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National Map
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Spain |
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National Flag
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Spain |
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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
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
Spain |
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National Anthem
Of |
Spain |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
Spain |
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Background:
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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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Location:
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Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay,
Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees
Mountains, southwest of France |
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Geographic coordinates:
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40 00 N,
4 00 W |
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total:
504,782 sq km
land: 499,542 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 |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
more than twice the size of Oregon |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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4,964 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to
the Atlantic Ocean) |
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Climate:
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temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate
and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in
interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast |
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Terrain:
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large,
flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary
Islands 3,718 m |
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Natural resources:
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coal,
lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium,
tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar,
gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable
land |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 26.07%
permanent crops: 9.87%
other: 64.06% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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36,400 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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periodic
droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar |
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Population:
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40,341,462 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 14.4% (male 2,994,124/female 2,815,456)
15-64 years: 68% (male 13,762,281/female
13,664,762)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,965,859/female
4,138,980) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
39.51 years
male: 38.18 years
female: 40.93 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.15%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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10.1
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.63
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0.99
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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 (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
4.42 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 79.52 years
male: 76.18 years
female: 83.08 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.28
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.7%
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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140,000
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
1,000 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Spaniard(s)
adjective: Spanish |
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Ethnic groups:
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composite
of Mediterranean and Nordic types |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 94%, other 6% |
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Languages:
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Castilian
Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%; note -
Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other
languages are official regionally |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.9%
male: 98.7%
female: 97.2% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain
conventional short form: Spain
local short form: Espana |
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Government type:
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parliamentary monarchy |
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Capital:
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Madrid
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Administrative divisions:
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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
located off the coast of Morocco and are collectively
referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de
Soberania) |
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Independence:
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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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National holiday:
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National
Day, 12 October |
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Constitution:
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6
December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 |
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Legal system:
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civil law
system, with regional applications; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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
and Prime Minister Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (since
17 April 2004); First Vice President and Deputy Prime
Minister (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 14 March 2004
(next to be held March 2008); vice presidents appointed
by the monarch on the proposal of the president
election results: Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (PSOE)
elected president; percent of National Assembly vote -
52.29% |
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Legislative branch:
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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)
elections: Senate - last held 14 March 2004 (next
to be held March 2008); Congress of Deputies - last held
14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - PP 49%, PSOE 38.9%, Entesa Catalona de Progress
5.7%, CiU 1.99%, PNV 2.8%, CC 1.4%; seats by party - PP
102, PSOE 81, Entesa Catalona de Progress 12, CiU 4, PNV
6, CC 3; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party
- PSOE 43.3%, PP 37.8%, CiU 3.2%, ERC 2.5%, PNV 1.6%, IU
3.2%, CC 0.9%; seats by party - PSOE 164, PP 148, CiU
10, ERC 8, PNV 7, IU 2, CC 3, other 8 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court or Tribunal Supremo |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 (a Senate
coalition grouping four Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV,
EUA) [leader NA]; Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Anxo
Manuel QUINTANA]; Party of Independents from Lanzarote
or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP
[Mariano RAJOY]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Josep-Lluis
CAROD-ROVIRA]; 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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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;
Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions or
CC.OO.; Nunca Mas (Galician for "Never Again"; formed in
response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill) |
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International organization participation:
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AfDB,
AsDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, 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), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
J. Robert MANZANARES
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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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 10.4%.
Growth of 2.5% in 2003 and 2.6% in 2004 was satisfactory
given the background of a faltering European economy.
The socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, has
initiated economic and social reforms that are generally
popular among the masses of people but that are anathema
to religious and other conservative elements. Adjusting
to the monetary and other economic policies of an
integrated Europe, reducing unemployment, and absorbing
widespread social changes will pose challenges to Spain
over the next few years. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$937.6
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.6%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $23,300 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 28.5%
services: 68% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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19.33
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 5.3%, manufacturing, mining, and
construction 30.1%, services 64.6% (2004 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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10.4%
(2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 25.2% (1990) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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32.5
(1990) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.2%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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25.4% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $383.7 billion
expenditures: $386.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of $12.8 billion (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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53.2% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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grain,
vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus;
beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish |
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Industries:
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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
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3% (2004
est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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229
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 50.4%
hydro: 18.2%
nuclear: 27.2%
other: 4.1% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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218.4
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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4.4
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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9.8
billion kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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7,099
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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1.497
million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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135,100
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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1.582
million bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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10.5
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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516
million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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17.96
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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17.26
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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254.9
million cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance:
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$-30.89
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$172.5
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals,
medicines, other consumer goods |
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Exports - partners:
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France
19.3%, Germany 11.7%, Portugal 9.6%, UK 9%, Italy 9%, US
4% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$222
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods;
foodstuffs, consumer goods; measuring and medical
control instruments |
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Imports - partners:
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Germany
16.6%, France 15.8%, Italy 8.9%, UK 6.3%, Netherlands
4.8% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$19.7
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$771.1
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA,
$1.33 billion (1999) |
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Currency (code):
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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 |
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Currency code:
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EUR |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per
US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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17,567,500 (2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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37,506,700 (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: generally adequate, modern
facilities; teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100
persons
domestic: NA
international: country code - 34; 22 coaxial
submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;
tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 208,
FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998) |
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Radios:
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13.1
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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224 (plus
2,105 repeaters)
note: these figures include 11 television
broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary
Islands (1995) |
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Televisions:
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16.2
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.es |
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Internet hosts:
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1,056,950
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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56 (2000)
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Internet users:
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9.789
million (2003) |
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Railways:
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total:
14,781 km (7,718 km electrified)
broad gauge: 11,829 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km
electrified)
standard gauge: 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,926 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km
electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified)
(2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
664,852 km
paved: 658,203 km (including 11,152 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 6,649 km (2001) |
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Waterways:
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1,045 km
(2003) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 7,306
km; oil 730 km; refined products 3,512 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Algeciras, Barcelona, Cartagena, Gijon, Huelva, La
Coruna, Tarragona, Valencia |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
182 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,740,974 GRT/2,157,551
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 22, chemical
tanker 16, container 19, liquefied gas 8, passenger 2,
passenger/cargo 47, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated
cargo 6, roll on/roll off 25, vehicle carrier 7
foreign-owned: 29 (Cuba 2, Denmark 1, Germany 9,
Italy 2, Norway 6, United States 7, Uruguay 2)
registered in other countries: 192 (2005) |
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Airports:
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156 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
95
over 3,047 m: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 28 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
61
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 44 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports:
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8 (2004
est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army,
Navy, Air Force (Ejercito del Aire, EdA), Naval Infantry
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Military service age and obligation:
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20 years
of age (2004) |
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Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 20-49: 9,366,588 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
|
males
age 20-49: 7,623,356 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
233,384 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$9,906.5
million (2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.2%
(2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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in 2003,
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 |
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Illicit drugs:
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key
European gateway country and consumer for Latin American
cocaine and North African hashish entering the European
market; destination and minor transshipment point for
Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for
European earnings of Colombian narcotics trafficking
organizations |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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