World Cultures

Name:___________________________
Unit I Europe
Block:_______
Exploring a European Country Research Activity
Instructions: Using the Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (found through the
library database Gale Virtual Reference Library; username and password is colonials), research a
European nation of interest to you and complete the items below thoughtfully and completely.
Be prepared to share what youve learned with your peers.
1. To what extent was this country ruled by others? Use evidence to support your answer. The
Spaniards were colonized by the Greeks and Romans and the invaded by the
Germans. After this, Spain was conquered by the Muslim Moors.

2. Which 20th century events had the greatest influence on this country? Choose two events
and explain their impact. Spain became a republic in 1931, causing a civil war which
tore the nation apart and empowered General Francisco Franco for 36 years. In
1992 Spain hosted the Olympic Games in Barcelona which impacted them by
boost5ing their economy and increasing the amount of tourists in Spain.

3. Identify the following:

Topic
Well known cities, regions, or
landforms

Details
Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and Granada and the most known

Relative size (size in

relationship to another
place)
Description of natural
environment

Spain is about 1/3 the size of Texas.

Population size
Degree of diversity
(1=homogenous; 10=very
diverse) with explanation

46.65 million People live in Spain.

Its closer to homogeneous, most people there are Roman

cities and areas in Spain.

Most of the time, its hot and humid in Spain. Spains landscape
is mostly take up by a high plateau called Meseta Central.

catholic and celebrate the same holidays, unlike in the U.s where
there are many different holidays catered to different religions of
people.

Languages/Alphabets

Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque are the languages

used in Spain.

4. How does folklore influence the peoples worldview or actions? Explain your answer using
specific details.

It influences the kind of music they listen to. For example, most of Spains ancient
musical heritage is bagpipe music, sardanas music, and flamenco music. They also
have a lot of bull fighting.
5. What religion(s) is practiced in this country, and how does it impact the people? Roman
Catholicism is the most popular religion in Spain. The other main religion there is
atheist. Most Spaniards do not participate in religious worship even if they are
Catholic. Even though most of Spain is catholic, most of the Spaniards ignore the
churches rules or doctrines.

6. Are rites of passage in this country similar to or different from rites of passage in the
U.S.? Explain your answer using specific pieces of evidence. Spains rites of passage
are a bigger deal than in the U.S. For example, in the U.S some girls celebrate
their sweet 16 by having a sweet 16 birthday party. In Spain they have
something called a quisiera. A quisiera is a huge ceremony that celebrates a girl
becoming a woman when she turns 16. Also Spain has a national holiday
celebrating those that are dead. Its called Dia de los muertos (Day of the
dead). Its celebrated after Halloween to honor those that died. Instead of
grieving like in the U.S, they celebrate by having huge parties.
7. What tips on interpersonal behavior might you give to an American who is about to travel to
this country? Provide at least three. Tip 1: learn the language. It would be a complete
struggle and issue to go to Spain and not know Spanish. You wouldnt be able to
understand anyone, get directions etc. Tip 2: DO NOT BE DISREPCTFUL. The
Spanish already have something against Americans. Most Spaniards are already
uncomfortable and unhappy with Americans coming into their country. Tip 3: know
and understand the geography of Spain. You should know hwta environment youre
walking into before you go there.
8. Is the standard of living in this country better, worse, or about the same as that of the U.S.?
Justify your answer with at least three pieces of evidence. The standard of living in Spain
is worse than in the United States. consumer Prices in United States are 25.54%
higher than in Spain, consumer Prices Including Rent in United States are 39.80%
higher than in Spain, and rent Prices in United States are 88.56% higher than in
Spain

9. Is family important in this country? Why or why not? Use specific details in your response.
Unlike other nations in Europe where children are encouraged to grow up and be
independent, Spanish families are united and always there for each other. For
example, they will never put an elderly family member in a nursing home, they will
just move in with them.
10.
Does this country have distinctive traditional clothing? Explain your answer citing
specific details. Spain does have traditional clothing. They have something called a

Mantilla and a Peineta. A Mantilla is a scarf that goes over the head which
is used in religious celebrations. The Peineta is used to hold up the Mantilla.
11.How has globalization impacted food and diet in this country? Explain your answer using
specific facts. Globalization has impacted food and diet in Spain. Coca Cola is
commonly drank by the Spaniards also, there are many McDonalds located in
Spain.

12.How might your educational experience in this country differ from the schooling you receive
in the U.S.? I think the schooling in Spain would be way harder because they are
taught English and Spanish. Also they learn in both languages. (Could learn history
in Spanish, could learn chemistry in English). Therefore, you have to be proficient
in both languages and be able to speak both of them fluently.

13.
What cultural influences or accomplishments is this country best known for? List and
describe at least three. Spanish culture is well known for flamenco music and
dancing, bullfights and beautiful beaches. It is very popular in Spain with several
thousand Spaniards flocking to their local bull-ring each week. It is said that the
total number of people watching bullfights in Spain reaches one million every year.
Flamenco music is a form of Spanish folk music and dance from the region of
Andalusia in southern Spain. It includes cante (singing), toque (guitar playing),
and bailey (dance). Lastly, the beaches are very clean, sunny and have beautiful
bodies of water.

14.Summarize the overall economy of this country in 2-3 sentences. The economy in Spain
is the fifth largest in the European Union and the fourth largest in the Eurozone.
Spain is the eighteenth largest exporter in the world and the sixteenth largest
importer.

15.
How do people of this country spend their leisure time? List at least five activities. Would
you want to live there? In their free time, Spaniards have family times (more than
other countries), they love playing golf, and going snorkeling at the beach. I love
living in the United States, I wouldnt want to live anywhere else.

16.
List (in order of significance) what you feel are the three biggest problems that this
country needs to resolve. Spain is running out of money, which is the only main
problem this nation has. Banco de Espana (Bank of Spain) now has less than $17
billion in foreign currency and gold reserves left. This is enough for just 12 days of
imports.

17.Are all people treated equally in this country? Why or why not? Explain your answer using
specific evidence. Everyone in Spain is treated equal except the beggars. Beggars
are treated as second hand citizens and are not viewed as people.