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Introduction | Spain

Background: | 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). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) have given Spain one of the most dynamic economies in Europe and made it a global champion of freedom. Continuing challenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism, illegal immigration, and slowing economic growth.

Geography | Spain

Location: | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Geographic coordinates: | 40 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references: | Europe
Area: | total: 504,782 sq km land: 499,542 sq km water: 5,240 sq km note: there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Area - comparative: | slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
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
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)
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
Land use: | arable land: 27.18% permanent crops: 9.85% other: 62.97% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 37,800 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: | 111.1 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): | total: 37.22 cu km/yr (13%/19%/68%) per capita: 864 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards: | periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: | pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note: | strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

People | Spain

Population: | 40,491,051 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 14.4% (male 3,011,815/female 2,832,788) 15-64 years: 67.6% (male 13,741,493/female 13,641,914) 65 years and over: 17.9% (male 3,031,597/female 4,231,444) (2008 est.)
Median age: | total: 40.7 years male: 39.3 years female: 42.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.096% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: | 9.87 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: | 9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 4.26 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.65 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.92 years male: 76.6 years female: 83.45 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.3 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 140,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | fewer than 1,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality: | noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish
Ethnic groups: | composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions: | Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Languages: | Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 98.7% female: 97.2% (2003 est.)

Government | Spain

Country name: | conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain conventional short form: Spain local long form: Reino de Espana local short form: Espana
Government type: | parliamentary monarchy
Capital: | name: Madrid geographic coordinates: 40 24 N, 3 41 W time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: Spain is divided into two time zones including the Canary Islands
Administrative divisions: | 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma)and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country) note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central government, are all along the coast of Morocco and are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)
Independence: | the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim 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 (1492); year when Columbus first set foot in the Americas
Constitution: | approved by legislature 31 October 1978; passed by referendum 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system: | civil law system, with regional applications; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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 (Prime Minister equivalent) Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004); First Vice President (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 note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are non-binding 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 on 9 and 11 April 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president election results: Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO reelected President of the Government; percent of National Assembly vote - 46.94%
Legislative branch: | bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (264 seats as of 2008; 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 56 - as of 2008 - appointed by the regional legislatures; to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; each of the 50 electoral provinces fills a minimum of two seats and the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla fill one seat each with members serving a four-year term; the other 248 members are determined by proportional representation based on popular vote on block lists who serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held on 9 March 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); Congress of Deputies - last held on 9 March 2008 (next to be held in March 2012) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 101, PSOE 88, Entesa Catalona de Progress 12, CiU 4, PNV 2, CC 1, members appointed by regional legislatures 56; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PSOE 43.6%, PP 40.1%, CiU 3.1%, PNV 1.2%, ERC 1.2%, other 10.8%; seats by party - PSOE 169, PP 154, CiU 10, PNV 6, ERC 3, other 8
Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders: | Aragonese Party or CHA [Bizen FUSTER]; Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Inigo URKULLU]; Basque Solidarity or EA [Begona ERRAZTI]; Canarian Coalition or CC [Jose Torres STINGA] (a coalition of five parties); Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Artur MAS i Gavarro] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN i LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a Senate coalition grouping four Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV, EUA); Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Anxo Manuel QUINTANA Gonzalez]; Initiative for Catalonia Greens or ICV [Joan SAURA i Laporta]; Navarra yes or Na Bai [Uxue BARKOS Berruezo] (a coalition of four Navarran parties); Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY Brey]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Josep-Lluis CAROD-ROVIRA]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU [Gaspar LLAMAZARES Trigo] (a coalition of parties including the PCE and other small parties)
Political pressure groups and leaders: | Association for Victims of Terrorism or AVT (grassroots organization devoted primarily to opposing ETA terrorist attacks and supporting its victims); Basta Ya (Spanish for "Enough is Enough"; grassroots organization devoted primarily to opposing ETA terrorist attacks and supporting its victims); business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); Nunca Mais (Galician for "Never Again"; formed in response to the oil Tanker Prestige oil spill); Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; university students; Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions or CC.OO.
International organization participation: | ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos WESTENDORP chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340 FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Eduardo AGUIRRE, Jr. embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642 telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200 FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303 consulate(s) general: Barcelona
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

Economy - overview: | The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990 averaging 5% annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early 1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994. Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is equal to that of the leading West European economies. The center-right government of former President Jose Maria AZNAR successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administration but remains high at 7.6%. Growth averaging more than 3% annually during 2003-07 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. The Socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, has made mixed progress in carrying out key structural reforms, which need to be accelerated and deepened to sustain Spain's economic growth. Despite the economy's relative solid footing significant downside risks remain including Spain's continued loss of competitiveness, the potential for a housing market collapse, the country's changing demographic profile, and a decline in EU structural funds.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $1.352 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $1.439 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 3.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $30,100 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 3.5% industry: 29.8% services: 66.6% (2007 est.)
Labor force: | 22.19 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 5.3% industry: 30.1% services: 64.6% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 8.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line: | 19.8% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 26.6% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 32 (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.8% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 31.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $589.2 billion expenditures: $556.5 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt: | 35.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
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
Industrial production growth rate: | 3% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production: | 270.3 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 50.4% hydro: 18.2% nuclear: 27.2% other: 4.1% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 243 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports: | 11.56 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports: | 10.21 billion kWh (2005)
Oil - production: | 29,350 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 1.6 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports: | 175,200 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: | 1.714 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves: | 157.6 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production: | 151.5 million cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 30.58 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 31.76 billion cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 2.444 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance: | -$145.6 billion (2007 est.)
Exports: | $252.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities: | machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods
Exports - partners: | France 18.8%, Germany 11%, Portugal 9%, Italy 8.6%, UK 8%, US 4.4% (2006)
Imports: | $373.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments
Imports - partners: | Germany 14.8%, France 13.4%, Italy 8.3%, UK 5.2%, Netherlands 4.9%, China 4.6% (2006)
Economic aid - donor: | ODA, $3.814 billion (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $19.05 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external: | $2.047 trillion (30 June 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $487.8 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $613.9 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares: | $960 billion (2005)
Currency (code): | euro (EUR)
Currency code: | EUR
Exchange rates: | euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Spain

Telephones - main lines in use: | 18.385 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 46.152 million (2006)
Telephone system: | general assessment: well developed, modern facilities; fixed-line teledensity is 45 per 100 persons domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is 160 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 34; submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: | 13.1 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters; includes 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands) (1995)
Televisions: | 16.2 million (1997)
Internet country code: | .es
Internet hosts: | 2.552 million (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 56 (2000)
Internet users: | 18.578 million (2006)

Transportation | Spain

Airports: | 154 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 96 over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 24 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 58 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 42 (2007)
Heliports: | 8 (2007)
Pipelines: | gas 7,858 km; oil 622 km; refined products 3,445 km (2007)
Railways: | total: 14,974 km broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified) standard gauge: 1,099 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,928 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways: | total: 666,292 km paved: 659,629 km (includes 12,009 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,663 km (2003)
Waterways: | 1,000 km (2003)
Merchant marine: | total: 167 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,365,450 GRT/2,282,245 DWT by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 13, chemical tanker 13, container 25, liquefied gas 10, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 52, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 17, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 33 (Cuba 1, Denmark 2, Germany 9, Italy 1, Mexico 3, Norway 6, US 9, Uruguay 2) registered in other countries: 106 (Angola 1, Bahamas 11, Belize 2, Brazil 4, Cape Verde 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 7, Irland 1, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 3, Nigeria 1, Panama 61, Portugal 10, St Kitts and Nevis 1, Venezuela 1) (2007)
Ports and terminals: | Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona, Valencia

Military | Spain

Military branches: | Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2007)
Military service age and obligation: | 20 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 10,033,069 females age 16-49: 9,764,937 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 8,228,426 females age 16-49: 7,990,678 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: | males age 16-49: 203,650 females age 16-49: 191,352 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.2% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues | Spain

Disputes - international: | in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz
Illicit drugs: | despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime

This page was last updated on 19 June, 2008