Spain Travel Guide - Facts on Spain

History		Top of Page
	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 and relatively high unemployment.
Geography		Top of Page
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
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
Geography Note	Strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
Natural hazards	Periodic droughts
People		Top of Page
Population	40,397,842 (July 2006 est.)
Age Structure	0-14 years: 14.4% (male 3,005,818/female 2,826,805) 15-64 years: 67.8% (male 13,758,869/female 13,661,295) 65 years and over: 17.8% (male 3,002,585/female 4,192,819) (2007 est.)
Nationality	Noun: Spaniard(s) Adjective: Spanish
Ethnic Groups	Composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions	Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Language	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%

Government		Top of Page
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
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		Top of Page
Overview	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. 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 10.1%. Growth of 2.5% in 2003, 2.6% in 2004, and 3.4% in 2005 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 strong 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.
Currency	Euro
Currency Code	EUR
Communications		Top of Page
Telephone System	General assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities; teledensity is 45 main lines for each 100 persons
Internet Country Code	.es
Transportation		Top of Page
Railways	total: 14,873 km broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified) standard gauge: 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,928 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways	total: 666,292 km paved: 659,629 km (includes 12,009 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,663 km (2003)
Waterways	1,000 km (of minor economic importance)
Ports and Terminals	Algeciras, Barcelona, Cartagena, Gijon, Huelva, La Coruna, Tarragona, Valencia
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	Spain Travel Guide: Facts on Spain
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Spain Travel Guide:

Facts on Spain