|
Background: Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately
yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile
and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and
Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II,
but suffered through a devastating Civil War (1936-39). In the second half of the 20th
century, it has played a catch-up role in the western international community.
Continuing concerns are large-scale unemployment and the Basque separatist movement.
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea,
North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Area:
Total: 504,782 sq km
Land: 499,542 sq km
Water: 5,240 sq km
Note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty
(plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - Ceuta, Melilla, Islas
Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Land Boundaries:
Total: 1,917.8 km
Border Countries: 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
Coastline: 4,964 km
Elevation Extremes:
Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest Point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
Population: 39,996,671 (July 2000 est.)
Ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Languages: Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
Information courtesy of the
CIA World Factbook.
|