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

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

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.)
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 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 Source: CIA World Factbook