comunidad autonoma) and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas,
singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares
(Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria,
Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna (Catalonia), Comunidad
Valenciana (Valencian Community), Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja,
Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small
islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez
de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central
government, are all along the coast of Morocco and are collectively
referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)
Independence:
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 holiday:
National Day, 12 October (1492); year when Columbus first set foot
in the Americas
Constitution:
approved by legislature 31 October 1978; passed by referendum 6
December 1978; signed by the king 27 December 1978
Legal system:
civil law system, with regional applications; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir
Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968
head of government: President of the Government (Prime Minister
equivalent) Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004);
First Vice President (and Minister of the Presidency) Maria Teresa
FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA (since 18 April 2004), Second Vice President
(and Minister of Economy and Finance) Elena SALGADO Mendez (since 8
April 2009), and Third Vice President (and Minister of Regional
Affairs) Manuel CHAVES Gonzalez (since 8 April 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme
consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are
non-binding
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and
elected by the National Assembly; election last held on 9 and 11
April 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); vice presidents
appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president
election results: Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO reelected President
of the Government; percent of National Assembly vote - 46.94%
Legislative branch:
bicameral; General Courts or Las Cortes Generales (National
Assembly) consists of the Senate or Senado (264 seats as of 2008;
208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 56 - as
of 2008 - appointed by the regional legislatures; to serve four-year
terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados
(350 seats; each of the 50 electoral provinces fills a minimum of
two seats and the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla fill
one seat each with members serving a four-year term; the other 248
members are determined by proportional representation based on
popular vote on block lists who serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 9 March 2008 (next to be held not
later than March 2012); Congress of Deputies - last held on 9 March
2008 (next to be held not later than March 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - PP 101, PSOE 88, Entesa Catalona de Progress 12, CiU 4, PNV
2, CC 1, members appointed by regional legislatures 56; Congress of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - PSOE 43.6%, PP 40.1%, CiU
3.1%, PNV 1.2%, ERC 1.2%, other 10.8%; seats by party - PSOE 169, PP
154, CiU 10, PNV 6, ERC 3, other 8
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders:
Aragonese Party or CHA [Bizen FUSTER]; Basque Nationalist Party or
PNV or EAJ [Inigo URKULLU]; Basque Solidarity or EA [Begona
ERRAZTI]; Canarian Coalition or CC [Jose Torres STINGA] (a coalition
of five parties); Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro]
(a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC
[Artur MAS i Gavarro] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC
[Josep Antoni DURAN i LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a
Senate coalition grouping four Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV,
EUA); Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Anxo Manuel QUINTANA
Gonzalez]; Initiative for Catalonia Greens or ICV [Joan SAURA i
Laporta]; Navarra yes or Na Bai [Uxue BARKOS Berruezo] (a coalition
of four Navarran parties); Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY Brey];
Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Joan RIDAO]; Spanish Socialist
Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO]; United Left or
IU [Cayo LARA] (a coalition of parties including the Communist Party
of Spain or PCE and other small parties)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Association for Victims of Terrorism or AVT (grassroots organization
devoted primarily to opposing ETA terrorist attacks and supporting
its victims); Basta Ya (Spanish for "Enough is Enough"; grassroots
organization devoted primarily to opposing ETA terrorist attacks and
supporting its victims); Nunca Mais (Galician for "Never Again";
formed in response to the oil Tanker Prestige oil spill); Socialist
General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers
Syndical Union or USO; Trade Union Confederation of Workers'
Commissions or CC.OO.
other: business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free
labor unions (authorized in April 1977); university students
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council
(observer), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB,
EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURCAT, MONUC,
NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris
Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), SICA (observer),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNRWA,
UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jorge DEZCALLAR de Mazarredo
chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340
FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Arnold A.
CHACON
embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642
telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200
FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303
consulate(s) general: Barcelona
Flag description:
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
Economy ::Spain
Economy - overview:
The Spanish economy grew every year from 1994 through 2008 before
entering a recession that started in the third quarter of 2008.
Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita
basis is approaching that of the largest West European economies.
The Socialist president, Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO, in office
since 2004, has made mixed progress in carrying out key structural
reforms. The economy was greatly affected, especially after
Zapatero's second term began in April 2008, by the bursting of the
housing bubble and construction boom that had fueled much of the
economic growth between 2001 and 2007. The global financial crisis
exacerbated the economic downturn. GDP growth in 2008 was 1.2%, well
below the 3% or higher growth the country enjoyed from 1997 through
2007. The Spanish banking system is considered solid, thanks in part
to conservative oversight by the European Central Bank, and
government intervention to rescue banks on the scale seen elsewhere
in Europe in 2008 was not necessary. After considerable success
since the mid-1990s in reducing unemployment to a 2007 low of 8%,
Spain suffered a major spike in unemployment in the last few months
of 2008, finishing the year with an unemployment rate over 13%.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.402 trillion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
$1.39 trillion (2007 est.)
$1.341 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.602 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.9% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
3.6% (2007 est.)
4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$34,600 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
$34,400 (2007 est.)
$33,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.4%
industry: 29%
services: 67.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
22.85 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 26.4%
services: 69.5% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
11.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
8.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
19.8% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 26.6% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 102
32.5 (1990)
Investment (gross fixed):
29.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
Budget:
revenues: $598.1 billion
expenditures: $659.1 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
40.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
53.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.1% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
2.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 102
5% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal
lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro
area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.02% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$NA
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro
area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for
the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual
members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi
money circulating within their own borders
Stock of quasi money:
$NA
Stock of domestic credit:
$3.45 trillion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 7
$2.976 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.132 trillion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 10
$1.8 trillion (31 December 2007)
$1.323 trillion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef,
pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Industries:
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
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
Electricity - production:
283.2 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Electricity - consumption:
276.1 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Electricity - exports:
16.92 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
5.88 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
28,130 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
Oil - consumption:
1.562 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
Oil - exports:
226,900 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
Oil - imports:
1.813 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Oil - proved reserves:
150 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - production:
17 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Natural gas - consumption:
38.18 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - imports:
38.59 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.548 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Current account balance:
-$154.1 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
-$145.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$285.9 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
$256.7 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines,
other consumer goods
Exports - partners:
France 18.4%, Germany 10.6%, Portugal 8.7%, Italy 8%, UK 6.7%, US
4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$415.5 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
$380.2 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods,
foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments
Imports - partners:
Germany 14.5%, France 11.1%, Italy 7.4%, China 6.3%, UK 4.6%,
Netherlands 4.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$20.25 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$19.05 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.317 trillion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 8
$2.299 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$636.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
$570.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$605.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
$687.4 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007),
0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Spain
Telephones - main lines in use:
20.2 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 15
Telephones - mobile cellular:
49.682 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 20
Telephone system:
general assessment: well developed, modern facilities; fixed-line
teledensity is roughly 50 per 100 persons
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is
nearly 175 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 34; submarine cables provide
connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA
Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 18, FM 250, shortwave 2 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
379 (2008)
Internet country code:
.es
Internet hosts:
3.537 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 23
Internet users:
25.24 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 12
Transportation ::Spain
Airports:
153 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 35
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 95
over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 24
under 914 m: 23 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 58
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 39 (2009)
Heliports:
9 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 7,738 km; oil 560 km; refined products 3,445 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 15,288 km
country comparison to the world: 18
broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,949 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km
0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 681,224 km
country comparison to the world: 10
paved: 681,224 km (includes 13,872 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
1,000 km (2008)
country comparison to the world: 65
Merchant marine:
total: 158
country comparison to the world: 41
by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 14, chemical tanker 11, container 22,
liquefied gas 11, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 47, petroleum tanker
16, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 2,
vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 26 (Canada 4, Denmark 2, Germany 5, Italy 2, Mexico
3, Norway 5, UK 5)
registered in other countries: 110 (Angola 1, Argentina 2, Bahamas
14, Belize 1, Brazil 9, Cape Verde 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 6, Malta 3,
Marshall Islands 1, Nigeria 1, Panama 50, Portugal 11, Saint Kitts
and Nevis 1, UK 1, Uruguay 6, Venezuela 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona, Valencia
Military ::Spain
Military branches:
Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy
(Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force
(Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,033,069
females age 16-49: 9,764,937 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 8,139,020
females age 16-49: 7,899,157 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 199,124
female: 187,224 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Transnational Issues ::Spain
Disputes - international:
in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to
remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty"
arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK
and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater
autonomy; 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;
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
Illicit drugs:
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Spratly Islands (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Spratly Islands
Background:
The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs.
They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas
and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China,
Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the
Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small
numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that
overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim.
Geography ::Spratly Islands
Location:
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China
Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the
southern Philippines
Geographic coordinates:
8 38 N, 111 55 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: less than 5 sq km
country comparison to the world: 246
land: less than 5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts
scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South
China Sea
Area - comparative:
NA
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
926 km
Maritime claims:
NA
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
flat
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Natural resources:
fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the
central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls,
shoals, and coral reefs
People ::Spratly Islands
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several
claimant states
Government ::Spratly Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Economy ::Spratly Islands
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to
nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the
potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely
unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves.
Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Transportation ::Spratly Islands
Airports:
4 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 188
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
3 (2009)
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Spratly Islands
Military - note:
Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of
which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Transnational Issues ::Spratly Islands
Disputes - international:
all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and
Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines;
in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that
encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not
publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the
"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,"
which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code
of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the
Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine
seismic activities in the Spratly Islands
page last updated on September 24, 2009
======================================================================
@Sri Lanka (South Asia)
Introduction ::Sri Lanka
Background: