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![]() Panoramic view of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao at Nervion river. Bilbao is an industrial port city in northern Spain connected with the Bay of Biskay by the Nervion river. The city is the de facto capital of the Basque Autonomous Community (Basque country). Image: Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz |
___ SpainDestination Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, one of the two countries situated on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain has a coastline at the Atlantic Ocean in north and the Mediterranean Sea in south east. It is bordered by Andorra, France, Gibraltar (U.K.), Portugal, and Morocco (at the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on the North African coast), it also shares maritime borders with Algeria and Italy. Spain occupies an area of 505,992 km² making it the fourth largest country in Europe, and the second largest in western Europe. Compared it is twice the size of the United Kingdom, or slightly more than twice the size of the US state of Oregon. Spain has a population of 46.4 million people (in 2016), capital and largest city is Madrid, Spain's second city is Barcelona, the capital city of Catalonia. Official and national language is Spanish, co-official languages are Basque, Catalan and Galician. Spain is known for its food, Flamenco music and dance, bullfights, horses, arts and literature, architecture, a Moorish heritage, its islands, Mediterranean beaches, wines, fruits and vegetables, and football (soccer). |
Kingdom of Spain | Reino de España |
Country Profile |
Background: In ancient times the Iberian Peninsula at the southwestern tip of Europe has been inhabited by various ethnic groups. Iberian tribes moved into the peninsula at some point during the second millennium B.C. --whether from north Africa or southern Europe-- and spread out over a broad area. During the eighth and ninth centuries B.C. Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and a significant number of Celtic immigrants from central and northern Europe entered the peninsula. This highly diversified ethnic stocks of the pre-Roman period, constituting the ancestors of the later Spaniards. Disparate societies and the tribal organisation of the Iberian inhabitants slow down the conquest of "Hispania" by the Romans, lasting from 218 B.C. to 19 B.C. With the decline of the Roman empire, Suebi, Vandals and Alans took control of parts of Hispania. Followed by the Visigoths, who conquered all of Hispania in the 5th century A.D. and established a kingdom lasting until 711, when it fell to an invasion by Islamic North African Moors. The Reconquista, the struggle among the Christian kingdoms and the Moors lasted until 1492. By 1512, the unification of present-day Spain was complete. During the 16th century, Spain became the most powerful nation in Europe, due to the immense wealth derived from their possessions in the Americas. The steady decline of Spanish power in Europe began in the end of the 16th century, in the 19th century Spain suffered the loss of most of its colonies. With the victory of his nationalist forces in 1939, General Francisco Franco ruled a nation exhausted politically and economically, isolated by the Allies. In 1955 Spain joined the United Nations. 1975 Franco's personally designated heir Prince Juan Carlos assumed the position of king and head of state. Spain joined NATO in 1982 and became a member of the European Union in 1986. |
Official Name: Reino de España short form: España int'l long form: Kingdom of Spain int'l short form: Spain ISO Country Code: es Time: Time Zone: Central European Time (CET) Local Time = UTC +1h Actual Time: Mon-Dec-9 19:53 Daylight Saving Time (DST) March - October (UTC +2) Country Calling Code: +34 Capital City: Madrid (pop. 5.5 million) Other Cities: Barcelona (4.9 million), Bilbao (353 950), Malagá (1.3 million), Sevilla (1.8 million), Valencià (2.3 million), Zaragoza (871 000). Government: Type: Constitutional Monarchy (Juan Carlos I. proclaimed King 22 November 1975). Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978. Geography: Location: On the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France. Area: 506.000 km² (194,884 sq. mi.), including the Balearic and Canary Islands Terrain: High plateaus, lowland areas such as narrow coastal plains, and mountainous regions. Climate: Temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast. People: Nationality: Noun--Spaniard(s). Adjective--Spanish. Population: 46.4 million (2016) Ethnic groups: Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians. Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic. Languages: Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan-Valenciana 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%. Literacy: 98% (est.) Natural resources: Coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land. Agriculture products: Grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish. Industries: Textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism. Exports - commodities: machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods. Exports - partners: France 15.7%, Germany 11%, Italy 7.4%, UK 7.4%, Portugal 7.1%, USA 4.5% (2015). Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semi-finished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments. Imports - partners: Germany 14.4%, France 11.7%, China 7.1%, Italy 6.5%, Netherlands 5%, UK 4.9% (2015) Currency: Euro (EUR) ![]() Key statistical data of Spain. |
![]() 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 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, consisting of the Senate (Upper house) and the Congress of Deputies (Lower house). Spain is by constitution (from 1978) a unitary state, a state in which the central government is the ultimate supreme power and the country's administrative divisions exercise only powers that the central government chooses to delegate. Official Sites of SpainNote: External links will open in a new browser window.![]() The Royal Family of Spain. El Gobierno Moncloa Palace complex, seat of the Spanish Government. 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 Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (INM) National Institute of Meteorology. Maps![]() Political Map of Spain. ![]() Map of Spain showing Spain's autonomous communities and provinces and their capitals. ![]() Searchable map and satellite view of Spain. ![]() Searchable map and satellite view of Spain's capital. ![]() Searchable map and satellite view of Spain's second largest city. ![]() ![]() Map of the Mediterranean Sea and bordering countries. ![]() Political Map of Europe. |
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News from SpainMajor 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. La Vanguardia ("The Vanguard") Catalonia's leading daily newspaper, printed in Spanish and in 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. |
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Arts & Culture__Arts Círculo del Arte Online shop for prints and original artworks of contemporary artists like Antonio Saura, Eduardo Arroyo, Albert Ràfols-Casamada, José Hernández, Manuel Rivera and many others. Fundación Joan Miró Site related to the work of Joan Miró. Fundación Gala-Salvador Dalí Site related to the work of Salvador Dalí influenced by Gala. Museo Guggenheim Bilbao Museum for contemporary and modern art. Museo del Prado The Prado Museum - one of the biggest art galleries in the world. museo PICASSO málaga A permanent exhibition centre for Picasso's work. Spanish Arts A guide to Spanish arts and artists. __Culture Alhambra A virtual visit of the Alhambra at Grenada. Biblioteca Nacional Highest Library Institution of Spain and Head of the Spanish Libraries System. Flamenco-World.com The Spain flamenco magazine. Guias Oficiales de Granada The official guide to Granada and the Alhambra. imagespain.com An expanding directory of vintage images of Spain. |
![]() Feria de Jerez is one of the most important celebrations in the Spanish municipality Jerez de la Frontera. |
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Business & EconomyBanco de España The Spanish Central Bank. Bolsa de Madrid Madrid Stock Exchange is Spain's largest and most international exchange. Spain Business (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 CompaniesAutomotive Spain is the 2nd largest car manufacturer in Europe after Germany. The main manufacturers are multinational companies with subsidiaries and production plants in the country, the largest are Daimler AG, Germany (with a manufacturing plant in Vitoria), Ford, USA (its plant in Almussafes (Valencia) is one of Ford's biggest in Europe), General Motors, USA (with plants in Figueruelas and Zaragoza), IVECO, Italy (with plants in Madrid and Valladolid), Nissan, Japan (Barcelona), PSA Peugeot Citroen, France (Vigo), Renault, France (with facilities in Valladolid, Palencia and Sevilla). SEAT The only Spanish automobile manufacturer headquartered in Martorell is a wholly owned subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group, Volkswagen, Germany (Pamplona). Gestamp Automoción Spanish multi-national 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 headquartered in Santander, the Santander Group operates across Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia. BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.) The second largest bank in Spain is 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, a multinational electric utility company based in Bilbao, 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. Gas Natural Fenosa Gas Natural SDG, S.A. 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, ranked number four worldwide. El Corte Inglés has its headquarters in Madrid. Fashion Inditex Inditex is one of the largest textile companies in the world, headquartered in Arteixo, A Coruña, Galicia. 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 Nationwide supermarket chain with a revenue in more than 20 million euros in 2015. 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 The Spanish Carrier. Vueling 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. Railroad RENFE Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE) |
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![]() Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, a World Heritage Site in Galicia. Image: carrodeguas Travel and Tour Consumer Information
DestiNation Spain :: Travel and Tour GuidesDiscover 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 The tourist office of Spain. OKSpain Tourist Office of Spain in New York. ![]() Comprehensive travel and tourism information for Spain. All about Spain A guide to country and culture. CadizNet A guide to tourism and leisure on Cadiz province. Turismo de la Provincia de Sevilla A travel and tourism guide to Seville province. 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. ![]() Panoramic view of Málaga from Gibralfaro hill. Málaga is a port city and capital of the Province of Málaga situated at Costa del Sol (Sun Coast) in southern Spain. Image: Kiban |
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![]() The Old Library in the University of Salamanca, the oldest university in Spain, founded in 1134. Image: Antoine Taveneaux EducationUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid University's home page in Spanish. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid Public university, founded in 1989. Universidad de Málaga Founded in the late Sixties of the last century. Universidad de Salamanca Third oldest university in the world in continuous operations, founded in 1134. Universidad de Sevilla Multi-disciplinary university with a specialization in the research of technology and science and one of the top-ranked universities in Spain. Universidad de Zaragoza One of the oldest universities in Spain. |
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![]() A vineyard growing grapes for Rioja wine, La Rioja, the autonomous community is known for its production of Rioja DOCa wines. Image: Jesús García Environment & NatureMinisterio de Medio Ambiente Official website of the Environment Ministry (in Spanish). NGO's Acció Ecologista Agró Ecological organization in Valencià Country. Amigos da Terra Amigos de la Tierra España The Spanish subsidiary of Friends of the Earth. National Parks National Parks in Spain Information about Spain's 15 National Parks. |
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History![]() 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. |
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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 north. the other three major islands are Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Baleares Balearic Islands Government. Capital City: Palma de Mallorca News Majorca Daily Bulletin Online magazine with news from Mallorca and the Balearics Islands. Education Universitat de les Illes Balears University of the Balearic Islands. Guides IBATUR Institut Balear del Turisme 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. ![]() Ibiza (Eivissa) Ibiza Online Island guide. ibiza - spotlight.com 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 Now A touristic travel guide provides informations about the island of Majorca, Balearics. www.mallorcatravel.com Mallorca's Touristic server. Mallorca Web Mallorca directory. ![]() Menorca Menorca Net Menorca information Web Menorca Information about attractions and amenities of Menorca. |
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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 Mt. Teide. The other main islands are Gran Canaria, El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gomera, and Lanzarote. Gobierno de Canarias The Canary Government. Capital cities: 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 (Spanish). Education Universidad de La Laguna Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria The Las Palmas University. Canary Guides Hello Canary Islands Turismo de Canarias - Tourist information about the Canary islands. Islas Canarias canary-guide.com Website about the Canary Islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. www.canary-isles.com The Canary Islands directory. |
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SearchSearch Iberia A Spain Search Engine. TypicallySpanish.com They call themself "Spain's leading independent Search Engine & Directory". Open Directory Project: Spain Sources and additional Information on SpainAmnesty International: Spain BBC - Country profile: Spain EU member countries: Spain FAO: Spain GlobalEDGE: Spain The Heritage Foundation: Spain Human Rights Watch: Spain OEC: Spain Reporters Without Borders: Spain Wikipedia: Spain The World Factbook -- Spain |
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