The Spanish were known for having one of the greatest and largest armadas in European history, besides the British. This illustrated itself to me as another way that the geography and the history of a country are closely connected.
I was not entirely surprised to learn of the cultural diversity within Spanish culture. I know of the Moors and of the subculture of Catalan, which also has its own language. It is important to learn of a country's mainstream culture and language, and it is also important to include, as opposed to disregard, the other subcultures within the main culture that influence the overall culture and history, too. These groups may have not been the dominant cultures in Spain, but they are vibrant and contribute the richness of the country's history and heritage.
As far as the people of Spain, based on what I learned, I believe them to be more relaxed and more passionate than Americans. Spain is the land of flamenco and tango, which are intensely passionate...
These cultural artifacts of Spanish culture are additionally connected to the religion, as many of the songs are about and inspired by religious stories and traditions.
I also was a bit envious to learn about siesta. The United States does not practice siesta, which is a kind of extended break in the day. The British take tea time daily, and siesta is kind of like the Spanish version of tea time, but usually with wine. If this practice were adopted by Americans, the culture might become more relaxed and less focused upon capitalism endeavors, but siesta may also disrupt the capitalist system, as it is heavily predicated on working many hours.
