Worldway Comprehensive Report: As a long-established capitalist power, Spain has strong national strength and is highly attractive to immigrants. However, immigrating to a different country can lead to some differences from one's previous living environment. Today, Worldway's immigration experts will introduce 8 things you must know about immigrating to Spain.
【Beautiful Scenery of Spain】
1. Spain is the second most popular tourist destination in the world.
Spain has a pleasant climate and boasts 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ranking third in the world. Over 60 million foreign tourists visit Spain each year, which is more than the total population of Spain. Although only about 300,000 Chinese tourists visit Spain annually, the growth is rapid.
2. Spain has the second longest high-speed rail network in the world.
This may come as a surprise, but I believe it. I recently experienced taking a train from Madrid to Barcelona. The scenery along the way is beautiful, and the business class offers different meals based on the distance to the destination. It is said that train ticket prices have also decreased in recent years.
3. Mornings in Spain are longer than afternoons.
In China, we often feel that afternoons are longer than mornings, and we can usually schedule two activities in the afternoon. However, in Spain, it is the opposite. Although the overall pace of life in Spain is about two hours later than in China (for example, lunch starts around 2 or 3 PM, and dinner around 8 or 9 PM), their mornings still start at 9 AM! This means they have five hours in the morning, enough to schedule two activities. We often leave home at 8 AM, which is actually equivalent to a 6 AM schedule! After lunch at 3 PM, everyone feels a bit sleepy, so not much is scheduled for the afternoon. Their nightlife is also long, with streets bustling at midnight, and nightlife in full swing. If their team wins, fans will celebrate all night. In this regard, Spaniards are much more industrious than we might imagine. They work and play from dawn to dusk.
4. Spain is a European country but has territories in Africa.
Moreover, these territories are not colonies but directly governed territories. One is the Canary Islands, located 210 kilometers from the African continent, the hometown of Sanmao's boyfriend, José. Even now, many fans of Sanmao travel to this island to visit José's tombstone. Additionally, there are two cities within Morocco, one called Ceuta and the other Melilla, along with several small islands. Moroccans often cross the border to sneak into Spain.
5. Spanish is the second most spoken native language in the world.
What language has the largest number of native speakers in the world? Of course, it is Chinese. However, English does not even rank second, which is somewhat surprising. In fact, Spanish has a large population base in Latin America, including the United States, so its second-place ranking is understandable. The Cervantes Institute, as Spain's "Confucius Institute," has been promoting the Spanish language abroad.
6. The largest bank by market value in continental Europe is Banco Santander of Spain.
Speaking of Banco Santander, it is surprisingly the largest bank by market value in Europe, rather than the more famous Deutsche Bank or BNP Paribas. Of course, there is still a significant market value gap between Santander and HSBC. However, Santander has emulated internet companies like Google by building a large office complex in the suburbs of Madrid, and this was completed before the economic crisis hit. The park features many valuable thousand-year-old olive trees, which are significant assets. Its competitor, La Caixa Bank, is the largest shareholder of Hong Kong's Bank of East Asia.
7. How many Spanish brands do you know?
Some answers include popular clothing brand Mango, bathroom brand Roca, luxury brand Loewe, and so on. Mango was founded in Barcelona 30 years ago and entered China in 2003, now becoming Spain's second-largest clothing brand. In fact, the largest Spanish brands are Real Madrid and Barcelona, which occupy the top two spots among the world's most valuable football clubs.
8. Comparing Madrid and Barcelona in Spain is a risky business.
However, people cannot help but compare them, just as we love to compare Beijing and Shanghai. The situation is a bit different, as Catalonia, where Barcelona is located, has long sought independence. They planned to hold a referendum in September this year, similar to Scotland, but the Spanish government does not recognize it. Barcelona has historically been more influenced by French culture, but is now shifting towards English. Elementary school students are required to learn Catalan, which has some differences in writing and language from Spanish. Barcelona has also been striving to establish itself as a European mobile internet hub; it is the birthplace of the GSM mobile communication model, but it now seems outdated. The more historic Sagrada Família is said to be completed in another 10 years.
