Spanish history is one that is wrought with religious conflict, political struggle, and passionate conquest, and full of fascinating facts. There is evidence that people populated Spain over 100,000 years ago; however, written records did not begin until approximately 5,000 years ago. A people known as Iberians originally occupied much of Spain. The Iberians farmed and developed towns, such as Tarragona and Cartagena, which later advanced into Spain's first cities. The Phoenicians lived and prospered on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, and successfully colonized the eastern and southern coasts of Spain during the 1000's B.C. About one century later, in 900 B.C., came the Celts from the north. In addition, the Greeks arrived around 600 B.C. and proceeded to establish themselves along the eastern coast of Spain. Soon after came many brutal wars fought between Carthage and Rome, over control of the entire Iberian Peninsula, which presently includes Spain, Portugal, and Andorra. This variety of people and struggle for domination, laid the foundation of what Spain is today -- a colorful, prosperous land that is a well brimming with art, culture, and innovation.

Rome succeeded in bringing the Iberian Peninsula under one government, for the very first time in 201 B.C. Furthermore, the Romans introduced Christianity to the Spanish people, which became the official religion of the province, approximately during the 300's A.D. This event marks the split of the Roman Empire into two nations -- the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire. Spain, which was included in the Western Roman Empire, fell under an attack made by a Germanic tribe, known as the Visigoths. The entire peninsula collapsed during 476 A.D. For the next three centuries, the Visigoths ruled Spain and the entire Iberian Peninsula with the intent of simulating Roman government, even so, they ultimately failed because of their inner conflicts between nobles and kings.

Soon after, from northern Africa came an invasion into Spain by the Moors, who were Muslims, or otherwise known as Islamic. As a result of the Moors conquest, many Spanish people converted to the Islamic religion. The Moors were quite advanced for their time and made significant discoveries in mathematics, medicine, and several other fields of study. During the 1000's A.D. much conflict arose, which led to the division of numerous Moorish states and cities. The Moorish people eventually fell after a multitude of Christian groups, as well as the Visigoths, fought to push the Moors southward. Castile, which was one of the strongest of Christian Kingdoms in Spain at that time, led the revolt against the Moorish people. Several Christian Kingdoms were established, which initiated the creation of a parliamentary government in order to gain support among the Spanish people, as well as the introduction of the Roman Catholic religion. At that time, there were three major Christian Kingdoms in Spain-Castile, Aragon, and Navarre, with only one small section that remained under Moorish control -- the Kingdom of Granada.

Union of the three major Kingdoms in Spain was achieved in 1479, after the marriage of Prince Ferdinand of Castile and Princess Isabella of Aragon that took place in 1469. The two monarchs desired to completely unite Spain as one nation and felt that people of the Jewish or Muslim religion were a detrimental threat to their goal. In 1480, a special court was designed to imprison and/or kill people of the Jewish or Muslim faith, or those who were not following Roman Catholic teachings. This court is infamously known as the Inquisition, which lasted for 300 years or more. In 1492, many momentous events occurred that changed the course of history for several regions around the world. It was the year the Kingdom of Granada was defeated and Christopher Columbus was sent on an exploratory missions to the Americas. In 1512, when Ferdinand captured the third Spanish Kingdom of Navarre-Spain became whole.

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