richness lies. There is so much to discover.
5. We do NOT fight bulls. At least ordinary people don't, since there are very few toreros (bullfighters). Besides, bullfighting is an old show/tradition that is slowly losing popularity, as more and more regions are banning it for it's cruelty towards the animals. What about that festivity in which people run in front of bulls, though? That's the San Fermines, an annual festivity in the city of Pamplona. But the minority of people that do that are often kind of crazy, more or less like in the rodeos.
6. There are blond, light-eyed and pale Spaniards too, not everybody is brunette and tan like Penelope Cruz or Antonio Banderas.
7. We really don't take siestas every day. It's a privilege we can't usually afford due to our tight working schedules and other obligations. We don't stop whatever we're doing just because it's "siesta time".
8. We don't party every single minute of the year. We actually work a lot, but it's true that there are many festivities along the year and that we know how to have fun when we have the opportunity.
9. Sangria isn't our favorite drink (we only drink it in the summer and definitely not every day), or paella our favorite or only dish (it's only typical in the eastern coast). And no, flamenco is not the national dance (you'll find sevillanas only in the south).
10. We aren't that catholic anymore, and in spite of still celebrating religious dates and festivities, for most people is just tradition. That catholic devotion you might perceive in Semana Santa, for instance, isn't as such. Spain is actually a secular country, as defined by its constitution.
11. Spain isn't all sun, beach and sea. It all depends on the region, really. It's really hot in the south and eastern coast, but it gets super cold in other parts of Spain. In the north of Spain, for instance, the weather and landscape is similar to England's. Almost any type of landscape you can think of (desserts, mountains, forests, fields, beaches) can be found in Spain. Diversity is Spain's most prominent feature!
