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| Geography |
Spain |
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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; it joined the EU in 1986. Continuing challenges include
Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and further reductions in
unemployment. |
| Location |
  |
|
Southwestern
Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic
Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France |
| Geographic
Co-Ordinates |
|
|
40
00 N,4 00 W |
| Map
References |
|
|
Europe |
| Area |
 |
| Total |
504782 |
| Land |
499542 |
| Water |
5240 |
| Area
Comparative |
|
|
slightly
more than twice the size of Oregon |
| Land
Boundaries |
|
| Total |
1917.8 |
| 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 |
|
|
4964 |
| Maritime
claims |
|
| Contiguous
Zone |
24 nm |
| Territorial
Sea |
12 nm |
| Continental
Shelf |
|
| Exclusive
Economic Zone |
200
nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean) |
| Climate |
|
|
temperate;
clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast;
cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast |
| Terrian |
|
|
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, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury,
pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash,
hydropower, arable land |
| Land
use |
|
| arable
land |
26.07% |
| permanent
crops |
9.87% |
| other |
64.06%
(2001) |
| 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
agreements |
|
| party
to |
Air
Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling |
| signed,
but not ratified |
Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
| Geography
- note |
|
|
strategic
location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar |
| |
| People |
Spain |
| Population |
|
|
40,341,462
(July 2005 est.) |
| Age
structure |
|
| 0-14
years |
14.4%
(male 2,994,124/female 2,815,456) |
| 15-64
years |
68%
(male 13,762,281/female 13,664,762) |
| 65
years and over |
17.6%
(male 2,965,859/female 4,138,980) (2005 est.) |
| Median
age |
|
| total |
39.51
years |
| male |
38.18
years |
| female |
40.93
years (2005 est.) |
| Population
Growth Rate |
|
|
0.15%
(2005 est.) |
| Birth
Rate |
|
|
10.1
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Death
Rate |
|
|
9.63
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Net
migration rate |
|
|
0.99
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 (2005 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate |
|
| total |
4.42
deaths/1,000 live births |
| male |
4.82
deaths/1,000 live births |
| female |
4
deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth |
|
| total |
79.52
years |
| male |
76.18
years |
| female |
83.08
years (2005 est.) |
| Total
Fertility Rate |
|
|
1.28
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate |
|
|
0.7%
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS |
|
|
140,000
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths |
|
|
less
than 1,000 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality |
|
| noun |
Spaniard(s) |
| adjective |
Spanish |
| Ethnic
groups |
|
|
composite
of Mediterranean and Nordic types |
| Religions |
|
|
Roman
Catholic 94%, other 6% |
| Languages |
|
|
Castilian
Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%; note - Castilian is
the official language nationwide; the other languages are official
regionally |
| Literacy |
|
| definition |
age
15 and over can read and write |
| total
population |
97.9% |
| male |
98.7% |
| female |
97.2%
(2003 est.) |
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