

Spain is located at the Iberian Peninsula, of which it occupies approximately 80%
(the remaining 20% are occupied by Portugal), in the southwest of Europe. In the north Spain borders
on France and Andorra, with the Pyrenees as a natural frontier. Additionally the Balearic
Islands (Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza) in the Mediterranean Sea, Canary Islands in Atlantic
Ocean close to the Moroccian coast, and Ceuta and Melillam located in northern Africa, are
Spanish territory. Spain is the 3rd country of Europe in extension and the 5
th in population.
There are five big
mountain ranges crossing the country, and about 50% of it are located at an elevated plain.
Landscapes are extremely varied, some almost desert-like, others green and fertile, and of
course there are the long coasts, in the east along Mediterranean Sea from Pyrenees to Gibraltar,
and in the west (the major part of the Iberian peninsula's western coast is occupied by Portugal)
along the Atlantic Ocean and Cantabrian Sea.
Widely known for
Flamenco music and dance, bull-fights, fantastic beaches and lots of sunshine, Spain has to
offer much more than that. It is - and has been for thousands of years - one of the cultural
centers of Europe. It has beautiful cities and towns, offering really old monuments as well as
futuristic architecture. Its various regions are all different one to each other, geographically,
climatically and even in personality. It is a fasccinating country to know and to know more about
it.
"Spain is different, Spaniards
use to say. They don't specify compared to what: to the rest of Europe, to the rest of the world,
or even to itself? We don't know it either, but we do our best to supply you with loads of
information so you can find the answer to this question and to many more by yourself.
Full country name: Spain Area: 504,750 sq km Population: 39.5 million (growth rate 0.2%) Capital city: Madrid People: Spanish Language: Castilian Spanish (official
language) Catalonian, Galician, Valenciano, Vasco (are also official languages in the
autonomous communities of Catalonia, Galicia, Valencia and Basque Country, respectively) Religion: 99% Roman Catholic |
Government: Constitutional monarchy Prime Minister: Jose Maria Aznar (Popular
Party) GDP: US$548 billion GDP per head: US$14,000 Annual growth: 3.5% Inflation: 3.4% Major industries: Agricultural products. Major trading partners: EU (esp. Germany,
Sweden, UK), USA Member of EU: yes Euro zone participant: no |