SPAIN. Kingdom of Spain
A country in the southwest of Europe, occupying an area of 505.9 thousand km² (including the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean). Territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles. The economic zone extends 200 nautical miles.
Spain includes the cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa, as well as the adjacent islands of Velez de la Gomera, Alusemas, Chafarinas, and Perejil. Spain insists on the return of sovereignty over Gibraltar, which has been held by Great Britain since the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The capital is Madrid (3.1 million), other major cities include: Barcelona (1.6 million), Valencia (785 thousand), Seville (704 thousand), Zaragoza (638 thousand), Malaga (547 thousand). Administratively, the country is divided into 50 provinces, which are part of 17 autonomous communities: Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Valencia, Galicia, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla-Leon, Catalonia, Navarra, Madrid, Murcia, La Rioja, Basque Country, Extremadura.
The cities of Ceuta and Melilla have been granted special self-governing status in certain matters. The population is 43.7 million (including 3.5 million immigrants), comprising Spaniards, Catalans (about 6 million), Galicians (over 3 million), and Basques (over 2 million). More than 2.7 million Spaniards live abroad, including 1.7 million in North and South America, and over 1 million in Western Europe. The official language is Spanish. The use of Catalan, Basque, Galician, and some other regional languages is legally recognized. Religion: the overwhelming majority of the population are Catholics. According to the constitution, the church is separated from the state. Relations between the church and the state are regulated by an Agreement with the Vatican, concluded in 1979.
The currency unit - since January 1, 2002, the official currency is the euro.
Diplomatic relations with the USSR were established on August 28, 1933, ceased in March 1939, and were restored on February 9, 1977. On December 27, 1991, Spain recognized Russia as the successor to the USSR.
The national holiday is October 12 - Day of the Spanish Nation (the date of Christopher Columbus's discovery of America in 1492).
Spain is a parliamentary monarchy. The constitution was adopted in December 1978. The head of state is the representative of the Bourbon dynasty, King Juan Carlos I (since November 20, 1975), who represents Spain in international relations and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The powers of the king are strictly regulated by the constitution. The heir to the throne is Prince Felipe of Asturias. Upon ascending the throne, he will be named Felipe VI.
The government is the highest executive body, directing domestic and foreign policy. The Prime Minister is José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, sworn in on April 17, 2004.
The General Cortes (parliament) exercises legislative power and controls the activities of the government. It consists of two chambers: the Senate (upper chamber, 259 deputies) and the Congress of Deputies (lower chamber, 350 deputies). The members of both chambers are elected for a term of 4 years (Senate - by a majority system, Congress - by a proportional system). The General Cortes of the VII legislature were formed following the parliamentary elections on March 14, 2004. The President of the Senate is F. X. Rojo García, and the President of the Congress of Deputies is M. Marín González.
Local authorities. Autonomous communities have their own parliaments and governments, enjoying broad powers in the fields of culture, health, education, and economy. Executive power at the local level is exercised by municipal councils (over 8.5 thousand).
Since 2002, the armed forces have been staffed only on a contractual basis. The number of armed forces is about 120 thousand people. More than 2.7 thousand military personnel are stationed abroad, of which 2.3 thousand are involved in peacekeeping operations and humanitarian missions. Spain joined NATO in 1982 and integrated into the military structure of the alliance in 1997, maintaining a non-nuclear status for its territory. It has been a member of the European Economic Area since 1988.
Spain officially registers over 500 political parties and public organizations: the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) - founded in 1879. It has 213 thousand members and has been part of the Socialist International since 1970. It was the ruling party from 1982 to 1996 and again from April 2004. The General Secretary is J. L. Rodríguez Zapatero, elected at the 35th PSOE congress in July 2000; the chairman is M. Chaves. The People's Party (PP) is the main opposition party of a center-right orientation (formerly the People's Alliance until January 1989), founded in 1976. It has over 500 thousand members. The party chairman is M. Rajoy, the General Secretary is J. Arenas, and the honorary chairman is former Prime Minister J. M. Aznar. It was in power from 1996 to 2004. The Communist Party of Spain (PCE) was founded in 1920. It has about 90 thousand members (200 thousand in 1978). The General Secretary is F. Frutos. The PCE is the core of the coalition United Left, formed in 1986. There are also quite large regional parties, mainly of a moderately nationalist orientation: the Catalan bloc Convergence and Union, which received 10 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 4 mandates in the Senate in the last elections; the Catalan party "Esquerra Republicana" (8 seats in the Congress of Deputies, represented in the Senate as part of a 4-party bloc that received a total of 16 mandates); the Basque Nationalist Party (7 deputies and 6 senators); the Canary Coalition (3 deputies and 3 senators).
The Workers' Commissions Union (CCOO) unites over 1 million people. As a nationwide organization, it was formed at the I Congress of CCOO in June 1978. The General Secretary is J. M. Fidalgo. The General Union of Workers (UGT) has about 700 thousand members. It was created in 1888 with the direct participation of the PSOE. The General Secretary is K. Méndez. CCOO and UGT account for about 70% of all union members in Spain. The Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) was established in 1977.
The General Secretary is J. M. Cuevas. It represents business interests and participates in the "social dialogue" with the government and trade unions. The CEOE includes over 500 sectoral and regional associations, including the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises.
The unification of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon in 1479 marked the beginning of the Spanish state. In the 16th to 18th centuries, Spain seized vast territories in America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. In 1812, the first bourgeois-democratic constitution in Spain and simultaneously the first in Europe was adopted in the city of Cadiz. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Spain has experienced five revolutions, none of which were completed. In April 1931, with the victory of the republicans in municipal elections, the 6th Spanish revolution began, leading to the establishment of the Second Republic. In February 1936, the People's Front, mainly composed of socialists and communists, won the elections, and a left-republican government was formed in Spain. In July of the same year, a fascist coup broke out, leading to a civil war that resulted in the establishment of Franco's dictatorship in 1939.
Since the early 1960s, there have been attempts by the ruling circles in Spain to "liberalize" the existing regime. After Franco's death (November 20, 1975), significant changes occurred in the country: constitutional monarchy was restored, political prisoners were released, all political parties and trade unions were legalized, the "national movement" (Falange) was dissolved, and a law on political reform was adopted.
On June 15, 1977, the first democratic parliamentary elections were held, and the constitution was adopted. In April 1979, the first constitutional government of A. Suárez was formed. In May 1979, the first session of the constitutional General Cortes began. On November 23, 1981, a reactionary military coup attempt failed. On October 28, 1982, the socialist party (PSOE) won the general parliamentary elections with an absolute majority of votes, subsequently confirming its leadership in the elections of 1986, 1989, and 1993. From 1996 to 2004, the center-right People's Party was in power. On March 14, 2004, the PSOE won the elections.
Since 1955, Spain has been a member of the UN. Since January 1, 1986, it has been a member of the EU.
In terms of industrial production, Spain ranks 5th in the European Union. The most developed industries include machine engineering, automotive and shipbuilding, electrical engineering, chemical, and the oldest industry - textiles. In recent years, the electronics industry has been developing rapidly, while production in the mining and metallurgical sectors has been declining.
Recent privatization processes have led to a significant reduction in the state sector.
In 2004, Spain received 53.6 million foreign tourists (2nd place in the world). The industry's revenues in 2004 were about 35 billion euros. More than 65% of tourists come from EU countries. This sector employs 1.3 million people.
Spain is a major producer of wine (3rd place after Italy and France), citrus fruits, wheat (20% of sown areas), rice, almonds, tobacco, and vegetables (60% of sown areas). It ranks 1st in the world for the production of high-quality olive oil. Animal husbandry is well developed. It is among the top ten countries in the world for fish and seafood catch and processing.
Spain's subsoil is rich in minerals. It ranks 9th in the world and 1st among EU countries in the extraction of metal-containing raw materials.
In terms of energy resources, it ranks 40th in the world. Domestic oil production (about 30 million tons annually) covers less than 10% of needs. Of more than 100 types of minerals, only 16 are seriously developed: iron ore, pyrites, copper, tin, mercury, silver, tungsten, gold, quartz, uranium, coal, and others.
Key economic indicators. In 2004, GDP reached 776.9 billion dollars, with a growth rate of 2.6% (2.3% in 2003). The income per capita is about 18 thousand euros per year (approximately 85% of the EU average). In 2004, inflation was 7.1% (6.9% in 2003).
After a period of severe unemployment, which reached 20% of the economically active population in the late 1990s, it was reduced to 9.1% in 2003. In 2004, this figure rose to 11%.
Spain's banking system is one of the most stable and liquid financial systems in Europe. Its distinctive features include a high degree of concentration of banking capital alongside a small number of credit institutions (395), a significant level of foreign currency reserves (13.9 billion euros), and an extensive network of branches of private banks and state savings banks. National banks with 100% Spanish capital play a dominant role. The leader in market asset value is the financial group "Banco Santander Central Hispano," formed in early 1999 as a result of the merger of the two largest banks in the country. Since December 2001, Spain has ranked 5th in the reliability rating of state finances by Moody's with an Aaa index.
In 2004, Spanish exports amounted to over 135 billion euros (a growth of 6.2% compared to 2003), and imports were about 190 billion euros (a growth of 12.1%). The main foreign trade partners are EU countries (exports - 74.3% of total volume; imports - 64.5%), the USA, and Latin America. CIS countries accounted for only 0.8% of Spain's exports and 2.3% of imports, including Russia - 0.6% of exports and 1.8% of imports.
The length of the road network is 328,100 km. The vehicle fleet exceeds 19 million cars (435 cars per 1,000 residents). 90% of passenger and 79% of freight transport is carried out on roads. The length of the railway network is 14,589 km, of which 12,550 km are standard gauge (1,668 m) and 1,988 km are narrow gauge. About 6.5% of all ground transport cargo and 6% of passengers are transported by rail. High-speed lines operate between Madrid - Seville, Madrid - Zaragoza, and Madrid - Lleida, with several more under construction, including Madrid - Barcelona and Barcelona - Avignon, connecting to the French high-speed rail network.
Maritime transport involves about 300 vessels with a total displacement of 1 million 511 thousand tons. Spanish-flagged vessels transport over 30 million tons of foreign trade cargo annually. 24 seaports control nearly 93% of all transport.
Air transport is the leading mode of transport. Out of 42 airports, 34 operate regular flights. Madrid's international airport serves 25 million passengers annually. The airport in Barcelona serves about 20 million passengers.
Education in Spain is funded by the state budget and private funds. There is a system of compulsory free secondary education from ages 6 to 16. 70% of students are in public schools (96.5% in public universities).
Spain has 44 public, 5 private, and 4 Catholic universities. The oldest university in Salamanca was founded in 1218. The largest universities in the country include the Autonomous University of Madrid, Complutense University (Madrid), Central and Autonomous Universities of Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela, Polytechnic University of Valencia, and others.
Spain has a well-developed network of mass media. There are 137 newspapers and about 1,000 magazines published. The most widely read daily newspapers are: "El País," "Marca" (sports news), "Mundo," "ABC," "Periódico," "La Vanguardia," "RAC1." Among magazines, notable ones include: "Pronto," "Hola," "Tiempo," "Época." Leading radio stations include: SER, COPE, Radio Nacional de España (RNE). Major television channels include: state TVE, covering the entire territory of the country, as well as private studios "Telecinco" and "Antena 3." Autonomous communities have their own regional television, broadcasting in regional languages (Catalan, Basque, Galician). The central news agency is EFE.