Spain: A rich mix of diverse elements

This is Spain with a wide variety of different festive celebrations.

Located at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Europe and Africa, Spain’s history and culture are made up of a rich mix of diverse elements. Divided in to 17 regions, Spain is a democratic constitutional monarchy with a National Parliament.

Through exploration and conquest, Spain became a world power in the 16^th century, and it maintained a vast overseas empire until the early 19^th century.

Spain’s modern history is marked by the bitterly fought Spanish civil war of 1936-39 (Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II), and the ensuing 36-year dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. The transition from dictatorship to democracy began with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975. After the political transformation Spain changed radically adopting liberal values and free market practices, whilst maintaining the Spanish way of life. Rapid economic modernisation gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights.

From Velazquez in the 17^th century, through Goya straddling the 18^th and 19^th, to Picasso in the 20^th, Spain has the proudest of traditions in art.

Flamenco music and dance are widely admired around the world while Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote is one of the most popular ever written. It is interesting to know that the modern day guitar was invented in Spain, when a sixth string was added to the Arab lute.

Hispanic Day

Spain has an outstanding multicultural heritage, and this can be seen in all areas of its social life. There is a wide variety of different festive celebrations to be found all over the country.

October 12, the Hispanic Day, commemorates Christopher Columbus’s first successful voyage to the new world in 1492. A variety of festivities take place throughout the day, with the centre of the festival being long and lavish military parade through the centre of Madrid. On the national day, all government buildings, public utilities, and most business are closed. Government officials and other dignitaries attend or participate in the parade.

Christopher Columbus’ first successful voyage

On August 3, 1492, Columbus, under the sponsorship of Spain’s Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, began his first voyage across the Atlantic in search of an alternate trading route to India. On October 12, 1492, land was spotted, and Columbus’ three ships landed on an island in the Bahamas, which he named San Salvador. Over the next few months, Columbus and his crew explored the nearby islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, and Haiti. Leaving part of the crew to found a colony on Haiti, Columbus and his two remaining ships returned to Spain, landing in Lisbon, Portugal on March 4, 1493 before shortly returning to Spain. Columbus made three more voyages to the new world, in 1493, 1498, and 1502. Columbus’ legacy has always been a source of pride for Spain.

Spanish culture at highest artistic heights

Spanish culture is extremely rich and touches upon all forms of artistic expression. From literature to painting, music to architecture, the theatre to sumptuary arts. In each of these aspects, at some time in history or other, Spanish culture has reached the highest artistic heights: from bygone times (with outstanding examples of cave art) until present day (a time in which Spanish architecture is universally avant-garde), culture and art in Spain are prominent features of the country.

Best known among Spain’s folkloristic traditions are Flamenco and bullfights. You will find bullfights throughout the country, the most popular event perhaps being the “Running of Bulls” during the Sanfermines in Pamplona. But bullfights are part and parcel of any fiesta.

The musical tradition in the country’s south, in particular in Andalusia, is Flamenco, where you have to move to see and listen first rate dancing and guitar playing.

Spain boasts one of the greatest collections of historical and architectural monuments in the world. Spanish theatre and cinema is becoming a reference point in Europe, thanks to events such as the Theatre Festivals of Mérida, Sagunto and Almagro and the San Sebastian and Valladolid cinema festivals.

The Hispanic-Muslim art period extended from the eighth century through to the 15^th in various phases: the Cordoba mosque stems from the Caliphal period; beautifully decorated palaces remain from the period in which small Spanish kingdoms reigned after the disintegration of the Caliphate of Cordoba in 1031 (Aljafería, Zaragoza); the Giralda de Seville is conserved from the period of Almoravid art; and the impressive Alhambra of Granada remains from the Nazarite period. From 11^th century onwards, Romanesque art began to dominate in Christian Spain, where it played an important role in the construction of monasteries.

At the end of the 15^th century, Renaissance art, imported from Italy, began to dominate. Romanticism broke with the neoclassic style in the 19^th century. The National Library and the paintings of Mariano Fortuny and Pérez Villaamil stand out from this period. The 20^th century was influenced by diverse styles. Spanish painting reached great levels of international recognition, thanks to painters such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí. Spain is, above all, a mosaic of cultures; heterogeneous, old and modern, refined and popular.

Pak-Spain relations

Pakistan and Spain have traditionally enjoyed close and cordial relations characterised by shared perceptions on major global and regional issues. In view of Spain’s renewed interest in the Asian market, there are good prospects of further expansion in bilateral trade to ensure commercial relations are commensurate with the potential. Major exports from Pakistan to Spain are textiles (fabric, knitwear, including garments and home textiles), which constitute about 55% of our total exports to Spain. These are followed by leather products, ethanol, molasses, sports goods, rice, footwear and carpets. Main imports from Spain in Pakistan include textile and construction machinery, chemicals and chemical products, ceramics, plastic materials, iron and steel, malt products and fruit conserves and pharmaceutical products.

In 2005, Spain launched its Asia-Pacific Plan to enhance relations with the region, which regards Pakistan as an important country playing a prominent role in the stability of the region, and in particular in the fight against global terrorism.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2011.