Spain General Information

Official Name: Known officially as the Kingdom of Spain, or commonly Spain.

Capital: Madrid, the Capital of Spain and the country's largest city, is located on the river Manzanares in the centre of both the country and the region of Madrid. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after London and Berlin.

Location: Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe.It borders Portugal, Gibraltar, Andorra and France.

Size: The total land area of Spain is 505,370 square kilometers and this ranks 58th globally. It is roughly about twice the size of Oregon in the USA.

Climate: The climate in Spain is diverse due to the large size of the country. Visitors can generally expect a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Spanish summers can get very hot, especially inland. The average temperatures are at least 30°C. During the winter, coastal temperatures are about 17 °C. Although sunny and warm during the day, it can get very cold at night, especially in mountainous areas.

Population: Spain has an estimated population of 40.5 million people and ranks 33rd globally. There is a population growth rate of 0.072%.

Life expectancy at Birth: The average life expectancy at birth for Spain is 80.05 years, ranking at 23rd globally. Females have a longer average life span at 83.57 years, while Males average at 76.74 years from birth.

Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Spain is approximately about 0.5%, placing 75th globally. This means that around 140,000 people are living with the disease in the country.

Major Illnesses: Potential health risks in Spain include Tetanus, Hepatitis A and Swine Flu.

Ethnic Groups: Spain is comprised of mainly Spanish at 74% of the population. Other ethnic groups include Catalan at 17%, Galician at 7% and Basque at 2%.

Languages: The official language in Spain is Castilian Spanish, accounting for about 74% of the population. Other languages include Catalan 17%, Galician 7% and Basque 2%.

Religion:The major religion in Spain is Roman Catholic accounting for 94% of the population and other religions including Jews and Islam account for the remaining 6%.

Government: Spain is a constitutional monarchy governed under the constitution of 1978. The hereditary monarch, who is the head of state, may ratify laws, dissolve the legislature, and propose candidates for the office of prime minister; he is also head of the armed forces.

Head of State: The Head of State in Spain is the King Juan Carlos. The Spanish Constitution limits the authority of the King to mostly ceremonial powers. The King has the authority to propose candidates to serve as head of governments, but his proposals must be approved by the Parliament.

Head of Government: The Head of Government in Spain is the Prime Minister (Presidente) José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who is proposed by the King and must be approved by the legislature. General elections to the Cortes are held every four years at most. The President is by convention the leader of the victorious party. No term limits are imposed on the office.

Military: The Federal Armed Forces of Spain are divided into three branches namely Spanish Army, Spanish Navy, and Spanish Air Force. The suitable age for military service is 20 years old. The military expenditure is about 1.2% of the country’s GDP.

Economy: The economy of Spain is driven mainly by industries like tourism, chemicals and petro-chemicals, heavy industry and food and beverages. Spain is the 4th largest manufacturing country in Europe after Germany, France and Italy. The principal growth areas include tourism, insurance, property development, electronics and financial services. Tourism is one of Spain's most important industries, especially in Andalucia, earning about 4% of the GDP and employing about 10% of the workforce.

Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil, 4th largest producer of dried fruit and the 6th largest of citrus fruits. Spanish vineyards are the largest in the world, about 60% larger than France, although it is only the 4th largest producer of wine-grapes and 3rd largest in wine production. Other important crops include barley, wheat, maze, rice, potatoes, sugar-beet, peppers, avocados, tomatoes and tobacco.