This guide provides an overview of one of the great nations of Europe. It maps Spain's turbulent development from its early incarnation as one of Rome's most important colonies, through the Islamic conquest and the creation of the New World empire, to the aftermath of the 20th-century Civil War. A continuous time-line helps the reader access particular periods and there are many sidebars on such figures and topics as the Spanish Inquisition, Cervantes, Goya and General Franco.