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4 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Spain
n : a parliamentary monarchy in southwestern Europe on the
Iberian Peninsula; a former colonial power [syn: {Kingdom
of Spain}, {Espana}]
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Spain
Paul expresses his intention (Rom. 15:24, 28) to visit Spain.
There is, however, no evidence that he ever carried it into
effect, although some think that he probably did so between his
first and second imprisonment. (See {TARSHISH}.)
From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]:
Spain, rare; precious
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Spain
Introduction Spain
------------------
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, Spain has played a
catch-up role in the western
international community. Continuing
concerns are Basque Fatherland and
Liberty (ETA) terrorism and further
reductions in unemployment.
Geography Spain
---------------
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the
Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea,
North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees
Mountains, southwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 504,782 sq km
water: 5,240 sq km
note: there are 19 autonomous
communities including Balearic
Islands and Canary Islands, and
three small Spanish possessions off
the coast of Morocco - Islas
Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and
Penon de Velez de la Gomera
land: 499,542 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of
Oregon
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
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
(applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers in
interior, more moderate and cloudy
along coast; cloudy, cold winters in
interior, partly cloudy and cool
along coast
Terrain: large, flat to dissected plateau
surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees
in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Teide
(Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium,
mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum,
zinc, lead, tungsten, copper,
kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable
land
Land use: arable land: 28.6%
permanent crops: 9.56%
other: 61.84% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 36,400 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea
from raw sewage and effluents from
the offshore production of oil and
gas; water quality and quantity
nationwide; air pollution;
deforestation; desertification
Environment - international party to: Air Pollution, Air
agreements: Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-
Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification
Geography - note: strategic location along approaches
to Strait of Gibraltar
People Spain
------------
Population: 40,077,100 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.5% (male 2,993,747;
female 2,812,498)
15-64 years: 68.1% (male 13,699,383;
female 13,592,717)
65 years and over: 17.4% (male
2,922,452; female 4,056,303) (2002
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.09% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 9.29 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.08 years
female: 82.76 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.63 years
Total fertility rate: 1.16 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.58% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 120,000 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 2,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s)
adjective: Spanish
Ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and
Nordic types
Religions: Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Languages: Castilian Spanish (official) 74%,
Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 97%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government Spain
----------------
Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of
Spain
conventional short form: Spain
local short form: Espana
Government type: parliamentary monarchy
Capital: Madrid
Administrative divisions: 19 autonomous communities
(comunidades autonomas, singular -
comunidad autonoma); Andalucia,
Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic
Islands), Ceuta, Canarias (Canary
Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La
Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna,
Communidad Valencian, Extremadura,
Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla,
Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque
Country)
note: three small Spanish
possessions are located off the
coast of Morocco: Islas Chafarinas,
Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de
Velez de la Gomera
Independence: the Iberian peninsula was
characterized by a variety of
independent kingdoms prior to the
Moslem 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: Hispanic Day, 12 October
Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29
December 1978
Legal system: civil law system, with regional
applications; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez
(since 5 May 1996); First Vice
President (and Minister of Interior)
Mariano RAJOY (since 27 April 2000)
and Second Vice President (and
Minister of Economy) Rodrigo RATO
Figaredo (since 5 May 1996)
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
election results: Jose Maria AZNAR
Lopez (PP) elected president;
percent of National Assembly vote -
44.54%; note - the Popular Party
(PP) obtained an absolute majority
of seats in both the Congress of
Deputies and the Senate as a result
of the March 2000 elections
elections: the monarch is
hereditary; president proposed by
the monarch and elected by the
National Assembly following
legislative elections; election last
held 12 March 2000 (next to be held
NA March 2004); vice presidents
appointed by the monarch on the
proposal of the president
Legislative branch: bicameral; General Courts or
National Assembly or Las Cortes
Generales consists of the Senate or
Senado (259 seats - 208 members
directly elected by popular vote and
the other 51 appointed by the
regional legislatures to serve four-
year terms) and the Congress of
Deputies or Congreso de los
Diputados (350 seats; members are
elected by popular vote on block
lists by proportional representation
to serve four-year terms)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - PP 44.6%, PSOE
34.1%, CiU 4.2%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1.1%,
PIL 0%; seats by party - PP 127,
PSOE 61, CiU 8, PNV 6, CC 5, PIL 1;
Congress of Deputies - percent of
vote by party - PP 44.5%, PSOE 34%,
CiU 4.2%, IU 5.4%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1%,
BNG 1.3%; seats by party - PP 183,
PSOE 125, CiU 15, IU 8, PNV 7, CC 4,
BNG 3, other 5
elections: Senate - last held 12
March 2000 (next to be held NA March
2004); Congress of Deputies - last
held 12 March 2000 (next to be held
NA March 2004)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Political parties and leaders: Basque Nationalist Party or PNV
[Xabier ARZALLUS Antia]; Batasuna
[Arnaldo OTEGI]; Canarian Coalition
or CC (a coalition of five parties)
[Paulino RIVERO]; Convergence and
Union or CiU [Jordi PUJOL i Soley,
secretary general] (a coalition of
the Democratic Convergence of
Catalonia or CDC [Jordi PUJOL i
Soley] and the Democratic Union of
Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN
y LLEIDA]); Galician Nationalist
Bloc or BNG [Xose Manuel BEIRAS];
Party of Independents from Lanzarote
or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin];
Popular Party or PP [Jose Maria
AZNAR Lopez]; Spanish Socialist
Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis
RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or
IU (a coalition of parties including
the PCE and other small parties)
[Gaspar LLAMAZARES]
Political pressure groups and business and landowning interests;
leaders: Catholic Church; free labor unions
(authorized in April 1977);
Socialist General Union of Workers
or UGT and the smaller independent
Workers Syndical Union or USO;
university students; Workers
Confederation or CC.OO
International organization AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS,
participation: CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA
(observer), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Francisco Javier RUPEREZ
chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20037
consulate(s) general: Boston,
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New Orleans, New York, San
Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto
Rico)
FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-
2340
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador George
US: L. ARGYROS
embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
mailing address: 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 includes the royal seal
framed by the Pillars of Hercules,
which are the two promontories
(Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side
of the eastern end of the Strait of
Gibraltar
Economy Spain
-------------
Economy - overview: Spain's mixed capitalist economy
supports a GDP that on a per capita
basis is 80% that of the four
leading West European economies. Its
center-right government successfully
worked to gain admission to the
first group of countries launching
the European single currency on 1
January 1999. The AZNAR
administration has continued to
advocate liberalization,
privatization, and deregulation of
the economy and has introduced some
tax reforms to that end.
Unemployment has been steadily
falling under the AZNAR
administration but remains the
highest in the EU at 13%. The
government intends to make further
progress in changing labor laws and
reforming pension schemes, which are
key to the sustainability of both
Spain's internal economic advances
and its competitiveness in a single
currency area. Adjusting to the
monetary and other economic policies
of an integrated Europe - and
further reducing unemployment - will
pose challenges to Spain over the
next few years.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $757
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.8% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $18,900
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4%
industry: 28%
services: 68% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.8%
percentage share: highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)
Distribution of family income - Gini 32.5 (1990)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 17.1 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation: services 64%, manufacturing, mining,
and construction 29%, agriculture 7%
(2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 13% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $105 billion
expenditures: $109 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$12.8 billion (2000 est.)
Industries: textiles and apparel (including
footwear), food and beverages,
metals and metal manufactures,
chemicals, shipbuilding,
automobiles, machine tools, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 211.64 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 56.78%
hydro: 12.49%
other: 2.9% (2000)
nuclear: 27.83%
Electricity - consumption: 201.159 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 7.832 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 12.166 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: grain, vegetables, olives, wine
grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef,
pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Exports: $118.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery, motor vehicles;
foodstuffs, other consumer goods
Exports - partners: EU 71.2% (France 19.6%, Germany
11.8%, Portugal 9.9%, Italy 9%, UK
9%), US 4.4%, Latin America 4%
(January-October 2001)
Imports: $150.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels,
chemicals, semifinished goods;
foodstuffs, consumer goods (1997)
Imports - partners: EU 63.1% (France 16.4%, Germany
15.5%, Italy 9%, UK 6.9%, Benelux
3.5%), OPEC 5%, US 4.5%, Japan 2.5%,
Latin America 2% (January-October
2001)
Debt - external: $90 billion (1993 est.)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.33 billion (1999)
Currency: euro (EUR); Spanish peseta (ESP)
note: on 1 January 1999, the
European Monetary Union introduced
the euro as a common currency to be
used by the financial institutions
of member countries; on 1 January
2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions
with the member countries
Currency code: EUR; ESP
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324
(January 2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999);
pesetas per US dollar - 149.40
(1998), 146.41 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Spain
--------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 17.336 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 8.394 million (1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: generally
adequate, modern facilities;
teledensity is 44 main lines for
each 100 persons
domestic: NA
international: 22 coaxial submarine
cables; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;
tropospheric scatter to adjacent
countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 13.1 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)
note: these figures include 11
television broadcast stations and 88
repeaters in the Canary Islands
(1995)
Televisions: 16.2 million (1997)
Internet country code: .es
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 56 (2000)
Internet users: 7.38 million (2001)
Transportation Spain
--------------------
Railways: total: 15,171 km
broad gauge: 12,781 km 1.668-m gauge
(6,434 km electrified)
standard gauge: 525 km 1.435-m gauge
(525 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,837 km 1.000-m gauge
(617 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-
m gauge (28 km electrified) (2001)
Highways: total: 346,858 km
paved: 343,389 km (including 9,063
km of expressways)
unpaved: 3,469 km (1997)
Waterways: 1,045 km (of minor economic
importance)
Pipelines: crude oil 265 km; petroleum products
1,794 km; natural gas 1,666 km
Ports and harbors: Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz,
Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana,
Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas
(Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla,
Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de
Tenerife (Canary Islands),
Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo
Merchant marine: total: 144 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 1,364,751 GRT/1,962,764 DWT
ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 31,
chemical tanker 10, container 10,
liquefied gas 2, livestock carrier
1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 24,
refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll
off 35, short-sea passenger 8,
vehicle carrier 3
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Croatia 1, Cuba 2,
Denmark 1, Germany 7, Italy 1,
Netherlands 1, Norway 6, Uruguay 3
(2002 est.)
Airports: 133 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 85
over 3,047 m: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m: 23 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 48
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 33 (2001)
Heliports: 5 (2001)
Military Spain
--------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines,
Civil Guard, National Police,
Coastal Civil Guard
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 10,520,561 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 8,403,430 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching males: 281,043 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $8.6 billion (2002)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 1.15% (2002)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Spain
--------------------------
Disputes - international: Spain and UK are discussing "total
shared sovereignty" over Gibraltar,
subject to a constitutional
referendum by Gibraltarians, who
have largely expressed opposition to
any form of cession to Spain; Spain
controls the coastal enclaves of
Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco
contests, as well as the islands of
Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez
de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas;
Morocco rejected Spain's unilateral
designation of a median line from
the Canary Islands in 2002 to
explore undersea resources and to
interdict illegal refugees from
Africa
Illicit drugs: key European gateway country for
Latin American cocaine and North
African hashish entering the
European market; destination and
minor transshipment point for
Southwest Asian heroin
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