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HUELVA, SPAIN

Date Established: October 1969, under Mayor Louis Welch
SC President: Mr. Manuel Aragon manuelarag@aol.com

GEOGRAPHY

Location: Spain is in southwest Europe, neighboring Portugal on the west and France to the north. Helva is 95 km (60 miles) northwest of Cadiz on the south Atlantic coast.
Description: Port city and capital of the Huelva Province.

PEOPLE

Ethnicity: Spanish
Language: Spanish including the dialects Catalan, Basque, Galician, and Valencian
City Population: 145,000
Religion: Roman Catholics (90%) and small groups of Jews, Protestants, and Muslims

ECONOMY

Natural Resources: Copper, iron, and manganese
Industries: Fishing, agriculture, cattle raising and petrochemicals
Exports: Copper, iron, manganese, tuna, sardines, petrochemicals
Imports: Computers, medical equipment, building materials, food processing and packaging equipment
Currency: peseta (Pta) per US$1 - 123.19 (Jan. 1996)

HISTORY
Christopher Colombus planned his 1492 voyage to the west and discovery of the New World while staying at the nearby La Rabida monastery. The Port of Huelva was also the point of embarkation for the New World.

FACTS

Doñana National Park, the largest and most impressive natural reserve in Europe is located just outside of Huelva
Huelva is known for its special ham - "Jamón de Huelva"

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Head of State: King Juan Carlos I
Prime Minister: José Maria Aznar López
Type: Parliamentary Monarchy. Although King Juan Carlos is the head of state, the prime minister and other ministers are responsible for the country's government. There is a bicameral legislature consisting of a senate and a Congress of Deputies, the latter having the greater power. Spain has over 52 provinces, each with local government responsibilities.

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
Head of City: Pedro Rodríguez González
Term: N/A

An Educational Packet Prepared for the Houston International Protocol Alliance

by Kathleen Silva and Lisa Chou

Spain is located in the southwestern part of Europe, between Portugal and France. Spain is the third largest country and the second highest country in Europe. To the Greeks, Spain was the land of the golden apples, and to the Arabs, it was the closest place to heaven. The Spanish people have a long history and many traditions. They are proud of their heritage and culture.

Spain played an important role in the foundation of Texas. In 1821, Texas was part of a nation called the Republic of Mexico. At that time, Mexico was still a part of Spain. Many immigrants from Spain came to settle in Texas, especially near San Antonio and Corpus Christi. The Spanish brought new animals to America such as horses, cattle, and sheep. The Texas Longhorns originally came from Spain!

Huelva, Spain is a small port city located on the south Atlantic coast. Huelva is historically known as the point where in 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail to find the New World. Huelva, Spain has been Houston's sister city since 1969. Like Houston, Huelva has a port. The Huelva port is used to export tuna, sardines, copper, and ore. It is one of the most active ports in Spain and southern Europe. As sister cities, the people of Houston and of Huelva work together to learn about each other's culture.

Did you know...?

The entire country of Spain could easily fit inside the state of Texas.
The Spanish influenced many parts of the world, especially the United States. Many U.S. cities, such as Los Angeles, California, and St. Augustine, Florida, were founded and settled by Spaniards.

Ready to Eat?

Spain is known for its food and wines. Because Spain has the longest coastline of all the countries in Europe, they eat a lot of seafood. The Spanish also eat a lot of olives (and olive oil), garlic, and jamón serrano, which is cured ham. Lunch is the main meal of the day, and families usually get together to eat lunch around 2:00 p.m. In the late afternoon, the Spanish enjoy eating tapas. Tapas are small snacks that people order at special places called tapas bars. They enjoy eating tapas with their friends. Dinner, which is usually soup or something light, isn’t eaten until around 10:00 p.m.!

Would you like to make some of the most popular dishes in Spain? Below are two recipes that you can try at home. Be sure to have an adult to help you.

TORTILLA ESPANOLA

The tortilla española, is not at all like the tortillas eaten in Mexico and Central America. It’s a potato omelet that is served either hot or at room temperature.

Ingredients:

2 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

5 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a pan. When the oil starts to smoke, place the onions and potatoes in the pan. Beat the eggs and add salt and pepper. Pour the eggs in the pan. Stir. Cover the pan for 10 minutes. Place a plate over the pan and turn it upside down. Return the tortilla to the pan and cook it on the other side. The tortilla is ready when both sides are golden brown.

FLAN

Flan is a delicious dessert served after a good meal.

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg

2 tablespoons of honey

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

2 cups of milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325˚. Heat water in a pot. Whip the eggs. Add the honey, ginger, vanilla and milk. Stir. Pour it into 6 custard cups. Place the cups in a pan of hot water. Cover them with aluminum foil and let them bake for 40 minutes. Let the flan cool, then it is ready to eat.

Did you know...?

On New Year’s Eve, when the clock strikes midnight, the people of Spain eat grapes. They believe this will bring them good luck in the New Year.

Music and Dancing in Spain

Spanish music has been influenced by several different cultures. Many centuries ago, the Spanish adopted instruments from the people of North Africa, called Moors. Through time, they have adopted music and instruments from other European countries. Some examples are the viol, drums, trumpets, horns, bagpipes, tambourines, and the lute. The Spanish guitar was developed after a Roman instrument called a zither. It is now one of the most popular instruments for Spanish music.

Music played an important role in the theatre and opera. Many world-renowned operas are set in Spain. Have you ever heard music from the operas Carmen, The Marriage of Figaro, or The Barber of Seville? What beautiful music!

FLAMENCO

Flamenco music and dance is one of the most popular styles in Spain and is known throughout the world. Flamenco began in southern Spain, but some believe that it has roots in ancient Hindu dances from India. The dance is expressed in two ways, the cante jondo (pronounced CAHN-tay HON-dow), which means the song of sadness, and the cante chico (pronounced CAHN-tay CHEE-kow), which means the song of happiness.

The musical instruments often used in the songs are the guitar and castanets. The dancers hold the castanets in their hands and make clicking noises by hitting the two wooden pieces together with the two middle fingers. The dancers also clap their hands to the beat while they move to the music of the guitar. It is a very lively and exciting form of dance.

Famous Spaniards

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was believed to have been born in Genoa (Italy) in 1451, but it was Spain that gave him his fame and fortune as the man who “discovered” America. At that time, everyone believed the world was flat and that it was impossible to sail to the west. Columbus thought differently; he believed it was possible to sail west and he decided to sail to India. In 1492, with funding from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, he was able to start his exploration. He left from the port of Huelva, Houston’s sister city. Columbus took three ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. To everyone's surprise, he reached America. He called it the New World.

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain in 1881. He is known as one of the greatest artists of the 20^th century. He studied art in the Royal Academy in Madrid, Spain. His styles of art expression were known as the Blue Period, which were the sad times in life, and the Rose Period, which were happy times of life. He developed an abstract style of art called Cubism. In cubism, he painted all of his objects in square or angular shapes. One of his most famous pieces is called “Guernica”, which is shown here and reflects the Spanish Civil War.

King Juan Carlos I

Spain is a monarchy, which means that it is ruled by a royal family. The current king is King Juan Carlos I. He is married to Queen Sofia. They have one son, Felipe, and two daughters, Christina and Elena. The royal family lives in a palace near Madrid, the capital city. King Juan Carlos became King of Spain in 1975. He helped establish a democratic constitutional democracy and stabilize the Spanish government. He is very popular with the Spanish people today.

Did you know...?

Julio and Enrique Iglesias, two well-known singers who are father and son, are from Spain. Also, Antonio Banderas, an actor who played in Zorro and other popular films, is from Spain.

Spanish Tiles

The art of decorating tiles comes from the southern part of Spain (near Huelva.) For thousands of years, Spain's castles and palaces have been decorated with beautiful ceramic tiles. Tiles were used to cover walls and floors. The tiles were painted to form beautiful pictures. Even today, Spanish homes, restaurants, and other buildings have floors and walls covered with beautiful tiles.

You can make beautiful Spanish tiles, too. Just follow the directions below.

Directions:

1. With a pencil, draw a grid on top of tile #1. Be sure the lines are evenly spaced.

2. Draw a grid in the empty box labeled Tile #2. Be sure you put the same number of lines as the grid on top. (You may want to do this on a separate piece of paper and make Tile #2 much larger. It will be easier to work with.)

3. Using the grid as your guide, copy the design from Tile #1 onto Tile #2. Go square by square on the grid so you don’t miss something!

4. When you have copied the design, paint Tile #2. You can either use the same colors as above or choose your own colors.

5. Congratulations! You made your own beautiful Spanish tile!

Tile #1

Spanish Bullfighting

Bullfighting in Spain has a long history and tradition. Some believe the tradition began before 100 BC as part of a religious ceremony. Julius Caesar, Emperor of Rome, may have brought the tradition from Rome to Spain.

Bullfighting season in Spain goes from March until October. The bulls, which weigh at least 1,000 pounds, are considered the stars of the bullfight. The bulls have to pass many tests. Only the strongest and bravest bulls are chosen for the bullfight.

The matador de toros is the person who fights the bull. He has teammates, called the cuadrilla, banderillero, and picador, that help him by distracting the bull. The matador wears a decorative jacket and tight pants and carries a red cape. The matador swings his red cape around to attract the bull. The bull runs toward the cape and the matador moves quickly to the side to avoid the bull’s sharp horns. Eventually, the bull gets tired and dizzy. The matador has to find the right moment to use his estoque (sword) and stab the bull between the shoulder blades and into his heart. The audience yells Olé! throughout the bullfight to encourage the matador.

Did you know...?

Many believe the use of the red cape angers the bull because of the color. In fact, bulls are colorblind. What angers the bull is the movement of the cape - not the color.
From July 6^th to the 14^th, Spanish people celebrate the "Running of the Bulls." Every morning during this week, six bulls are released in the streets of the town of Pamplona in southern Spain. The bulls run through the streets in a stampede until they reach the bullring of the evening's bullfight. Men run in front of these six bulls as fast as they can. As you can imagine, this tradition is quite dangerous!
The money in Spain is called peseta. (Pronounced peh-SE-tuh)

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