The Spanish first created their civilizations and established their language and things of that nature under the Roman rule. This made Christianity the dominant religion. After a series of other rulers, Christian kingdoms began being established in the northern parts of Spain. They eventually united, forming the Spanish Empire. The decline of the Empire was followed by a war and periods of unrest. After the Spanish Civil War the land wa governed by a dictatorship, but that, too, fell and was replaced by a democratic government. The rise and fall of the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church are the most influential parts of history that have impacted Italy. The early inhabitants, the Etruscans, were the first to develop a society in Northern and Central Italy. The Greeks were the first to inhabit Southern Italy. The Latins eventually gained power and made rome their capital, and as a result the city was the head of the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Empire the city of Rome was destroyed. During the Renaissance the Roman Catholic Church gained power due to the constant decline of civil. The church was what led the people. Once the bishop became pope, the Renaissance was in full swing, and there was an incline in art, literature and science. Although there were struggles between rulers and power after the Renaissance, Italy ended up being an independent and flourishing country. Ancient Greece is known for its advances in art, literature, science, and philosophy. The different city states were never unified, but Athens and Sparta were two seats of power. Athens was democratic and Sparta was not. The city states fell to the Roman Empire, but eventually the Romans ended up moving out, causing Greece to lose its importance. After many invaders, the Turks ended up having full control of the country. They ruled for a while but ended up freeing a large part of Greece in 1829. The Greeks then fought for the independence of the parts that were not under Turkish rule.
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GeographySpain, Italy, and Greece all lie along the Mediterranean Sea, and even though they are European countries, they are often grouped together as the Mediterranean Countries because of their collective uniqueness that contrasts the other European countries. Water and mountains are very prominent in Spain. The climate range is very vast even though the landmass is so small. Most of the country has hot, dry, summers, mild winters, and light rainfall. The Northern areas have climate that is much more damp and cool. The Meseta, which is a large plateau that takes up more than half of Spain, has very extreme temperatures. There is practically no winter and all deserts in the southernmost little tip of the country. Italy, the boot shaped peninsula on the Mediterranean, is a small, mountainous country. While there are many mountain ranges, there are still 3 distinct geographic regions. Rich, fertile land can be found in Northern Italy. Central Italy is mountainous and hilly, but it is still prosperous as far as crops due to the ability of crop growth on the terraced hillsides. Natural resources aren’t prominent at all in Southern Italy, but you can still find the production of some agricultural products. The climate in Italy also varies. Most of the country has the typical “Mediterranean climate,” but the temperatures in the North are cooler and rain is more common throughout the year. Greece consists of many islands and a large landmass. The geography is variable throughout, with mountains and valleys that can be either fertile and dry and unprosperous. Greece is very beautiful with a fairly mild and sunny climate. There is never really much rain in the country, and the rain that does fall occurs in the winter.
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CultureFishing and and farming is how many Spaniards earn their living. The Spanish culture is heavily influenced by Ancient Rome. The Spanish are known for their many, somewhat superstitious traditions. Italian culture is very rich due to the amount of history that the country has experienced. Today, agriculture is very vital to the economy. The farming varies from being mechanical, so to speak, and completely done by hand. Vineyards can also be found all throughout Italy, and they support the large wine Industry. Italian holidays are almost completely from religion. Harvest festivals are also very important. Modern Greece culture is fairly poor. Not even half of the citizens live in the urban areas. Greeks mainly fall under the Greek Orthodox Church, and they also all share a common language. They are mainly farmers and killed mariners. Greek holidays are mainly all religious, and many food traditions take place during these celebrations.
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History of FoodThe Spanish cuisine is known to be very simple, but because of the history it is also very diverse because of the country’s rich history. The Romans, being the first rulers of the land, are the base of Spanish cuisine. They used olive oil and garlic and their dishes, and today these two ingredients can be found in many Spanish dishes. The Moors led several culinary advances, such as the cultivation of rice and the growth of spices. The New World and the several other enemy groups that invaded the country furthered the ingredients and cooking techniques used in Spain. The Greeks were the primary start to Italian cuisine. During the Roman Empire the Romans paid Greek chefs, and the good food cooked by the Greeks helped improve their status. After the Roman Empire, there was somewhat of a rebirth of food and cooking techniques during the Renaissance. Greece cuisine has been developed over thousands of years. While everyone was eating raw food the early Greeks were already cooking their food. Invaders brought different native foods from their countries.
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