533 years ago today, October 12, 1492 (September 21, 1492, the lunar calendar), Spain's Independence Day. October 12, 1492 was Spain's Independence Day. Spain is located in southwestern Europe and shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal. Spain is located between 36 degrees and 44 degrees north latitude, 9 degrees 18 minutes west longitude and 3 degrees 19 minutes east longitude. It spans 840 kilometers north from north to south and 1000 kilometers east to west. With a land area of 504750 square kilometers, Spaniards say their country is shaped like a piece of cooked cowhide. Spain ranks fourth in Europe after Russia, Germany and France, equivalent to one-twentieth of the total area of Europe. Outside the peninsula, Spain's territory includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Spain not only has beautiful coasts, but also towering mountains. The entire territory of Spain can be roughly divided into five geographical areas. The earliest human archaeological remains found in Spain can be traced back to approximately 30,000 to 50,000 BC. Prehistoric rock paintings of cave humans provide us with scenes of life in prehistoric civilizations on the Iberian Peninsula. The most important ruins found in Spain include the "Black Cave" caves and the "Pine Forest" caves, and of course the famous Altamira Cave. In 1200 BC, Celts from central and northern Europe entered the peninsula from the north. In 1100 BC, the Phoenicians, a powerful seafaring nation, established colonies on the peninsula. The most important one was Gadir, which is today's Cadiz. In 409 AD, powerful Gothic barbarians invaded the declining Roman Empire and established their own kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula in 419 AD, making Toledo its capital. But the Goths did not contribute much to the development of Spanish civilization. The rule of the Visigoths lasted until 711 AD. Abdullah III eventually turned Spain into an independent caliphate. Under his rule, Spain ushered in unprecedented cultural prosperity. By the 11th century, constant infighting among the royal families (39 princes) divided and defeated the Muslim Empire, and the restoration movement intensified. One by one, the kings of the north won. By the 14th century, the Muslims in Spain had only their last stronghold in Granada, and they persisted for nearly a hundred years until the "Catholic King" incorporated it into the Kingdom of Castile. The marriage between Queen Isabel of Castile and King Fernando of Aragon in 1496 united the two most powerful kingdoms in the north, which finally reversed the pattern of recovery and victory. These two kings were known in history as "Catholic Kings." In the same year that Granada was recovered, Cristobal Columbus first arrived in the Americas, beginning the cruel conquest of the Americas by the Europeans. Following the Spaniards, Portugal, French and British were attracted by the golden legends of the New World and flocked to America fanatically. Large tracts of the Americas were assimilated linguistically, religiously and culturally by the Spaniards and became Spanish colonies. Spain took the lead in this competition and became one of the most powerful countries in the world. In 1591, Carlos I was elected Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Spaniards became the ruler of the world's largest empire, known as "the sun never sets." But Carlos I decided to retire in his prime and moved into Euste Abbey in 1556. The empire then split into the Habsburgs, Spain and Austria. In 1868, the monopoly political group launched a revolution to depose Isabel II. After the brief rule of Italian Prince Amadeo, the First Spanish Republic was proclaimed. It was also a short-lived regime, dissolved by General Pavia's coup and restored by Alfonso XI. In 1895, the Cuban people rose up for independence, but gave the Americans reason to interfere. The Spanish-American War was a war between an old empire and an emerging power. Spain suffered a crushing defeat and lost its last remaining colonies. A new era has begun. In 1956, Franco implemented economic reforms across the country, and the Spanish economy began to take off. By the 1970s, Spain had caught up with other European countries and became a developed industrial country. It is for this reason that despite Franco's high-pressure dictatorship in politics, the Spanish people still appreciate his contribution to economic rejuvenation and social stability. In 1969, Franco announced Juan Carlos of the Bourbon family as his heir. Franco died in 1975, and Spain established a constitutional monarchy after his death. In 1982, the left-wing Spanish Socialist Party won the election, and Felipe Gonzalez became Prime Minister and served three consecutive terms. Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1985 and joined the European Community the following year. 1992 was the year when Spain became famous in the international community. In this year, Barcelona successfully hosted the Olympic Games, Madrid was named the "European City of Culture", and Sevilla hosted the World Expo. The right wing returned to power in 1996, and José Maria Aznar of the People's Party is in power, which continues to this day.