Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently Spain has emerged from a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008, posting three straight years of GDP growth above the EU average. Unemployment has fallen, but remains high especially among youth. Spain is the Eurozone’s fourth largest economy.

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France

40 00 N, 4 00 W

Europe

almost five times the size of Kentucky; slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

4,964 km

temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast

large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north

highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land

arable land 24.9%; permanent crops 9.1%; permanent pasture 20.1%

38,000 sq km (2012)

with the notable exception of Madrid, Sevilla, and Zaragoza, the largest urban agglomerations are found along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts; numerous smaller cities are spread throughout the interior reflecting Spain's agrarian heritage; dense settlement is found around the capital of Madrid, as well as the port city of Barcelona

periodic droughts, occasional flooding

pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification

strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas

48,958,159 (July 2017 est.)

composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types

Castilian Spanish (official nationwide) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community (where it is known as Valencian)) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and in the Basque-speaking area of Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in the northwest corner of Catalonia (Vall d'Aran) along with Catalan, <5,000 speakers)

Roman Catholic 67.8%, atheist 9.1%, other 2.2%, non-believer 18.4%, unspecified 2.5% (2016 est.)

0.78% (2017 est.)

9.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

7.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

with the notable exception of Madrid, Sevilla, and Zaragoza, the largest urban agglomerations are found along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts; numerous smaller cities are spread throughout the interior reflecting Spain's agrarian heritage; dense settlement is found around the capital of Madrid, as well as the port city of Barcelona

MADRID (capital) 6.199 million; Barcelona 5.258 million; Valencia 810,000 (2015)

30.7 years (2015 est.)

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

1.5 children born/woman (2017 est.)

9% of GDP (2014)

3.82 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

3.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 99.8% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 99.9% of population

urban: 0.2% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0.1% of population (2015 est.)

0.4% (2016 est.)

140,000 (2016 est.)

NA

23.8% (2016)

4.3% of GDP (2013)

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma) and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia; Aragon; Asturias; Canarias (Canary Islands); Cantabria; Castilla-La Mancha; Castilla-Leon; Cataluna (Castilian), Catalunya (Catalan), Catalonha (Aranese) [Catalonia]; Ceuta*; Comunidad Valenciana (Castilian), Comunitat Valenciana (Valencian) [Valencian Community]; Extremadura; Galicia; Illes Baleares (Balearic Islands); La Rioja; Madrid; Melilla*; Murcia; Navarra (Castilian), Nafarroa (Basque) [Navarre]; Pais Vasco (Castilian), Euskadi (Basque) [Basque Country]

1492; the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain

National Day (Hispanic Day), 12 October (1492); note - commemorates COLUMBUS' arrival in the Americas

civil law system with regional variations

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Asturias Forum or FAC [Cristina COTO]

Basque Country Unite (Euskal Herria Bildu) or EH Bildu [Pello URIZAR] (coalition of 4 Basque pro-independence parties)

Basque Nationalist Party or PNV or EAJ [Andoni ORTUZAR]

Canarian Coalition or CCa [Claudina MORALES Rodriguez] (coalition of 5 parties)

Canarian Nationalist Party or PNC [Juan Manuel GARCIA Ramos]

Catalan European Democratic Party or PDeCat [Artur MAS] (formerly Democratic Convergence of Catalonia)

Catalonia Yes or CatSci [Vicenc REDRET]

Ciudadanos Party or C's [Albert RIVERA]

Compromis [Eric MORERA i Catala]

Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Ana PONTON Mondelo]

Gomera Socialist Group or ASG

Initiative for Catalonia Greens or ICV [Joan HERRERA i Torres and Dolors CAMATS]

Unidos Podemos [Pablo IGLESIAS Turrion] (formerly Podemos IU; electoral coalition formed for May 2016 election)

Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY Brey]

Republican Left of Catalan-Catalan Yes or ERC-CatSI [Gabriel RUFIAN] an electoral alliance consisting of Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Oriol JUNQUERAS i Vies], Catalan Yes or Cat-Si [Alfred BOSCH] and independents)

Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Pedro SANCHEZ]

Union of People of Navarra or UPN [Javier ESPARZA]

Union, Progress and Democracy or UPyD [Gorka MANEIRO de Uralde]

United Left or IU [Alberto GARZON] (coalition includes Communist Party of Spain or PCE and other small parties; ran as Popular Unity or UP in 2016 election)

Yes to the Future or Geroa Bai [Koldo MARTINEZ] (coalition include 4 Navarran parties)

Association for Victims of Terrorism or AVT (grassroots organization devoted primarily to supporting victims of the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorist organization)

Roman Catholic Church

Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT (includes the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO)

Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions or CC.OO.

Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations or CEOE

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left, Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon) while Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield; the arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; the red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of "Plus Ultra" (further beyond) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe; the triband arrangement with the center stripe twice the width of the outer dates to the 18th century

Pillars of Hercules; national colors: red, yellow

After experiencing a prolonged recession in the wake of the global financial crisis that began in 2008, in 2016 Spain marked the third full year of positive economic growth in nine years, largely due to increased private consumption. At the onset of the financial crisis, Spain's GDP contracted by 3.7% in 2009, ending a 16-year growth trend, and continued contracting through most of 2013. In that year, the government successfully shored up struggling banks - exposed to the collapse of Spain's depressed real estate and construction sectors - and in January 2014 completed an EU-funded restructuring and recapitalization program for its financial sector.

Until 2014, credit contraction in the private sector, fiscal austerity, and high unemployment weighed on domestic consumption and investment. The unemployment rate rose from a low of about 8% in 2007 to more than 26% in 2013, but labor reforms prompted a modest reduction to 19.7% in 2016. High unemployment has strained Spain's public finances, as spending on social benefits increased while tax revenues fell. Spain’s budget deficit peaked at 11.4% of GDP in 2010, but Spain gradually reduced the deficit to about 5% of GDP in 2015, and 4.1% of GDP in 2016. Public debt has increased substantially – from 60.1% of GDP in 2010 to nearly 99.5% in 2016.

Exports were resilient throughout the economic downturn and helped to bring Spain's current account into surplus in 2013 for the first time since 1986, where it remained through 2016. Rising labor productivity and an internal devaluation resulting from moderating labor costs and lower inflation have helped to improve foreign investor interest in the economy and positive FDI flows have been restored.

Political gridlock after the national elections in December 2015 and June 2016 and ensuing government formation process constrained the caretaker government’s ability to implement needed labor, pension, health care, tax, and education reforms— in 2016. The European Commission criticized Spain’s 2016 budget for easing austerity measures and for its alleged overly optimistic growth and deficit projections. Spain’s borrowing costs are dramatically lower since their peak in mid-2012, and despite the recent uptick in economic activity, inflation has dropped sharply, from 1.5% in 2013 to a negative 0.3% in 2016.

$1.686 trillion (2016 est.)

$1.613 trillion (2015 est.)

$1.546 trillion (2014 est.)

$1.233 trillion (2016 est.)

3.2% (2016 est.)

3.2% (2015 est.)

1.4% (2014 est.)

$36,300 (2016 est.)

$35,200 (2015 est.)

$34,100 (2014 est.)

22.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

21.4% of GDP (2015 est.)

20.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish

textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

2.4% (2016 est.)

22.82 million (2016 est.)

19.6% (2016 est.)

22% (2015 est.)

21.1% (2012 est.)

35.9 (2012)

32 (2005)

37.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

-4.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

99.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

99.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

-0.2% (2016 est.)

-0.6% (2015 est.)

0.05% (10 September 2014)

0.25% (13 November 2013)

2.19% (31 December 2016 est.)

2.74% (31 December 2015 est.)

$841.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$745 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.257 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.369 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.21 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

$2.279 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$787.2 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$992.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.117 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

$23.76 billion (2016 est.)

$16.21 billion (2015 est.)

$280.5 billion (2016 est.)

$277.4 billion (2015 est.)

machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods

France 15.2%, Germany 11.4%, Italy 7.8%, UK 7.6%, Portugal 7%, US 4.4% (2016)

$300.3 billion (2016 est.)

$301.5 billion (2015 est.)

machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semi-finished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments

Germany 14.7%, France 12%, China 7.1%, Italy 6.7%, Netherlands 5.2%, UK 4.4% (2016)

$63.14 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$53.97 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$2.094 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)

$1.963 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)

$739.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$710.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$696.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$644 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.9214 (2016 est.)

0.885 (2015 est.)

0.7525 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

0.7752 (2012 est.)

267.1 billion kWh (2015 est.)

240.4 billion kWh (2015 est.)

14.18 billion kWh (2016 est.)

21.85 billion kWh (2016 est.)

106.7 million kW (2015 est.)

45.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

6.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

13.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

29.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

2,667 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

1.285 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

150 million bbl (1 January 2017 es)

1.342 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

1.287 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

501,100 bbl/day (2016 est.)

421,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

62 million cu m (2015 est.)

39.84 billion cu m (2015 est.)

5.065 billion cu m (2015 est.)

32.39 billion cu m (2015 est.)

2.548 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es)

276 million Mt (2013 est.)

a mixture of both publicly operated and privately owned TV and radio stations; overall, hundreds of TV channels are available including national, regional, local, public, and international channels; satellite and cable TV systems available; multiple national radio networks, a large number of regional radio networks, and a larger number of local radio stations; overall, hundreds of radio stations (2008)

.es

EC (2016)

150 (2013)

10 (2013)

gas 10,481 km; oil 616 km; refined products 3,461 km (2013)

1,000 km (2012)

0.91% of GDP (2017)

1.21% of GDP (2016)

1.18% of GDP (2015)

1.23% of GDP (2014)

1.26% of GDP (2013)

1.41% of GDP (2012)

Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola, AE, includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2013)

18-26 years of age for voluntary military service by a Spanish citizen or legal immigrant, 2-3 year obligation; women allowed to serve in all SAF branches, including combat units; no conscription, but Spanish Government retains right to mobilize citizens 19-25 years of age in a national emergency; mandatory retirement of non-NCO enlisted personnel at age 45 or 58, depending on service length (2013)

in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; after voters in the UK chose to leave the EU in a June 2016 referendum, Spain again proposed shared sovereignty of Gibraltar; UK officials rejected Spain’s joint sovereignty proposal; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island); Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime