World Countries Info > Spain > Barcelona, Bilbao, Caceres, Gran Canaria, Granada, Ibiza, Madrid, Malaga, Marbella, Palma De Mallorca, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Santander, Santiago De Compostela, Seville, Toledo, Valencia, Zaragoza
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). In the second half of the 20th century, Spain has played
a catch-up role in the western international community; it joined the EU in 1986.
Continuing challenges include are Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and
further reductions in unemployment.
Geography of 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 |
|
Area:
|
total: 504,782 sq km
water: 5,240 sq km
note: there are 19 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
land: 499,542 sq km |
|
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:
|
contiguous zone: 24
NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM (applies only to the Atlantic
Ocean)
territorial sea: 12 NM |
|
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,
uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten,
copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 28.6%
permanent crops: 9.56%
other: 61.84% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
36,400 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
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 |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic location along
approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
|
More Geography
Population of Spain
|
Population:
|
40,280,780 (July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 2,989,053;
female 2,811,350)
15-64 years: 68% (male 13,748,998; female 13,652,852)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,958,387; female 4,120,140) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 39.1 years
male: 37.8 years
female: 40.5 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.16% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
10.11 births/1,000 |
|
Death rate:
|
9.55 deaths/1,000 |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 4.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 4.88 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 79.37 years
male: 76.03 years
female: 82.94 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.27 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.5% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
130,000 (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
2,300 (2001 est.) |
|
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 |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 97.9%
male: 98.7%
female: 97.2% (2003 est.)
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Kingdom of
Spain
conventional short form: Spain
local short form: Espana |
|
Government type:
|
parliamentary monarchy |
|
Capital:
|
Madrid |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
19 autonomous communities (comunidades
autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic
Islands), Ceuta, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y
Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla,
Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
note: three small Spanish possessions are located off the coast of Morocco: Islas
Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera; Ceuta and Melilla on the
coast of North Africa gained limited autonomous status in 1994 |
|
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 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
election results: Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (PSOE) elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - 52.29%
elections: the monarch 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 NA 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)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PP 102,
PSOE 81, Entesa Catalona de Progress 12, CiU 4, PNV 4, CC 3, other 2; Congress of Deputies
- percent of vote by party - PSOE 42.6%, PP 37.6%, CiU 3.2%, ERC 2.5%, PNV 1.6%, IU 5.0%,
CC 0.9%; seats by party - PSOE 164, PP 148, CiU 10, ERC 8 PNV 7, IU 5, CC 3, other 5
elections: Senate - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held NA March 2008);
Congress of Deputies - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held NA March 2008) |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Josu Jon
IMAZ]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO Baute];
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 y LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress [leader NA];
Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Xose Manuel BEIRAS]; Party of Independents from
Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY]; Republican
Left of Catalonia [leader NA]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis
RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU (a coalition of parties including the PCE and other
small parties) [Gaspar LLAMAZARES] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
business and landowning interests; Catholic
Church; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); Socialist General Union of Workers
or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; university students;
Workers Confederation or CC.OO; Nunca Mais (Galician for "Never Again"; formed
in response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill) |
Economy
Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 80%
that of the four leading West European economies. The center-right government of former
President 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 11.7%. Growth of 2.4% in 2003 was
satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. Incoming President
RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, whose party won the election three days after the Madrid train
bombings in March, plans to reduce government intervention in business, combat tax
fraud, and support innovation, research and development, but also intends to reintroduce
labor market regulations that had been scraped by the AZNAR government. Adjusting to the
monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe - and reducing unemployment
- will pose challenges to Spain over the next few years.
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $885.5 billion
(2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
2.4% (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $22,000 (2003
est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 3.4%
industry: 30.1%
services: 66.5% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% (2000) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 25.2% (1990) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
32.5 (1990) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
2.6% (2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
17.1 million (2001) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and
construction 29%, agriculture 7% (2001 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
11.7% (2003 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $105 billion
expenditures: $109 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.8 billion (2000
est.) |
|
Industries:
|
textiles and apparel (including footwear),
food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles,
machine tools, tourism |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
0.6% (2003 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
222.5 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 50.4%
hydro: 18.2%
other: 4.1% (2001)
nuclear: 27.2% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
210.4 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
4.138 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
7.588 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
7,099 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
1.497 million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
135,100 bbl/day (2001) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
1.582 million bbl/day (2001) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
10.5 million bbl (1 January 2002) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
516 million cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
17.96 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
17.26 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
254.9 million cu m (1 January 2002) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes,
sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish |
|
Exports:
|
$159.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs,
other consumer goods |
|
Exports - partners:
|
France 19%, Germany 11.4%, UK 9.6%,
Portugal 9.5%, Italy 9.3%, US 4.6% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$197.1 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals,
semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods |
|
Imports - partners:
|
France 17%, Germany 16.5%, Italy 8.6%, UK
6.4%, Netherlands 4.8% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$90 billion (1993 est.) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $1.33 billion (1999) |
|
Currency:
|
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a
common currency to be used by the financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January
2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions with the member
countries |
|
Currency code:
|
EUR |
|
Exchange rates:
|
euros per US dollar - 0.89 (2003), 1.06
(2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Some Copyrights Reserved © 2006 Free Global Information
|
