# Online information about Spain - politics, history and culture?



## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Hi there. As some of you know, I'm planning to move to Spain within the year. I'd like to learn more about Spain, such as the politics, history and culture. I know I could get a book on this, but online learning is often a lot more fun and interactive. Of course the problem with online information is there is a ton of information to weed through and the credibility of information is difficult to determine.

So I'm hoping someone can help guide me to reputable online information about Spain. I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I hope to one day be in the position to do the same for others on this forum - to pay it forward. 

Thank you.


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## ANNIE100 (Oct 3, 2013)

Im sure you will get all the answers you need on here however if there is anything in particular you need then I just email me Ill ask my partner who is canarian and very keen on politics xx


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## andoba (Jan 12, 2014)

The english Wikipedia is quite nice. If you have any specific question, feel free to ask me!


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Annie, thanks for the offer. I'll start with a simple question: Are people in Spain pretty passionate about politics? Or are they disinterested? Or somewhere in between?

Andoba, Wikipedia is exactly what I've been focused on the last couple of days, under the search word "Spain." There's a ton of information there! Thank you for verifying that it's correct info. One question is the site says the name for Spain is actually the Kingdom of Spain. Do people actually say that in Spain?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

AllHeart said:


> Annie, thanks for the offer. I'll start with a simple question: Are people in Spain pretty passionate about politics? Or are they disinterested? Or somewhere in between?
> 
> Andoba, Wikipedia is exactly what I've been focused on the last couple of days, under the search word "Spain." There's a ton of information there! Thank you for verifying that it's correct info. One question is the site says the name for Spain is actually the Kingdom of Spain. Do people actually say that in Spain?


Politics, like anything, it depends.
If you live in Catalonia or the Basque country probably politics, or at least the question of independence, is important and much discussed. If you're a teacher/ doctor/ nurse/ civil servant you're also likely to be interested in politics to a certain extent (reforms and wage cuts endemic). On the other hand a LOT of people are just not interested, mainly after many years of corruption which is still going on and being investigated, but don't forget the famous 15M movement started here, and spread to other countries...
I don't know about online resources, but there are plenty of good books about Spain which are easy to get your hands on. Search for a thread called "Books about Spain"


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

For current events. AKA news. Try the various online newspapers.

History by definition is old so I'd check your local used bookshops. If you're near a college they likely have something. It's not like there have been great innovations in 15th century history .


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

NickZ said:


> For current events. AKA news. Try the various online newspapers.
> 
> History by definition is old so I'd check your local used bookshops. If you're near a college they likely have something. It's not like there have been great innovations in 15th century history .


Or amazon online.
Recently I've bought used copies of these books fora few £s:

History: Short History of Spain' Raymond Carr
'The Spanish Civil War' Antony Beevor
'Blood of Spain' Ronald Fraser
'The Spanish Holocaust' Paul Preston

The definitive history of the Civil War was generally accepted to be by Hugh Thomas but that may have been superceded by Beevor.

I'm currently reading Laurie Lee's 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning' to be followed by his'A Moment of War' and 'A Rose for Winter'.
There's also Hemingway's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls'.

As has been said, there's loads of information about current events in the aets and politics from all viewpoints to be found online. El Pais in English is informative.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

AllHeart said:


> Annie, thanks for the offer. I'll start with a simple question: Are people in Spain pretty passionate about politics? Or are they disinterested? Or somewhere


Personally, I find the general public to be wildly uninformed about the most important issues and only superficially interested in the issues that affect them. Then again, that is the disappointed poli sci major in me speaking.


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

abe books is good for used books to. There is a Canadian version of abe's.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

NickZ said:


> abe books is good for used books to. There is a Canadian version of abe's.


I forgot to mention them...Personally, I think they are better than amazon.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

AllHeart said:


> Hi there. As some of you know, I'm planning to move to Spain within the year. I'd like to learn more about Spain, such as the politics, history and culture. I know I could get a book on this, but online learning is often a lot more fun and interactive. Of course the problem with online information is there is a ton of information to weed through and the credibility of information is difficult to determine.
> 
> So I'm hoping someone can help guide me to reputable online information about Spain. I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I hope to one day be in the position to do the same for others on this forum - to pay it forward.
> 
> Thank you.


Which part of Spain are you heading for?

It's very difficult to generalise about Spain and the Spanish because the regions are so different. It's not really that long since they were different countries (and some people still think they are!) There are huge cultural differences between Basques and Andalucians, Catalans and Canarians.

As for free online resources I can recommend these:

Iberosphere (ceased publication last year but lots of interesting stuff in the archive)

Trans-Iberian (associated with El País newspaper)


> Trans-Iberian aims to be a journey through Spain and Portugal as seen through the eyes of English-language journalists and writers. Expect anything from tributes to local food and wine to political commentary and historical curiosities, from people who crossed the Pyrenees on a one-way ticket. It will be a different way to share our Iberian ideas.


And for current news and comment, El País in English


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## andoba (Jan 12, 2014)

AllHeart said:


> Are people in Spain pretty passionate about politics? Or are they disinterested? Or somewhere in between?


Like everywhere, it depends on where you're looking at. Most people on my environment are quite well informed on politics and many are very passionate about them, mind you I'm from a worker's neighbourhood (aka somewhere tourists and expats would not visit).

People with a higher cultural knowledge also care a lot more about them, the people who I've met that cared the less or not at all were or people with enough money so politics don't really affect them, or people who are in the bottom of the bottoms.



AllHeart said:


> Andoba, Wikipedia is exactly what I've been focused on the last couple of days, under the search word "Spain." There's a ton of information there! Thank you for verifying that it's correct info. One question is the site says the name for Spain is actually the Kingdom of Spain. Do people actually say that in Spain?


You won't many find many people calling Spain "Kingdom of Spain", it's just the official name. It's the same with people saying "UK" instead of "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Wow, you guys really deliver here! Thank you, thank you.

It sounds like the political interest from the public is very similar to here in Canada.

Alcalaina, I put those links in my faves, and took a quick peek at them already and they're just what I'm looking for. Thank you.

I decided to take the advice many of you've given re getting a book. So today I hit the local used bookstore here and bought what look like two excellent books to start out with. One is Spain by Lonely Planet. The other is Culture Shock! A survival guide to customs and etiquette, Spain. 

As to where I'm planning on living.... I'm hoping to move to the Malaga or Madrid area. I still haven't found my Spanish family, so where I move to will depend on the location of my family. 

Point well made re UK vs Spain (long version vs short version). LMAO! 

Thanks again, ladies & gents, for your help. You're awesome.


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