Spain




                                 Geography


Location:
     Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the
     Mediterranean Sea, between Portugal and France
Map references:
     Africa, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     504,750 sq km
land area:
     499,400 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
note:
     includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of
     sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco -
     Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de
     Velez de la Gomera
Land boundaries:
     total 1,903.2 km, Andorra 65 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km,
     Portugal 1,214 km
Coastline:
     4,964 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     Gibraltar question with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty
     (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - 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
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
Natural resources:
     coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum,
     zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower
Land use:
arable land:
     31%
permanent crops:
     10%
meadows and pastures:
     21%
forest and woodland:
     31%




other:
     7%
Irrigated land:
     33,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from untreated sewage and effluents
     from the offshore production of oil and gas; air pollution;
     deforestation; desertification
natural hazards:
     NA
international agreements:
     party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
     Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
     Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
     Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear
     Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber,
     Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Nitrogen
     Oxides, Law of the Sea
Note:
     strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar


                                  People


Population:
     39,302,665 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.25% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     11.05 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     8.82 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     77.71 years
male:
     74.45 years
female:
     81.21 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     1.4 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Spaniard(s)
adjective:
     Spanish
Ethnic divisions:
     composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions:
     Roman Catholic 99%, other sects 1%




Languages:
     Castilian Spanish, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     95%
male:
     97%
female:
     93%
Labor force:
     14.621 million
by occupation:
     services 53%, industry 24%, agriculture 14%, construction 9% (1988)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Kingdom of Spain
conventional short form:
local short form:
     Espana
Digraph:
     SP
Type:
     parliamentary monarchy
Capital:
     Madrid
Administrative divisions:
     17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad
     autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria,
     Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencia,
     Extremadura, Galicia, Islas Baleares, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia,
     Navarra, Pais Vasco
note:
     there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco
     (Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de
     Velez de la Gomera) with administrative status unknown
Independence:
     1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
National holiday:
     National Day, 12 October
Constitution:
     6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system:
     civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept
     compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975)




head of government:
     Prime Minister Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez (since 2 December 1982); Deputy
     Prime Minister Narcis SERRA y Serra (since 13 March 1991)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers; designated by the prime minister
Council of State:
     is the supreme consultative organ of the government
Legislative branch:
     bicameral The General Courts or National Assembly (Las Cortes
     Generales)
Senate (Senado):
     elections last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held by NA June 1997);
     results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (255 total) PSOE 117,
     PP 107, CiU 15, PNV 5, IU 2, other 9
Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados):
     elections last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held by NA June 1997);
     results by percent of party NA; seats - (350 total) PSOE 159, PP 141,
     IU 18, CiU 17, PNV 5, CN 4, HB 2, other 4
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo)
Political parties and leaders:
principal national parties, from right to left:
     Popular Party (PP), Jose Maria AZNAR; Social Democratic Center (CDS),
     Rafael Calvo ORTEGA; Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe
     GONZALEZ Marquez, secretary general; Socialist Democracy Party (DS),
     Ricardo Garcia DAMBORENEA; Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio
     ANGUITA; United Left (IU) a coalition of parties including the PCE, a
     branch of the PSOE, and other small parties, Julio ANGUITA
chief regional parties:
     Convergence and Unity (CiU), Jordi PUJOL Saley and Miguel ROCA in
     Catalonia; Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier ARZALLUS and Jose
     Antonio ARDANZA; Basque Solidarity (EA), Carlos GARAICOETXEA Urizza;
     Basque Popular Unity (HB), Jon IDIGORAS and Inaki ESNAOLA; Basque
     Socialist Party (PSE), coalition of the PSE, EE and PSOE, Jose Maria
     BANEGAS and Jon LARRINAGA; Andalusian Progress Party (PA), Pedro
     PACHECO; Canarian Coalition (CN), Dimas MARTIN; Catalan Republican
     Left, Angel COLOM; Galician Coalition, Senen BERNARDEZ; Aragonese
     Regionalist Party (PAR), Jose Maria MUR Bernad; Valencian Union (UV),
     Vicente GONZALEZ Lizondo, Manuel CAMPILLOS Martinez
Other political or pressure groups:
     on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the
     First of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) use terrorism to
     oppose the government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977)
     include the Communist-dominated Workers Commissions (CCOO); the
     Socialist General Union of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent
     Workers Syndical Union (USO); business and landowning interests; the
     Catholic Church; Opus Dei; university students
Member of:
     AG (observer), AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM,
     CSCE, EBRD, AfDB, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-8, GATT, IADB,
     IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
     INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA
     (observer), LORCS, MTRC, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
     (observer), OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
     UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC




Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Jaime De OJEDA y Eiseley
chancery:
     2700 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
     (202) 265-0190 or 0191
consulate(s) general:
     Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
     San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Richard N. GARDNER
embassy:
     Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
mailing address:
     APO AE 09642
telephone:
     [34] (1) 577-4000
FAX:
     [34] (1) 577-5735
consulate(s) general:
     Barcelona
consulate(s):
     Bilbao
Flag:
     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


Overview:
     After the economic boom of 1986-90, the Spanish economy fell into
     recession along with the economies of other EU member states. Real GDP
     barely grew in 1992 and declined by approximately 1% in 1993.
     Unemployment, now nearly one-fourth of the workforce, and the sharp
     downturn in business investment have contributed to sagging domestic
     demand. Devaluation of the peseta since September 1992 has made
     Spanish exports more competitive, but an export-led recovery in 1994
     will depend largely on economic recovery in Spain's major market - the
     other EU nations. A solid recovery will also require appropriate
     domestic policy actions, including controlling the budget deficit and
     wage increases, reforming labor market regulations, and possibly
     loosening monetary policy another notch. Foreign investors,
     principally from other EU countries, have invested over $60 billion in
     Spain since 1986. Despite the recession, inflation remained at about
     5% in 1993. The main source of inflationary pressure is the fiscal
     deficit.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $498 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
     -1% (1993)




National product per capita:
     $12,700 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     4.5% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     22% (yearend 1993)
Budget:
revenues:
     $97.7 billion
expenditures:
     $128 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports:
     $72.8 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
     cars and trucks, semifinished manufactured goods, foodstuffs,
     machinery
partners:
     EC 71.2%, US 4.8%, other developed countries 7.9% (1992)
Imports:
     $92.5 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities:
     machinery, transport equipment, fuels, semifinished goods, foodstuffs,
     consumer goods, chemicals
partners:
     EC 60.7%, US 7.4%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 5.9%
     (1992)
External debt:
     $90 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate -1.7% (1992)
Electricity:
capacity:
     46,600,000 kW
production:
     157 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     4,000 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals
     and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine
     tools, tourism
Agriculture:
     accounts for about 5% of GDP and 14% of labor force; major products -
     grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus fruit,
     beef, pork, poultry, dairy; largely self-sufficient in food; fish
     catch of 1.4 million metric tons is among top 20 nations
Illicit drugs:
     key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North
     African hashish entering the European market
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1.9 billion; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $545
     million




note:
     not currently a recipient
Currency:
     1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates:
     pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 136.6 (May 1994), 127.26 (1993), 102.38
     (1992), 103.91 (1991), 101.93 (1990), 118.38 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     15,430 km total; Spanish National Railways (RENFE) operates 12,691 km
     (all 1,668-mm gauge, 6,184 km electrified, and 2,295 km double track);
     FEVE (government-owned narrow-gauge railways) operates 1,821 km
     (predominantly 1,000-mm gauge, 441 km electrified); privately owned
     railways operate 918 km (predominantly 1,000-mm gauge, 512 km
     electrified, and 56 km double track)
Highways:
total:
     318,022 km (1988)
paved:
     178,092 km (including 2,142 km of expressways)
unpaved:
     139,930 km
Inland waterways:
     1,045 km, but of minor economic importance
Pipelines:
     crude oil 265 km; petroleum products 1,794 km; natural gas 1,666 km
Ports:
     Algeciras, Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena,
     Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, El Ferrol del Caudillo, Puerto de Gijon,
     Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Mahon, Malaga,
     Melilla, Rota, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Sagunto, Tarragona, Valencia,
     Vigo, and 175 minor ports
Merchant marine:
     192 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,328,730 GRT/2,213,671 DWT,
     bulk 21, cargo 55, chemical tanker 14, container 11, liquefied gas 5,
     oil tanker 29, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 12, roll-on/roll-off
     cargo 33, short-sea passenger 6, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier
     1
Airports:
total:
     105
usable:
     99
with permanent-surface runways:
     60
with runways over 3,659 m:
     4
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     22
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     26




Telecommunications:
     generally adequate, modern facilities; 15,350,464 telephones;
     broadcast stations - 190 AM, 406 (134 repeaters) FM, 100 (1,297
     repeaters) TV; 22 coaxial submarine cables; 2 communications satellite
     earth stations operating in INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian
     Ocean); MARECS, INMARSAT, and EUTELSAT systems; tropospheric links


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal
     Civil Guard
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 10,377,990; fit for military service 8,396,405; reach
     military age (20) annually 337,764 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $5.8 billion, 1.3% of GDP (1994 est.)