Spain (), is a
Western European country. The country consists of Peninsular Spain which is located between the
Mediterranean Sea and the
Atlantic Ocean, two archipelagos, one in each sea, and two
autonomous cities in
North Africa.
The Spanish mainland is bordered by the
Mediterranean Sea to the south and east, by the
Cantabric Sea that includes the
Bay of Biscay to the north, and by the
Atlantic Ocean and
Portugal to the west. Spanish territory also includes the
Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the
Canary Islands off the African coast. It shares land borders with
Portugal,
France,
Andorra, the British colony of
Gibraltar, and
Morocco. It is the largest of the three sovereign
states that make up the
Iberian Peninsula — the others being
Portugal and
Andorra. With an area of 504,030 km², Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe (behind France).
Spain is a
constitutional monarchy organised as a
parliamentary democracy, and has been a member of the
European Union since 1986. It is a
developed country with the ninth largest economy in the world and fifth largest in the EU.
History
Spain has a very ancient and complex prehistory. Under the Roman empire
Hispania flourished and became one of the empire's most important regions. During the early
Middle Ages it came under Germanic rule. Later, nearly the entire peninsula came under Muslim rulers. Through a long process Christian kingdoms in the north gradually rolled back Muslim rule, which was finally extinguished in 1492. That year Columbus reached the Americas, the beginnings of the first global empire. Spain became the strongest kingdom in Europe in the sixteenth and first half of the seventeenth centuries but continued wars and other problems eventually led to a diminished status. In the middle decades of the twentieth century it came under a dictatorship, under which it went through many years of stagnation and then a spectacular economic revival. In 1986 it joined the European Union and has experienced an economic and cultural renaissance.
Prehistory and pre-Roman peoples in the Iberian Peninsula
Modern humans in the form of
Cro-Magnons began arriving in the Iberian Peninsula from the
Pyrenees some 35,000 years ago. The best known artifacts of these prehistoric human settlements are the famous paintings in the
Altamira cave of Cantabria in northern Spain, which were created about 15,000
BCE. New archeological research at
Atapuerca indicates that the Iberian Peninsula was peopled more than a million years ago.
The two main historical peoples of the peninsula were the
Iberians and the
Celts, the former inhabiting the Mediterranean side from the northeast to the southwest, the latter inhabiting the Atlantic side, in the north and northwest part of the peninsula. In the inner part of the peninsula, where both groups were in contact, a mixed, distinctive, culture was present, known as
Celtiberian. Different names of places witness their geographical distribution. Celts founded military forts (from the Celt "briga" = fortress) that later evolved into cities such as
Coimbra,
Braga, and
Segovia. The Iberians gave their name to Spain's longest river
Ebro (or "Iberian river") and to cities such as Ilici (present-day
Elche) and Ilerda (
Lérida). In addition,
Basques occupied the western area of the Pyrenees mountains, although some geographical names attest their presence as far south as
Aranjuez, a name that originates in the
Basque words
aran zuri ("valley of thorns") and contemporary Basque
aranzazu (thorn, thistle). Other ethnic groups existed along the southern coastal areas of present day
Andalusia. Among these southern groups there grew the earliest urban culture in the Iberian Peninsula, that of the semi-mythical southern city of
Tartessos (perhaps pre-1100 BC) near the location of present-day
Cádiz. The flourishing trade in gold and silver between the people of Tartessos and Phoenicians and Greeks is documented in the history of
Strabo and in the biblical book of king Solomon. Between about 500 BC and 300 BC, the seafaring
Phoenicians and
Greeks founded trading colonies along the Mediterranean coast. These colonies include present-day cities like
Empúries (from the Greek word 'emporion'),
Malaga (from the Phoenician word 'malaka' for salt, as fish was salted in the harbour), and the city of
Alicante, originally named in Greek
Akra Leuka (ie, white bay). Phoenicians from the African city of
Carthage (
Carthaginians) briefly took control of much of the Mediterranean coast in the course of the
Punic Wars until they were eventually defeated and replaced by the Romans. The base Celt and Iberian population remained in various stages of
Romanisation, and local leaders were admitted into the Roman aristocratic class.
The Romans improved existing cities, such as
Lisbon (
Olissis bona or 'good for Ulysses') and
Tarragona (
Tarraco), and established
Zaragoza (
Caesaraugusta),
Mérida (
Augusta Emerita),
Valencia (
Valentia),
León ("Legio Septima"),
Badajoz ("Pax Augusta"), and
Palencia (Παλλαντία, "Pallas Ateneia"). The peninsula's economy expanded under Roman tutelage. Hispania served as a granary for the Roman market, and its harbors exported
gold,
wool,
olive oil, and
wine. Agricultural production increased with the introduction of irrigation projects, some of which remain in use. Emperors
Trajan,
Hadrian, and
Theodosius I, and the philosopher
Seneca were born in Hispania.
Christianity was introduced into Hispania in the first century CE and it became popular in the cities in the second century CE. The romanised Visigoths entered Hispania in 415. After the conversion of their monarchy to
Roman Catholicism, the Visigothic Kingdom eventually encompassed a great part of the Iberian Peninsula after conquering the disordered Suebic territories in the northwest and
Byzantine territories in the southeast. Only three small areas in the mountains of northern Spain managed to cling to their independence:
Asturias,
Navarra and
Aragon.
Under
Islam, Christians and Jews were recognised as
"peoples of the book", and were free to practice their religion, but faced some
discriminations. Conversion to Islam proceeded at a steadily increasing pace, starting with the aristocracy, as it offered an escape from the limitations and humiliations of their
dhimmi status. With mass conversions in the 10th and 11th centuries Muslims are believed to have come to outnumber Christians in Al-Andalus. The
11th century saw Muslim
pogroms against
Jews; those occurred in Cordoba in 1011 and in
Granada in 1066.
The Muslim community in Spain was itself diverse and beset by social tensions. The
Berber people of North Africa, who had provided the bulk of the invading armies,
clashed with the Arab leadership from the
Middle East. Over time, large Moorish populations became established, especially in the
Guadalquivir River valley, the coastal plain of
Valencia, and (towards the end of this period) in the mountainous region of
Granada. Mediterranean trade and cultural exchange flourished. Muslims imported a rich intellectual tradition from the Middle East and North Africa. Muslim and Jewish scholars played a great part in reviving and expanding classical
Greek learning in Western Europe. Spain's
romanised cultures interacted with Muslim and Jewish cultures in complex ways, thus giving Spain a distinctive culture.
The breakup of Al-Andalus into the competing Taifa kingdoms helped the expanding Christian kingdoms, namely Castille that would become the main driving force in the Reconquista. The capture of the central city of
Toledo in 1085 largely completed the reconquest of the northern half of Spain. After a Muslim resurgence in the 12th century, the great Moorish strongholds in the south fell to Christian Spain in the 13th century—
Córdoba in 1236 and
Seville in 1248—leaving only the Muslim enclave of
Granada as a
tributary state in the south. Also in the 13th century, the kingdom of
Aragón expanded its reach across the Mediterranean to
Sicily.
In 1469, the crowns of the Christian kingdoms of
Castile and
Aragón were united by the
marriage of
Isabella and
Ferdinand. In 1478 began the final stage of the conquest of
Canary Islands and in 1492, these united kingdoms captured Granada, ending the last remnant of a 781-year presence of Islamic rule on the Iberian Peninsula. The year 1492 also marked the arrival in the
New World of
Christopher Columbus, during a voyage funded by Isabella. That same year,
Spain's Jews were ordered to convert into the Christian religion or face expulsion from Spanish territories;
expelled during the
Spanish Inquisition.
As
Renaissance New Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand centralised royal power at the expense of local nobility, and the word
España - whose root is the ancient name "Hispania" - began to be used to designate the whole of the two kingdoms.
The Spanish Empire expanded to include nearly all of
South and
Central America,
Mexico, southern and western portions of today's
United States, the
Philippines,
Guam and the
Mariana Islands in
Eastern Asia, the Iberian peninsula (including the
Portuguese empire (from 1580)), southern
Italy,
Sicily, cities in Northern Africa, as well as parts of modern
Germany,
Belgium,
Luxembourg, and the
Netherlands. It was the first empire about which it was said that
the sun didn't set. This was an
age of discovery, with daring explorations by sea and by land, the opening up of new trade routes across oceans, conquests and the beginning of
European colonial exploitation. Along with the arrival of precious metals, spices, luxuries, and new agricultural plants, Spanish explorers and others brought back knowledge, playing a leading part in transforming the European understanding of the world.
Of note was the cultural efflorescence now known as the
Spanish Golden Age and the intellectual movement known as the
School of Salamanca.
In the 16th and 17th centuries Spain was confronted by unrelenting challenges from all sides. In the early 16th century
Barbary pirates under the aegis of the rapidly growing
Ottoman empire, disrupted life in many coastal areas through their
slave raids and renewed the threat of an
Islamic invasion. This at a time when Spain was often at war with France in Italy and elsewhere. Later the Protestant
Reformation schism from the Catholic Church dragged the kingdom ever more into the mire of religiously charged wars. The result was a country forced into ever expanding military efforts across Europe and in the Mediterranean.
By the middle decades of a war-ridden mid-17th century Europe, the effects of the strain began to show. The Spanish Habsburgs had enmeshed the country in the continent wide religious-political conflicts. These conflicts drained it of resources and undermined the European economy generally. Spain managed to hold on to the majority of the scattered
Habsburg empire, and help the Imperial forces of the
Holy Roman Empire reverse a large part of the advances made by Protestant forces, but it was finally forced to recognise the independence of Portugal - with its empire - and the
Netherlands, and eventually began to surrender territories to France after the immensely destructive, Europe-wide
Thirty Years War.
From the 1640s Spain went into a gradual but seemingly irreversible decline for the remainder of the century, however it was able to maintain and enlarge its vast overseas empire which remained intact until the 19th century.
Controversy over succession to the throne consumed the first years of the 18th century. The
War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714), a wide ranging international conflict combined with a civil war, cost Spain its European possessions and its position as one of the leading powers on the Continent (although it retained its overseas territories).
During this war, a new dynasty—the
French Bourbons—was installed. Long united only by the Crown, a true
Spanish state was established when the first Bourbon king
Philip V of Spain united Castile and Aragon into a single state, abolishing many of the regional privileges (
fueros).
The 18th century saw a gradual recovery and some increase in prosperity through much of the empire. The new
Bourbon monarchy drew on the French system of modernising the administration and the economy.
Enlightenment ideas began to gain ground among some of the kingdom's elite and monarchy. Towards the end of the century trade finally began growing strongly. Military assistance for the rebellious British colonies in the
American War of Independence improved Spain's international standing.
Napoleonic rule and its consequences
In 1793, Spain went to war against the new
French Republic, which had overthrown and executed its Bourbon king,
Louis XVI. The war polarised the country in an apparent reaction against the
gallicised elites. Defeated in the field, Spain made peace with France in 1795 and effectively became a
client state of that country; the following year, it declared war against Britain and Portugal. A disastrous economic situation, along with other factors, led to the
abdication of the Spanish king in favour of
Napoleon's brother,
Joseph Bonaparte.
This new foreign monarch was regarded with scorn. On
May 2,
1808, the people of Madrid began a
nationalist uprising against the French army, marking the beginning of what is known to the Spanish as the War of Independence, and to the English as the
Peninsular War. Napoleon was forced to intervene personally, defeating the Spanish army and Anglo-Portuguese forces. However, further military action by Spanish guerrillas and
Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese army, combined with Napoleon's disastrous
invasion of Russia, led to the ousting of the French from Spain in 1814, and the return of
King Ferdinand VII.
The French
invasion proved disastrous for Spain's economy, and left a deeply divided country that was prone to political instability for more than a century. The power struggles of the early 19th century led to the loss of all of Spain's colonies in
Latin America, with the exception of Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Spanish-American War
Amid the instability and economic crisis that afflicted Spain in the 19th century there arose nationalist movements in the Philippines and Cuba. Wars of independence ensued in those colonies and eventually the
United States became involved. Although Spanish military units won respect from American soldiers they fought, for their bravery and skill, the Spanish-American war of 1898 was so badly mismanaged by the highest levels of command and government that it was soon over. "El Desastre", as the war became known in Spain, helped give impetus to the
Generation of 98 who were already conducting much critical analysis concerning the country. It also weakened the stability that had been established during Alfonso XII's reign.
The Twentieth Century
The 20th century brought little peace; Spain played a minor part in the
scramble for Africa, with the colonisation of
Western Sahara,
Spanish Morocco and
Equatorial Guinea. The heavy losses suffered during the
Rif war in Morocco helped to undermine the monarchy. A period of authoritarian rule under General
Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923–1931) ended with the establishment of the
Second Spanish Republic. The Republic offered political autonomy to the
Basque Country,
Catalonia and
Galicia and gave voting rights to women.
The bitterly fought
Spanish Civil War (1936-39) ensued. Three years later the Nationalist forces, led by General
Francisco Franco, emerged victorious with the support of Germany and Italy. The Republican side was supported by the Soviet Union and Mexico, but it wasn't supported by the Western powers due to the British-led policy of
Non-Intervention. The Spanish Civil War has been called the
first battle of the
Second World War; under Franco, Spain was neutral in the Second World War though
sympathetic to the Axis.
The only legal party under
Franco's regime was the
Falange española tradicionalista y de las JONS, formed in 1937; the party emphasised anti-Communism,
Catholicism and
nationalism.
After World War II, Spain was politically and economically isolated, and was kept out of the
United Nations until 1955, when it became strategically important for the U.S. to foment a military presence on the Iberian peninsula, next to the Mediterranean Sea and the
Strait of Gibraltar. In the 1960s, Spain registered an unprecedented economic growth in what was called the
Spanish miracle, which gradually transformed it into a modern industrial economy with a thriving tourism sector and a high degree of human development.
Upon the death of General Franco in November 1975,
Prince Juan Carlos assumed the position of king and
head of state. With the approval of the new
Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the arrival of democracy,
political autonomy were established. In the Basque Country, moderate
Basque nationalism coexisted with a radical nationalism supportive of the terrorist group
ETA.
On
February 23 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes and
tried to impose a military-backed government. However, the great majority of the military forces remained loyal to King Juan Carlos, who used his personal authority and addressed the usupers via national TV as commander in chief to put down the bloodless coup attempt.
In 1982, the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) came to power, which represented the return to power of a leftist party after 43 years. In 1986, Spain joined the
European Community (which was to become the
European Union). The PSOE was replaced by the PP after the latter won the 1996 General Elections; at that point the PSOE had served almost 14 consecutive years in office.
21st century
On
January 1,
2002, Spain terminated its historic
peseta currency and replaced it with the
euro, which has become its national currency shared with 13 other countries from the
Eurozone. This culminated in an initial period of growth and economic consolidation, which has slowed considerably in past years due to rising house prices and the country's large current-account deficit.
On
March 11,
2004, a series of bombs exploded in commuter trains in Madrid, Spain. This act of terror killed 191 people and wounded 1,460 more, besides possibly affecting national elections scheduled for
March 14, three days after the attack. The
Madrid train bombings had an adverse effect on the image of the then-ruling conservative party
Partido Popular (PP) which polls had indicated were likely to win the elections, thus helping the election of Zapatero's
Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE). There were two nights of incidents around the PP headquarters, with the PSOE and other political parties accusing the PP of hiding the truth by saying that the incidents were caused by
ETA even though new evidence that pointed to an Islamic attack started appearing. These incidents are still a cause of discussion, since some factions of the PP suggest that the elections were "stolen" by means of the turmoil which followed the terrorist bombing, which was, according to this point of view, backed by the PSOE.
March 14,
2004, three days after the bombings, saw the
PSOE party elected into government, with Rodríguez Zapatero becoming the new
Presidente del Gobierno or prime minister of Spain thus replacing the former
PP administration.
Politics
Spanish Government
Spain is a
constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary
monarch and a
bicameral parliament, the
Cortes Generales. The
executive branch consists of a
Council of Ministers presided over by the President of Government (comparable to a
prime minister), proposed by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections.
The
legislative branch is made up of the Congress of Deputies (
Congreso de los Diputados) with 350 members, elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms, and a
Senate or
Senado with 259 seats of which 208 are directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to also serve four-year terms.
- Chief of State
- Head of Government
Spain is, at present, what is called a
State of Autonomies, formally unitary but, in fact, functioning as a highly decentralised
Federation of
Autonomous Communities; it's regarded by many as the most
decentralised nation in Europe; for example, all territories manage their own health and education systems, and other territories (the Basque Country and Navarre) manage their own public finances. In Catalonia and the Basque Country, an autonomous police corps widely replaces the State police functions (see
Mossos d'Esquadra and
Ertzaintza).
The Government of Spain has been involved in a long-running campaign against Basque Fatherland and Liberty (
ETA), a terrorist organisation founded in 1959 in opposition to Franco and dedicated to promoting Basque independence through
violent means. They consider themselves a
guerrilla organisation while they're listed as a
terrorist organisation by both the European Union and the United States on their respective watchlists. The current nationalist-led Basque Autonomous government doesn't endorse ETA's nationalist violence, which has caused over 800 deaths.
Spanish Constitution
The
Spanish Constitution of 1978 is the culmination of the
Spanish transition to democracy.
The constitutional history of Spain dates back to the constitution of 1812. After the death of
Francisco Franco in 1975, a
general election in 1977 convened the
Constituent Cortes (the Spanish Parliament, in its capacity as a constitutional assembly) for the purpose of drafting and approving the constitution.
As a result, Spain is now composed entirely of 17 Autonomous Communities and two autonomous cities with varying degrees of autonomy, to the extent that, even though the Constitution doesn't formally state that Spain is a federation (nor a unitarian state), Spain has a decentralized system in practice.
Foreign relations of Spain
After the return of
democracy following the death of
Franco in 1975,
Spain's
foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years and expand
diplomatic relations, enter the
European Community, and define security relations with the West.
As a member of
NATO since 1982, Spain has established itself as a major participant in multilateral international security activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy. Even on many international issues beyond
western Europe, Spain prefers to coordinate its efforts with its EU partners through the European political cooperation mechanisms.
With the normalization of diplomatic relations with
North Korea in 2001, Spain completed the process of universalizing its diplomatic relations.
Spain has maintained its special identification with
Latin America. Its policy emphasizes the concept of an Iberoamerican community, essentially the renewal of the historically liberal concept of hispanoamericanismo (or hispanism as it's often referred to in English), which has sought to link the Iberian peninsula with Latin America through language, commerce, history and culture. Spain has been an effective example of transition from dictatorship to democracy, as shown in the many trips that
Spain's King and
Prime Ministers have made to the region.
Territorial disputes
Territory claimed by Spain
Spain has called for the return of
Gibraltar, a small but strategic
British overseas territory or
colony near the
Strait of Gibraltar. In
referendums held in this regard to date, the majority of Gibraltarians have rejected the union with Spain. UN resolutions call on the United Kingdom and Spain, both EU members, to reach an agreement over the status of Gibraltar of a sovereignty of both countries.
Spanish territories claimed by other countries
Morocco claims the Spanish cities of
Ceuta and
Melilla and some isles
plazas de soberanía off the northern coast of Africa.
Portugal doesn't recognise Spain's sovereignty over the territory of
Olivença /
Olivenza.
Administrative divisions
Spain is divided into 17
autonomous communities (
comunidades autónomas) and 2
autonomous cities (
ciudades autónomas) -
Ceuta and
Melilla. These autonomous communities are subdivided into 50
provinces (
provincias).
Historically, some provinces are also divided into
comarcas (roughly equivalent to a
US "
county" or an
English district). The lowest administrative division of Spain is the
municipality (
municipio).
Geography
At 194,884
mi² (504,782
km²), Spain is the world's 51st-largest country. It is comparable in size to
Turkmenistan, and is somewhat larger than the
U.S. state of
California.
On the west, Spain borders
Portugal, on the south, it borders
Gibraltar (a
British overseas territory) and
Morocco, through its cities in North Africa (
Ceuta and
Melilla). On the northeast, along the
Pyrenees mountain range, it borders
France and the tiny
principality of
Andorra. Spain also includes the
Balearic Islands in the
Mediterranean Sea, the
Canary Islands in the
Atlantic Ocean and a number of uninhabited islands on the Mediterranean side of the
strait of Gibraltar, known as, such as the
Chafarine islands, the
isle of Alborán, the "rocks" of
Vélez and
Alhucemas, and the tiny
Isla Perejil. In the northeast along the
Pyrenees, a small
exclave town called
Llívia in
Catalonia is surrounded by
French territory.
Mainland Spain is dominated by high
plateaus and mountain ranges, such as the
Sierra Nevada. Running from these heights are several major rivers such as the
Tajo, the
Ebro, the
Duero, the
Guadiana and the
Guadalquivir.
Alluvial plains are found along the coast, the largest of which is that of the Guadalquivir in
Andalusia.
Due to Spain's geographical situation and orographic conditions, the
climate is extremely diverse; it can be roughly divided in three areas:
The moderate Continental climate takes place in the inland areas of the Peninsula (largest city, Madrid).
The Mediterranean climate region, which roughly extends from the Andalusian plain along the southern and eastern coasts up to the Pyrenees, on the seaward side of the mountain ranges that run near the coast (largest city, Barcelona).
An Oceanic climate takes place in Galicia and the coastal strip by the Bay of Biscay (largest city, Bilbao). This area is often called Green Spain.
Military of Spain
The armed forces of Spain are known as the Spanish Armed Forces (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas Españolas). Their Commander-in-Chief is the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I.
The Spanish Armed Forces are divided into four branches:
Army (Ejército de Tierra)
Navy (Armada)
Air Force (Ejército del Aire)
Guardia Civil (Military police) which serves for the most part as a rural and general purpose police force.
Economy
According to the World Bank, Spain's economy is the ninth largest worldwide and the fifth largest in Europe. As of 2006, the absolute GDP was valued at $1.084 trillion according to the CIA Factbook, (see List of countries by GDP (nominal)). The per capita PPP is estimated at $27,400 (2006), behind the major industrialized nations of the G7.
The centre-right government of former prime minister José María Aznar worked successfully to admission to the group of countries launching the euro in 1999. Unemployment stood at 7.6% in October 2006, a rate that compares favorably to many other European countries, and which is a marked improvement over rates that exceeded 20% in the early 1990s. Perennial weak points of Spain's economy include high inflation, a large underground economy, and an education system, slated in OECD reports, together with the United States and UK, among the poorest for developed countries. Nevertheless, it's expected that the Spanish economy will continue growing based on a bigger strength of the industry, the growth of the global economy and the biggest trade with Latin America and Asia.
The Spanish economy is credited for having avoided the virtual zero growth rate of some of its largest partners in the EU. In fact, the country's economy has created more than half of all the new jobs in the European Union over the five years ending 2005. The Spanish economy has thus been regarded lately as one of the most dynamic within the EU, attracting significant amounts of foreign investment.
During the last four decades the Spanish tourism industry has grown to become the second biggest in the world worth approximately 40 billion Euros in 2006 More recently, the Spanish economy has benefited greatly from the global real estate boom, with construction representing 16% of GDP and 12% of employment. However, the downside of this has been a corresponding rise in the levels of personal debt; as prospective homeowners struggle to meet asking prices, so the average level of household debt has tripled in less than a decade. Among lower income groups, the median ratio of indebtedness to income was 125% in 2005.
Demography
In 2007 Spain officially reached 45 million people registered at the Padrón municipal, an official record analogous to the British Register office. Spain's population density, at 87.8/km² (220/sq. mile), is lower than that of most Western European countries and its distribution along the country is very unequal. With the exception of the region surrounding the capital, Madrid, the most populated areas lie around the coast.
The population of Spain doubled during the twentieth century, due to the spectacular demographic boom by the 60's and early 70's. The pattern of growth was extremely uneven due to large-scale internal migration from the rural interior to the industrial cities during the 60's and 70's. No fewer than eleven of Spain's fifty provinces saw an absolute decline in population over the century. Then, after the birth rate plunged in the 80's and Spain's population became stalled, a new population increase started based initially in the return of many Spanish who emigrated to other European countries during the 70's and, more recently, it has been boosted by the large figures of foreign immigrants, mostly from Latin America (38.75%), Eastern Europe (16.33%), North Africa (14.99%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (4.08%). In 2005, Spain instituted a 3-month amnesty program through which certain hitherto undocumented aliens were granted legal residency. Also some important pockets of population coming from other countries in the European Union are found (20.77% of the foreign residents), specially along the Mediterranean costas and Balearic islands, where many choose to live their retirement or even telework. These are mostly English, French, German, and Dutch from fellow EU countries and, from outside the EU, Norwegian.
Immigration in Spain
According to the Spanish government there were 3.7 million foreign residents in Spain in 2005; independent estimates put the figure at 4.8 million people, or 11% of the total population (Red Cross, World Disasters Report 2006). According to residence permit data for 2005, about 500,000 were Moroccan, another 500,000 were Ecuadorian, more than 200,000 were Romanian, and 260,000 were Colombian. Other important foreign communities are British (8.09%), French (8.03%), Argentine (6.10%), German (5.58%) and Bolivian (2.63%). In 2005, a regularisation programme increased the legal immigrant population by 700,000 people. Since 2000, Spain has experienced high population growth as a result of immigration flows, despite a birth rate that's only half the replacement level. This sudden and ongoing inflow of immigrants, particularly those arriving clandestinely by sea, has caused noticeable social tension.
Based on 2004 figures Within the EU Spain has the second highest immigration rate in percentage terms (after Cyprus), but by a great margin the highest in actual numbers of immigrants.
There are a number of reasons to explain this, including Spain's cultural ties with Latin America, its geographical position, the porosity of its borders, the large size of its submerged economy and the strength of the agricultural and construction sectors which demand more low cost labour than can be offered by the national workforce. Another statistically significant factor is the large number of residents of EU origin typically retiring to Spain's Mediterranean coast. In fact, Spain has been Europe's largest absorber of migrants for the past six years, with its immigrant population increasing fourfold as 2.8 million people have arrived. According to the Financial Times, Spain is the most favoured destination for West Europeans considering to move from their own country and seek jobs elsewhere in the EU.(External Link
) (see Immigration to Spain).
Minority groups
In the 16th century, a famous minority group, the Gitanos (Gypsies), a Roma people group, began to arrive in Spain.
Spain has a number of descendants of populations from former colonies (especially Equatorial Guinea) and immigrants from several Sub-Saharan and Caribbean countries have been recently settling in Spain. There are also sizeable numbers of Asian immigrants, most of whom are of Chinese, Filipino, Middle Eastern, Pakistani and Indian origins; Spaniards of Latin American descent are sizeable as well and a fast growing segment. Other growing groups are Britons (761,000 in 2006), Germans and other immigrants from western and Eastern Europe.
After the 19th century, some Jews established themselves in Spain as a result of migration from former Spanish Morocco, escape from Nazi repression, and immigration from Argentina. Spanish law allows Sephardi Jews to claim Spanish citizenship.
Most populous Urban Regions
Madrid 5,943,041
Barcelona 5,327,872
Valencia 1,623,724
Sevilla 1,317,098
Málaga 1,074,074
Bilbao 946,829
Identities
Peoples
The Spanish Constitution of 1978, in its second article, recognises historic entities ("nationalities“, a carefully chosen word in order to avoid the more politically loaded "nations") and regions, inside the unity of the Spanish nation. Spain's identity is for some people more an overlap of different regional identities than a sole Spanish identity. Indeed, some of the regional identities may be even in conflict with the Spanish one.
It is this last feature of "shared identity" between the more local level or Autonomous Community and the Spanish level which makes the identity question in Spain complex and far from univocal.
Languages
The Spanish Constitution, although affirming the sovereignty of the Spanish Nation, recognises historical nationalities.
Castillan Spanish, known to most English-speakers as simply "Spanish" (called both and in the language itself) is the official language throughout Spain, but other regional languages are also spoken, and are the primary languages in some of their respective geographies. The following languages are, in the territories where they're spoken, co-official with Spanish according to the respective Autonomy Statutes.
Aranese (Occitan)
Asturian, which has more unofficial dialects as Astur-Leonese in León and Zamora provinces.
Note: Asturian isn't co-official in Asturies but the Statute of Autonomy of the Principality of Asturias promote its use, and some municipalities of Asturies has declared themselves as co-official places, like the city of Gijón, which changed its name to Gijón/Xixón.
Basque .
Catalan, which is known as Valencian in the Autonomous Community of Valencia.
Galician .
There are also some other surviving Romance minority languages such as Astur-Leonese, Leonese, Extremaduran, Cantabrian, Aragonese, and others. Unlike Aranese, Basque, Catalan/Valencian and Galician, these don't have any official status because of their very small number of speakers or because of lack of political will in the regions they're spoken.
In the tourist areas of the Mediterranean coast and the islands, English and German are widely spoken by tourists, foreign residents, and tourism workers.
Religion
Although Chapter 2 of the Constitution states that no religion shall have a state character, Roman Catholicism is the main religion in the country. About 76% of Spaniards self-identify as Catholics, about 2% with another religious faith, and about 19% identify as non-religious. A study conducted in October 2006 by the Spanish Centre of Sociological Investigations shows that from the 76% of Spaniards who identify as Catholics or other religious faith, 54% hardly ever or never go to church, 15% go to church some times a year, 10% some time per month and 19% every Sunday or multiple times per week. About 22% of the whole Spanish population attend religious services at least once a month.
Evidence of the secular nature of contemporary Spain can be seen in the widespread support for the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Spain — over 66% of Spaniards support gay marriage according to a 2004 study by the Centre of Sociological Investigations. Indeed, in June 2005 a bill was passed by 187 votes to 147 to allow gay marriage, making Spain the third country in the European Union to allow same-sex couples to marry after Belgium and the Netherlands.
Protestant denominations are also present, all of them with less than 50,000 members. Evangelism has been better received among Gypsies than among the general population; pastors have integrated flamenco music in their liturgy. Taken together, all self-described "Evangelicals" slightly surpass Jehovah's Witnesses (105,000) in number. While not Protestants, about 35,000 residents of Spain are members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
The recent waves of immigration have led to an increasing number of Muslims, who have about 1 million members. Muslims hadn't lived in Spain for centuries; however, colonial expansion in Northern and Western Africa gave some number of residents in the Spanish Morocco and the Sahara Occidental full citizenship. Presently, Islam is the second largest religion in Spain, accounting for approximately 3% of the total population.
Along with these waves of immigration, an important number of Latin American people, who are usually strong Catholic practitioners, have helped the Catholic Church to recover.
Judaism was practically non-existent until the 19th century, when Jews were again permitted to enter the country. Currently there are around 50,000 Jews in Spain, all arrivals in the past century and accounting less than 1% of the total number of inhabitants. Spain is believed to have been about 8% Jewish on the eve of the Spanish Inquisition.
Culture
Spain is a largely mountainous country in the southwest of Europe, consisting of various geographically diverse regions and known for its culturally diverse heritage, having been influenced by many nations and peoples throughout its history.
The Spanish culture has roots in Celtiberian, Latin, Visigothic, Roman Catholicism, in minority way, Islam, and an ongoing tension between the centralized state (dominated in recent centuries by Castile) and numerous regions and minority peoples. In addition, the history of the nation and its Mediterranean and Atlantic environment have played strong roles in shaping its culture.
Spain is, after Italy, the country with the second highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, with a total of 40.
Education in Spain
The framework of Education in Spain is described in this article. State Education in Spain is free and compulsory from 6 to 16 years. The current education system is called LOGSE (Ley de Ordenación General del Sistema Educativo).
Spanish Academy
The Real Academia Española (Spanish for "Royal Spanish Academy"; RAE) is the institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language. It is based in Madrid, Spain, but is affiliated with national language academies in 21 Spanish-speaking nations through the Association of Spanish Language Academies. Its emblem is a fiery crucible, and its motto is Limpia, fija y da esplendor ("It cleans, sets, and gives splendor").
Spanish art
Spanish art is an important and influential type of art in Europe. Spanish art is the name given to the artistic disciplines and works developed in Spain throughout time, and those by Spanish authors world-wide. Due to historic, geographic and generational diversity, Spanish art has known a great number of influences. The Moorish heritage in Spain, especially in Andalusia is still evident today in cities like Córdoba, Seville, and Granada. European influences include Italy, Germany and France, especially during the Baroque and Neoclassical periods.
Spanish literature
Spanish literature is the name given to the literary works written in Spain throughout time, and those by Spanish authors world-wide. Due to historic, geographic and generational diversity, Spanish literature has known a great number of influences and it's very diverse. Some major movements can be identified within it.
Spanish architecture
Spanish architecture refers to architecture carried out during any era in what is now modern-day Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings within the current geographical limits of Spain before this name was given to those territories (whether they were called Hispania, Al-Andalus, or were formed of several Christian kingdoms). Due to its historical and geographical diversity, Spanish architecture has drawn from a host of influences.
For example, Cordoba was established as the cultural Capital of its time under the Umayyad dynasty. Simultaneously, the Christian kingdoms gradually emerged and developed their own styles, at first mostly isolated from European architectural influences, and later integrated into Romanesque and Gothic streams, they reached an extraordinary peak with numerous samples along the whole territory. The Mudéjar style, from the 12th to 17th centuries, was characterised by the blending of cultural European and Arabic influences.
The arrival of Modernism in the academic arena produced figures such as Gaudí and much of the architecture of the twentieth century. The International style was led by groups like GATEPAC. Spain is currently experiencing a revolution in contemporary architecture and like Rafael Moneo, Santiago Calatrava, Ricardo Bofill as well as many others have gained worldwide renown.
Music of Spain
Spanish music is often considered abroad to be synonymous with flamenco, an Andalusian musical genre, which, contrary to popular belief, isn't widespread outside that region. Various regional styles of folk music abound in Aragon, Catalonia and Castile. Pop, rock, hip hop and heavy metal are also popular.
Cinema of Spain
In recent years, Spanish cinema has achieved high marks of recognition as a result of its creative and technical excellence. In the long history of Spanish cinema, the great filmmaker Luis Buñuel was the first to achieve universal recognition, followed by Pedro Almodóvar in the 1980s. Spanish cinema has also seen international success over the years with films by directors like Segundo de Chomón, Florián Rey, Luis García Berlanga, Carlos Saura, Julio Medem and Alejandro Amenábar.
Spanish cuisine
Spanish cuisine consists of a great variety of dishes which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep Mediterranean roots. Spain's extensive history with many cultural influences has led to a unique cuisine.
Sports in Spain
Sport in Spain has been traditionally dominated by football (soccer) (since the early 20th century), cycling and bullfighting (since the 17th century). Today, Spain is a major world sports power, especially since the 1992 Summer Olympics that were hosted in Barcelona and promoted a great variety of sports in the country. The tourism industry has led to an improvement in sports infrastructure, especially for water sports, golf and skiing.
Public holidays in Spain
Public holidays celebrated in Spain include a mix of religious (Roman Catholic), national and regional observances. Each municipality is allowed to declare a maximum of 14 public holidays per year; up to nine of these are chosen by the national government and at least two are chosen locally.
International rankings
Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2002: Rank 40 out of 139 countries.
The Economist Intelligence Units: Rank 10 out of 111 countries (ahead of countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and France)
Nation Master's list by economic importance: Rank 9 of 25 countries, only surpassed by G-8 members.
Nation Master's list by technological achievement: Rank 18 of 68 countries.
External results
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