Country Information on Spain

Terrain The largest part of Spain is a dry central plateau divided by mountain ranges, extending from the Cantabrian Mountains in the north to the Sierra Morena in the south and from the Portuguese border in the west to the low ranges that separate the plateau from the Mediterranean coast in the east. A narrow plain edges the long coast (Spain has a Mediterranean coastline of 1660 km, with the Atlantic coastline extending to approximately 710 km). The Pyrenees Mountains form the border with France (a mountain range of 435 km from the Gulf of Biscaya to the Mediterannean), and the narrow Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from Africa. Spain's largest rivers include Duero, Ebro, Tagus, Guadalquivir and Guadiana. Climate Climatic conditions in the northern parts of the country (from Galicia in the north-west to the Cantabrian Mountains right to the Pyrenees Mountains in the north-east) are dominated by the ocean, with seasons experiencing precipitation. Quite to the contrary, most of Spain is characterized by subtropic-Mediterannean climate. Given a great distance to the sea (the ocean balancing thermical changes), continental climatic conditions prevail. Fauna/Flora Deciduous trees like beech, oak and chestnut dominate cool and more humid areas in the northwest, while conifers add to biodiversity in the Pyrenees Mountains. Transitional altitude regions giving way to hot areas are characterized by cork oak, holm oak and a variety of shrub species (like broom). Willow, alder, and poplar are common along the river banks, while the olive tree can be described as the traditional Mediterannean index species. Spain's mountainous regions are a suitable habitat for chamois, wolves, lynx, foxes, wild boars, wild cats, wild goats, red deer, and wild hares. History/Politics First human settlements in what is now Spain date back to BC 25000 to 10000. The Iberians, a North African people, were well established by BC 1000. The Celts later immigrated from France and intermingled with the Iberians. The Phoenicians established a colony, probably in the 11th century BC, and Greek traders followed. After the Roman victory over the Phoenicians in the Second Punic War in BC 209, Scipio began the conquest of Spain, which was to be under Roman rule for six centuries. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Suevi, Vandals and Alans entered Spain. They were defeated by Visigoths, having occupied the whole of the Peninsula by the end of the 6th century. At the beginning of the 8th century, the Moors entered from the south, conquering most of the Peninsula. A remnant of Christian rule was preserved in the northern portion of the region. Christian territory was enlarged and in 1056, with northern Spain consolidated, Ferdinand I proclaimed himself emperor of Spain, initiating the period of reconquest from the Moors. After a battle fought on the plains of Toledo in 1212, Moorish power was limited to a few areas in the south, where it endured until 1492. In 1492, the last Moorish stronghold was conquered and religious uniformity imposed throughout Spain by the forcible conversion or expulsion of Jews and Moors. The Spanish monarchs sponsored the journey of Italian-Spanish navigator Christopher Columbus to find a westward route to the Indies. By the 1550s, Spain controlled most of South America, Central America, Florida, Cuba and the Philippine Islands. This empire brought enormous wealth to Spain, and it became a major power in Europe. The French Revolution of 1789 led to upheavals in Spain. By 1805, Spain had become a French puppet. Meanwhile, Spain's American colonies began to win their independence The monarchy was overthrown by a military revolt in 1936. The Nationalists, aided by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy and led by General Franco, won the Spanish Civil War in 1939. Franco remained dictator until his death in 1975, when monarchy was reinstituted and Juan Carlos I took the throne again. In 1978, a new democratic constitution provided for a constitutional monarchy, freedom for political parties, and autonomy for Spain's "nationalities and regions". In 1982, the Socialists under Felipe González won the elections. The year 1986 marked Spain's EU-accession. In 1996, the Socialists lost their majority to the conservative People's Party, led by current prime minister José Maria Aznar. Economy The Spanish economy is heavily dominated by the services sector, especially tourism, telecommunications, finance and banking, and transportation. Among its manufactures are textiles, iron and steel, motor vehicles, ships, and cement. Gross domestic product was 4.1% in 2000, consumer price index amounted to 3.4%. Unemployment was down to 14.1% in 2000. Culture Spain has an extraordinary artistic heritage. The dominant figures of the golden age were the artists El Greco and Diego Velázquez. Francisco Goya emerged in the 18th century as Spain's most prolific painter and he produced some wonderfully unflattering portraits of royalty. The art world in the early 20th century was influenced by a remarkable group of artists: Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí. Spain's architecture ranges from prehistoric monuments in Menorca in the Balearic Islands, and the Alhambra in Granada, to cathedrals, castles and palaces, fantastic modernist monuments and Gaudí's intricate fabulist sculptures.