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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). 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 concerns are Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and further reductions in unemployment.

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 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
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
Geography - note: | strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

People | Spain

Population: | 40,217,413 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 14.4% (male 2,985,705; female 2,808,791) 15-64 years: 68% (male 13,721,053; female 13,626,121) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,962,646; female 4,113,097) (2003 est.)
Median age: | total: 38.7 years male: 37.4 years female: 40.1 years (2002)
Population growth rate: | 0.16% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: | 10.08 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: | 9.48 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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 (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 4.94 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.23 years male: 75.87 years female: 82.8 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.26 children born/woman (2003 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 | 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: | 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 Valencian, 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 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: | Hispanic 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 Maria AZNAR Lopez (since 5 May 1996); First Vice President (and Minister of Economy) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 4 September 2003) and Second Vice President (and Minister of the Presidency) Javier ARENAS (since 4 September 2003) 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 Maria AZNAR Lopez (PP) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 44.54%; note - the Popular Party (PP) obtained an absolute majority of seats in both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate as a result of the March 2000 elections 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 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); 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 - PP 44.6%, PSOE 34.1%, CiU 4.2%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1.1%, PIL 0%; seats by party - PP 127, PSOE 61, CiU 8, PNV 6, CC 5, PIL 1; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 44.5%, PSOE 34%, CiU 4.2%, IU 5.4%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1%, BNG 1.3%; seats by party - PP 183, PSOE 125, CiU 15, IU 8, PNV 7, CC 4, BNG 3, other 5 elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); Congress of Deputies - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004)
Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders: | Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Xabier ARZALLUS Antia]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO]; Convergence and Union or CiU [Jordi PUJOL i Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Jordi PUJOL i Soley] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN y LLEIDA]); Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Xose Manuel BEIRAS]; Party of Independents from Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY]; 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)
International organization participation: | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Javier RUPEREZ Rubio chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador George L. ARGYROS 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: | Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. Its center-right government 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 has continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and has introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment has been steadily falling under the AZNAR administration but remains high at 11.7%. The government intends to make further progress in changing labor laws and reforming pension schemes, which are key to the sustainability of both Spain's internal economic advances and its competitiveness in a single currency area. A general strike in mid-2002 reduced cooperation between labor and government. Growth of 2.4% in 2003 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. 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 - $850.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $21,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 4% industry: 31% services: 65% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
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): | 3% (2002 est.)
Labor force: | 17.1 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation: | services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 29%, agriculture 7% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 11.3% (2002 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: | 1.2% (2002 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 (37257)
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 (37257)
Agriculture - products: | grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Exports: | $122.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 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: | $156.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods (1997)
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 - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Spain

Telephones - main lines in use: | 17.336 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 8.394 million (1999)
Telephone system: | general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities; teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 persons domestic: NA international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; 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) note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)
Televisions: | 16.2 million (1997)
Internet country code: | .es
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 56 (2000)
Internet users: | 7.89 million (2002)

Transportation | Spain

Railways: | total: 14,189 km broad gauge: 11,804 km 1.668-m gauge (6,409 km electrified) standard gauge: 455 km 1.435-m gauge (455 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,902 km 1.000-m gauge (781 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2002)
Highways: | total: 663,795 km paved: 657,157 km (including 10,317 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,638 km (1999)
Waterways: | 1,045 km (of minor economic importance)
Pipelines: | gas 7,290 km; oil 730 km; refined products 3,110 km; unknown (oil/water) 397 km (2003)
Ports and harbors: | Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo
Merchant marine: | total: 140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,585,563 GRT/2,022,104 DWT ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 31, chemical tanker 10, container 13, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 33, short-sea passenger 6, vehicle carrier 4 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 1, Cuba 2, Denmark 1, Germany 7, Italy 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 6, Uruguay 3 (2002 est.)
Airports: | 152 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 93 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 27 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 59 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 43 (2002)
Heliports: | 7 (2002)

Military | Spain

Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil Guard
Military manpower - military age: | 20 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 10,524,715 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 8,391,612 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 255,826 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $8.6 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.15% (2002)

Transnational Issues | Spain

Disputes - international: | Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against "total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain and UK to change 300-year rule over colony; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco also rejected Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands in 2002 to set limits to undersea resource exploration and refugee interdiction; Morocco allowed Spanish fishermen to fish temporarily off the coast of Western Sahara after an oil spill soiled Spanish fishing grounds; Portugal has periodically reasserted claims to territories around the town of Olivenza, Spain
Illicit drugs: | key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003