https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Spain is long-established as one of the world's major orange producers, but a combination of factors mean that 'naranjas' from South Africa, Morocco and Egypt increasingly line Spanish supermarket shelves. https://www.thelocal.es/20260918/why-does-citrus-producing-spain-import-so-many-oranges Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:07:36 +0200 why-does-citrus-producing-spain-import-so-many-oranges We all know the stereotypes about Spanish people, but once you've lived in Spain for some time you pick up on other idiosyncrasies Spaniards have which are fairly unknown to outsiders, and often quite amusing. https://www.thelocal.es/20230817/ten-spanish-cultural-quirks-you-only-notice-once-you-live-in-spain Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:43:29 +0200 ten-spanish-cultural-quirks-you-only-notice-once-you-live-in-spain As kids across Spain start school this week, many foreign parents who are new to the country may be wondering if Catholicism still plays an integral part of the education system. https://www.thelocal.es/20260909/how-religious-are-schools-in-spain-nowadays Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:21:05 +0200 how-religious-are-schools-in-spain-nowadays Spain is a fantastic country to bring up kids thanks to the weather, the safety and Spaniards' overall love of children, but that doesn't mean there aren't aspects of Spanish child-rearing that surprise foreigners. https://www.thelocal.es/20240919/the-strange-things-spanish-parents-do-raising-their-children Thu, 19 Sep 2024 13:02:03 +0200 the-strange-things-spanish-parents-do-raising-their-children One of the most common stereotypes in Spain is that people from the capital think they’re better than everybody else. https://www.thelocal.es/20240827/why-do-people-from-madrid-have-a-reputation-for-being-arrogant Tue, 27 Aug 2024 16:45:06 +0200 why-do-people-from-madrid-have-a-reputation-for-being-arrogant Want to decipher the different political biases in the Spanish press? Eager to find out which newspaper you'll enjoy reading while improving your Spanish? Here's everything that's interesting and important about Spain's newspaper landscape. https://www.thelocal.es/20220126/a-foreigners-guide-to-understanding-the-spanish-press-in-five-minutes Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:31:35 +0100 a-foreigners-guide-to-understanding-the-spanish-press-in-five-minutes Spain's population density is a European anomaly, with 90 percent of residents living in just 2.6 percent of the country. Why is it that the cities are so crowded while huge parts of the country's interior are empty? https://www.thelocal.es/20260814/why-is-spains-population-so-poorly-distributed Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:18:22 +0200 why-is-spains-population-so-poorly-distributed Tapas are an intrinsic part of Spanish eating culture, consisting of small plates of food shared with friends or family along with drinks. There are some fascinating theories about how this typically Spanish way of dining came to be. https://www.thelocal.es/20250725/what-are-the-origins-of-spains-tapas Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:14:18 +0200 what-are-the-origins-of-spains-tapas Why is it that when it comes to their national anthem Spaniards are lost for words? https://www.thelocal.es/20180223/no-word-on-spains-national-anthem Fri, 23 Feb 2018 11:34:24 +0100 no-word-on-spains-national-anthem Many people in Spain believe the country's Socialist government offers too many benefits which discourage some from working. Does living off the State really pay off? https://www.thelocal.es/20260525/fact-check-is-it-better-to-live-off-benefits-than-to-work-in-spain Mon, 25 May 2026 13:25:37 +0200 fact-check-is-it-better-to-live-off-benefits-than-to-work-in-spain Watching Spanish TV can often feel like it's all just ads, and the actual programmes are the fillers. Why is it that ad breaks in Spain often run for more than 12 minutes? https://www.thelocal.es/20241115/why-are-tv-ad-breaks-so-long-in-spain Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:32:25 +0100 why-are-tv-ad-breaks-so-long-in-spain Have you ever wondered what those small kiosk are on many street corners in Spain, and why there are people inside them selling tickets? Here's what you need to know about 'La ONCE'. https://www.thelocal.es/20260513/la-once-why-blind-people-sell-lottery-tickets-in-spain Wed, 13 May 2026 11:26:35 +0200 la-once-why-blind-people-sell-lottery-tickets-in-spain Spaniards currently feel quite pessimistic about their country, believing it to be less safe, less prosperous and more unequal than a decade ago, a new widely reported study has found. https://www.thelocal.es/20260430/how-spaniards-perceptions-about-spain-have-changed-over-the-past-decade Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:47:15 +0200 how-spaniards-perceptions-about-spain-have-changed-over-the-past-decade To mark World Book Day, we give you a breakdown of ten fiction and non-fiction ‘libros’ that will help you get to grips with Spain’s history, culture, the Spanish mindset and more. https://www.thelocal.es/20200318/ten-books-that-tell-you-everything-you-need-to-know-about-spain Wed, 18 Mar 2020 11:32:06 +0100 ten-books-that-tell-you-everything-you-need-to-know-about-spain Divorces and separations are on a downward trend in Spain, but the latest data suggests it's more a case of couples begrudgingly deciding to stay together. https://www.thelocal.es/20260327/why-people-in-spain-are-getting-fewer-divorces-even-though-they-want-to Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:12:43 +0100 why-people-in-spain-are-getting-fewer-divorces-even-though-they-want-to To mark International Women's Day, we celebrate 11 Spanish women who have played pivotal roles in shaping Spain's history, gender rights, science, the arts and more. https://www.thelocal.es/20241011/ten-of-the-most-influential-women-in-spains-history Fri, 11 Oct 2024 21:47:17 +0200 ten-of-the-most-influential-women-in-spains-history Following Iran's attack on a British military base in Cyprus, the first time the country bombs European soil, we find out whether Spain would be able to defend itself against a missile attack like Israel's 'Iron Dome' system does. https://www.thelocal.es/20241003/does-spain-have-its-own-anti-missile-iron-dome Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:58:36 +0200 does-spain-have-its-own-anti-missile-iron-dome The first wave of Indian migration to Spain began in the late-19th century with a diaspora of Sindhi traders quickly establishing themselves as a successful and peaceful community, values they still hold onto today. https://www.thelocal.es/20241111/five-interesting-facts-about-spains-indian-community Mon, 11 Nov 2024 21:38:22 +0100 five-interesting-facts-about-spains-indian-community Following news that Spain has once again fallen in international corruption rankings, The Local's political reporter Conor Faulkner looks into the reasons why Spaniards are once again losing trust in their elected and unelected officials. https://www.thelocal.es/20250214/in-depth-how-bad-is-corruption-in-spain-in-2025 Fri, 14 Feb 2025 09:18:20 +0100 in-depth-how-bad-is-corruption-in-spain-in-2025 Spaniards often deal with stereotypes from abroad which paint them as just party-loving and lazy, but even among the inhabitants of the country’s 17 regions there are clichés that live on to this day. https://www.thelocal.es/20241012/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-what-are-the-regional-stereotypes-across-spain Sat, 12 Oct 2024 11:25:24 +0200 the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-what-are-the-regional-stereotypes-across-spain