Little River explains great golf course conditions
Our General Manager Marvin Waters and our Superintendent Bryson Stinson talk about keeping optimal playing surfaces while combating the hot summer weather
MOONLIGHT GOLF at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club Southern Pines July 16, 2010
To celebrate this unique night in Pinehurst history, Peggy Kirk Bell and Kelly Miller of Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club are hosting Moonlight Golf at Mid Pines to raise funds and awareness for the Tufts Archives/Pinehurst History Museum. Here is what we dug up about Moonlight Golf:
* When: July 16, 2010 starting at 7:30 pm
* Where: Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club on Midland Road in Southern Pines, click here for map
* Golf format: 4-hole walking match played with a maximum of 5 clubs, there will be a hickory and non-hickory club divsions
* Attire: Golf casual
* Event cost: $100 per player which includes hors d'ouevres and cocktails, golf, post-match refreshments & awards ceremony.
* Purchase tickets by calling Audrey Moriarty, executive director, at 910.295.6022 or visiting the Given Memorial Library/Tufts Archives in the Village of Pinehurst
sandhillsDig.com is your ultimate local information resource and guide to the best places to shop, dine and play in Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen. Restaurants, shops, events, classified listings, golf, music, entertainment, movies and everything Sandhills. We promote local business and upcoming calendar events in our community including Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, Carthage, Cameron, Vass, Seven Lakes, West End and Robbins. Shop local, dine local, be local.
480 Spring Lake Dr. Pinehurst Real Estate
Scott Lincicome presents 480 Spring Lake Dr Pinehurst NC Unit 4. Prime location to the Village of Pinehurst, Downtown Southern Pines and Moore County's world famous First Health hospital. Well maintained house with recent updates like granite counter tops in the kitchen, and large back deck. Extra large garage with private back yard, open living areas, double sided fireplace, carolina room, large master bedroom closet and a master bathroom you have to see. Located in Pinehurst Elementary school district and convenient to Fort Bragg. Inquiry about Pinehurst CC membership. Listing Price $219,000. information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Large rattlesnake startles Florida birdwatchers
A Bartow couple on a birdwatching trip came across something that really ruffled their feathers: A 6-foot, 100-pound diamondback rattlesnake.
MORE:
How to Find Arrowheads in Creeks - Where to Look For Arrowheads [2018]
How to Find Arrowheads in Creeks - Where to Look For Arrowheads and a Helpful Tool to use (Amazon link below in comments) Where to Look For Arrowheads in the Creek and Tools to use. Something you were never taught in school, look for my following video in the end card for an interesting explanation of Where Native Americans come from and how long ago did they migrate to the now Americas. Origin of the Native American people and the first inhabitants of North, Central, and South Americas. A brief description of the Solutrean culture (Solutrean Hypothesis) as well as the East Asians that came across Beringia just after the Ice Age. I talk about some of the different time periods such as Archaic, paleo, and Woodland.
To Increase views on your video use TubeBuddy. My affiliate link here -
Woman Kills Son, Self at Gun Range
WARNING: Graphic Images. A security video from inside a gun range shows a Florida woman shoot her son in the back of the head before turning the gun on herself. Family members say she was mentally ill. (April 7)
Download AP Mobile:
The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats.
AP's commitment to independent, comprehensive journalism has deep roots. Founded in 1846, AP has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing high-quality, informed reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings. AP is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information.
Today, AP employs the latest technology to collect and distribute content - we have daily uploads covering the latest and breaking news in the world of politics, sport and entertainment. Join us in a conversation about world events, the newsgathering process or whatever aspect of the news universe you find interesting or important. Subscribe:
World's Largest Cottonmouth Snake - Mossy Oak
What would you do in this situation? The Mossy Oak crew came across this venomous cottonmouth (water moccasin) while out planting a duck hole in the summer. You just never know what you might run into down here in the south.
Click the link below to subscribe:
Mossy Oak:
Greg BRAUN 04/16/14: Bird Diversity in the IRL
Many of Florida's 517 species of Birds can be found in th Indian River Lagoon and surrounding watershed. Just as the Lagoon id sat the geographic and geologic confluence for temperate and tropical flora and fauna, it also brings together birds of varying latitudinal home ranges. Avian ecologist Greg Braun of Sustainable Ecosystems International gives some insight into the life history of some of the Lagoon's more notable bird species.
Illinois | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Illinois
00:03:22 1 Etymology
00:04:52 2 History
00:05:01 2.1 Pre-European
00:07:50 2.2 European exploration and settlement prior to 1800
00:09:26 2.3 19th century
00:09:35 2.3.1 Prior to statehood
00:11:18 2.3.2 The State of Illinois prior to the Civil War
00:15:55 2.3.3 Civil War and after
00:17:14 2.4 20th century
00:20:06 3 Geography
00:20:27 3.1 Boundaries
00:21:27 3.2 Topography
00:22:17 3.3 Divisions
00:25:43 3.4 Climate
00:28:33 4 Demographics
00:32:47 4.1 Birth data
00:33:14 4.2 Urban areas
00:35:30 4.3 Languages
00:36:26 4.4 Religion
00:36:34 4.4.1 Christianity
00:37:27 4.4.1.1 Importance in the Latter Day Saint Movement
00:38:04 4.4.2 Other Abrahamic religious communities
00:39:09 4.4.3 Other religions
00:39:24 5 Economy
00:40:00 5.1 Taxes
00:41:09 5.2 Agriculture
00:42:49 5.3 Manufacturing
00:44:01 5.4 Services
00:44:43 5.5 Investments
00:45:20 5.6 Energy
00:45:44 5.6.1 Coal
00:47:39 5.6.2 Petroleum
00:48:25 5.6.3 Nuclear power
00:49:32 5.6.4 Wind power
00:51:04 5.6.5 Biofuels
00:51:55 6 Culture
00:52:03 6.1 Museums
00:53:47 6.2 Music
00:55:35 6.3 Movies
00:56:15 6.4 Sports
00:56:24 6.4.1 Major league sports
00:58:10 6.4.2 Other top-level professional sports
00:58:42 6.4.3 Minor league sports
01:00:05 6.4.4 College sports
01:02:37 6.4.5 Former Chicago sports franchises
01:02:47 6.4.5.1 Folded teams
01:05:16 6.4.5.2 Relocated teams
01:05:54 6.4.6 Professional sports teams outside Chicago
01:06:36 6.4.7 Motor racing
01:07:26 6.4.8 Golf
01:08:27 7 Parks and recreation
01:09:19 8 Law and government
01:11:15 9 Politics
01:11:24 9.1 Party balance
01:14:05 9.2 History of corruption
01:15:36 9.3 U.S. Presidential Elections
01:17:14 9.4 African-American U.S. senators
01:17:46 9.5 Political families
01:18:03 9.5.1 Stevensons
01:19:03 9.5.2 Daleys
01:19:42 10 Education
01:19:51 10.1 Illinois State Board of education
01:20:29 10.2 Primary and secondary schools
01:21:18 10.3 Colleges and universities
01:22:52 11 Infrastructure
01:23:01 11.1 Transportation
01:23:20 11.1.1 Airports
01:24:41 11.1.2 Rail
01:26:02 11.1.3 Interstate highway system
01:26:51 11.1.4 U.S. highway system
01:27:24 11.2 Gallery
01:27:32 12 Miscellaneous
01:28:04 13 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Illinois ( (listen) IL-ih-NOY) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is the 6th-most populous U.S. state and 25th-largest state in terms of land area, and is often noted as a microcosm of the entire United States. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in northern and central Illinois, and natural resources such as coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a diverse economic base, and is a major transportation hub. The Port of Chicago connects the state to other global ports around the world from the Great Lakes, via the Saint Lawrence Seaway, to the Atlantic Ocean; as well as the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, via the Illinois Waterway on the Illinois River. The Mississippi River, the Ohio River, and the Wabash River form parts of the boundaries of Illinois. For decades, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport has been ranked as one of the world's busiest airports. Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics.
The capital of Illinois is Springfield in central Illinois. Although today, the state's largest population center is in and around Chicago in the northeastern part of the state, the state's European population grew first in the west, with French who settled along the Mississippi River, and gave the area the name Illinois Country. After the American Revolutionary War established the United States, American settlers began arriving from Kentucky in the 1780s via the Ohio River, and the population grew from south to north. In 1818, Illinois achieved statehood. After construction of the Erie Canal increased traffic and trade through the Great Lakes, Chicago was founded in the 1830s on th ...
Street View on Google Maps
Go to Google Maps: |
Google Maps Playlist: | Check out the new experience of Street View on Google Maps. Learn the new ways to enter Street View, look at our full screen mode, navigate through driving directions, and more.
Street View is a feature of Google Maps that allows you to quickly and easily view and navigate high-resolution, 360 degree street level images of various cities around the world.
See at
Margaret Kilpatrick Estate Aerial Tour • Hancock County, IL
Watch an aerial tour of the Margaret Kilpatrick Estate located in Hancock County, IL just northwest of Bowen. The 146 acres represent highly productive tillable farmland and will be sold in two tracts. Mark your calendars for Monday, March 5 @ 10 AM. Sale to be held at the Eagles Club in Carthage, IL.
Spain | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Spain
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
Spain (Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in the European continent. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and Bilbao.
Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago. Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician, Greek, Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE, after which the region was named Hispania, based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp(a)n or Spania. At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe, invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces, including the Suebi, Alans and Vandals. Eventually, the Visigoths would forcibly integrate all remaining independent territories in the peninsula, including Byzantine provinces, into the Kingdom of Toledo, which more or less unified politically, ecclesiastically and legally all the former Roman provinces or successor kingdoms of what was then documented as Hispania.
In the early eighth century the Visigothic Kingdom fell to the Moors, who arrived to rule most of the peninsula in the year 726, leaving only a handful of small Christian realms in the north, lasting up to seven centuries in the Kingdom of Granada. This led to many wars during a long reconquering period across the Iberian Peninsula, which led to the creation of Kingdom of Leon, Kingdom of Castille, Kingdom of Aragon and Kingdom of Navarre as the main Christian kingdoms to face the invasion. Following the Moorish conquest, Europeans began a gradual process of retaking the region known as the Reconquista, which by the late 15th century culminated in the emergence of Spain as a unified country under the Catholic Monarchs.
In the early modern period, Spain became the world's first global empire and the most powerful country in the world, leaving a large cultural and linguistic legacy that includes +570 million Hispanophones, making Spanish the world's second-most spoken native language, after Mandarin Chinese. During the Golden Age there were also many advancements in the arts, with world-famous painters such as Diego Velázquez.
The most famous Spanish literary work, Don Quixote, was also published during the Golden Age. Spain hosts the world's third-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Spain is a secular parliamentary democracy and a parliamentary monarchy, with King Felipe VI as head of state. It is a major developed country and a high income country, with the world's fourteenth largest economy by nominal GDP and sixteenth largest by purchasing power parity. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the Eurozone, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Union for the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Or ...
Spain | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Spain
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Spain (Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa] (listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in the European continent. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and Bilbao.
Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago. Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician, Greek, Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE, after which the region was named Hispania, based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp(a)n or Spania. At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe, invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces, including the Suebi, Alans and Vandals. Eventually, the Visigoths would forcibly integrate all remaining independent territories in the peninsula, including Byzantine provinces, into the Kingdom of Toledo, which more or less unified politically, ecclesiastically and legally all the former Roman provinces or successor kingdoms of what was then documented as Hispania.
In the early eighth century the Visigothic Kingdom fell to the Moors, who arrived to rule most of the peninsula in the year 726, leaving only a handful of small Christian realms in the north, lasting up to seven centuries in the Kingdom of Granada. This led to many wars during a long reconquering period across the Iberian Peninsula, which led to the creation of Kingdom of Leon, Kingdom of Castille, Kingdom of Aragon and Kingdom of Navarre as the main Christian kingdoms to face the invasion. Following the Moorish conquest, Europeans began a gradual process of retaking the region known as the Reconquista, which by the late 15th century culminated in the emergence of Spain as a unified country under the Catholic Monarchs.
In the early modern period, Spain became the world's first global empire and the most powerful country in the world, leaving a large cultural and linguistic legacy that includes +570 million Hispanophones, making Spanish the world's second-most spoken native language, after Mandarin Chinese. During the Golden Age there were also many advancements in the arts, with world-famous painters such as Diego Velázquez.
The most famous Spanish literary work, Don Quixote, was also published during the Golden Age. Spain hosts the world's third-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Spain is a secular parliamentary democracy and a parliamentary monarchy, with King Felipe VI as head of state. It is a major developed country and a high income country, with the world's fourteenth largest economy by nominal GDP and sixteenth largest by purchasing power parity. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the Eurozone, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Union for the Mediterranean, the North ...
Spain | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Spain
00:04:30 1 Etymology
00:07:07 2 History
00:09:00 2.1 Prehistory and pre-Roman peoples
00:10:46 2.2 Roman Hispania and the Visigothic Kingdom
00:13:46 2.3 Middle Ages: Muslim era and Reconquista
00:21:18 2.4 Spanish Empire
00:29:55 2.5 Liberalism, labour movement and nation state
00:34:42 2.6 Second Spanish Republic
00:36:53 2.7 Spanish Civil War and Francoist Spain
00:39:05 2.8 Restoration of democracy
00:45:14 3 Geography
00:46:47 3.1 Islands
00:47:40 3.2 Mountains and rivers
00:48:55 3.3 Climate
00:52:13 3.4 Fauna and flora
00:52:59 4 Politics
00:55:06 4.1 Government
00:57:29 4.2 Human rights
00:58:22 4.3 Administrative divisions
00:59:14 4.3.1 Autonomous communities
01:02:40 4.3.2 Provinces and municipalities
01:03:51 4.4 Foreign relations
01:08:04 4.5 Military
01:08:34 4.6 Ecology
01:09:49 5 Economy
01:12:51 5.1 Agriculture
01:15:33 5.2 Tourism
01:16:23 5.3 Energy
01:17:45 5.4 Transport
01:20:24 5.5 Science and technology
01:21:05 6 Demographics
01:24:08 6.1 Urbanisation
01:24:27 6.2 Peoples
01:25:30 6.3 Minority groups
01:26:38 6.4 Immigration
01:29:46 6.5 Languages
01:31:53 6.6 Education
01:33:09 6.7 Health
01:33:42 6.8 Religion
01:38:46 7 Culture
01:39:34 7.1 World Heritage Sites
01:45:31 7.2 Literature
01:51:15 7.3 Philosophy
01:52:24 7.4 Art
01:53:51 7.5 Sculpture
01:55:13 7.6 Cinema
01:56:18 7.7 Architecture
01:58:02 7.8 Music and dance
01:59:57 7.9 Fashion
02:00:22 7.10 Cuisine
02:01:52 7.11 Sport
02:03:55 7.12 Public holidays and festivals
02:05:29 8 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Spain (Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa] (listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in the European continent. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and Bilbao.
Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago. Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician, Greek, Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE, after which the region was named Hispania, based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp(a)n or Spania. At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe, invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces, including the Suebi, Alans and Vandals. Eventually, the Visigoths would forcibly integrate all remaining independent territories in the peninsula, including Byzantine provinces, into the Kingdom of Toledo, which more or less unified politically, ecclesiastically and legally all the former Roman provinces or successor kingdoms of what was then documented as Hispania.
In the early eighth century the Visigothic Kingdom fell to the Moors, who arrived to rule most of the peninsula in the year 726, leaving only a handful of small Christian realms in the north, lasting up to seven centuries in the Kingdom of Granada. This led to many wars during a long reconqu ...
Spain | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Spain
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
Spain (Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in the European continent. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and Bilbao.
Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago. Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician, Greek, Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE, after which the region was named Hispania, based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp(a)n or Spania. At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe, invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces, including the Suebi, Alans and Vandals. Eventually, the Visigoths would forcibly integrate all remaining independent territories in the peninsula, including Byzantine provinces, into the Kingdom of Toledo, which more or less unified politically, ecclesiastically and legally all the former Roman provinces or successor kingdoms of what was then documented as Hispania.
In the early eighth century the Visigothic Kingdom fell to the Moors, who arrived to rule most of the peninsula in the year 726, leaving only a handful of small Christian realms in the north, lasting up to seven centuries in the Kingdom of Granada. This led to many wars during a long reconquering period across the Iberian Peninsula, which led to the creation of Kingdom of Leon, Kingdom of Castille, Kingdom of Aragon and Kingdom of Navarre as the main Christian kingdoms to face the invasion. Following the Moorish conquest, Europeans began a gradual process of retaking the region known as the Reconquista, which by the late 15th century culminated in the emergence of Spain as a unified country under the Catholic Monarchs.
In the early modern period, Spain became the world's first global empire and the most powerful country in the world, leaving a large cultural and linguistic legacy that includes +570 million Hispanophones, making Spanish the world's second-most spoken native language, after Mandarin Chinese. During the Golden Age there were also many advancements in the arts, with world-famous painters such as Diego Velázquez.
The most famous Spanish literary work, Don Quixote, was also published during the Golden Age. Spain hosts the world's third-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Spain is a secular parliamentary democracy and a parliamentary monarchy, with King Felipe VI as head of state. It is a major developed country and a high income country, with the world's fourteenth largest economy by nominal GDP and sixteenth largest by purchasing power parity. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the Eurozone, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Union for the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Or ...