Geography

Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Portugal and France 
   

Area: 
total area 504,750 sq km 
land area 499,400 sq km 
comparative area slightly more than twice the size of Oregon 
note includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco – Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera 
 

Land boundaries: total 1,903.2 km, Andorra 65 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km 
 

Coastline: 4,964 km 
 

Maritime claims: 
exclusive economic zone 200 nm 
territorial sea 12 nm 
 

International disputes: Gibraltar question with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco – the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas 
 

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 
 

Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower 
 

Land use: 
arable land 31% 
permanent crops 10% 
meadows and pastures 21% 
forest and woodland 31% 
other 7% 
 

Irrigated land: 33,600 sq km (1989 est.) 
 

Environment: 
current issues pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from untreated sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; air pollution; deforestation; desertification 
natural hazards NA 
international agreements party to – Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified – Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Law of the Sea 
 

Note: strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

People

Population: 39,302,665 (July 1994 est.) 
 

Population growth rate: 0.25% (1994 est.) 
 

Birth rate: 11.05 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) 
 

Death rate: 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) 
 

Net migration rate: 0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) 
 

Infant mortality rate: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) 
 

Life expectancy at birth: 
total population 77.71 years 
male 74.45 years 
female 81.21 years (1994 est.) 
 

Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1994 est.) 
 

Nationality: 
noun Spaniard(s) 
adjective Spanish 
 

Ethnic divisions: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types 
 

Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other sects 1% 
 

Languages: Castilian Spanish, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2% 
 

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) 
total population 95% 
male 97% 
female 93% 
 

Labor force: 14.621 million 
by occupation services 53%, industry 24%, agriculture 14%, construction 9% (1988)

Government

Names: 
conventional long form Kingdom of Spain 
conventional short form Spain 
local short form Espana 
 

Digraph: SP 
 

Type: parliamentary monarchy 
 

Capital: Madrid 
 

Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular – comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencia, Extremadura, Galicia, Islas Baleares, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco 
note there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco (Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera) with administrative status unknown 
 

Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification) 
 

National holiday: National Day, 12 October 
 

Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 
 

Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 
 

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal 
 

Executive branch: 
chief of state King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975) 
head of government Prime Minister Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez (since 2 December 1982); Deputy Prime Minister: Currently Vacant 
cabinet Council of Ministers; designated by the prime minister 
Council of State is the supreme consultative organ of the government 
 

Legislative branch: bicameral The General Courts or National Assembly (Las Cortes Generales) 
Senate (Senado) elections last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held by NA June 1997); results – percent of vote by party NA; seats – (255 total) PSOE 117, PP 107, CiU 15, PNV 5, IU 2, other 9 
Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados) elections last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held by NA June 1997); results by percent of party NA; seats – (350 total) PSOE 159, PP 141, IU 18, CiU 17, PNV 5, CN 4, HB 2, other 4 
 

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo) 
 

Political parties and leaders: 
principal national parties, from right to left Popular Party (PP), Jose Maria AZNAR; Social Democratic Center (CDS), Rafael Calvo ORTEGA; Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez, secretary general; Socialist Democracy Party (DS), Ricardo Garcia DAMBORENEA; Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio ANGUITA; United Left (IU) a coalition of parties including the PCE, a branch of the PSOE, and other small parties, Julio ANGUITA 
chief regional parties Convergence and Unity (CiU), Jordi PUJOL Saley and Miguel ROCA in Catalonia; Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier ARZALLUS and Jose Antonio ARDANZA; Basque Solidarity (EA), Carlos GARAICOETXEA Urizza; Basque Popular Unity (HB), Jon IDIGORAS and Inaki ESNAOLA; Basque Socialist Party (PSE), coalition of the PSE, EE and PSOE, Jose Maria BANEGAS and Jon LARRINAGA; Andalusian Progress Party (PA), Pedro PACHECO; Canarian Coalition (CN), Dimas MARTIN; Catalan Republican Left, Angel COLOM; Galician Coalition, Senen BERNARDEZ; Aragonese Regionalist Party (PAR), Jose Maria MUR Bernad; Valencian Union (UV), Vicente GONZALEZ Lizondo, Manuel CAMPILLOS Martinez 
 

Other political or pressure groups: on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) use terrorism to oppose the government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977) include the Communist-dominated Workers Commissions (CCOO); the Socialist General Union of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO); business and landowning interests; the Catholic Church; Opus Dei; university students 
 

Member of: AG (observer), AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, AfDB, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-8, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, MTRC, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC 
 

Diplomatic representation in US: 
chief of mission Ambassador Jaime De OJEDA y Eiseley 
chancery 2700 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 
telephone (202) 265-0190 or 0191 
consulate(s) general Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) 
 

US diplomatic representation: 
chief of mission Ambassador Richard N. GARDNER 
embassy Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid 
mailing address APO AE 09642 
telephone [34] (1) 577-4000 
FAX [34] (1) 577-5735 
consulate(s) general Barcelona 
consulate(s) Bilbao 
 

Flag: 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

Overview: After the economic boom of 1986-90, the Spanish economy fell into recession along with the economies of other EU member states. Real GDP barely grew in 1992 and declined by approximately 1% in 1993. Unemployment, now nearly one-fifth of the workforce, and the sharp downturn in business investment have contributed to sagging domestic demand. Devaluation of the peseta since September 1992 has made Spanish exports more competitive, but an export-led recovery in 1994 will depend largely on economic recovery in Spain’s major market – the other EU nations. A solid recovery will also require appropriate domestic policy actions, including controlling the budget deficit and wage increases, reforming labor market regulations, and possibly loosening monetary policy another notch. Foreign investors, principally from other EU countries, have invested over $60 billion in Spain since 1986. Despite the recession, inflation remained at about 5% in 1993. The main source of inflationary pressure is the fiscal deficit. 
 

National product: GDP – purchasing power equivalent – $498 billion (1993) 
 

National product real growth rate: -1% (1993) 
 

National product per capita: $12,700 (1993) 
 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1993 est.) 
 

Unemployment rate: 22% (yearend 1993) 
 

Budget: 
revenues $97.7 billion