| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
40° 00' North Latitude
4° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
504,782 sq 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 |
| Natural Resources |
Coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Kingdom of Spain |
| Capital City |
Madrid |
| Government Type |
Parliamentary monarchy |
| 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) |
| Independence Day |
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 |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
40,341,462 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Spanish |
| Ethnic Groups |
Composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types |
| Religion |
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 |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.15% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Euro (EUR) |
| 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 |
| Labor Force |
19.33 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 5.3%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 30.1%, services 64.6% (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods |
| Export Partners |
France 19.3%, Germany 11.7%, Portugal 9.6%, UK 9.1%, Italy 9.1% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods; measuring and medical control instruments |
| Import Partners |
Germany 16.5%, France 15.7%, Italy 8.8%, UK 6.3%, Netherlands 4.8% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
14,781 km (7,718 km electrified) |
| Highways |
664,852 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 7,306 km; oil 730 km; refined products 3,512 km (2004) |
| Airports |
156 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, A Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla,
Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+34 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.es |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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 Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and further reductions in unemployment. |
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