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Country information - Spain

The oldest historical findings made in Spain date of about 30000 to 50000 b.C. Among the most important remains of this period are the caves Cova Negra (Játiva) and Piñar (Granada). Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England.

Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power.

Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). During the 1950s and 60s every effort was taken to improve international relations, and the country's economy recovered. After Franco's dead in 1975 a constitutional monarchy was established (following the model of the United Kingdom).

Spain became member of the NATO in 1985 and entered the European Community in 1986. In 1992 it appeared impressively at the world stage: Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games, Seville the world exposition EXPO'92, and Madrid was declared European Cultural Capital.

	Geography	Spain

Location

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France

Area	total: 504,782 sq km

Land	499,542 sq km

Water

5,240 sq km

Land boundaries

total: 1,917.8 km

Border countries

Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km

Coastline

4,964 km

Climate

temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast

Terrain

large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Highest point

Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Natural resources

coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land

Natural hazards

periodic droughts

	People	Spain

Population

40,341,462

Nationality

noun: Spaniard(s)

adjective

Spanish

Ethnic groups

composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types

Religions

Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

Languages

Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%; note - Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languages are official regionally

	Government	Spain

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain

Conventional short form

Spain

Local short form

Espana

Government type

parliamentary monarchy

Capital

Madrid

Administrative divisions

17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country) and 2 autonomous cities(ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Ceuta and Melilla Independence: the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Moslem occupation that began in the early 8th century A. D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain

National holiday

National Day, 12 October

Constitution

6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978

Legal system

civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King Juan Carlos I (since 22 November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince Felipe, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968

Head of government

President of the Government and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (since 17 April 2004); First Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister (and Minister of the Presidency) Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega (since 18 April 2004) and Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Pedro Solbes (since 18 April 2004)

Cabinet

Council of Ministers designated by the president

Elections

the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly; election last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president

Legislative branch

bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

Elections

Senate - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008); Congress of Deputies - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo

Flag description

three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar

	Economy	Spain

Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 87% that of the four leading West European economies. The centre-right government of former Prime Minister Aznar successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency, the euro, on 1 January 1999.

The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990, averaging five percent annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early 1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994. The Aznar administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment remains high at 10.1%. Adjusting to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe, reducing unemployment, and absorbing widespread social changes will pose challenges to Spain over the next few years.

There is general concern that Spain's model of economic growth (based largely on mass tourism, the construction industry, and manufacturing sectors) is faltering and may prove unsustainable over the long term.

Labor force

20.67 million

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 5.3%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 30.1%, services 64.6%

Unemployment rate

10.1%

Population below poverty line

Household income by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.8%, highest 10%: 25.2%

Agriculture - products

grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish

Industries

textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

Currency (code)

euro (EUR)