Spain

Country Profile

Official Name:
Reino de España
short form: España
int'l long form: Kingdom of Spain
int'l short form: Spain

ISO Country Code: es, ESP

Time:
Time Zone: Central European Time (CET)
Local Time = UTC +1h
Actual Time: Fri-Dec-3  00:34
Daylight Saving Time (DST) March - October (UTC +2)

Country Calling Code: +34

Capital City: Madrid (pop. 5.5 million)

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Official Sites of Spain



The Catholic church Almudena Cathedral (right) and the Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid), home to the Kings of Spain from Charles III to Alfonso XIII. The two institutions that ruled the life of the Spanish people for centuries.
Image: Carlos Delgado


Political System
The Kingdom of Spain is a constitutional monarchy; its government is defined by the constitution of 6 December 1978. The king is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The highest legislative body in Spain is the parliament, the Cortes Generales. It consists of the Senate (Upper house) and the Congress of Deputies (Lower house). Under the 1978 Constitution, Spain is a unitary state in which the central government is the supreme authority and the country's administrative divisions, the municipalities, provinces, and autonomous communities, only exercise powers that the central government decides to delegate.


Spanish Government

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

  Casa de S.M. el Rey de España
The Royal Family of Spain.


La Moncloa
Moncloa Palace is the official residence and workplace of the Prime Minister of Spain.

Cortes Generales
Congreso de los Diputados
The Congress of Deputies of Spain.
El Senado de España
The Senate of Spain is the upper house of Spain's parliament, the Cortes Generales.

Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores
Ministry of External Affairs (in Spanish).

Diplomatic Missions
Misión Permanente de España en Naciones Unidas
The Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations.
Embajada de España
Embassy of Spain, Washington D.C.
Spanish Embassies and Consulates
Spain's Embassies and Consulates Abroad.


Statistics
Instituto Nacional de Estadística
National Statistics Institute.

Weather
La Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET)
Spain's State Agency for Meteorology.

 

Maps of Spain



Map of Spain (click map to enlarge)
Image: © nationsonline.org

Maps

Map of Spain
Political Map of Spain.
Administrative Map of Spain
Map of Spain showing Spain's autonomous communities and provinces and their capitals.
Google Earth Map of Spain
Searchable map and satellite view of Spain.
Google Earth Map of Madrid
Searchable map and satellite view of Spain's capital.
Google Earth Map of Barcelona
Searchable map and satellite view of Spain's second-largest city.
Topographic Map of the Iberian Peninsula

Mediterranean Region Map
Map of the Mediterranean Sea and bordering countries.
Map of Europe
Political Map of Europe.
 

News from Spain

News from Spain

The public broadcaster RTVE shares the market with large commercial operators. Regional TV networks are operated by their respective governments.
Elections in 2019 saw a breakthrough by the far-right party VOX, which came third in terms of votes. VOX has distinguished itself by its crusade against the media, with its supporters stirring up hate against journalists on social media and physically harassing them on the ground.
Hatred against journalist is not limited to VOX. In Catalonia, where the political climate is extremely polarized, journalists have been the targets of physical violence by both the police and independence supporters. ^[1]


Major Spanish Newspapers (all in Spanish)

ABC
Spain's third-largest national daily newspaper, headquartered in Madrid.
El Correo ("The Courier")
Leading daily in Bilbao and the Basque Country with national and international news.
El Mundo ("The World")
One of Spain's leading newspapers with national and international news, its headquarters is in Madrid.
El Pais ("The Country")
Spanish daily newspaper with the highest-circulation in the country, headquartered in Madrid.
Público ("Public")
Público is now a Spanish online newspaper.
La Vanguardia ("The Vanguard")
Catalonia's leading daily newspaper, printed in Spanish and Catalan, its headquarters is in Barcelona.
La Voz de Galicia (The Voice of Galicia)
Spanish daily newspaper and Galicia's paper with the highest circulation.


TV
RTVE
The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española, S.A. is the state-owned public broadcaster.
 

Arts & Culture of Spain



The Harlequin's Carnival (detail) is a painting by the Spanish surrealist Joan Miró. It is one of the artist's most outstanding paintings and is kept at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo.
Image: Albright–Knox Art Gallery

Spanish Arts & Culture

Arts

Fundació Joan Miró
The Fundació Joan Miró is a museum and a center for the study and dissemination of Joan Miró’s work and contemporary art, based in Barcelona.
Fundación Gala-Salvador Dalí
The Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Catalonia, is dedicated to the art of Salvador Dalí.
Museo Guggenheim Bilbao
Museum for modern and contemporary art in Bilbao, the museum was designed by the Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry; it opened in 1997.
Museo del Prado
The Prado Museum - Spain's national art museum is located in the heart of Madrid and has one of the most important collections of European art in the world.
Museo Picasso Málaga
A permanent exhibition center for Picasso's work in Málaga, the city where Pablo Picasso was born.
Museo Atlántico
Museo Atlantico, the first underwater museum in Europe is located on Lanzarote.

Culture
Alhambra
A virtual visit of the Alhambra at Grenada.

Guias Granada
The official guide to Granada and the Alhambra.

Biblioteca Nacional
Highest Library Institution of Spain and Head of the Spanish Libraries System.

Centro Andaluz de Flamenco
The Andalusian Centrer of Flamenco.

DeFlamenco
Spanish flamenco magazine.

Spanish Arts
A guide to Spanish arts and artists.



Sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor in Europe's first underwater museum on the island of Lanzarote.
Image:  Museo Atlántico
 

Business & Economy of Spain


Playa de Levante is a 2 km long urban beach in Benidorm, a holiday resort in the province of Alicante on the Mediterranean coast (Costa Blanca). The contribution of the hotel industry and tourism amounted to 147.9 million euros in 2018, which represents more than 12% of the Spanish GDP. ^[2]
Image: Diego Delso


Economy of Spain
The economy of Spain is based on the automotive industry, agricultural production, energy, financial services, telecommunication, pharmaceuticals, textiles and apparel, and tourism.



Banco de España
The Spanish Central Bank.

Bolsa de Madrid
Madrid Stock Exchange is Spain's largest and most international exchange.

Invest in Spain (ICEX)
Official website of ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, Spain's Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.

Cámara de Madrid
Madrid's Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the business association was founded in 1887.

Top-Rated Spanish Companies

Automotive
Spain is the second largest car manufacturer in Europe after Germany. The leading manufacturers are multinational corporations with subsidiaries and production facilities in the country. The largest companies are the German Daimler AG with a production plant in Vitoria. Ford, USA, has its car assembly plant in Almussafes (Valencia). General Motors, USA, has plants in Figueruelas and Zaragoza. IVECO, Italy, operates plants in Madrid and Valladolid. PSA Peugeot Citroen operates a car manufacturing and assembly plant in Vigo. Renault, France, has plants in Valladolid, Palencia, and Seville. The Japanese car manufacturer Nissan is about to close its plant in Barcelona.

SEAT
The only Spanish automobile manufacturer is headquartered in Martorell near Barcelona. Since 1986 the company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group.

Gestamp Automoción
Spanish multinational engineering and car components company.
Grupo Antolin
Multinational automotive supplier, who develops and manufactures interior components for the vehicle industry. Its headquarters is in Burgos.

Banks/Financial Services
Santander (Banco Santander, S.A.)
The Spanish banking group has its headquarters in Santander; the group operates in Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia.
BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.)
The second-largest bank in Spain is a multinational banking group formed in 1999, after the merger of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya and Argentaria, itself a former fusion of Spanish public banks.
La Caixa
Spain's number three in the financial service sector, a not for profit and charitable financial institution with over 5,800 branches, based in Barcelona.

MAPFRE
Leading Spanish insurance company, based in the outskirts of Madrid.

Energy
Iberdrola
Spain's largest energy group is a multinational electric utility company based in Bilbao, in Basque Country. Subsidiaries amongst others are Scottish Power (Scotland), Avangrid (United States), and Elektro (Brazil).

Endesa
One of the largest electric utility company in the country, it is a majority-owned subsidiary of the Italian utility company Enel. Endesa has its headquarters in Madrid.

Naturgy Energy Group S.A.
Naturgy, formerly Gas Natural Fenosa, is a public distributor of natural gas in Spain, Italy, and Latin America, the company is headquartered in Barcelona.


Department Stores
El Corte Inglés
Spain's only remaining department store chain, which ranks fourth in the world. El Corte Inglés is the largest department store group in Europe; it has its headquarters in Madrid.

Fashion
Inditex
Inditex is one of the largest textile companies in the world, headquartered in Arteixo, A Coruña, Galicia. Its flagship store is Zara (ZARA), the clothing and accessories retailer. Other chains owned by Inditex are the clothes manufacturing company Massimo Dutti, the fashion stores of Bershka, the clothing brand Stradivarius, the clothing and accessories retailer Pull and Bear, the undergarments company Oysho, and Uterqüe, a manufacturer of fashion accessories and garments.


Supermarkets
Mercadona
Mercadona S.A. is the largest supermarket chain in Spain, with headquarters in Valencia.

Telecommunication
Telefónica (Telefónica, S.A.)
Multinational broadband and telecommunications provider and one of the largest private telecommunications companies in the world with operations in Europe, Asia, and North, Central, and South America.
Movistar
A major Spanish mobile phone operator and cable TV provider owned by Telefónica S.A.


Transportation

Airlines
Iberia
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España (Iberia) is the flag carrier and the largest Spanish airline. The company is based in Madrid; its hub is at Madrid-Barajas airport.
Vueling
A Spanish low-cost airline with hubs in Barcelona–El Prat Airport and Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy.

Airports
Major airports of Spain are:
Madrid Barajas International Airport,
Barcelona El Prat International Airport,
Palma airport on the Balearic island of Mallorca (Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca), and Málaga Airport (Aeropuerto de Málaga)

Aena.es
Official website of airports of Spain. Aena is a Spanish public limited company that is majority-owned by the State and is responsible for the operation of domestic airports.

Railroad
RENFE
Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE) is the state-owned rail transport company which operates freight and passenger trains.

Spanish passenger trains at Santa Justa station in Seville.
Image: Iantomferry  

  

Tourism in Spain



Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, a World Heritage Site in Galicia.
Image: carrodeguas

Destination Spain - Travel and Tour Guides

Discover Spain: A Coruña, Alhambra, Andalusia, Barcelona, Bilbao, Canary Islands, Catalan rumba, Doñana National Park, fiesta de los toros, Galicia, Madrid, Monfragüe (Extremadura), Santiago de Compostela, Sierra Nevada, Mount Teide, Tenerife.

Find accommodation, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, tours, and much more.


Turespaña
Spain's official tourism website.



Routes of Santiago de Compostela UNESCO World Heritage Site about Camino Francés (Way of St. James) and Routes of Northern Spain.

Andalucia
The official Andalusia tourism website.

All about Spain
A guide to country and culture.

Cadiz Tourism
Official Cadiz province tourism website.

Turismo de la Provincia de Sevilla
Seville’s official online tourist office.

City Guides (official city sites)
Madrid
The Municipality of Madrid.
Barcelona
The City of Barcelona.
Bilbao
The City of Bilbao.
Malagá
Malagá City.
Sevilla
The City of Sevilla.
Valencià
The City of Valencia.
Zaragoza
Zaragoza City.
 
 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites



View of the Alcazar of Segovia from the Alto del Parral. The Old Town of Segovia, is one of Spain's 42 UNESCO cultural World Heritage Sites.
Image: Ángel Sanz de Andrés
 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain

Spain is home to 48 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 42 cultural, four natural, and two mixed, plus 30 sites inscribed on the Tentative List, an inventory of those properties which a State Party intends to consider for nomination. (see UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in Spain)


Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct
Segovia is a historic city in the Autonomous Community of Castile and León at the confluence of the Eresma and the Clamores Rivers in the center of Spain. Together with Toledo and Ávila, Segovia is one of the three historical metropolises in the area surrounding the Spanish capital. The former Celtic settlement was conquered by the Romans around 100 BC.; it came under Moorish rule (Caliphate of Córdoba), and in 1088 Alfonso VI of León and Castile retook the city from the Arabs. The city's rich architectural legacy includes a Roman aqueduct, a Gothic-style cathedral, and the Alcázar of Segovia castle.


Tower of Hercules
The Tower of Hercules or "Farum Brigantium," has served as a lighthouse and landmark at the entrance of La Coruña harbor in north-western Spain since the late 1st century AD. It is the oldest still-operating lighthouse in the world.


Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art
The paintings in the caves in Northern Spain represent the peak of Palaeolithic cave art, which developed throughout Europe, from the Urals to the Iberian Peninsula, from 35,000 to 11,000 BC.


Alhambra
Granada is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. The most important places of interest in Granada are the Alhambra, a Moorish palace and fortress complex, the Generalife, the summer palace of the rulers of the Emirate of Granada, and Albayzín, the old Moorish quarter of the city.

 

Education in Spain



The Old Library at the University of Salamanca, the oldest university in Spain, founded in 1134.
Image: Antoine Taveneaux


Spain's major universities

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid UAM
UAM is a public university located in Madrid, founded in 1968; it is one of the most prestigious universities in Spain, especially in the fields of Biology, Nursing, Medicine, Physics, and Law.

Universidad de Alcalá
The University of Alcalá is a public university and an important landmark of Alcalá de Henares. The city is located 35 km (22 mi) northeast of Madrid; the University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alcalá de Henares was the first planned university city in the world, founded in the early 16th century.

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
A public university with a distinctly international profile, founded in 1989. The university has a good reputation in business subjects, especially in economics.

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
The Autonomous University of Barcelona, UAB, is a public university near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia. UAB is among the leading universities in Spain, especially in the fields of health sciences, natural sciences and technology, humanities, and social sciences.

Universitat de Barcelona
The University of Barcelona, UB, is a public university in Barcelona, the second-largest city in Spain. The university was founded in 1450 and is a world-renowned research and teaching institution with locations throughout the city.

Universidad de Málaga
The University of Málaga (UMA) is a public university founded in 1972. UMA is divided into two campuses in Málaga, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia.

Universidad de Salamanca
The third oldest university in the world in continuous operations, founded in 1134.

Universidad de Sevilla
The University of Seville is a multi-disciplinary university with a specialization in the research of technology and science. The university was founded in 1505 and is today one of the top universities in Spain.

Universidad de Zaragoza
The University of Zaragoza in the Spanish region of Aragon was founded in 1542; it is one of the oldest universities in Spain.
 
 

Environment & Nature



A vineyard growing grapes for Rioja wine, La Rioja, the autonomous community is known for its production of Rioja DOCa wines.
Image: Jesús García


Ministerio de Medio Ambiente
Official website of the Ministry of Environment (in Spanish).

NGO's
Acció Ecologista Agró
Ecological organization in Valencià Country.

Ecologistas en Acción
Ecologists in Action is a Spanish association of 300 environmental grassroots groups, founded in 1998.

Amigos da Terra
The Galician branch of Friends of the Earth.

Amigos de la Tierra España
The Spanish subsidiary of Friends of the Earth.

Red Cambera
Cambera Network is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the conservation of the natural environment through volunteering, land stewardship and environmental education.

Sociedad Española de Ornitología SEO
SEO is the Spanish Association for the Protection of Birds and Nature; it was founded in 1954.


National Parks
National Parks in Spain
Information about Spain's National Parks.

List of national parks of Spain
Wikipedia list of the sixteen national parks of Spain.



Satellite image of the salt marshes in the natural reserve near Huelva in Andalusia in southern Spain. Doñana National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image: unknown  
 

Spain History



View of Toledo at the Tagus River. Toledo is a Spanish city with a rich history with cultural influences by Christians, Muslims, and Jews. The Historic City of Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage.
Image: Dmitry Djouce


 A History of Spain and Portugal
History of Spain and Portugal from ancient times until the 17th century, by Stanley G. Payne, a historian of modern Spain and European Fascism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

History of Spain
Wikipedia article about Spain's history from ancient times to modern Spain.

WWW-VL The Spanish History Index
Provides Internet resources on the History of Spain, whether from Spain and abroad, in Spanish, English and other languages.
 

The Balearic Islands



View from Eivissa (Ibiza Town) towards Playa d'en Bossa holiday resort and the airport in the far distance.
Image: Andy Flatman


The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the Mediterranean off the coast of eastern Spain. Mallorca, the largest island, is known for its beaches, rampant drinking parties, the picturesque coast, and the Serra de Tramuntana mountains in the north. The other three major islands are Minorca, Ibiza, and Formentera.


Baleares
Balearic Islands Government.

The capital city of the Baleares is Palma de Mallorca.

Education
Universitat de les Illes Balears
University of the Balearic Islands.

Guides
Balearic Islands
The official tourism portal of the Balearic Islands with travel & tourism information on the Balearic Islands.

Baleares.com
Tourist guide to Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera.

Environment
GOB
Balearic Group of Ornithology and Defence of Nature.


Formentera
Guia de Formentera
Provides information about everything related to Formentera.

Visitformentera.com
Tourism guide Formentera.

Ibiza (Eivissa)
Ibiza
The official tourism website of Ibiza.

Turismo Eivissa
Ibiza guide.

Ibiza - spotlight.com
The online version of the Ibiza Spotlight Island Guide.


Mallorca (Majorca)
Consell de Mallorca
The Mallorca Government (Spanish).

News
Majorca Daily Bulletin
Island news.

Island Guides
Mallorca
Official tourist information website of Mallorca.
Mallorca Now
A touristic travel guide provides information about the island of Majorca, Balearics.
Mallorcatravel
Mallorca's Touristic server.
Mallorca Web
Mallorca directory.


Menorca
Web Menorca
Information about attractions and amenities of Menorca.


 

The Canary Islands



Hacha Grande, a mountain in the south-west of the island of Lanzarote.
Image: Yummifruitbat



The Canary Islands are an archipelago off the coast of Morocco, consisting of several rugged volcanic islands known for their black- or white-sandy beaches. Tenerife, the largest island, is dominated by the active volcano Mount Teide. The other main islands are Gran Canaria, El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gomera, and Lanzarote.

Gobierno de Canarias
The Canary Government.

Capital cities are Las Palmas on Gran Canaria, and Santa Cruz on Tenerife.

Cabildo de El Hierro
The Island Council and El Hierro Office of Tourism offer information on El Hierro
Cabildo de Fuerteventura
The Island Council of Fuerteventura.
Cabildo Insular La Gomera
The Island Council of Gomera provides information on Gomera.
Cabildo de Lanzarote
Lanzarote information (in Spanish).
Tenerife
Official website of Tenerife.


Education
Universidad de La Laguna
The oldest university in the Canary Islands is situated in San Cristóbal de La Laguna.

Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - ULPGC
The Las Palmas University is located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.


Canary Guides

Hello Canary Islands
Turismo de Canarias - Tourist information about the Canary Islands.

Gran Canaria
The Official Gran Canaria Tourist Website.

Visit Fuerteventura
The official site of the Fuerteventura Tourist Board.

La Gomera
The official tourism website of the island Gomera

El Hierro
El Hierro for visitors.

Visit Lanzarote
Official Lanzarote tourism website.

CACTLanzarote
Discover the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers of Lanzarote

Tenerife
Official web site for the promotion of Tenerife for tourism.

 

Additional Information

Selected country profiles of Spain published by international organizations.


Amnesty International: Spain
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights.

BBC - Country Profile: Spain
Country profiles by the British public service broadcaster.

EU member countries: Spain
EU member countries in brief, Spain.

FAO: Spain
UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

GlobalEDGE: Spain
About Spain from Global Business Knowledge Portal.

The Heritage Foundation: Spain
Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative think tank.

Human Rights Watch: Spain
HRW conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

OEC: Spain
The Observatory of Economic Complexity provides the latest trade data.

Reporters Without Borders: Spain
RSF (Reporters sans frontières) is an international NGO that defends and promotes media freedom.

Wikipedia: Spain
Wikipedia's Spain page in many languages.

The CIA World Factbook about Spain
The CIA World Factbook's Spain Page.