Government (Spain)
==================


     Long-form name:
         Kingdom of Spain
     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)
     Constitution:
         6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
     Legal system:
         civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ
         jurisdiction
     National holiday:
         National Day, 12 October
     Executive branch:
         monarch, president of the government (prime minister), deputy prime
         minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Council of State
     Legislative branch:
         bicameral The General Courts or National Assembly (Las Cortes Generales)
         consists of an upper house or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or Congress
         of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados)
     Judicial branch:
         Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo)
     Leaders:
       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 (since 13 March 1991)
     Political parties and leaders:
         principal national parties, from right to left - Popular Party (PP), Jose
         Maria AZNAR; Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Luis DE GRANDES; Social
         Democratic Center (CDS), Rafael Calvo ORTEGA; Spanish Socialist Workers
         Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez; Socialist Democracy Party (DS),
         Ricardo Garcia DAMBORENEA; Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio ANGUITA;
         chief regional parties - Convergence and Unity (CiU), Jordi PUJOL Saley, in
         Catalonia; Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier ARZALLUS; Basque
         Solidarity (EA), Carlos GARAICOETXEA Urizza; Basque Popular Unity (HB), Jon
         IDIGORAS; Basque Left (EE), Kepa AULESTIA; Andalusian Party (PA), Pedro
         PACHECO; Independent Canary Group (AIC); Aragon Regional Party (PAR);
         Valencian Union (UV)
     Suffrage:
         universal at age 18
     Elections:
       Senate:
         last held 29 October 1989 (next to be held NA October 1993); results -
         percent of vote by party NA; seats - (208 total) PSOE 106, PP 79, CiU 10,
         PNV 4, HB 3, AIC 1, other 5