Spain

national_motto spaces|2}}(Latin
"Further Beyond" |national_anthem lt;/sup>lt;small>(Spanish language Also serves as the Royal anthem lt;/ref>
"Royal March" |official_languages Spanish language lt;ref groupnote>In some autonomous communities of Spain Catalan language Valencian language Galician language Basque language and Aranese (Occitan language are co-official languages. Aragonese Asturian language and Leonese language have some degree of official recognition |regional_languages Aranese language Basque language Catalan language and Galician language |officially_recognised_languages Aragonese Asturian language and Leonese language |ethnic_groups 87.8% Spanish people 12.2% (Romanian people Moroccan people German people Ecuador an, British people other (2010)lt;/ref> |demonym Spanish people Spanish people |capital Madrid |latd40 |latm26 |latNSN |longd3 |longm42 |longEWW |largest_city capital |government_type Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy |leader_title1 Spanish monarchy |leader_title2 Prime Minister of Spain |leader_name1 Juan Carlos I of Spain |leader_name2 José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party |sovereignty_type Formation |sovereignty_note 15th century |established_event1 raditional date |established_date1 569 (Ascension to the throne of Liuvigild |established_event2 Dynasty|Dynastic]] |established_date2 Catholic Monarchs |established_event3 de facto |established_date3 Spanish Constitution of 1812 |established_event4 de jure |established_date4 Nueva Planta decrees |established_event5 Spanish transition to democracy|Constitutional democracy]] |established_date5 Spanish Constitution of 1978 |accessionEUdate 1 January 1986 |EUseats 54 |area_km2 504,030 |area_sq_mi 195,364 Under Islamic law Christians and Jews were given the subordinate status of dhimmi This status permitted Christians and Jews to practice their religions as [[people of the book]]but they were required to pay a special tax and to be subject to certain discriminations.Dhimma provides rights of residence in return for taxes. H. Patrick Glenn, Legal Traditions of the World Oxford University Press, 2007, pg. 218-219.Dhimmi have fewer legal and social rights than Muslims, but more rights than other non-Muslims.Lewis, Bernard, The Jews of Islam. Princeton: Princeton University Press (1984). ISBN 978-0-691-00807-3 p. 62 Conversion to Islam proceeded at a steadily increasing pace. The [[muladi]]es(Muslims of ethnic Iberian Peninsula origin) are believed to have comprised the majority of the population of Al-Andalus by the end of the 10th century.http://libro.uca.edu/ics/ics5.htm Islamic and Christian Spain in the Early Middle Ages. Chapter 5: Ethnic Relations], Thomas F. Glicklt;/ref> File:La Giralda, Seville, Spain - Sep 2009.jpg the bell tower of Seville Cathedral ] The Muslim community in the Iberian peninsula was itself diverse and beset by social tensions. The Berber people of North Africa, who had provided the bulk of the invading armies, Berber Revolt from the Middle East The Berbers soon gave up attempting to settle the harsh lands in the north of the Meseta Central handed to them by the Arab rulers. Over time, large Moorish populations became established, especially in the Guadalquivir River valley, the coastal plain of Valencian Community the Ebro River valley and (towards the end of this period) in the mountainous region of Granada Córdoba, Spain the capital of the caliphate was the largest, richest and most sophisticated city in western Europe Mediterranean trade and cultural exchange flourished. Muslims imported a rich intellectual tradition from the Middle East and North Africa. Muslim and Jewish scholars played an important part in reviving and expanding classical Greek culture in Western Europe. The Romanization (cultural) cultures of the Iberian peninsula interacted with Muslim and Jewish cultures in complex ways, thus giving the region a distinctive culture. Outside the cities, where the vast majority lived, the land ownership system from Roman times remained largely intact as Muslim leaders rarely dispossessed landowners, and the introduction of new crops and techniques led to a remarkable expansion of agriculture. In the 11th century, the Muslim holdings fractured into rival Taifa kingdoms, allowing the small Christian states the opportunity to greatly enlarge their territories. The arrival from North Africa of the Islamic ruling sects of the Almoravids and the Almohads restored unity upon the Muslim holdings, with a stricter, less tolerant application of Islam and saw a revival in Muslim fortunes. This re-united Islamic state, after more than a century of successes, including the conquest of a large part of the peninsulas northeast, finally fell to a Christian alliance in the 13th century.

Fall of Muslim rule and unification

File:Castiello de Lobarre.jpg in province of Huesca ]File:Exterior Alcazar Segovia.jpg ]File:Muralla de Ávila 01.jpg city walls]]File:Losreyescatolicos.jpg and Isabella I of Castile the Catholic Monarchs ]] The [[Reconquista]]("Reconquest") is the centuries-long period of expansion of Iberias Christian kingdoms. The Reconquista is viewed as beginning with the Battle of Covadonga in 722 and was concurrent with the period of Muslim rule on the Iberian peninsula. The Christian armys victory over Muslim forces led to the creation of the Christian Kingdom of Asturias along the northwestern coastal mountains. Muslim armies had also moved north of the Pyrenees, but they were defeated by Frankish forces at the Battle of Tours Francia Subsequently, they retreated to more secure positions south of the Pyrenees with a frontier marked by the Ebro and Duero valleys. In 739 Muslim forces were driven from Galicia (Spain) which was to host one of medieval Europes holiest sites, Santiago de Compostela A little later, Frankish forces established Christian counties on the southern side of the Pyrenees; Marca Hispanica were to grow into kingdoms. These territories included Navarre, Aragon and Catalonia.lt;/ref> The breakup of Al-Andalus into the competing Taifa kingdoms helped the Christian kingdoms. The capture of the strategically central city of Toledo, Spain in 1085 marked a significant shift in the balance of power in favour of the Christian kingdoms of Iberia. After a great Muslim resurgence in the 12th century, the great Moorish strongholds in the south fell to Christian Spain in the 13th century—Córdoba, Spain in 1236 and Seville in 1248—leaving only the Muslim enclave of Granada as a tributary (political) in the south.See also: lt;/ref> In the 13th and 14th centuries the Marinid Muslim sect based in North Africa invaded and established some enclaves on the southern coast but failed in their attempt to re-establish Muslim rule in Iberia and were soon driven out. The 13th century also witnessed the Crown of Aragon centred in Spains north east, expand its reach across islands in the Mediterranean, to Sicily and even Athens.lt;/ref> Around this time the universities of University of Palencia (1212/1263) and University of Salamanca (1218/1254) were established. The Black Death of 1348 and 1349 devastated Spain.lt;/ref> In 1469, the crowns of the Christian kingdoms of Crown of Castile and Crown of Aragon were united by the Catholic Monarchs of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon 1478 commenced the completion of the conquest of the Canary Islands and in 1492, the combined forces of the Castile and Aragon captured the Emirate of Granada, ending the last remnant of a Timeline of the Muslim presence in the Iberian peninsula of Islamic rule in Iberia. The Treaty of Granada guaranteed religious tolerance toward Muslim .lt;/ref> The year 1492 also marked the arrival in the New World of Christopher Columbus during a voyage funded by Isabella. That same year, Sephardi Jews were converso to Catholicism or face Alhambra Decree from Spanish territories during the Spanish Inquisition http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16200-spanish-inquisition-left-genetic-legacy-in-iberia.html Spanish Inquisition left genetic legacy in Iberia]. New Scientist. December 4, 2008. A few years later, following social disturbances, Muslims were also expelled under the same conditions.For the related expulsions that followed see Morisco lt;/ref> As Renaissance New Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand centralized royal power at the expense of local nobility, and the word España whose root is the ancient name Hispania began to be commonly used to designate the whole of the two kingdoms. With their wide-ranging political, legal, religious and military reforms, Spain emerged as a Historical powers#Spanish Empire

Imperial Spain

File:Spanish Empire Anachronous 0.PNG s historical influence]] The unification of the crowns of Crown of Aragon and Crown of Castille laid the basis for modern Spain and the Spanish Empire.lt;/ref> Spain was Europes leading power throughout the 16th century and most of the 17th century a position reinforced by trade and wealth from colonial possessions. It reached its apogee during the reigns of the first two Habsburg Spain – Charles I of Spain (1516–1556) and Philip II of Spain (1556–1598). This period saw the Italian Wars the revolt of the comuneros the Dutch revolt the Morisco revolt clashes with the Ottoman-Habsburg wars the Anglo-Spanish War (1585) and wars with Early Modern France#The French Renaissance lt;/ref> The Spanish Empire expanded to include great parts of the Americas islands in the Asia-Pacific area, areas of Italy cities in Northern Africa as well as parts of what are now France, Germany, Belgium Luxembourg and the Netherlands It was the first empire of which it was said that the empire on which the sun never sets This was an age of discovery with daring explorations by sea and by land, the opening-up of new trade route across oceans, conquests and the beginnings of European colonialism Along with the arrival of precious metal , spices, luxuries, and new agricultural plants, Spanish explorers brought back knowledge from the New World and played a leading part in transforming the European understanding of the globe.lt;/ref> The cultural efflorescence witnessed is now referred to as the Spanish Golden Age The rise of humanism the Protestant Reformation and new geographical discoveries raised issues addressed by the influential intellectual movement now known as the School of Salamanca File:Spanish Galleon.jpg ]] In the late 16th century and first half of the 17th century, Spain was confronted by unrelenting challenges from all sides. 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 Muslim conquests According to Robert Davis between 1 million and 1.25 million Europeans were captured by North African Muslim pirates and sold as slaves during the 16th and 17th centuries. This at a time when Spain was often at war with France. The Protestant Reformation schism from the Catholic Church dragged the kingdom ever more deeply into the mire of religiously charged wars. The result was a country forced into ever expanding military efforts across Europe and in the Mediterranean.lt;/ref> By the middle decades of a war and Great Plague of Seville ridden 17th century Europe 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 most 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 Portuguese Restoration War (with whom it had been Iberian Union in a personal union from 1580 to 1640) and the Netherlands and eventually suffered some serious military reverses to France in the latter stages of the immensely destructive, Europe-wide Thirty Years War lt;/ref> File:Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.jpg built in Philip II of Spain s reign, near Madrid.]] In the latter half of the 17th century, Spain went into a gradual relative decline, during which it surrendered a number of small territories to France. However it maintained and enlarged its vast overseas empire, which remained intact until the beginning of the 19th century. The decline culminated in a controversy over succession to the throne which consumed the first years of the 18th century. The War of Spanish Succession was a wide ranging international conflict combined with a civil war, and was to cost the kingdom its European possessions and its position as one of the leading powers on the Continent.lt;/ref> During this war, a new dynasty originating in France, the House of Bourbon was installed. Long united only by the Crown, a true Spanish state was established when the first Bourbon king, Phillip V of Spain united the crowns of Castile and Aragon into a single state, abolishing many of the old regional privileges and laws.lt;/ref> The 18th century saw a gradual recovery and an increase in prosperity through much of the empire. The new House of Bourbon monarchy drew on the French system of modernising the administration and the economy. Age of Enlightenment ideas began to gain ground among some of the kingdoms elite and monarchy. Military assistance for the rebellious British colonies in the American Revolutionary War improved the kingdoms international standing.lt;/ref>

Napoleonic rule and its consequences

File:Goya - Second of May 1808.jpg In 1793, Spain went to war against the new First French Republic which had overthrown and executed its Bourbon king, Louis XVI of France The war polarised the country in an apparent reaction against the Francization elites. Defeated in the field, peace was made with France in 1795 and it effectively became a client state of that country; In 1807, the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau (1807) between Napoleon and the deeply unpopular Manuel de Godoy, Prince of the Peace led to a declaration of war against Britain and Portugal. French troops entered the kingdom unopposed, supposedly to invade Portugal, but instead they occupied Spanish fortresses. This invasion by trickery led to the abdication of the ridiculed Spanish king in favour of Napoleon I of France brother, Joseph Bonaparte This foreign puppet monarch was widely regarded with scorn. The The May 2nd Uprising in Madrid (1808) was one of many nationalism uprisings against the Bonapartist regime across the country.David A. Bell. "http://www.historynet.com/wars_conflicts/napoleonic_wars/6361907.html?page2&cy Napoleons Total War]". TheHistoryNet.com These revolts marked the beginning of what is known to the Spanish as the War of Independence, and to the British as the Peninsular War (Gates 2001, p.20) Napoleon was forced to intervene personally, defeating several badly coordinated Spanish armies and forcing a British army to retreat. However, further military action by Spanish guerrilla , armies and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington British-Portuguese forces, combined with Napoleons disastrous Napoleon's Invasion of Russia led to the ousting of the French imperial armies from the Spain in 1814, and the return of Ferdinand VII of Spain (Gates 2001, p.467) The French invasion devastated the economy, and left Spain a deeply divided country prone to political instability. The power struggles of the early 19th century led to the Spanish American wars of independence in the Americas (which stretched from Las Californias to Patagonia , with the sole 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. Despite the commitment and ability shown by some military units, they were so mismanaged by the highest levels of command that the Spanish–American War fought in the Spring of 1898, did not last long. "El Desastre" (The Disaster), as the war became known, 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 XIIs reign.

Spanish Civil War

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 (1920) 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. File:Franco eisenhower 1959 madrid.jpg and President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower in Madrid (1959 ]] The Spanish Civil War (1936–39) ensued. Three years later the Spanish Civil War#Nationalists forces, led by General Francisco Franco emerged victorious with the support of Nazi Germany and Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) Popular Front (Spain) side was supported by the Soviet Union and Mexico and International Brigades including the American Abraham Lincoln Brigade but it was not supported officially by the Western powers due to the British-led policy of Non-Intervention The Civil War claimed the lives of over 500,000 peoplehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/3212605/Spanish-Civil-War-crimes-investigation-launched.html Spanish Civil War crimes investigation launched], Telegraph, October 16, 2008 and caused the flight of up to a half-million citizens.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2809025.stm Spanish Civil War fighters look back], BBC News, February 23, 2003 Most of their descendants now live in Latin American countries, with some 300,000 in Argentina alone."http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/3998443/Relatives-of-Spaniards-who-fled-Franco-granted-citizenship.html Relatives of Spaniards who fled Franco granted citizenship]". Telegraph.co.uk. December 28, 2008. The Spanish Civil War has been called the European Civil War of the Second World War Spanish State the country was neutral in the Second World War, although Spain in World War II to the Axis The only legal party under Francos post civil war regime was the Falange formed in 1937; the party emphasised Anti-communism Roman Catholic Church and nationalism Given Francos opposition to competing political parties, the party was renamed the National Movement ([[Movimiento Nacional]] in 1949. After World War II Spain was politically and economically isolated, and was kept out of the United Nations This changed in 1955, during the Cold War period, it became strategically important for the U.S. to establish a military presence on the Iberian peninsula as a counter to any possible move by the U.S.S.R into the Mediterranean basin. In the 1960s, Spain registered an unprecedented rate of economic growth in what became known as the Spanish miracle which resumed the much interrupted transition towards a modern economy. File:Constitucion espanola 1978.JPG ] With Francos death in November 1975, Juan Carlos I of Spain assumed the position of King of Spain and head of state in accordance with the law. With the approval of the new Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the Spanish transition to democracy the State devolution much authority to the regions and created an internal organization based on autonomous communities of Spain In the Basque Country, moderate Basque nationalism has coexisted with a radical nationalist movement led by the terrorist group ETA The group was formed in 1959 during Francos rule but has continued to wage its violent campaign even after the restoration of democracy and the return of a large measure of regional autonomy. On 23 February 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes in an attempt to impose 23-F King Juan Carlos took personal command of the military and successfully ordered the coup plotters, via national television, to surrender. On the 30 May 1982 Spain joined NATO following a referendum. That year the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) came to power, the first left-wing government in 43 years. In 1986 Spain joined the European Community what became the European Union The PSOE was replaced in government by the People's Party (Spain) (PP) after the latter won the 1996 General Elections; at that point the PSOE had served almost 14 consecutive years in office.

21st century

File:Eurocoin.es.100.gif ] On 1 January 2002, Spain ceased to use the Spanish peseta as currency replacing it with the euro which it shares with 15 other countries in the Eurozone Spain has also seen strong economic growth, well above the European Union average, but well publicised concerns issued by many economic commentators at the height of the boom that the extraordinary property prices and high foreign trade deficits of the boom were likely to lead to a painful economic collapse were confirmed by a severe property led recession that struck the country in 2008/9.See also: lt;/ref> A 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings in commuter trains in Madrid, Spain on 11 March 2004. After a five month trial in 2007 it was concluded the bombings were perpetrated by a local Islamist militant group inspired by al-Qaeda See also: lt;/ref> The bombings killed 191 people and wounded more than 1800, and the intention of the perpetrators may have been to influence the outcome of the Spanish general election, 2004 held three days later.lt;/ref> Though initial suspicions focused on the Basque group ETA evidence soon emerged indicating possible Islamist involvement. Because of the proximity of the election, the issue of responsibility quickly became a political controversy, with the main competing parties People's Party (Spain) and PSOE exchanging accusations over the handling of the aftermath.lt;/ref> At the 14 March elections, PSOE, led by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero obtained a plurality (voting) enough to form a new cabinet with Rodríguez Zapatero as the new Presidente del Gobiernoor Prime Minister of Spain thus succeeding the former PP administration.lt;/ref>

Government

Constitution

File:Juan Carlos da Espanha.jpg ] File:José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero - Royal & Zapatero's meeting in Toulouse for the 2007 French presidential election 0205 2007-04-19.jpg Prime Minister.]] 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. Impatient with the pace of democratic political reforms in 1976 and 1977, Spains new King Juan Carlos, known for his formidable personality, dismissed Carlos Arias Navarro and appointed the reformer Adolfo Suárez as Prime Minister.John Hooper, The New Spainards 2001, From Dictatorship to Democracylt;/ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7171971.stm Spains fast-living king turns 70] BBC News Friday, 4 January 2008 Extracted 18 June 2009 The resulting Spanish general election, 1977 convened the [[Constituent Cortes]](the Spanish Parliament, in its capacity as a constitutional assembly) for the purpose of drafting and approving the constitution of 1978.http://www.senado.es/constitu_i/index.html|Spanish Constitution in English After a national a referendum on 6 December 1978, 88% of voters approved of the new constitution. As a result, Spain is now composed of 17 Autonomous communities of Spain and two Autonomous Communities#Autonomous cities and "plazas de soberanía" with varying degrees of autonomy thanks to its Constitution, which nevertheless explicitly states the indivisible unity of the Spanish nation as well as that Spain has today no official religion but all are free to practice and believe as they wish.

Branches of 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 of Spain presided over by the Prime Minister of Spain Prime Minister of Spain#Royal Nomination, Congressional Confirmation by the Monarchy of Spain and indirectly elected by the Congress of Deputies following legislative elections. By Constitutional convention (political custom) established by King Juan Carlos since the ratification of the 1978 Constitution, the kings nominees have all been from parties who maintain a plurality (voting) of seats in the Congress. The legislative branch is made up of the Congress of Deputies (Spain) (Congreso de los Diputados with 350 members, elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms, and a Spanish Senate (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. * Head of State ** Monarchy of Spain Juan Carlos I of Spain since 22 November 1975 * Head of Government ** Prime Minister of Spain (Spanish Presidente del Gobiernoliterally President of the Government: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero elected 14 March 2004. *** First Vice President (Spain) and Minister of Presidency: María Teresa Fernández de la Vega *** Second Vice President (Spain) and Minister of Economy and Finance (Spain) Elena Salgado *** Third Vice President and Minister of Territorial Policy: Manuel Chaves González * Cabinet ** Council of Ministers of Spain (Spanish Consejo de Ministros designated by the Prime Minister. The Spanish nation is organizationally composed in the form of called Estado de las Autonomías("Autonomous Communities ); it is one of the most decentralization countries in Europe, along with Switzerland, Germany and Belgium;See also: and and lt;/ref> for example, all Autonomous Communities have their own elected parliaments, governments, public administrations, budgets, and resources; therefore, health and education systems among others are managed regionally, besides, the Basque Country and Navarre also manage their own public finances based on fuero provisions. In Catalonia and the Basque Country, a full fledged autonomous police corps replaces some of the State police functions (see Mossos d'Esquadra Ertzaintza Policía Foral and Policía Canaria .

Gender equality in Government

As of November 2009, the Government of Spain keeps a balanced gender equality ratio. Nine out of the 18 members of the Government are women. Under the administration of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero Spain has been described as being "at the vanguard" in gender equality issues and also that "n]o other modern, democratic, administration outside Scandinavia has taken more steps to place gender issues at the centre of government".http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7375230.stm Diverging paths on gender equality], BBC News 10 May 2008. The Spanish administration has also promoted gender-based positive discrimination by approving gender equality legislation in 2007 aimed to provide equality between genders in the Spanish political and economic life (Gender Equality Act).http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews36942 SPAIN: No Turning Back from Path to Gender Equality], IPS News, 13 March 2007.http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/Gender-equality-law-triumphs-in,2707 Gender equality law triumphs in Spain], IPS News, 31 January 2008 However, in the legislative branch, as of July 2010 only 128 out of the 350 members of the Congress are women (36.3%).http://www.congreso.es/portal/page/portal/Congreso/Congreso/Diputados/Diputadas%20en%20activo Women in the current Spanish Congress] Nowadays, it positions Spain as the 13th country with more women in its lower house In the Senate, the ratio is even lower, since there are only 79 women out of 263 (30.0%).lt;/ref> The Gender Empowerment Measure of Spain in the United Nations Human Development Report is 0.794, the 12th in the world.http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_20072008_EN_Complete.pdf Human Development Report 2007/2008], p.330.

Administrative divisions

The basic institutional law of the autonomous community is the Statute of Autonomy The Statutes of Autonomy establish the denomination of the community according to its historical identity, the limits of their territories, the name and organization of the institutions of government and the rights they enjoy according the constitution.http://www.constitucion.es/constitucion/lenguas/ingles.html#8 Chapter 3. Autonomous Communities. 147th Article]. Spanish Constitution of 1978 Accessed: 10 December 2007 The government of all autonomous communities must be based on a division of powers comprising: * a Legislative Assembly whose members must be elected by universal suffrage according to the system of proportional representation and in which all areas that integrate the territory are fairly represented; * a Government Council, with executive and administrative functions headed by a president, elected by the Legislative Assembly and nominated by the King of Spain * a Supreme Court of Justice, under the Supreme Court of the State, which head the judicial organization within the autonomous community. Besides Andalusia, Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia, which identified themselves as nationalities, other communities have taken that denomination in accordance to their historical regional identity, such as the Valencian Community,|date |accessdate2009-07-20}} the Canary Islands,http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/nuevoestatuto/nuevo_est/texto_prop/titulo_pre.html#pre Nuevo Estatuto de Autonomía de Canarias]lt;/ref> the Balearic Islands,|date |accessdate2009-07-20}} and Aragon.lt;/ref> The autonomous communities have wide legislative and executive autonomy, with their own parliament and regional governments. The distribution of powers may be different for every community, as laid out in their Statutes of Autonomy. There used to be a clear [[de facto]]distinction between so called "historic" communities (Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia, Andalusia) and the rest. The "historic" ones initially received more functions, including the ability of the regional presidents to choose the timing of the regional elections (as long as they happen no more than four years apart). As another example, the Basque Country, Navarre and Catalonia have full-range police forces of their own: Ertzaintza in the Basque Country (autonomous community) Policía Foral in Navarre and Mossos d'Esquadra in Catalonia (autonomous community) Other communities have more limited forces or none at all (like the Policía Autónoma Andaluzalt;ref name"cartujo">lt;/ref> in Andalusia or the BESCAM in Madrid . However, the recent amendments made to their respective Statute of Autonomy by a series of "ordinary" Autonomous Communities such as the Valencian Community or Aragon have weakened this original de facto distinction.

Subdivisions

Autonomous communities are composed of Provinces of Spain (provincias, which serve as the territorial building blocks for the former. In turn, provinces are composed of municipalities of Spain (municipios. The existence of these two subdivisions is granted and protected by the constitution, not necessarily by the Statutes of Autonomy themselves. Municipalities are granted autonomy to manage their internal affairs, and provinces are the territorial divisions designed to carry out the activities of the State.http://www.constitucion.es/constitucion/lenguas/ingles.html#8 Articles 140 and 141]. Spanish Constitution of 1978 The current fifty province structure is based—with minor changes—on 1833 territorial division of Spain by Javier de Burgos The communities of Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, the Balearic Islands, Madrid, Murcia and Navarre are counted as provinces as well, but were granted autonomy as single-provinces for historical reasons.

Foreign relations

File:Signing of the Maastricht Treaty.jpg in 1993 and signed the Maastricht Treaty.]] After the return of democracy following the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, Spains foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Spain under Franco and expand diplomatic relations enter the European Union and define security relations with the West. As a member of NATO since 1982, Spain has established itself as a majorparticipant in multilateral international security activities. Spains 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 universalizingits diplomatic relations. Spain has maintained its special identification with Latin America Its policy emphasizes the concept of an Iberoamerica community, essentially the renewal of the historically liberal concept of hispanoamericanismo or Hispanism as it is 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 for formerly non-democratic Latin American states, as shown in the many trips that King of Spain and Politics of Spain have made to the region.

Territorial disputes

Territory claimed by Spain

[[Disputed status of Gibraltar|Spain claims Gibraltar]], a 6 square km [[British overseas territories|Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom]] in the southernmost part of the [[Iberian Peninsula]]. Then a Spanish town, it was conquered by an Anglo-Dutch force in 1704 during the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] on behalf of the [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Archduke Charles]], pretender to the Spanish throne. [[File:Dársena del Puerto de Melilla.png|150px|thumb|right|Port of [[Melilla]]]] The legal situation concerning Gibraltar was settled in 1713 by the [[Treaty of Utrecht]], in which Spain ceded the territory in perpetuity to the British Crown{{cite web|urlhttp://www.mgar.net/docs/utrech.htm|titleTratado de Utretch – Gibraltar (Spanish)|accessdate

008-08-09|publishermgar.net}} stating that, should the British abandon this post, it would be offered to Spain first. Ever since the 1940s Spain has called for the return of Gibraltar The overwhelming majority of Gibraltarians strongly oppose this, along with any proposal of shared sovereignty. UN resolutions call on the United Kingdom and Spain, both EU members, to reach an agreement over the status of Gibraltar. However, the Spanish claim handles in a different way the Rock and the city of Gibraltar, ceded by the Treaty of Utrecht, and, on the other hand, the Disputed status of the isthmus between Gibraltar and Spain that connects the Rock to the Spanish mainland. Spain notes that this territory was not ceded by said Treaty and therefore asserts that the "occupation of the isthmus is illegal and against the principles of the International Law .lt;/ref> The United Kingdom relies on de factoarguments of possession by prescription (sovereignty transfer) in relation to the isthmus,lt;/ref> as there has been "continuous possession of the isthmus] over a long period".lt;/ref> Spain claims the sovereignty over the Perejil Island a small, uninhabited rocky islet located in the South shore of the Strait of Gibraltar The island lies 250 meters just off the coast of Morocco 8 km from Ceuta and 13.5 km from mainland Spain. Its sovereignty is disputed between Spain and Morocco It was the subject of an armed incident between the two countries in 2002. The incident ended when both countries agreed to return to the status quo which existed prior to the Moroccan occupation of the island. The islet is now deserted and without any sign of sovereignty.

Spanish territories claimed by other countries

[[Morocco]] claims the Spanish cities of [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]] and the [[plazas de soberanía]] islets off the northern coast of Africa. [[Portugal]] does not recognise Spain's sovereignty over the territory of [[Olivenza]]. [[File:FAS-ESP.svg|thumb|upright|Emblem of [[Spanish Armed Forces]]]]

Military

{{Main|Spanish Armed Forces}} The [[armed forces]] of Spain are known as the Spanish Armed Forces ({{lang-es|Fuerzas Armadas Españolas}}). Their [[Commander-in-chief]] is the [[King of Spain]], [[Juan Carlos I of Spain|Juan Carlos I]].{{cite web|urlhttp://www.casareal.es/laCorona/laCorona-iden-idweb.html|titleArticle 62 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978|publisher

fficial site of the Royal Household of HM the King|accessdate2008-08-13}} The Spanish Armed Forces are divided into three branches:lt;/ref> * Spanish Army * Spanish Navy * Spanish Air Force

Economy

|File:Madrid Cuatro Torres Business Area.jpg Cuatro Torres Business Area ] |- |File:Barcelona Finanse Center (skyline).jpg finance centre]] |- |File:Pontfayw2.jpg ] |- |File:Basilica del Pilar-sunset.jpg on the Ebro, at sunset.]] |} Spains Capitalism mixed economy is the List of countries by GDP (nominal) worldwide and the fifth largest in Europe. It is also the third largest world investor.lt;/ref> The centre-right government of former prime minister José María Aznar worked successfully to gain admission to the group of countries launching the euro in 1999. Unemployment stood at 7.6% in October 2006, a rate that compared favorably to many other European countries, and especially with the early 1990s when it stood at over 20%. Perennial weak points of Spains economy include high inflation,lt;/ref> a large underground economy lt;/ref> and an education system which OECD reports place among the poorest for developed countries, together with the United States and UK.lt;/ref> However, the property bubble that begun building from 1997, fed by historically low interest rates and an immense surge in immigration, imploded in 2008, leading to a rapidly weakening economy and soaring unemployment. By the end of May 2009 unemployment already reached 18.7% (37% for youths).http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/07/02/euro-zone-unemployment-may.html Euro zone unemployment reaches 15 million]. CBCNews.ca. July 2, 2009.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/5742937/The-unemployment-timebomb-is-quietly-ticking.html The unemployment timebomb is quietly ticking]. Telegraph. July 4, 2009. Before the current crisis, the Spanish economy was credited for having avoided the virtual zero growth rate of some of its largest partners in the EU.lt;/ref> In fact, the countrys economy created more than half of all the new jobs in the European Union over the five years ending 2005, a process that is rapidly being reversed.lt;/ref> The Spanish economy has been until recently regarded as one of the most dynamic within the EU, attracting significant amounts of foreign investment.lt;/ref> The most recent economic growth benefited greatly from the real estate bubble with construction representing an astonishing 16% of GDP and 12% of employment in its final year. According to calculations by the German newspaper [[Die Welt]] Spain was on course to overtake countries like Germany in per capita income by 2011.lt;/ref> However, the downside of the now defunct real estate boom is a corresponding rise in the levels of personal debt: as prospective home owners struggled to meet asking prices, the average level of household debt tripled in less than a decade. This placed especially great pressure upon lower to middle income groups; by 2005 the median ratio of indebtedness to income had grown to 125%, due primarily to expensive boom time mortgages that now often exceed the value of the property.lt;/ref> In 2008/2009 the credit crunch and world recession manifested itself in Spain through a massive downturn in the property sector. Fortunately, Spains banks and financial services avoided the more severe problems of their counterparts in the USA and UK, due mainly to a stringently enforced conservative financial regulatory regime. The Spanish financial authorities had not forgotten the countrys own banking crisis of 1979 and an earlier real estate precipitated banking crisis of 1993. Indeed, Spains largest bank, Banco Santander, took part in the UK governments bail-out of part of the UK banking sector.Charles Emrys Smith article: "Spain", in Wankel, C. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Business in Todays World, California, USA, 2009. A European Commission forecast predicted Spain would enter a Late 2000s recession by the end of 2008.lt;/ref> According to Spain’s Finance Minister, “Spain faces its deepest recession in half a century”.http://www.spanishnews.es/20090118-spain-faces-deepest-recession-in-50-years/id142/ Spain faces deepest recession in 50 years], Spanish News, January 18, 2009 Spains government forecast the unemployment rate would rise to 16% in 2009. The ESADE business school predicted 20%.http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id12987582 Mounting joblessness in Spain | And worse to come], The Economist, January 22, 2009

Tourism

During the last four decades the Spanish tourism industry has grown to become the second biggest in the world, worth approximately 40 billion Euros, about 5% of GDP, in 2006.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> Today, the climate of Spain historical and cultural monuments and its geographic position together with its facilities make tourism one of Spains main national industries and a large source of stable employment and development. The Spanish hotel star rating system has requirements much more demanding than other European countries, so at a given rating Spanish accommodations worth higher.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/columnists/nicktrend/5422970/European-hotel-star-ratings-explained.html European hotel star ratings explained]

Renewable energy

File:PS10 solar power tower.jpg province of Seville solar power tower]] Spanish territory lacks petroleum so alternative sources of energy is a strategic point. It has reached important records. In 2010 Spain overtakes United States as the solar power in Spain world leader, with a massive power station plant called La Florida http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId128532115 Spain Is Worlds Leader In Solar Energy]http://www.europeanfutureenergyforum.com/renewable-energy-news/spain-becomes-solar-power-world-leader Spain becomes solar power world leader] In 2009 november 8 more than 50% of the produced energy in Spain was generated by wind mills, and the highest total production record was reached with 11.546 eolic Megawatts.lt;/ref>

Transportation

File:AVE Tarragona-Madrid.jpg Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line ] The Spanish road system is mainly centralized, with 6 highways connecting Madrid to the Basque Country (autonomous community) Catalonia Valencian Community Andalusia Extremadura and Galicia (Spain) Additionally, there are highways along the Atlantic (Ferrol, Spain to Vigo , Cantabrian (Oviedo to San Sebastián and Mediterranean (Girona to Cádiz coasts. Spain currently has a total of 1272 km of high speed train linking Málaga Seville Madrid Barcelona and Valladolid Should the aims of the ambitious AVE program (Spanish high speed trains) be met, by 2020 Spain will have 7000 km (4300 mi) of high-speed trains linking almost all provincial cities to Madrid in less than 3 hours and Barcelona within 4 hours. The busiest airport in Spain is the airport of Madrid Airport (Barajas), with 50.8 million passengers in 2008, being the World's busiest airports by passenger traffic The airport of Barcelona Airport (El Prat) is also important, with 30 million passengers in 2008. Other airports are located in Gran Canaria Airport Málaga Airport Valencia Airport Seville Airport Palma de Mallorca Airport Alicante Airport and Bilbao Airport Spain aims to put 1 million electric car on the road by 2014 as part of the governments plan to save energy and boost Efficient energy use lt;/ref> The Minister of Industry Miguel Sebastian said that "the electric vehicle is the future and the engine of an industrial revolution."lt;/ref>

Demographics

File:EspDens2.jpg In 2008 the population of Spain officially reached 46 million people, as recorded by the Padrón municipallt;/ref> Spains population density, at 91/km² (235/sq mi), is lower than that of most Western European countries and its distribution across 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 20th century, principally due to the spectacular demographic boom in the 1960s and early 1970s. Native Spaniards make up 88% of the total population of Spain. After the List of countries and territories by fertility rate plunged in the 1980s and Spains population growth rate dropped, the population again trended upward, based initially on the return of many Spaniards who had emigrated to other European countries during the 1970s, and more recently, fuelled by large numbers of immigrants who make up 12% of the population. The immigrants originate mainly in Latin America (39%), North Africa (16%) Eastern Europe (15%), and Sub-Saharan Africa (4%).lt;/ref> In 2005, Spain instituted a three-month amnesty program through which certain hitherto undocumented aliens were granted legal residency. In 2008, Spain granted citizenship to 84,170 persons, mostly to people from Ecuador, Colombia and Morocco."http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/3-06072010-AP/EN/3-06072010-AP-EN.PDF EU27 Member States granted citizenship to 696 000 persons in 2008]" (PDF). Eurostat July 6, 2010. A sizeable portion of foreign residents in Spain also comes from other Western and Central European countries. These are mostly British, French, German, Dutch, and Norwegian. They reside primarily on the Mediterranean costasand Balearic islands, where many are choosing to live their retirement or telework Substantial populations descended from Spanish people colonists and immigrants exist in other parts of the world, most notably in Latin America. Beginning in the late 15th century, large numbers of Iberian colonists settled in what became Latin America and at present most white Latin American (who make up about one-third of Latin Americas population) are of Spanish or Portuguese origin. In the 16th century perhaps 240,000 Spaniards emigrated, mostly to Peru and Mexico http://www.let.leidenuniv.nl/history/migration/chapter53.html Migration to Latin America]. Universiteit Leiden. They were joined by 450,000 in the next century.lt;/ref> Between 1846 and 1932 nearly 5 million Spaniards went to the Americas, especially to Argentina and Brazil http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/557573/Spain/70267/People Spain — People]. Britannica Online Encyclopedia. From 1960 to 1975, approximately two million Spaniards migrated to other Western European countries. During the same time period, about 300,000 people left Spain for Latin America.http://www.focus-migration.de/Spain_Update_08_200.5420.0.html?&L1 Spain]. Focus–Migration.

Metropolitan areas

File:Spain met.png |File:Pont Triana.jpg ]] |- |File:Las Palmas de Gran Canaria-Panoramic view over the city.jpg ] |- |File:Girona riverside HDR.jpg ]] |- |File:Coruña GDFL2005 04.JPG ]] |- |File:Ciudad de Burgos.jpg ]] |- |File:Toledo Skyline Panorama, Spain - Dec 2006.jpg ]] |- |File:Cathedral palma mallorca spain 01 2007 08 15.jpg ]] |- |File:Alicante-from-castle.jpg ]] |} See also [[List of metropolitan areas in Spain by population]] Source: European Spatial Planning Observation Network 2007 | class"wikitable" |- style"text-align:right;" !Pos.|| City || Region || Prov. || population |- style"text-align:right;" | 1 || [[Madrid]] || Community of Madrid || Madrid ||6,103,000 |- style"text-align:right;" | 2 || [[Barcelona]] || Catalonia || Barcelona || 4,851,000 |- style"text-align:right;" | 3 || [[Valencia, Spain|Valencia]] || Valencian Community || Valencia || 1,499,000 |- style"text-align:right;" | 4 || [[Seville]] || Andalusia || Seville || 1,262,000 |- style"text-align:right;" | 5 || [[Bilbao]] || Basque Country (autonomous community) || Biscay || 1,000,000 |- style"text-align:right;" | 6 || [[Málaga]] || Andalusia || Málaga || 900,000 |- style"text-align:right;" | 7 || [[Oviedo]]–[[Gijón]] || Asturias || Asturias || 844,000 |- style"text-align:right;" | 8 || [[Alicante]]–[[Elche]] || Valencian Community || Alicante || 793,000 |- style"text-align:right;" | 9 || [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria|Las Palmas de G.C.]] || Canarias || Las Palmas || 750,000 |- style"text-align:right;" | 10 || [[Zaragoza]] || Aragon || Zaragoza || 730,000 |}

Main cities

| class"wikitable" |- style"text-align:right;" !Pos.|| City || Region || Prov. || population |- style"text-align:right;" | 1 || [[Madrid]] || Community of Madrid || Madrid || 3,213,271 |- style"text-align:right;" | 2 || [[Barcelona]] || Catalonia || Barcelona || 1,615,908 |- style"text-align:right;" | 3 || [[Valencia, Spain|Valencia]] || Valencian Community || Valencia || 810,064 |- style"text-align:right;" | 4 || [[Seville]] || Andalusia || Seville || 703.206 |- style"text-align:right;" | 5 || [[Zaragoza]] || Aragon || Zaragoza || 699.240 |- style"text-align:right;" | 6 || [[Málaga]] || Andalusia || Málaga || 566,447 |- style"text-align:right;" | 7 || [[Murcia]] || Región of Murcia || Murcia || 430,571 |- style"text-align:right;" | 8 || [[Palma de Mallorca]] || Balearic Islands || Balearic Islands || 401,570 |- style"text-align:right;" | 9 || [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria|Las Palmas de G.C.]] || Canary Islands || Las Palmas || 381,723 |- style"text-align:right;" | 10 || [[Bilbao]] || Basque Country (autonomous community) || Biscay || 353,340 |}

Islands

Islander population:La superficie de las islas vendrá dada en hectáreas salvo la de las mayores islas de los archipiélagos canario y balear, así como las Plazas de Soberanía. | |- style"vertical-align: top;" | * 1. Tenerife 899,833 * 2. Mallorca 862,397 * 3. Gran Canaria 838,397 * 4. Lanzarote 141,938 * 5. Ibiza 125,053 * 6. Fuerteventura 103,107 * 7. Menorca 92,434 * 8. La Palma 85,933 * 9. La Gomera 22,259 * 10. El Hierro 10,558 * 11. Formentera 7,957 * 12. Isla de Arosa 4,889 * 13. La Graciosa 658 * 14. Tabarca 105 * 15. Ons 61 |}

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 charged "nations") and regions, within the context of the Spanish nation. For some people, Spains identity consists more of an overlap of different regional identities than of a sole Spanish identity. Indeed, some of the regional identities may even conflict with the Spanish one.Distinct traditional regional identities within Spain include the Basque people Catalan people Galician people and Castilian people among others.lt;/ref> 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.

Minority groups

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 Asia immigrants, most of whom are of People's Republic of China India , Filipino people Middle East rn and South Asian origins; the population of Latin Americans(who can also be of Spaniard descent) is sizeable as well and a fast growing segment. Other growing groups are British people 760,000 in 2006, Germans and other immigrants from the rest of Europe.lt;/ref> The arrival of the [[Roma in Spain|Gitanos]] a Romani people began in the 16th century; estimates of the Spanish Gitano population fluctuate around 700,000.lt;/ref> The [[Merchero]]s(also Quinquis) are a minority group, formerly nomadic, that share a lot of the way of life of Gitanos. Their origin is unclear.

Immigration

According to the Spanish government there were 4.5 million foreign residents in Spain in 2007; independent estimates put the figure at 4.8 million people, or 11% of the total population.lt;/ref> According to residence permit data for 2005, about 500,000 were Morocco another 500,000 were Ecuador an, more than 200,000 were Romania , and 260,000 were Colombia . Other sizeable foreign communities are United Kingdom (8%), French (8%), Argentina (6%), German (6%) and Bolivia (3%). Spain has more than 200,000 migrants from West and Central Africa."http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295183,financial-crisis-reveals-vulnerability-of-spains-immigrants--feature.html Financial crisis reveals vulnerability of Spains immigrants – Feature]". The Earth Times. November 18, 2009. Since 2000, Spain has experienced high population growth as a result of immigration flows, despite a birth rate that is only half the replacement level. This sudden and ongoing inflow of immigrants, particularly those arriving clandestinely by sea, has caused noticeable social tension.See also: and and and lt;/ref> Within the EU, Spain has the second highest immigration rate in percentage terms after Cyprus but by a great margin, the highest in absolute numbers.lt;/ref> There are a number of reasons for the high level of immigration, including Spains cultural ties with Latin America its geographical position, the porosity of its borders, the large size of its underground 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 Spains Mediterranean coast. In fact, Spain was Europes largest absorber of migrants from 2002 to 2007, with its immigrant population more than doubling as 2.5 million people arrived.lt;/ref> According to the Financial Times, Spain is the most favoured destination for West Europeans considering a move from their own country and seeking jobs elsewhere in the EU.lt;/ref> The number of immigrants in Spain has grown up from 500,000 people in 1996 to 5.2 million in 2008 out of a total population of 46 million.http://www.workpermit.com/news/2007-10-10/spain/spanish-immigration-budget-increases.htm Spain to increase immigration budget], October 10, 2007http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3527 Spain’s Immigration System Runs Amok], September 17, 2008 In 2005 alone, a regularisation programme increased the legal immigrant population by 700,000 people.lt;/ref> Economy of Spain among immigrants has risen 67% in 2007. Spains new Plan of Voluntary Returnencourages immigrants to leave Spain for three years and offers up to €25,000, but so far, only 186 Ecuadorans have signed up to return.http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1852000,00.html Spain Tries to Buy Out Immigrants], TIME, October 20, 2008http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081009.MELTDOWNSPAIN09/TPStory/?query Madrid to pay surplus immigrant tradesman to go home, come back later], globeandmail.com, October 9, 2008 In the programs first two months last year, just 1,400 immigrants took up the offer.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123275552359911807.html Spains Jobs Crisis Leaves Immigrants Out of Work], The Wall Street Journal, January 24, 2009 File:Languages of Spain.svg official and spoken all over the country}} {{legend|#e090e0|Catalan language , co-official}} {{legend|#356585|Basque language , co-official}} {{legend|#ffffbb|Galician language , co-official}} | align=top | {{legend|#55ee99|Aranese language , co-official (dialect of [[Occitan language|Occitan]])}} {{legend|#009f00|Asturian language , recognised}} {{legend|#2070ff|Aragonese language , recognised}} {{legend|#eee400|Leonese language , unofficial}} {{legend|#107010|Extremaduran language , unofficial}} {{legend|#906010|Fala language , unofficial}} |}]] === Languages === {{Main|Languages of Spain}} [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ({{lang|es|spañol}} or {{lang|es|astellano}}, astilian) is spoken all over the country and so is the only language with official status nationwide. But a number of [[regional languages]] have been declared co-official, along with Spanish, in the constituent communities where they are spoken: * [[Basque language|Basque]] ({{lang|eu|uskera}}) (2%) in the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]] and [[Navarre]]; * [[Catalan language|Catalan]] ({{lang|eu|atalà}}) (17%) in [[Catalonia]] and the [[Balearic Islands]]; [[Valencian]] (alencià), a distinct variant of Catalan, is official in the [[Valencian Community]]; * [[Galician language|Galician]] ({{lang|gl|alego}}) (7%)[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.html CIA – The World Factbook – Spain] in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]]. There are also some other surviving [[Romance languages|Romance]] [[minority language]]s such as the Astur-Leonese group, which includes two languages in Spain: [[Asturian language|Asturian]] (officially called "[[Bable]]") which has protected status in [[Asturias]], and [[Leonese language|Leonese]], which is protected in Castile and León. Aragonese is vaguely recognized in [[Aragon]].{{cite web|url=http://www.jgpa.es/portal.do?TR=C&IDR=45|title=Junta General del Principado de Asturias|accessdate=2008-08-13|publisher=Junta General del Principado de Asturias}} Unlike Basque, Catalan/Valencian and Galician, these languages do not have any official status. This might be due to their very small number of speakers, a less significant written tradition in comparison to Catalan or Galician, and lower self-awareness of their speakers which traditionally meant lack of strong popular demand for their recognition in the regions in which they are spoken.{{cite web|url=http://www.proel.org/lenguas2.html|title=Languages of Spain map|accessdate=2008-08-15|publisher=Proel}} In the [[North Africa]]n Spanish city of [[Melilla]], [[Riff language|Riff Berber]] is spoken by a significant part of the population. In the tourist areas of the Mediterranean coast and the islands, [[English language|English]] and [[German language|German]] are widely spoken by tourists, foreign residents, and tourism workers. == Culture == [[File:Hemispheric - Valencia, Spain - Jan 2007.jpg|thumb|left|The Hemispheric at the [[Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències]], Valencia]] {{Main|Culture of Spain|UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain}} Spain is known for its culturally diverse heritage, having been influenced by many nations and peoples throughout its history. Spanish culture has its origins in the [[Iberians|Iberian]], [[Celtiberians|Celtiberian]], [[Roman Empire|Latin]], [[Visigothic]], [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], and [[Islam]]ic cultures. The definition of a national Spanish culture has been characterized by tension between the centralized state, dominated in recent centuries by [[Castile (historical region)|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. After Italy, Spain has the second highest number of [[UNESCO World Heritage Sites]] in the world, with a total of 40.{{cite web|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list|title=World Heritage List|publisher=UNESCO|accessdate=2008-08-13}} === Religion === {{bar box |title=Religions in Spain |titlebar=#ddd |float=right |bars= {{bar percent|Christianity|blue|77.2}} {{bar percent|Non-religious|gray|18.7}} {{bar percent|Islam|green|2.1}} {{bar percent|Judaism|purple|0.2}} {{bar percent|Others|pink|1.8}} }} {{Main|Religion in Spain}} {{See|History of the Jews in Spain}} [[Roman Catholic]]ism has long been the main religion of Spain, though it no longer has official status. According to a July 2009 study by the Spanish Center of Sociological Research about 73% of Spaniards self-identify as Catholics, 2% other faith, and about 22% identify with [[irreligion|no religion]]. Most Spaniards do not participate regularly in religious services. This same study shows that of the Spaniards who identify themselves as religious, 58% hardly ever or never go to church, 17% go to church some times a year, 9% some time per month and 15% every Sunday or multiple times per week.{{cite web|url=http://www.cis.es/cis/opencms/-Archivos/Marginales/2800_2819/2811/es2811.pdf|title=Barómetro julio 2009, Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, July 2009|accessdate=2009-10-16}} But according to a December 2006 study, 48% of the population declared a belief in a supreme being, while 41% described themselves as atheist or agnostic.[http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/14255 Religion Important for Americans, Italians], Angus Reid Global Monitor, December 30, 2006 Altogether, about 22% of the entire Spanish population attends religious services at least once per month.{{cite web|url=http://mas.lne.es/documentos/archivos/20-11-06-cis.pdf|publisher=Centre of Sociological Investigations|title=October poll, questions 32 and 32a|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-08-13}} Though Spanish society has become considerably more secular in recent decades, the influx of Latin American immigrants, who tend to be strong Catholic practitioners, has helped the Catholic Church to recover. [[File:Basílica de Santiago 02.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Santiago de Compostela Cathedral]] ([[province of A Coruña|La Coruña]]), the destination of the [[Way of St. James]]]] [[Protestantism|Protestant]] churches have about 1,200,000 members.[http://www.ferede.org/general.php?pag=estad#1 Federación de Entidades Religiosas Evangélicas de España – FEREDE] There are about 105,000 [[Jehovahs Witnesses]]. [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] has approximately 46,000 adherents in 133 congregations in all regions of the country and has a [[Madrid Spain Temple|temple]] in the [[Moratalaz|Moratalaz District]] of Madrid.[http://lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/contact-us/spain Spain - LDS Newsroom] [[File:Vista-aerea-del-acueducto-de-Segovia.jpg|thumb|235px|left|A view of the [[Aqueduct of Segovia]].]] The recent waves of [[immigration]] have also led to an increasing number of [[Muslim]]s, who number approximately one million in Spain. Presently, [[Islam]] is the second largest religion in Spain, accounting for approximately 2.3% of the total population.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4385768.stm#spain|publisher=BBC|title=Muslims in Europe: Country guide|accessdate=2008-08-13 | date=2005-12-23}} After their expulsion in 1492, Muslims did not live in Spain for centuries. Late 19th-century colonial expansion in northwestern Africa gave a number of residents in [[Spanish Morocco]] and [[Western Sahara]] full citizenship. Their ranks have since been bolstered by recent immigration, especially from Morocco and Algeria.{{cite web |url= http://www.hudson-ny.org/1424/spain-burqa-ban-muslim-immigration |title=Spain Debates Burqa Ban; Muslim Immigration Soars |work=Hudson New York |accessdate=28 July 2010 }} [[Judaism]] was practically non-existent in Spain from the 1492 expulsion until the 19th century, when Jews were again permitted to enter the country. Currently there are around 62,000 Jews in Spain, or 0.14% of the total population. Most are arrivals in the past century, while some are descendants of earlier Spanish Jews. Approximately 80,000 [[Jew]]s are thought to have lived in Spain on the eve of the [[Spanish Inquisition]].{{Cite book|title=The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision|year=1999|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|authorlink=Henry Kamen|last=Kamen|first=Henry|pages=29–31}} === Schools === {{Main|Education in Spain}} State education in Spain is free and compulsory from the age of 6 to 16. The current education system was established by an educational law of 1990, Ley Orgánica de Ordenación General del Sistema Educativo – Law on the General Organization of the Educational System.{{cite web|url=http://www.spainexchange.com/educator_info/spain_education.php|title=Spain Education System|publisher=SpainExchange.com|accessdate=2008-08-13}} [[File:Don Quijote and Sancho Panza.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Miguel de Cervantes]]Don Quixote is considered to be the novel lt;/ref>]]

Literature

The term Spanish literature refers to literature written in the Spanish language including literature composed in Spanish by writers not necessarily from Spain. For literature from Spain in languages other than the Spanish, see Catalan literature Basque literature and Galician language literature Equally, for Spanish-American literature specifically, see Latin American literature Due to historic, geographic and generational diversity, Spanish literature has known a great number of influences and it is very diverse. Some major literary movements can be identified within it. Miguel de Cervantes is probably Spains most famous author and his Don Quixote is considered the most emblematic work in the canon of Spanish literature and a founding classic of Western literature.

Royal Spanish Academy

The Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Españolaor RAE in Spanish language is the institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language It is based in Madrid but is affiliated with national language academies in 21 Hispanophone 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").lt;/ref>

Institute for Catalan Studies

The Institute for Catalan Studies (Institut dEstudis Catalans or IEC in Catalan language is an academic institution which seeks to undertake research and study into "all elements of Catalan culture". The IEC is known principally for its work in standardizing the Catalan language. The IEC is based in Barcelona the capital of Catalonia Officially the IEC provides standards for Catalonia proper, Northern Catalonia (located in France , the Balearic Islands and the Principality of Andorra (the only country where Catalan is the sole official language). The Valencian Community has its own language academy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua In an area known as the Franja de Ponent the eastern edge of Aragon adjacent to Catalonia where Catalan is spoken, the rules are used de facto although Catalan is not an official language.

Art

File:Guggenheim-bilbao-jan05.jpg in Bilbao]] Artists from Spain have been highly influential in the development of various European art movement Due to historical, geographical 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, Spain Seville and Granada European influences include Italy, Germany and France, especially during the Baroque and Neoclassicism periods.

Cinema

Spanish cinema has achieved major international success including Academy Award for recent films such as [[Pans Labyrinth]] and [[Volver]]lt;/ref> In the long history of Spanish cinema, the great filmmaker Luis Buñuel was the first to achieve world recognition, followed by Pedro Almodóvar in the 1980s. Spanish cinema has also seen international success over the years with films by film director like Segundo de Chomón Florián Rey Luis García Berlanga Carlos Saura Julio Medem and Alejandro Amenábar

Architecture

File:Plaza de Cibeles - Palacio de Communicaciones Madrid 2002.jpg in Madrid]] File:Auditorio de Tenerife 013.JPG in Santa Cruz de Tenerife]] 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. File:Sagradafamilia-overview.jpg Temple in Barcelona]] Due to its historical and geographical diversity, Spanish architecture has drawn from a host of influences. An important provincial city founded by the Romans and with an extensive Roman era infrastructure, Córdoba, Spain became the cultural capital, including fine Arabic style architecture, during the time of the Islamic Umayyad dynasty lt;/ref> Later Arab style architecture continued to be developed under successive Islamic dynasties, ending with the Nasrid which built its famed palace complex in Granada Simultaneously, the Christian kingdoms gradually emerged and developed their own styles; developing a pre-Romanesque style when for a while isolated from contemporary mainstream European architectural influences during the earlier Middle Ages, they later integrated the Romanesque architecture and Gothic architecture streams. There was then an extraordinary flowering of the gothic style that resulted in numerous instances being built throughout the entire territory. The Mudéjar style, from the 12th to 17th centuries, was developed by introducing Arab style motifs, patterns and elements into European architecture. File:El Capricho JPG.jpg Cantabria]] The arrival of Modernism in the academic arena produced much of the architecture of the 20th century. An influential style centered in Barcelona known as modernisme produced a number of important architects, of which Gaudí is one. The International style (architecture) was led by groups like GATEPAC Spain is currently experiencing a revolution in contemporary architecture and :Category:Spanish architects like Rafael Moneo Santiago Calatrava Ricardo Bofill as well as many others have gained worldwide renown.

Music

Spanish music is often considered abroad to be synonymous with flamenco a West Andalusian musical genre, which, contrary to popular belief, is not widespread outside that region. Various regional styles of folk music abound in Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, Castile, the Basque Country, Galicia and Asturias. Pop, rock, hip hop and heavy metal are also popular. File:Gaiteiros em romaria galega.jpg or gaiteros in Celanova (province of Ourense ]] In the field of classical music Spain has produced a number of noted composers such as Isaac Albéniz Manuel de Falla and Enrique Granados and singers and performers such as Plácido Domingo José Carreras Montserrat Caballé Alicia de Larrocha Alfredo Kraus Pablo Casals Ricardo Viñes José Iturbi Pablo de Sarasate Jordi Savall and Teresa Berganza In Spain there are over forty professional orchestras, including the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona Orquesta Nacional de España and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid Major opera houses include the Teatro Real the Gran Teatre del Liceu Teatro Arriaga and the El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía Thousands of music fans also travel to Spain each year for internationally recognised summer music festivals Sonar which often features the top up and coming pop and techno acts, and Benicasim which tends to feature alternative rock and dance acts .http://www.spoonfed.co.uk/london/festivals/ | Summer Festival Guide Both festivals mark Spain as an international music presence and reflect the tastes of young people in the country. The musical instrument originating in Spain most popular is undoubtedly the guitar Also typical of the northern Galician gaita (gaiteros, mainly in Galicia and the Principality of Asturias.

Cuisine

File:Paella de marisco 01.jpg a dish originating in the Valencian Community, Spainlt;/ref>]] 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 countrys deep Mediterranean roots. Spains extensive history with many cultural influences has led to a unique cuisine. In particular, three main divisions are easily identified: * MediterraneanSpain – all such coastal regions, from Catalonia to Andalusia: heavy use of seafood, such as pescaíto frito several cold soups like gazpacho and many rice-based dishes like paella from Valencia and arroz negro from Catalonia.lt;/ref> * InnerSpain – Castile: hot, thick soups such as the bread and garlic-based Castilian soup along with substantious stews such as cocido madrileño Food is traditionally conserved by salting, like Spanish ham or immersed in olive oil like Manchego cheese File:Camp Nou - Interior (2005).jpg in Barcelona the largest football stadium in Europe]] * AtlanticSpain – the whole Northern coast, from Galicia to Navarre: vegetable and fish-based stews like pote gallegoand marmitako Also, the lightly cured Lacón Gallego ham.

Sport

Sport in Spain has been dominated by Association football since the early 20th century. Real Madrid C.F. and F.C. Barcelona are two of the most successful Association football clubs in the world. Spain national football team won the UEFA European Football Championship in 1964 and 2008 and the FIFA World Cup in 2010 FIFA World Cup Basketball tennis cycling team handball motorcycling and, lately, Formula One are also important due to the presence of Spanish champions in all these disciplines. 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 Rafael Nadal is the leading Spanish tennis player and has won several Grand Slam titles including the Wimbledon 2010 mens singles. In north Spain is very popular play Basque pelota

Public holidays

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 holiday per year; up to nine of these are chosen by the national government and at least two are chosen locally.lt;/ref> Spains National Day (Fiesta Nacional de España is October 12 the anniversary of the Discovery of America and commemorate Our Lady of the Pillar feast, patroness of Aragón and throughout Spain. File:Donostia Igeldotik.jpg in Guipúzcoa ]]

Notes

References

External links

; Government * http://www.060.es/ e-government Portal] * https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-s/spain.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members] * http://www.casareal.es/index-iden-idweb.html Spanish Royal Family] * http://www.la-moncloa.es/IDIOMAS/9/home Prime Minister] * http://www.congreso.es/portal/page/portal/Congreso/Congreso Congreso de los Diputados] Congress of Deputies * http://www.senado.es/home_i.html El Senado Senate] * http://www.maec.es/es/home/Paginas/HomeEs.aspx Ministry of Foreign Affairs] * http://www.aeat.es/ Tax Agency] * http://www.ine.es/inebase/cgi/um?L0 National Institute of Statistics] ; General information * http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/557573/Spain Spain] from Encyclopaedia Britannica * http://www.economist.com/countries/Spain/ Country Briefing] from The Economist * * http://www.state.gov/p/eur/ci/sp/ Spain] from the United States Department of State * http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/estoc.html Country Study] from the U.S. Library of Congress (December 1988) * http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/spain.htm Spain] from UCB Libraries GovPubs * * * http://www.maps.data-spain.com/ Maps] satellite images, relief maps, outlines and themed maps of Spanish autonomous communities, provinces and municipalities ; Travel * http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/?Languageen Official Website of Tourism in Spain] * ; Other * http://www.expatica.com/es/main.html Local Spanish news and features] * http://www.iberianature.com/ IberiaNature] A guide to the environment, geography, climate, wildlife, natural history and landscape of Spain * http://www.proel.org/lenguas.html Languages of Spain] * http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/History_of_Spain:_Primary_Documents History of Spain Primary history documents] * http://www.datesofhistory.com/Spain.index.html Dates in Spanish history]
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