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Spain

 Flag of Spain

Last reviewed : 12 September 2008

Country information

Map of Spain

Area: 504,782 km², of which 499,542 km² is land and 5,240 km² is water.
Population: 44 million
Capital City: Madrid
Languages: Castilian Spanish - 74%, Catalan - 17%, Galician - 7%, Basque - 2%
Life Expectancy: 78 male, 84 female (source World Health Organisation)
People: Approximately 10% of the Spanish population are foreign nationals.  Top foreign nationalities in Spain are Moroccan (675k), Romanian (664k), Ecuadorian, (413k), Colombian (264k) and British (206k registered with the police and 1 million do not live in Spain permanently).
Religions: Roman Catholic - 97%; Protestant/other - 3%
Currency: Euro

Government: Spain is a democratic constitutional monarchy with a National Parliament (Cortes Generals), formed by the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, that is elected every 4 years. Spain is divided in to 17 regions – Andalusia, Aragón, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile and León, Castile-La-Mancha, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Community of Madrid, Region of Murcia, Basque Country, Community of Valencia, Navarra and two autonomous cities – Ceuta and Meillla. These autonomous communities have varying powers, but each has its own parliament, government and administrative apparatus.
Major political parties:
• Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) leader: Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero;
• Popular Party (PP) leader: Mariano Rajoy;
• United Left (IU) leader: Gaspar Llamazares;
• Convergence and Union (CiU) leader: Artur Mas.

Head of State: King Juan Carlos I
Prime Minister: Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (PSOE)
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Miguel Angel Moratinos
Composition of Parliament: Total seats: 350. PSOE, centre left (169); Partido Popular (PP) centre right (154); others (27).
Membership of international groupings/organisations: European Union (EU), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), United Nations (UN), Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

ECONOMY

Basic economic facts (all figures 2005 unless stated)

  • GDP: US$1,126 billion (€904 billion)
  • GDP per head: US$27,225 (€21,854)
    Sectors contribution to GDP:
  • 3% Agriculture
  • 30% Industry & Construction
  • 67% Services
  • Annual growth: 3.4%
    Inflation: 3.4%
  • Unemployment: Almost three million new jobs created in Zapatero’s first four years in office: 2 out of every three new jobs in the euro-zone
  • Major industries: agriculture, fishing, construction, wine, cement, chemicals, engineering, petroleum refining, forestry and timber, iron and steel automobiles, textiles, telecommunications
  • Major trading partners: EU, Japan, Latin America.
    Net exporter of capital since 1999. Spain was the largest single investor in the UK in 2006.
    Eighth largest economy in the world. Per capita income now higher than Italy

HISTORY

BBC Timeline of Spain

The Spanish Democracy

The transition from dictatorship to democracy began with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, its completion was marked by the electoral win of the socialist PSOE Party on 28 October 1982 in free democratic elections. The Spanish monarch King Juan Carlos was instrumental in the promotion of democracy; he intervened in the coup attempt known as “23-F” causing the plot to fail.

After the political transformation Spain changed radically adopting liberal values and free market practices, whilst maintaining the Spanish way of life.

Recent History

Spain joined the EEC (now EU) in 1986,hosted the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and Seville Expo´92. These three events confirmed the world view of Spain as a modern economic power on the world stage.

The centre-right Partido Popular government came to power in 1996 led by José María Aznar. Spain exchanged the peseta for the Euro in 2002.

Spain became the first country in the world to give full marriage and adoption rights to homosexual couples in 2005.

DID YOU KNOW?

The modern day guitar was invented in Spain, when a sixth string was added to the Arab lute.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Spain's relations with the UK

Relations with the UK are strong and deep. The two countries work closely together on many key parts of the European agenda. Both have driven the 'Lisbon' economic reform agenda since it began.

There are regular bilateral employment seminars involving ministers, senior officials, union leaders, academics and others from the non-governmental sector. There is close co-operation on Justice and Home Affairs: we work closely together on improving Europe's response to the challenge of immigration; and have agreed on fast-track extradition procedures between our two countries. There is also extensive and valuable co-operation on health (including the recruitment of hundreds of highly-qualified Spanish medical staff now working in the UK), defence, climate change, international development, counter-terrorism and education. These areas of co-operation are reflected in regular bilateral conferences and seminars including the annual Tertulias Conference which brings together influential decision-makers and opinion-formers from the fields of politics, academia and business.

Parliamentary Links

The British-Spanish All Party Parliamentary Group meets regularly with their Spanish opposite numbers. Meetings alternate between the UK and Spain. The Chair of the British Group is Lord Brennan.

Cultural Relations with the UK

The British Council connects people with learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK to build lasting relationships around the world.

The British Council office in Spain is the organisation's largest in the world, excluding the aid-driven India programme.

British Council Spain

Tourism

Spain is the most popular destination for British holiday makers.  Around 17 million Britons visit Spain every year. Around 1 million Britons now live permanently in Spain.

Immigration

Spain has seen a tenfold increase in immigration in the past 10 years.  Approximately 10% of the Spanish population are foreign nationals.  Top foreign nationalities in Spain as of 31 March 2008 are Moroccan (675k), Romanian (664k), Ecuadorian, (413k), Colombian (264k) and British (206k).

Terrorism

ETA broke its cease-fire officially on 5 June 2007, although the Barajas Terminal 4 bomb which killed 2 people on 30 December 2006 had de-facto ended it anyway.

On 11 March 2004 a co-ordinated terrorist attack killed 191 people and wounded 1,755. A series of bombs detonated on commuter trains with routes in to Madrid. On 31 October 2007 21 people were convicted of involvement in the attack, which was wholly attributed to Al-Queda inspired terrorism.

RECENT VISITS

Inward:

• Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to London July 2008
• Cristina Barrios, MFA Special Ambassador for Climate Change to London January 2008
• Joan Clos, Spanish Industry Minister to UK November 2007
• Antonio González González, Minister of State for Labour and Social Affairs to UK November 2007
• Carlos Ocaña, Minister for Taxation to London November 2007
• Elena Espinosa, Secretary of State for Agriculture to London March 2005
• Bernadino Leon, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to UK  January 2005
.
Outward:

• Minister for Europe, Jim Murphy MP to Madrid and Barcelona April 2008
• Minister for Europe Jim Murphy MP to Madrid to attend the OSCE Ministerial November 2007
• Hazel Blears to Valencia 0ctober 2007
• David Willetts MP to Madrid in September 2007
• Foreign Secretary David Miliband to Madrid 6-7 September 2007
• Former Prime Minister Tony Blair to Madrid Middle East Quartet Representative July 2007
• Ian Pearson MP, Former Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment (DEFRA) invited to Barcelona to speak at EXPO CO2 in April 2007
• Former Prime Minister Tony Blair to Madrid for talks with Zapatero October 2006
• Lord Mayor to Madrid to meet with Madrid Mayor in October 2006
• Geoff Hoon, Former Minister of State for Europe June 2006
• Margaret Beckett, Former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to Madrid on a pre-Presidency tour of capitals in June 2005
• HRH Prince of Wales to attend marriage of Prince Felipe and Doña Letizia 22 May 2004
• Home Secretary David Blunkett to Madrid April 2004
• Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott for march in protest at 11 M Madrid bomb attack 12 March 2004
• Minister for Europe, Denis McShane for march in protest at 11 M Madrid bomb attack 12 March 2004

GEOGRAPHY

Spain is the second largest country in the EU after France. It has a total surface area of 504,000 square kilometres. It comprises about 84% of the Iberian Peninsula. Spain’s borders are Andorra (63.7 km), France (623 km), Gibraltar (1.2 km), Portugal (1,214 km), Morocco (Ceuta) (6.3 km), Morocco (Melilla) (9.6 km).
As well as the mainland, the territory includes two island archipelagos – the Balearics and the Canaries – and two enclaves on the North African coast, bordering Morocco – Ceuta and Melilla.
The Spanish climate is temperate with hot summers but more moderate and cloudy along the coast; and cold winters in the interior, and partly cloudy and cool along the coast.

TRADE AND INVESTMENTS

Spain is a highly developed, competitive market. Almost anything sold in the UK is likely to sell well in Spain. It's also an open market for overseas companies and an important gateway to Latin American markets.  UK-Spain commercial bilateral relations are very strong:

Trade

The main UK Exports to Spain include telecoms equipment, road vehicles, office machinery, medicinal & pharmaceutical, electrical machinery and various manufactured articles. Imports from Spain are largely in the same sectors with the addition of fruit and vegetables.

The UK is Spain’s fifth largest supplier, after Germany, France, Italy and China. In 2006 exports (goods & services) were valued at ₤12.3bn, making Spain the UK’s seventh largest export market worldwide.  
The main UK Exports to Spain include telecoms equipment, road vehicles, office machinery, medicinal & pharmaceutical, electrical machinery and various manufactured articles. Imports from Spain are largely in the same sectors with the addition of fruit and vegetables.

The UK is Spain’s fifth largest supplier, after Germany, France, Italy and China. In 2006 exports (goods & services) were valued at ₤12.3bn, making Spain the UK’s seventh largest export market worldwide. 

Investment

Spanish companies are becoming increasingly competitive and are looking more and more outside their home base for opportunities to enable them to globalise their business. The UK was the most popular destination in Europe for Spanish Investment in 2006 including merger and acquisition (followed by France and the US).

The UK is also the second largest foreign investor in Spain. In 2006 the gross value of UK investment in Spain stood at ₤800m. There are around 700 UK companies already in Spain.

For further information on the Spanish market please visit the UK trade and investment website.

POLITICS

The Spanish Government is a constitutional monarchy. The current Head of State is King Juan Carlos. The role is largely ceremonial and policy is dictated, as in the UK, by a democratically elected Prime Minister (known in Spanish as Presidente del Gobierno). The Prime Minister resides over a bicameral parliament, which is separated in to two houses - the Lower House Congreso de los Diputados, and the Senate, Senado. The Congreso is primarily responsible for legislative matters and is very much the centre of political attention.  The Congress has 350 deputies elected at least every four years by proportional representation and the Senateis a mix of 208 members elected by provinces in parallel with the Congreso (elections are simultaneous) and 48 selected by Autonomous Communities according to population.  

Political parties participate in Parliament as parliamentary groups. Each party has a spokesman, portavoz, appointed according to each party's rules.  The spokesman acts both as manager of the group, and speaks for the party at major debates.

There are two concurrent annual sessions for both chambers - September to December and February to June. Plenary sessions are public and are often carried on the media.  


Recent Political Developments

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, leader of the centre-left PSOE party, was elected Prime Minister on 14 March 2004.  He was re-elected on 9 March 2008, again without an overall majority.

General elections 2008

Party

Votes

%

Difference from 2004

Seats

% Seats.

Difference from 2004

(PSOE)

11288698

43.87

+1.28

169

48.29

+5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(PP)

10277809

39.94

+2.23

154

44

+6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(CiU)

779425

3.03

-0.20

10

2.86

=

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(EAJ/PNV)

306128

1.19

-0.44

6

1.71

-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ERC)

298139

1.16

-1.36

3

0.86

-5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(IU)

969871

3.77

-1.19

2

0.57

-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(BNG)

212543

0.83

+0.02

2

0.57

=

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(CC)

174629

0.68

-0.23

2

0.57

-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(UPyD)

306078

1.19

n/a

1

0.29

+1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Na-Bai)

62398

0.24

=

1

0.29

=

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Information about the current Government of Spain can be found here.

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