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Kingdom
of Spain: Facts and Figures The
Spanish Coat of Arms bears emblems of the
traditional kingdoms of Spain on the shield,
which is flanked by two columns representing the
Pillars of Hercules. |
King Ferdinand
V, along with his Queen, Isabella,
united many of the kingdoms on the Iberian
Peninsula to create most of what is now known as
Spain. During his reign Christopher Columbus
"discovered" the New World, and Spain's
influence spread across the Atlantic Ocean. |
Charles IV
became king because his elder brother was
mentally retarded and an epileptic. He himself,
however, proved to be a no better choice, and his
throne was dominated by France. |
Gibraltar
is a British dependency on the southern coast of
Spain. It lies on a narrow peninsula near the
entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. The Rock of
Gibraltar (shown above), a huge limestone mass,
occupies most of Gibraltar's 2.3 square miles. |
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