Spain is a stunning European country with a rich history and perfect weather that is the second-most visited tourist country in the world. Madrid, the Spanish capital, is one of the sunniest cities in all of Europe as well as the third-largest city in the European Union both by population and by metropolitan area. Moreover, Spain was one of the most powerful empires on Earth for centuries and it still holds great global significance. It is the second-largest country in the European Union and the fourth-largest country on the European continent. Spain has the fourteenth-largest economy in the world by GDP. Furthermore, Spanish is spoken far beyond the borders of Spain. In fact, it is the official language of 21 countries and the second-most widely spoken language in the world. Almost half a billion people speak it as their native tongue.