Spain - Span. Españaāspäˈnyä, officially Kingdom of Spain, constitutional monarchy (1995 est. pop. 39,404,000), 194,884 sq mi (504,750 sq km), including the Balearic and Canary islands, SW Europe. It consists of the Spanish mainland (190,190 sq mi/492,592 sq km), which occupies the major part of the Iberian Peninsula; of the
Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea; and of the
Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Continental Spain extends from the Pyrenees, which separate it from France, and from the Bay of Biscay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, southward to the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates it from Africa. (
Gibraltar itself is a British possession, although Spain has long claimed sovereignty over it.) The eastern and southeastern coast of Spain, from the French border to the Strait of Gibraltar, is washed by the Mediterranean. In the west, Spain borders on the Atlantic Ocean both north and south of its frontier with Portugal. The small republic of Andorra is wedged between France and Spain in the Pyrenees. The five enclaves in Morocco are the only remnants of Spain's former empire. Two of the enclaves,
Ceuta and
Melilla, are Spanish municipalities. Morocco disputes Spain's possession of the enclaves and in 2002 briefly occupied an islet off Ceuta, sparking a bloodless confrontation with Spain.
Madrid is the nation's capital and largest city. Land Administratively, Spain is divided into 50 provinces. However, the division into 17 geographic and historic regions (autonomous regions), generally corresponding to the old Christian and Moorish kingdoms of Spain, has been maintained for most practical purposes. The chief cities, other than Madrid, are
Burgos,
Valladolid,
León,
Zamora, and
Salamanca in Castile-León;
Toledo in Castile–La Mancha; and
Badajoz in Extremadura. The center of Spain forms a vast plateau (Span. Meseta Central) extending from the Cantabrian Mts. 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. It is traversed from west to east by mountain chains—notably the Sierra de Guadarrama—and the valleys of the Douro (Duero), the Tagus, and Guadiana rivers. Except for some fertile valleys, the central plateau is arid and thinly populated; wheat growing, viniculture, and sheep raising are the principal rural activities. The plateau comprises
Castile-León,
Castile–La Mancha, and Madrid, which form the heart of Spain, and
Extremadura, which is in the west. To the northeast of the central plateau is the broad valley of the Ebro, which traverses
Aragón and flows into the Mediterranean. Aragón has
Zaragoza as its chief city; it is historically and geographically connected with
Catalonia, which occupies the Mediterranean coast from the French border to the mouth of the Ebro.
Barcelona, the chief Catalan city, is the largest port and the second largest city of Spain. The W Pyrenees and the northern coast, paralleled by the Cantabrian Mts., are occupied by
Navarre, with the city of
Pamplona; the
Basque country, with the ports of
Bilbao and
San Sebastián;
Santander; and
Asturias, with
Oviedo and the port of
Gijón. The extreme northwestern section, occupied by
Galicia, has a deeply indented coast and the excellent ports of
A Coruña, El
Ferrol, and
Vigo. Along the eastern coast, S of Catalonia, extend the regions of
Valencia and
Murcia, named after their chief cities. The Balearic Islands, with
Palma as their capital, are off the coast of Valencia. The southernmost part of Spain, S of the
Sierra Morena, is
Andalusia; it is crossed by the fertile Guadalquivir valley. The chief cities of Andalusia are
Seville,
Córdoba, and
Granada, the Mediterranean port of
Málaga, and the Atlantic port of
Cádiz. The
Sierra Nevada, rising from the Mediterranean coast, has the highest peak (Mulhacén, 11,411 ft/3,478 m) in continental Spain. Spanish summers are often very hot, but winters vary sharply, being mild in coastal areas and colder inland. People The Spanish people display great regional diversity. Separatist tendencies remain particularly strong among the Catalans and the Basques. Castilian is the standard Spanish language, but Catalan (akin to Provençal), Galician (akin to Portuguese), and Basque, unrelated to any other language, are still spoken and written extensively in their respective districts. Roman Catholicism was the official religion until 1978, but its role in Spanish public and private life has declined. Spain had 49 universities in 1998, including those of Navarre, Salamanca, Madrid, and Barcelona. Economy Traditionally an agricultural country, Spain produces large crops of wheat, sugar beets, barley, tomatoes, olives, citrus fruit, grapes, and cork. Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil and Europe's largest producer of lemons, oranges, and strawberries. The best-known wine regions are those of
Rioja, in the upper Ebro valley, and of
Málaga and
Jerez de la Frontera, in Andalusia. Agriculture is handicapped in many regions by lack of mechanization, by insufficient irrigation, and by soil exhaustion and erosion. The major industries produce textiles, iron and steel, and chemicals. Motor vehicles, diesel and electric motors, and machinery are manufactured, in addition to a variety of consumer goods such as shoes, toys, radios, televisions, and home appliances. There are also beverage and tobacco industries. Industries are concentrated chiefly in the Madrid region; in Valladolid; in Catalonia, which has large textile, automotive parts, and electronics manufactures; in Valencia; and in Asturias and the Basque country, where the rich mineral resources of the Cantabrian Mts. (iron, coal, and zinc) are exploited. Copper is mined extensively at
Río Tinto; other mineral resources include lead, silver, tin, and mercury. Petroleum is found near Burgos. Fishing, notably for sardines, tuna, cod, and anchovies, is an important source of livelihood, especially on the Atlantic coast, and fish canning is a major industry. Tourism is Spain's greatest source of income. Overland communications are generally poor. Most Spanish railroads, unlike those of the rest of Western Europe, use broad-gauged tracks, although some regional systems consist of narrow-gauge railways. In 1992 a high-speed standard-gauge railway connecting Madrid and Seville began operation. Spain has made great economic progress in recent decades, but it still lags behind most of Western Europe. Though industry has grown considerably since the 1950s, the country still has a large trade imbalance. Spain's greatest trade is with the United States, Germany, France, and Great Britain. Among the leading exports are fruit, wine, and other food products, ships, footwear, machinery, and chemicals; major imports include machinery, petroleum, iron and steel, and transport equipment. Government Spain has had a constitutional monarchy since 1975. King Juan Carlos I, who became the head of state after Francisco Franco's death, has the ability to ratify laws, dissolve the legislature, and propose candidates for the office of prime minister; he is also head of the armed forces. Spain's bicameral legislature, the
Cortes, consists of the chamber of deputies and the senate, both of whose representatives are elected every four years in provincial elections. The legislature's powers include the ability to ratify, repeal, or reform laws and to approve international treaties. Spain's executive branch consists of the president (prime minister), vice presidents, and heads of ministries. Its responsibilities include the regulation of international and national policies and defense. The king proposes the prime minister, who then must be approved by the Cortes. Each of the autonomous regions forms its own parliament and regional government and exercises legislative and executive authority in the manner outlined by the national constitution. History Spain before the Muslim Conquest Civilization in Spain dates back to the Stone Age. The
Basques may be descended from the prehistoric humans whose art has been preserved in the caves at Altamira. They antedated the
Iberians, who mixed with Celtic invaders at an early period. Because of its mineral and agricultural wealth and its position guarding the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain was known to the Mediterranean peoples from very early times. The Phoenicians passed through the strait and established (9th cent. b.c.) colonies in Andalusia, notably at Cádiz and Tartessus (possibly the biblical
Tarshish). Later the Carthaginians settled on the east coast and in the Balearic Islands, where Greek colonies also sprang up. In the 3d cent. b.c., the Carthaginians under
Hamilcar Barca began to conquer most of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearics and established
Cartagena as capital. The Roman victory over Hannibal in the second of the
Punic Wars (218–201 b.c.) resulted in the expulsion of the Carthaginians. The Romans conquered E and S Spain, but met strong resistance elsewhere, notably in the north. The fall (133 b.c.) of
Numantia marked the end of organized resistance, and by the 1st cent. a.d. Roman control was virtually complete. Except for the Basques, the Iberian population became thoroughly romanized, perhaps more so than any subject population. Roman rule brought political unity, law, and economic prosperity. Christianity was introduced early; St. Paul is supposed to have visited Spain, and St. James the Greater is its apostolic patron. Natives of Spain contributed increasingly to both pagan and Christian literature in Latin. Among them were Seneca, Martial, and Quintilian. In a.d. 409, Spain was overrun by the first wave of Germanic invaders, the Suevi and the
Vandals. They were |
