Seville, Spain

Geography: Sevilla lies on the banks of the Guadalquivir and is one of the largest historical centers in Spain. It is the largest town in Southern Spain, the city of Carmen, Don Juan and Figaro.

Currency:  Euro

National Symbols: Pillars of Hercules

National Anthem: " Himno Nacional Espanol" (National Anthem of Spain)

Language: Castilian Spanish

Area Comparison: Spain is slightly more than twice the size of Oregon.

Distance from Pittsburgh: 6224 km or 3867 miles

Terrain: The terrain is large and flat with a  plateau surrounded by rugged hills. The Pyrenees Mountains are in north.

Highest Point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Weather You Should Expect: The climate is temperate which is clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast but cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast.

What You Must See: Visit the old city, with the Cathedral (one of the largest in Christendom) and the Giralda tower. You can climb the steps inside the tower for a magnificent view of the City. There are also the royal Mudéjar palace known as the Alcazar with marvellous gardens and the Santa Cruz quarter, with cramped streets, flowered balconies, richly decorated facades, hidden patiosand. Part of its treasure include Casa de Pilatos, Torre del Oro, the Town Hall, Archive of the Indies (where the historical records of the American continent are kept), the Fine Arts Museum (the second largest picture gallery in Spain), plus convents, parish churches and palaces.

What to Eat: Eat tapas. The city is credited with their invention and has more than a thousand places where the choice of food, is virtually unlimited, from seafood to ham and sausage, from vegetable to cheese. The Sevillians actually make a meal of them, moving from place to place and trying one dish at a time.

Historical Fact: According to legend, Sevilla was founded by Hercules and its origins are linked with the Tartessian civilisation. It was called Hispalis under the Romans and Isbiliya with the Moors. Its high point in its history was following the discovery of America.

Science Fact:  If you have ever made the mistake of biting into one of the oranges from Seville´s tens of thousands of trees when visiting, you will understand why. They are not oranges designed for eating, they are bitter oranges used to make marmalade and it is considered the finest type.

Fun Fact: Visitors to Seville will notice a symbol on many signs around the city, from taxis and buses to sewer covers, consisting of the letters ´NO8DO´. This is the city´s logo, and legend says that it originates from the 13th-century coat of arms awarded to Sevilla by King Alfonso X the Wise. Between the ´NO and ´DO´ is an 8-shaped bundle of wool (madeja in Spanish). Add the three together, speaking in Seville´s fast, elliptical accent and you have ´no-madeja-do´, more correctly, ´no me ha dejado´ which means ´it (the city) has not abandoned me´. The motto was his reward to the people of Seville for their loyalty.

Interesting Fact: The Sevillians are great actors and put on an extraordinary performance at their annual Fería de Abril, a week-long party of drink, food and dance which takes place day and night in more than a thousand especially mounted tents.

Everything You Need to Know About the Flag:

The flag has three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band. The coat of arms is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left, Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon) while Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield. The arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar. The red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of "Plus Ultra" (further beyond) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe. The triband arrangement with the center stripe twice the width of the outer dates to the 18th century.  An interesting fact is that the red and yellow colors are related to those of the oldest Spanish kingdoms: Aragon, Castile, Leon, and Navarre.