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Spain trivia: 44 questions and answers

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History

  1. In 1492 Isabella and Ferdinand captured the last Muslim kingdom in Spain. What was its capital?

    1. A. Granada
    2. B. Córdoba
    3. C. Seville
    4. D. Toledo
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    Granada. Granada fell in January 1492. Toledo (1085), Córdoba (1236) and Seville (1248) had been taken by Christian kings long before.

  2. In which year did the Spanish Armada sail against England?

    1. A. 1492
    2. B. 1588
    3. C. 1605
    4. D. 1808
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    1588. Philip II sent the Armada in 1588. It was beaten off by the English navy and wrecked by storms on its way home.

  3. In which year did Spaniards approve their current constitution in a referendum?

    1. A. 1975
    2. B. 1978
    3. C. 1986
    4. D. 1992
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    1978. The constitution was approved on 6 December 1978, which is now Constitution Day, a national holiday.

  4. After its war with the United States in 1898, Spain lost which Caribbean island?

    1. A. Jamaica
    2. B. Cuba
    3. C. Trinidad
    4. D. Barbados
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    Cuba. In 1898 Spain lost Cuba, as well as Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam. Jamaica and Trinidad had been lost to Britain long before, and Barbados was never Spanish.

  5. Madrid has been the capital of Spain since Roman times.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. Madrid was a modest town until King Philip II moved his court there in 1561.

  6. The first voyage around the world was completed in 1522 by a ship commanded by the Basque sailor Juan Sebastián Elcano.

    True or false?

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    True. True. Magellan was killed in the Philippines in 1521, and Elcano brought the ship Victoria back to Spain in 1522.

Food and drink

  1. Paella comes from the countryside around which city?

    1. A. Madrid
    2. B. Valencia
    3. C. Bilbao
    4. D. Salamanca
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    Valencia. Paella comes from Valencia, from the rice fields around the Albufera lagoon.

  2. What does the Valencian word 'paella' originally mean?

    1. A. Frying pan
    2. B. Golden rice
    3. C. Sunday lunch
    4. D. Saffron
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    Frying pan. Paella means frying pan in Valencian. The dish is named after the wide pan it is cooked in.

  3. What are the two main ingredients of a Spanish tortilla de patatas?

    1. A. Eggs and potatoes
    2. B. Corn flour and water
    3. C. Rice and seafood
    4. D. Chickpeas and chorizo
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    Eggs and potatoes. A tortilla de patatas is made with eggs and potatoes, often with onion, slowly cooked in olive oil.

  4. Andalusian gazpacho is a soup that is served piping hot.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. Gazpacho is a cold soup of raw tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, garlic and olive oil, perfect for hot summers.

  5. Manchego cheese is made from the milk of which animal?

    1. A. Cow
    2. B. Sheep
    3. C. Goat
    4. D. Buffalo
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    Sheep. Manchego is made from the milk of Manchega sheep in La Mancha.

  6. Valencian horchata de chufa is made from which ingredient?

    1. A. Almonds
    2. B. Rice
    3. C. Tiger nuts
    4. D. Coconut
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    Tiger nuts. Horchata de chufa is made from tiger nuts (chufas), small tubers grown near Valencia. Horchata in other countries may be made from rice, but not the Valencian one.

  7. What are churros traditionally dipped in?

    1. A. Thick hot chocolate
    2. B. Tomato sauce
    3. C. Garlic mayonnaise
    4. D. Olive oil
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    Thick hot chocolate. Churros are dipped in a cup of thick hot chocolate, for breakfast or as a snack.

Cities

  1. Which city is the end point of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage?

    1. A. Toledo
    2. B. Salamanca
    3. C. Santiago de Compostela
    4. D. San Sebastián
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    Santiago de Compostela. Pilgrims on the Camino walk to Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, where Saint James is traditionally said to be buried.

  2. Which walled hilltop city near Madrid, famous for El Greco and sword-making, sits above a bend of the Tagus river?

    1. A. Toledo
    2. B. Granada
    3. C. Valencia
    4. D. Bilbao
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    Toledo. Toledo stands above a bend of the Tagus, about 70 km south of Madrid. El Greco lived and painted there.

Landmarks

  1. Which architect devoted the last decades of his life to the Sagrada Família in Barcelona?

    1. A. Santiago Calatrava
    2. B. Antoni Gaudí
    3. C. Frank Gehry
    4. D. Pablo Picasso
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    Antoni Gaudí. Antoni Gaudí worked on the Sagrada Família from 1883 until his death in 1926. Calatrava designed Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences and Gehry the Guggenheim in Bilbao.

  2. In which city is the Alhambra?

    1. A. Córdoba
    2. B. Seville
    3. C. Granada
    4. D. Toledo
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    Granada. The Alhambra, the palace of the Nasrid sultans, stands on a hill above Granada.

  3. The Giralda, the bell tower of Seville Cathedral, was originally built as what?

    1. A. A lighthouse
    2. B. A minaret
    3. C. A Roman watchtower
    4. D. A castle keep
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    A minaret. The Giralda was built as a minaret of the mosque that stood on the site, and became a bell tower after the city was taken by Christian forces.

  4. Which famous painting by Velázquez hangs in the Prado Museum in Madrid?

    1. A. Las Meninas
    2. B. Guernica
    3. C. The Night Watch
    4. D. The Birth of Venus
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    Las Meninas. Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez is one of the Prado's greatest treasures. Guernica is by Picasso and hangs in the Reina Sofía museum.

  5. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was designed by Antoni Gaudí.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. It was designed by the architect Frank Gehry and opened in 1997, long after Gaudí's death in 1926.

  6. As of 2026, the Sagrada Família is the tallest church in the world.

    True or false?

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    True. True. It passed Ulm Minster in 2025, and its central tower reached 172.5 m in 2026.

Fun facts

  1. Spain's national anthem, the Marcha Real, has no official lyrics.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. As of 2026 it is one of only three national anthems without official words.

  2. What do Spaniards eat at each of the twelve strokes of midnight on New Year's Eve?

    1. A. An olive
    2. B. A grape
    3. C. An almond
    4. D. A churro
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    A grape. They eat a grape at each stroke, twelve in all, for good luck in each month of the new year.

  3. As of the 2020s, Spain is the world's largest producer of which of these?

    1. A. Coffee
    2. B. Olive oil
    3. C. Cocoa
    4. D. Tea
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    Olive oil. Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil. Coffee, cocoa and tea need a tropical or wetter climate.

  4. Spain's highest mountain, the volcano Teide, is on which island?

    1. A. Mallorca
    2. B. Ibiza
    3. C. Gran Canaria
    4. D. Tenerife
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    Tenerife. Teide, 3,715 m high, is on Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

  5. Which painter designed the Chupa Chups lollipop logo in 1969?

    1. A. Salvador Dalí
    2. B. Pablo Picasso
    3. C. Joan Miró
    4. D. Francisco Goya
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    Salvador Dalí. Salvador Dalí, the surrealist painter, designed the daisy-shaped Chupa Chups logo in 1969.

  6. Guinness World Records lists the world's oldest restaurant, Sobrino de Botín. In which city is it?

    1. A. Barcelona
    2. B. Seville
    3. C. Madrid
    4. D. Valencia
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    Madrid. Sobrino de Botín is in the old centre of Madrid, near the Plaza Mayor. Guinness gives its founding year as 1725.

  7. In which town do thousands of people throw tomatoes at each other at La Tomatina?

    1. A. Buñol
    2. B. Pamplona
    3. C. Ronda
    4. D. Sitges
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    Buñol. La Tomatina is held in Buñol, near Valencia, on the last Wednesday of August.

  8. Spaniards traditionally have two surnames, one from each parent.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Traditionally the first surname comes from the father and the second from the mother.

  9. In Spain, a woman's legal surnames change when she marries.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. Spanish women keep their own surnames for life. Adding 'de' and the husband's surname was a social custom only, and is rare today.

Words

  1. In a Spanish restaurant, what is 'la cuenta'?

    1. A. The bill
    2. B. The menu
    3. C. The waiter
    4. D. The table
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    The bill. La cuenta is the bill. Ask for it with 'La cuenta, por favor'.

  2. How do you say 'water' in Spanish?

    1. A. Pan
    2. B. Agua
    3. C. Vino
    4. D. Leche
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    Agua. Agua means water. Pan is bread, vino is wine and leche is milk.

  3. At a Spanish train station, what is a 'billete'?

    1. A. A platform
    2. B. A ticket
    3. C. A suitcase
    4. D. A timetable
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    A ticket. A billete is a ticket for a train or bus (the same word also means a banknote).

  4. The Spanish word 'mañana' can mean both 'tomorrow' and 'morning'.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Mañana means tomorrow, and la mañana means the morning. 'Mañana por la mañana' is tomorrow morning.

Phrases

  1. You want to pay at the end of a meal. What do you say?

    1. A. ¡Que aproveche!
    2. B. La cuenta, por favor
    3. C. Encantado
    4. D. ¡Salud!
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    La cuenta, por favor. La cuenta, por favor means the bill, please.

  2. What does 'No entiendo' mean?

    1. A. I'm not hungry
    2. B. I don't understand
    3. C. I can't find it
    4. D. I'm not ready
    Show the answer

    I don't understand. No entiendo means I don't understand.

  3. '¡Que aproveche!' is said to wish people an enjoyable meal.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. It is like 'enjoy your meal', said to people who are eating.

  4. 'Buenas noches' is the usual greeting when you meet someone at 10 in the morning.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. In the morning you say 'Buenos días'. 'Buenas noches' is for late in the evening or for saying goodnight.

Local customs and tips

  1. When do Spanish restaurants usually serve dinner?

    1. A. Between 4 pm and 6 pm
    2. B. Between 5 pm and 7 pm
    3. C. Between 8 pm and 11:30 pm
    4. D. Between 6 pm and 7:30 pm
    Show the answer

    Between 8 pm and 11:30 pm. Restaurants usually serve dinner between 8 pm and 11:30 pm, and lunch from about 1 pm to 4 pm.

  2. What is a 'menú del día' in a Spanish restaurant?

    1. A. A fixed-price lunch of three courses
    2. B. A list of the day's wines
    3. C. A breakfast buffet
    4. D. A tasting menu of twenty small dishes
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    A fixed-price lunch of three courses. The menú del día is a fixed-price lunch of three courses: a first course, a second course and dessert, often with bread and a drink.

  3. How do friends and family in Spain usually greet each other?

    1. A. With a bow
    2. B. With a kiss on each cheek
    3. C. By rubbing noses
    4. D. With a salute
    Show the answer

    With a kiss on each cheek. Friends and family usually greet each other with a kiss on each cheek. A handshake is normal in formal settings.

  4. About how long does the high-speed AVE train take from Madrid to Barcelona?

    1. A. About 45 minutes
    2. B. About two and a half hours
    3. C. About six hours
    4. D. About ten hours
    Show the answer

    About two and a half hours. The AVE takes about two and a half hours from Madrid to Barcelona, a trip of more than 600 km.

  5. In Spain, Sunday is the normal day for shops to close.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Most shops open Monday to Saturday, and many are closed on Sunday.

  6. In Spanish restaurants, a tip of 20 percent is obligatory.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. Tips are not obligatory in Spain. Some small change, or about 5 to 10 percent for good service, is appreciated.

Answer key

History

  1. A. Granada
  2. B. 1588
  3. B. 1978
  4. B. Cuba
  5. False
  6. True

Food and drink

  1. B. Valencia
  2. A. Frying pan
  3. A. Eggs and potatoes
  4. False
  5. B. Sheep
  6. C. Tiger nuts
  7. A. Thick hot chocolate

Cities

  1. C. Santiago de Compostela
  2. A. Toledo

Landmarks

  1. B. Antoni Gaudí
  2. C. Granada
  3. B. A minaret
  4. A. Las Meninas
  5. False
  6. True

Fun facts

  1. True
  2. B. A grape
  3. B. Olive oil
  4. D. Tenerife
  5. A. Salvador Dalí
  6. C. Madrid
  7. A. Buñol
  8. True
  9. False

Words

  1. A. The bill
  2. B. Agua
  3. B. A ticket
  4. True

Phrases

  1. B. La cuenta, por favor
  2. B. I don't understand
  3. True
  4. False

Local customs and tips

  1. C. Between 8 pm and 11:30 pm
  2. A. A fixed-price lunch of three courses
  3. B. With a kiss on each cheek
  4. B. About two and a half hours
  5. True
  6. False

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