The Kingdom of Spain or Spain is a country located in the southwest of Europe . It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal , Gibraltar and Andorra . To the northeast, along the Pyrenees mountain range, it borders France and the tiny principality of Andorra . It includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea , the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean , the cities of Ceuta and Melilla in the north of Africa , and a number of minor uninhabited islands on the Mediterranean side of the strait of Gibraltar , such as the Chafarine islands, the "rocks" of Vélez and Alhucemas , and the tiny Parsley Island .
Spain has been a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy since the Spanish Constitution was approved in 1978 . Strong postwar economic growth and an expansion in trade following membership of the European Union in 1986 made the country's economy the tenth largest in the world in 2002. Life expectancy, public transportation, sanitation, infrastructure, and health care are first-rate, although the GDP per capita remains at 87% of that of the four leading European economies.
Geography
Mainland Spain is dominated by high plateaus and mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees or the Sierra Nevada . Running from these heights are several major rivers such as the Tagus , the Ebro , the Duero , the Guadiana and the Guadalquivir . Alluvial plains are found along the coast, the largest of which is that of the Guadalquivir in Andalusia , in the east there are alluvial plains with medium rivers like Segura , Júcar and Turia . Spain is bound to the east by Mediterranean Sea (containing the Balearic Islands ), to the north by the Bay of Biscay and to its west by the Atlantic Ocean , where the Canary Islands off the African coast are found.
Spain's climate can be divided in four areas:
- The Mediterranean: mostly temperate in the eastern and southern part of the country; rainy seasons are spring and autumn. Mild summers with pleasant temperatures. Hot records : Murcia 47,2º, Malaga 44,2º, Valencia 42,5º, Alicante 41,4º, Palma of Mallorca 40,6º, Barcelona 39,8º.
- Inner spain: Very cold winters (frequent snow in the north) and hot summers. Hot records : Sevilla 47,0º, Cordoba 46,6º, Badajoz 45,0º, Zaragoza 42,6º, Madrid 42,2º, Valladolid 40,2º.
- Northern Atlantic coast: precipitations mostly on winter, with mild summers (slightly cold). Hot records : Bilbao 42,0º, La Coruña 37,6º, Gijón 36,4º.
- The Canary Islands: subtropical weather, with mild temperatures (18º to 24 º celsius ) throughout the year.
Biggest metropolitan areas
- Madrid 5,603,285
- Barcelona 4,667,136
- Valencia 1,465,423
- Sevilla 1,294,081
- Malaga 1,019,292
Territorial disputes
Spain has called for the return of Gibraltar , a tiny British possession on its southern coast. It changed hands during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1704 . The most recent talks dealt with the idea of "total shared sovereignty" over Gibraltar, subject to a constitutional referendum by Gibraltarians, who have expressed opposition to any form of cession to Spain. The talks have been frozen, after the result of a referendum in Gibraltar where 98% of the people opposed them. See Gibraltar for more information.
Morocco claims the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and the uninhabited Vélez , Alhucemas , Chafarinas , and Perejil ("Parsley") islands, all on the northern coast of Africa.
The town of Olivenza ( Extremadura ) and its adjoining countryside is claimed by Portugal , but the Spanish public is not generally aware of that claim.
Economy
Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 87% that of the four leading West European economies. The center-right government of former President Aznar successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency , the euro , on 1 January 1999 . The Aznar administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the Aznar administration but remains high at 11.7%. Growth of 2.4% in 2003 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. Incoming President Rodríguez Zapatero, whose party won the election three days after the Madrid train bombings in March, plans to reduce government intervention in business, combat tax fraud, and support innovation, research and development, but also intends to reintroduce labor market regulations that had been scrapped by the Aznar government. Adjusting to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe - and reducing unemployment - will pose challenges to Spain over the next few years.