Information About ™Spaniards |
The Spanish people or '''Spaniards''' are the Ethnic Group or Nation native to Spain , in the Iberian Peninsula of southwestern Europe . BACKGROUND Spaniards are a Southern European Mediterranean population. The earliest inhabitants of Spain are believed to have been the Iberians who arrived in the region between the 4th Millennium BC and the 3rd Millennium BC , initially settling along the Mediterranean coast. These early Iberians may have had some relationship with the Basques who are largely believed to have been an aboriginal population that may have existed in the region before the coming of peoples speaking Indo-European Languages in the 1st Millennium BC E. Most scholars believe the Iberians came from a region farther east in the Mediterranean although another theory links them possibly to the North Africa n peoples from which the Canarian Guanches and modern-day Berbers descend. [http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsname=Wikipedia+Images&dekey=Neolithic+Expansion.gif&linktext= Northern regions were inhabited by indoeuropean tribes ( Astures , Cantabri , Galicians ), either Celtic of preceltic (but with Celtic cultural features). The Celtic tribes arrived in northern Spain between the 9th Century BC and the 6th Century BC E. These tribes merged with the Iberians in central Spain, creating a local culture known as Celtiberian . Unrelated to either the Celts or the Iberians was a people in southwestern Spain, known as the Tartessians and later Turdetanians , who developed a separate civilization of Egyptian and Phoenician influence. The seafaring Phoenicians , Greeks and Carthaginians successively settled along the Mediterranean coast and founded trading colonies there over a period of several centuries. The Punic Wars between the Carthaginians and Romans were fought mainly in what is now Spain. Map of pre-Roman peoples of Iberia The Roman Republic annexed Spain during the 2nd Century BC E and transformed most of the region into a series of Latin -speaking provinces. As a result of Roman colonization, the majority of local languages, with the exception of Basque , stem from a type of vulgarized version of Latin that was spoken in Roman Spain , which evolved into the modern languages of the Iberian peninsula, including Spanish. Spain emerged as an important part of the Roman Empire and produced notable historical figures such as Trajan , Hadrian and Seneca . The Germanic Vandals and their subordinates the Iranic Alans arrived around 409 CE, but were displaced to North Africa by another Germanic tribe, the Visigoths who conquered the region around 415 CE and became the dominant power in Iberia for a time. Iberian-Roman culture eventually '' Romanized '' the Visigoths and other tribes. Another Germanic tribe, the Suebi , who arrived at roughly the same time as the Vandals, became established in the old North western Roman province of Gallaecia a kingdom which survived until late 6th Century when it too was destroyed by the Visigoths. By 711 , the Iberian Peninsula was Invaded by Muslim Arab - Berbers , popularly known as the '' Moors '', who conquered and ruled the region for nearly eight centuries until 1492 . These Muslim invaders were mainly of Berber origin with prominent Arab tribal leaders mixed in and they converted many locals to Islam to the point that local Iberian Muslims most likely outnumbered those of Middle Eastern and North African origin. Other local Muslims included the so-called Muladis or Muwalladin, in Arabic , or those born of foreign parentage. Muslim Iberia was known as Al-Andalus . Ultimately, the vast majority of Muslim s as well as local Sephardic Jew s were either expelled after the Christian reconquest ('' Reconquista '') or converted (many forcibly) to Catholicism (see Converso s). Modern Spaniards are linguistically Latin , while their ancestors are derived primarily from native Iberians as well as varying Basque, Phoenician, Greek, Celtic, Roman, Germanic, and North African Berber elements. Spain is home to a large number of Spanish-Roma (Gitanos). Roma are a formerly-nomadic group, originating in Northern India, which spread across Western Asia, North Africa and Europe, reaching Spain in the 15th century. Gitanos, for a number of historical and cultural reasons are not considered a separate or "foreign" population in Spain, but a distinct sub-ethnicity which overlaps the wider Spanish ethnicity. This is not generally the case in other European countries. There are no official statistics on the Gitano population in Spain. Estimates range from 600 000 to 800 000, making Spain, together with Romania and Bulgaria, home to one of the largest Roma communities in Europe. Over 40% of Gitanos live in the region of Andalusia, where they have traditionally enjoyed a higher degree of integration than in the rest of the country. A number of Spanish Gitanos also live in Southern France, especially in the region of Perpignan. Gitanos play a central role in Spanish folklore, music and culture as well as in Andalusian identity itself. On the other hand, they also suffer the mistrust and rejection of a large part of the wider Spanish population. ANCESTRY Spaniards are a Caucasoid, European and predominantly Mediterranean people originating in South-Western Europe. 10 . Genetically, they are similar to other Southern European populations such as the Portuguese and Italians 5 16 . Genetic differences between Spanish regions do exist 4 5 , particularly with regards to the Basque country 1 2 3 but also with regards to Andalusia and Catalonia 5 7 8 9 as well as Galicia 4 . However, these differences should not be exagerated, particularly in the light of mass migrations which occurred during the period of the reconquest 4 . In any case all Iberians are genetically similar and fall into the cluster of European based genetic diversity. 13 14 15 . Although a majority (but not all: 11 14 ) of genetic studies point to a genetic relationship between Northern Africa and (particularly southern) Iberia due to the centuries of Islamic invasion 4 5 7 8 9 10 15 , such a genetic influx should be considered to be relatively minor and not to have altered the basic ethnic makeup of the Spanish people 10 .This is not the case of the inhabitants of the Canary Islands, whose gene pool is halfway between its putative iberian and north african parents. 6 Some studies also link (particularly Northern and Northwestern) Spaniards to the celtic-speaking people's of the Atlantic rim of Western Europe. 4 12 For the global genetic make-up of the Spanish and other peoples, see also: and [https://www5.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html LANGUAGE See Also: Spanish language Languages spoken in Spain include Castilian (Castellano), Catalan/Valencian (Català/Valencià), Basque (Euskara), Asturian and Galician (Galego), each with their own various dialects. Although Castilian is but one of the many languages of Spain, it is this language which is commonly known as being the " Spanish Language " since it is the official state language, although minority languages are co-official in a number of autonomous communities. There are a number of dialects of Castilian Spanish of which perhaps the most distinct are the Andalusian and Canarian dialects. Linguistically, the Spanish Language is a Romance language and as such Spaniards are considered a Latin people. The strong Arabic influence on the language (nearly 4000 words are of Arabic origin) and the independent evolution of the language itself through history partially explain its difference from other Romance languages. The Basque language has also left a strong imprint on the language both linguistically and phonetically. Other changes in Spanish have come from borrowings from English and French , although English influence is stronger in Latin America than in Spain. The number of speakers of Castilian Spanish , as a mother tongue, is roughly 35.6 million, while the vast majority of other groups in Spain such as the Catalans and Basques also speak Spanish as a second language, which boosts the number of Spanish speakers to the overwhelming majority of Spain's population of 45.9 million. Spanish was also exported to the Americas and is spoken natively by tens of millions of Spanish descendants, and by many others who have adopted the language, and spans across into most countries of the Americas ; from the Southwestern United States in North America down to Patagonia , the most southernly region of South America . A variety of the language, known as Judæo-Spanish or Ladino , is still spoken by descendants of Sephardim (Spanish Jews) who fled Spain following the Inquisition of 1492 . RELIGION The majority of Spaniards are at least nominally Catholics (not all are practicing however), while Protestants , Muslims , Jews and other religious groups are also found in Spain. An increasing number of Spaniards also profess no religious preferences or are Atheists and/or Agnostics . OTHER RELATED PEOPLES Tens of millions of Spanish descendants can be found throughout the Hispanic countries of Latin America in the form of '' Criollos '' (unmixed Spaniards born in the Americas), '' Mestizo s'' (mixed Spanish/Amerindian), '' Mulatto s'' (mixed Spanish/African) or triracial (Spanish/African/Amerindian). In the United States, the number of Mexican-Americans represent a significant portion of the Spanish descended population, as the majority -over 70% of the population of Mexico - have pure or mixed Spanish blood flowing through their veins. On a smaller scale, in addition to approximately 17,000 Spaniards in the Philippines, there is also a very small but economically and politically important minority of Mistisong Espanyol (mixed Spanish/Filipino) constituting around 1% of the population — according to recent genetic studies, up to 3.6% of Filipinos have some European ancestry, most likely Spanish. Spain itself consists of various regional sub-nationalities including the , Valencians and Balearics (speakers of a distinct yet related Romance language in eastern Spain), the Basques (a distinct people inhabiting the Basque Country ), and the Galicians , who speak a language which is very close to Portuguese. Regional diversity is important to many Spaniards and some regions (other than the ones associated with the different nationalities) have strong local identities and dialects, such as Asturias , Aragon , the Canary Islands , and Andalusia . FOOTNOTES #Including those of mixed Spanish and other European ancestry, Mestizo s and/or Mulatto s. #Including mestizos and/or mulattos. #Including other Hispanic s of direct Spanish descent, and Spanish-descended mestizos and mulattos. #Including Brazilians of mixed Spanish and other European ancestry, and Spanish-descended Mestizo s and/or Mulatto s. #Including Mistisong Espanyol . REFERENCES Offline references
Online references: Genetic studies cited in Ancestry section #Study "proving" that Basques with basque surnames are genetically distinct from other Spaniards from university of Bilbao. {Link without Title} #Basques different from Europeans, North Africans and Western Asians. Universidad del Pais Vasco. {Link without Title} #Basques different from other Iberians. University of Santiago de Compostela. {Link without Title} #Genetic analysis of Spain: NW populations close to European Atlantic populations, Central Spain populations lend support to Castillian repopulation of La Mancha, South-East populations' genetic record of Middle Eastern Populations is still present. University of Santiago de Compostela {Link without Title} #Comparison of lineage diversity with Italian (Tuscan) and Algerian populations. Spaniards closer to European pops although a small number of lineages traced to North Africa. Basques genetically distinct and there are genetic subdivisions in Catalonia and Andalusia. University of Oxford. {Link without Title} #Canarian gene pool halfway between its putative iberian and north african parents with minor sub saharan african imput.University Hospital of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. {Link without Title} #Decreasing frequency of haploype 5 from South to North: 68% Morroco,40% Andalusia, 36% Portugal, 12% Catalonia, 11% Basque country. Such a cline clearly establishes a gene flow from North Africa towards Iberia. International Institute of Anthropology, Paris, France. {Link without Title} #Analysis of 14 Alu insertions in Iberian and N Arican populations show Southern Spaniards closer genetically to Morrocans than other Spanish populations. Supports major genetic influx across the straights of Gibraltar, consistent with most (but not all)previous genetic studies. University of Barcelona. {Link without Title} #Alpujarra population (South Spain) has particular affinities to North African populations with regards to other European Groups. The study used eight erythrocyte genetic markers. Universite Chouaib Doukkali, El Jadida, Morocco. {Link without Title} #Approximately 78% of contemporary Iberian Y chromosomes originated in an Upper Paleolithic expansion from western Asia, along the northern rim of the Mediterranean basin. NW African populations may have contributed 7% of Iberian Y chromosomes.Am J Hum Genet. 2001 Universitat Pompeu Fabra. {Link without Title} #Analysis of CD4 STR/Alu variation fails to indicate any particular relationship between South Spaniards and North Africans. University of Barcelona. {Link without Title} #Multiple genetic marker systems indicate a shared ancestry throughout the Atlantic zone, from Northern Iberia to Western Scandinavia, that dates back to the last Ice Age. Am. J. of H. Genetics. University of Leeds. {Link without Title} #An analysis of 11 I Alu insertion polymorphisms. Iberian samples show a substantial degree of homogeneity and fall within the cluster of European-based genetic diversity. Universitat Pompeu Fabra. {Link without Title} #Analysis of 26 Y-chromosome biallelic markers from 11 Iberian population groups compared to published data on Basques and Catalans. Study shows a limited heterogeneity between regions. The focal distribution of y-chromosome haplogroups indicates that population expansion from Middle East has not influenced current Iberian Y chromosome diversity. {Link without Title} #Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) performed in Western Mediterranean populations. Despite the shared haplogroups found in both areas, the European V and the NW African U6 haplogroups reveal the traces of the Mediterranean Sea permeability to female migrations. Universitat Pompeu Fabra. {Link without Title} #Full version of previous study of Mediterranean populations. In pages 9, 13 and 14 Italians and Iberians are shown to be extremely similar. {Link without Title} # HLA genetic distances and their respective dendrogram together with the results on complete HLA haplotypes place Basques and Spaniards closer to paleo-North African populations than to other Europeans. Universidad Complutense, Madrid {Link without Title} # World Haplotype distributions {Link without Title} SEE ALSO
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