Spain
GANG INFORMATION
PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Kingdom of Spain
Geography
Area: 504,750 sq. km. (194,884 sq. mi.), including the Balearic
and Canary Islands; about the size of Arizona and Utah combined.
Cities: Capital--Madrid (5.5 million). Other cities-- Barcelona
(4.9 million), Bilbao (353,950), Malaga (1.3 million), Seville
(1.8 million), Valencia (2.3 million), Zaragoza (871,000).
Terrain: High plateaus, lowland areas such as narrow coastal plains,
and mountainous regions.
Climate: Temperate. Summers are hot in the interior and more moderate
and cloudy along the coast; winters are cold in interior and partly
cloudy and cool along the coast.
Time zone: Spanish mainland and Balearic Isles--local time is
1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in winter and 2 hours
ahead in summer. Canary Islands are on GMT.
People
Nationality: Noun--Spaniard(s). Adjective--Spanish.
Population: 44.1 million.
Annual growth rate: 1%
Ethnic groups: Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the
Basques, Catalans, and Galicians.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic.
Languages: Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan-Valenciana 17%, Galician
7%, Basque 2%.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 16. Literacy—98% (2003
est.).
Work force (19.2 million): Services—65.1%; agriculture—5.2%;
construction—12.5%; industry—17.2% (2005 est.).
Government
Type: Constitutional monarchy (Juan Carlos I proclaimed King November
22, 1975).
Constitution: 1978.
Branches: Executive--president of government nominated by monarch,
subject to approval by democratically elected Congress of Deputies.
Legislative--bicameral Cortes: a 350-seat Congress of Deputies
(elected by the d'Hondt system of proportional representation)
and a Senate. Four senators are elected in each of 47 peninsular
provinces, 16 are elected from the three island provinces, and
Ceuta and Melilla elect two each; this accounts for 208 senators.
The parliaments of the 17 autonomous regions also elect one senator
as well as one additional senator for every 1 million inhabitants
within their territory (about 20 senators). Judicial--Constitutional
Tribunal has jurisdiction over constitutional issues. Supreme
Tribunal heads system comprising territorial, provincial, regional,
and municipal courts.
Subdivisions: 47 peninsular and three island provinces; two enclaves
on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla) and
three island groups along that coast--Alhucemas, Penon de Velez
de la Gomera, and the Chafarinas Islands.
Political parties: Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Popular
Party (PP), and the United Left (IU) coalition. Key regional parties
are the Convergence and Union (CIU) in Catalonia and the Basque
Nationalist Party (PNV) in the Basque country.
Economy
GDP (2005): $955.1 billion in current prices (seventh-largest
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development--OECD--economy).
Annual growth rate: 3.5%.
Per capita GDP: $22,421.
Natural resources: Coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury,
pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin,
hydroelectric power.
Agriculture and fisheries (2.9% of GDP, 2004 est.): Products--grains,
vegetables, citrus and deciduous fruits, wine, olives and olive
oil, sunflowers, livestock.
Industry (17.3% of GDP, 2004 est.): Types--processed foods, textiles,
footwear, petrochemicals, steel, automobiles, consumer goods,
electronics.
Trade (2004): Exports--$137.8 billion: automobiles, fruits, minerals,
metals, clothing, footwear, textiles. Major markets--EU 71.8%,
U.S. 4.12%. Imports--$184.1 billion: petroleum, oilseeds, aircraft,
grains, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, fish,
consumer goods. Major sources--EU 63.9%, U.S. 3.7%.
Average exchange rate (2004): 0.8038 euros=U.S.$1.
PEOPLE
Spain's population density, lower than that of most European countries,
is roughly equivalent to New England's. In recent years, following
a longstanding pattern in the rest of Europe, rural populations
are moving to cities.
Spain has no official religion. The constitution of 1978 disestablished
the Roman Catholic Church as the official state religion, while
recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. More than 90%
of the population are at least nominally Catholic.
Educational System
About 70% of Spain's student population attends public schools
or universities. The remainder attend private schools or universities,
the great majority of which are operated by the Catholic Church.
Compulsory education begins with primary school or general basic
education for ages 6-14. It is free in public schools and in many
private schools, most of which receive government subsidies. Following
graduation, students attend either a secondary school offering
a general high school diploma or a school of professional education
(corresponding to grades 9-12 in the United States) offering a
vocational training program. The Spanish university system offers
degree and post-graduate programs in all fields--law, sciences,
humanities, and medicine--and the superior technical schools offer
programs in engineering and architecture.
HISTORY
Spain’s Iberian Peninsula has been settled for millennia.
In fact, some of Europe's most impressive Paleolithic cultural
sites are located in Spain, including the famous caves at Altamira
that contain spectacular paintings dating from about 15,000 to
25,000 years ago. The Basques, Europe’s oldest surviving
group, are also the first identifiable people of the peninsula.
Beginning in the ninth century BC, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians,
and Celts entered the Iberian Peninsula. The Romans followed in
the second century BC and laid the groundwork for Spain's present
language, religion, and laws. Although the Visigoths arrived in
the fifth century AD, the last Roman strongholds along the southern
coast did not fall until the seventh century AD. In 711, North
African Moors sailed across the straits, swept into Andalusia,
and within a few years, pushed the Visigoths up the peninsula
to the Cantabrian Mountains. The Reconquest—efforts to drive
out the Moors—lasted until 1492. By 1512, the unification
of present-day Spain was complete.
During the 16th century, Spain became the most powerful nation
in Europe, due to the immense wealth derived from its presence
in the Americas. But a series of long, costly wars and revolts,
capped by the defeat by the English of the "Invincible Armada"
in 1588, began a steady decline of Spanish power in Europe. Controversy
over succession to the throne consumed the country during the
18th century, leading to an occupation by France during the Napoleonic
era in the early 1800s, and led to a series of armed conflicts
throughout much of the 19th century.
The 19th century saw the revolt and independence of most of Spain's
colonies in the Western Hemisphere: three wars over the succession
issue; the brief ousting of the monarchy and establishment of
the First Republic (1873-74); and, finally, the Spanish-American
War (1898), in which Spain lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines
to the United States. A period of dictatorial rule (1923-31) ended
with the establishment of the Second Republic. It was dominated
by increasing political polarization, culminating in the leftist
Popular Front electoral victory in 1936. Pressures from all sides,
coupled with growing and unchecked violence, led to the outbreak
of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936.
Following the victory of his nationalist forces in 1939, General
Francisco Franco ruled a nation exhausted politically and economically.
Spain was officially neutral during World War II but followed
a pro-Axis policy. Therefore, the victorious Allies isolated Spain
at the beginning of the postwar period, and the country did not
join the United Nations until 1955. In 1959, under an International
Monetary Fund stabilization plan, the country began liberalizing
trade and capital flows, particularly foreign direct investment.
Despite the success of economic liberalization, Spain remained
the most closed economy in Western Europe—judged by the
small measure of foreign trade to economic activity—and
the pace of reform slackened during the 1960s as the state remained
committed to "guiding" the economy. Nevertheless, in
the 1960s and 1970s, Spain was transformed into a modern industrial
economy with a thriving tourism sector. Its economic expansion
led to improved income distribution and helped develop a large
middle class. Social changes brought about by economic prosperity
and the inflow of new ideas helped set the stage for Spain's transition
to democracy during the latter half of the 1970s.
Upon the death of General Franco in November 1975, Franco's personally
designated heir Prince Juan Carlos de Borbon y Borbon assumed
the titles of king and chief of state. Dissatisfied with the slow
pace of post-Franco liberalization, he replaced Franco's last
Prime Minister with Adolfo Suarez in July 1976. Suarez entered
office promising that elections would be held within one year,
and his government moved to enact a series of laws to liberalize
the new regime. Spain's first elections since 1936 to the Cortes
(Parliament) were held on June 15, 1977. Prime Minister Suarez's
Union of the Democratic Center (UCD), a moderate center-right
coalition, won 34% of the vote and the largest bloc of seats in
the Cortes.
Under Suarez, the new Cortes set about drafting a democratic
constitution that was overwhelmingly approved by voters in a national
referendum in December 1978.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Parliamentary democracy was restored following the death of General
Franco in 1975, who had ruled since the end of the civil war in
1939. The 1978 constitution established Spain as a parliamentary
monarchy, with the prime minister responsible to the bicameral
Cortes (Congress of Deputies and Senate) elected every 4 years.
On February 23, 1981, rebel elements among the security forces
seized the Cortes and tried to impose a military-backed government.
However, the great majority of the military forces remained loyal
to King Juan Carlos, who used his personal authority to put down
the bloodless coup attempt.
In October 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE),
led by Felipe Gonzalez, swept both the Congress of Deputies and
Senate, winning an absolute majority. Gonzalez and the PSOE ruled
for the next 13 years. During that period, Spain joined the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Community.
In March 1996, Jose Maria Aznar's Popular Party (PP) won a plurality
of votes. Aznar moved to decentralize powers to the regions and
liberalize the economy, with a program of privatization, labor
market reform, and measures designed to increase competition in
selected markets. During Aznar's first term, Spain fully integrated
into European institutions, qualifying for the European Monetary
Union. During this period, Spain participated, along with the
United States and other NATO allies, in military operations in
the former Yugoslavia. President Aznar and the PP won reelection
in March 2000, obtaining absolute majorities in both houses of
parliament.
After the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001,
President Aznar became a key ally in the fight against terrorism.
Spain backed the military action against the Taliban in Afghanistan
and took a leadership role within the European Union (EU) in pushing
for increased international cooperation on terrorism. The Aznar
government, with a rotating seat on the UN Security Council, supported
the intervention in Iraq.
Spanish parliamentary elections on March 14, 2004 came only three
days after a devastating terrorist attack on Madrid commuter rail
lines that killed 191 and wounded over 1,400. With large voter
turnout, PSOE won the election and its leader, Jose Luis Rodriguez
Zapatero, took office on April 17, 2004. The Zapatero government
has supported coalition efforts in Afghanistan, including maintaining
troop support for 2004 and 2005 elections, supported reconstruction
efforts in Haiti, and cooperated on counterterrorism issues. Carrying
out campaign promises, it immediately withdrew Spanish forces
from Iraq but has continued to support Iraq reconstruction efforts.
Local Government
The 1978 constitution authorized the creation of regional autonomous
governments. By 1985, 17 regions covering all of peninsular Spain,
the Canaries, and the Balearic Islands had negotiated autonomy
statutes with the central government. In 1979, the first autonomous
elections were held in the Basque and Catalan regions, which have
the strongest regional traditions by virtue of their history and
separate languages. Since then, autonomous governments have been
created in the remainder of the 17 regions. The central government
continues to devolve powers to the regional governments, which
will eventually have full responsibility for health care and education,
as well as other social programs.
Terrorism
The Government of Spain is involved in a long-running campaign
against Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), a terrorist organization
founded in 1959 and dedicated to promoting Basque independence.
ETA targets Spanish security forces, military personnel, Spanish
Government officials, and politicians of the Popular Party and
the Socialist Party (PSOE.) The group has carried out numerous
bombings against Spanish Government facilities and economic targets,
including a car bomb assassination attempt on then-opposition
leader Aznar in 1995, in which his armored car was destroyed but
he was unhurt. The Spanish Government attributes over 800 deaths
to ETA terrorism since its campaign of violence began. In recent
years, the government has had more success in controlling ETA,
due in part to increased security cooperation with French authorities.
In November 1999, ETA ended a cease-fire it declared in September
1998. Since that time, ETA has conducted a campaign of violence
and has been blamed for the deaths of some 46 Spanish citizens
and officials. Each attack has been followed by massive anti-ETA
demonstrations around the country, clearly demonstrating that
the majority of Spaniards, including the majority of Spain's Basque
populace, have no tolerance for continued ETA violence. The government
continues to pursue vigorous counterterrorist policy.
Spain also contends with a resistance group, commonly known as
GRAPO. GRAPO is an urban terrorist group that seeks to overthrow
the Spanish Government and establish a Marxist state. It opposes
Spanish participation in NATO and U.S. presence in Spain and has
a long history of assassinations, bombings, and kidnappings mostly
against Spanish interests during the 1970s and 1980s.
In a June 2000 communiqué following the explosions of
two small devices in Barcelona, GRAPO claimed responsibility for
several terrorist attacks throughout Spain during the past year.
These attacks included two failed armored car robberies, one in
which two security officers died, and four bombings of political
party offices during the 1999/2000 election campaign. In 2002
and 2003, Spanish and French authorities were successful in hampering
the organization’s activities through sweeping arrests,
including some of the group’s leadership.
Al Qaeda is known to operate cells in Spain. On March 11, 2004,
only three days before national elections, 10 bombs were detonated
on crowded commuter trains during rush hour. Three were deactivated
by security forces and one was found unexploded. Evidence quickly
surfaced that jihadist terrorists with possible ties to the al
Qaeda network were responsible for the attack that killed 191
people. Spanish investigative services and the judicial system
have aggressively sought to arrest and prosecute suspected al
Qaeda members and actively cooperate with foreign governments
to diminish the transnational terrorist threat.
Principal Government Officials
Chief of State, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces--King Juan
Carlos I
President of the Government (Prime Minister)--Jose Luis Rodriguez
Zapatero
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Miguel Angel Moratinos
Ambassador to the United States--Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza
Spain maintains an embassy in the United States at 2375 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 (tel. 202-728-2340) and consulates
in many larger U.S. cities.
ECONOMY
Spain's accession to the European Community--now European Union
(EU)--in January 1986 required the country to open its economy,
modernize its industrial base, improve infrastructure, and revise
economic legislation to conform to EU guidelines. In doing so,
Spain increased gross domestic product (GDP) growth, reduced the
public debt to GDP ratio, reduced unemployment from 23% to 15%
in 3 years, and reduced inflation to under 3%. The fundamental
challenges remaining for Spain include decreasing unemployment
further, reforming labor laws lowering inflation, and raising
per capita GDP.
Following peak growth years in the late 1980s, the Spanish economy
entered into recession in mid-1992. The economy recovered during
the first Aznar administration (1996-2000), driven by a return
of consumer confidence and increased private consumption, although
growth has slowed in recent years. Unemployment remains a problem
at 8.42% (2005 est.), but this still represents a significant
improvement from previous levels. Devaluations of the peseta during
the 1990s made Spanish exports more competitive, but the strength
of the euro since its adoption has raised recent concerns that
Spanish exports are being priced out of the range of foreign buyers.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
After the return of democracy following the death of General Franco
in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of
the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years and expand diplomatic
relations, enter the European Community, and define security relations
with the West.
As a member of NATO since 1982, Spain has established itself
as a major participant in multilateral international security
activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part
of its foreign policy. Even on many international issues beyond
Western Europe, Spain prefers to coordinate its efforts with its
EU partners through the European political cooperation mechanism.
With the normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel and
Albania in 1986, Spain virtually completed the process of universalizing
its diplomatic relations. The only country with which it now does
not have diplomatic relations is North Korea.
Spain has maintained its special identification with Latin America.
Its policy emphasizes the concept of Hispanidad, a mixture of
linguistic, religious, ethnic, cultural, and historical ties binding
Spanish-speaking America to Spain. Spain has been an effective
example of transition from authoritarianism to democracy, as shown
in the many trips that Spain's King and Prime Ministers have made
to the region. Spain maintains economic and technical cooperation
programs and cultural exchanges with Latin America, both bilaterally
and within the EU.
Spain also continues to focus attention on North Africa, especially
on Morocco. This concern is dictated by geographic proximity and
long historical contacts, as well as by the two Spanish enclave
cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa. While
Spain's departure from its former colony of Western Sahara ended
direct Spanish participation in Morocco, it maintains an interest
in the peaceful resolution of the conflict brought about there
by decolonization. These issues were highlighted by a crisis in
2002, when Spanish forces evicted a small contingent of Moroccans
from a tiny islet off Morocco’s coast following that nation’s
attempt to assert sovereignty over the island.
Meanwhile, Spain has gradually begun to broaden its contacts
with Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a particular interest in its former
colony of Equatorial Guinea, where it maintains a large aid program.
In relations with the Arab world, Spain has sought to promote
European-Mediterranean dialogue. Spain strongly supports the EU’s
"Barcelona Process" which seeks to expand dialogue and
trade between Europe and the nations of North Africa and the Middle
East, including Israel. The latest meeting on this initiative
was held in Barcelona on November 29, 2005.
Spain has been successful in managing its relations with its
two European neighbors, France and Portugal. The accession of
Spain and Portugal to the EU has helped ease some of their periodic
trade frictions by putting these into an EU context. Franco-Spanish
bilateral cooperation is enhanced by joint action against Basque
ETA terrorism. Ties with the United Kingdom are generally good,
although the question of Gibraltar remains a sensitive issue.
U.S.-SPANISH RELATIONS
Spain and the United States have a long history of official relations
and are closely associated in many fields. In addition to U.S.
and Spanish cooperation in NATO, defense and security relations
between the two countries are regulated by a 1989 Agreement on
Defense Cooperation, revised in 2003. Under this agreement, Spain
authorized the United States to use certain facilities at Spanish
military installations.
The two countries also cooperate in several other important areas.
Under a 1964 agreement (currently being renegotiated), the U.S.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Spanish
National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) jointly operate
the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex in support of Earth
orbital and solar system exploration missions. The Madrid Complex
is one of the three-largest tracking and data acquisition complexes
comprising NASA's Deep Space Network.
An agreement on cultural and educational cooperation was signed
on June 7, 1989. A new element, supported by both the public and
private sectors, gives a different dimension to the programs carried
out by the joint committee for cultural and educational cooperation.
These joint committee activities complement the binational Fulbright
program for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting
professors, which became the largest in the world in 1989. Besides
assisting in these exchange endeavors, the U.S. Embassy also conducts
a program of official visits between Spain and the United States.
Spain and the U.S. are strong allies in the fight against terrorism.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--Eduardo Aguirre, Jr.
Deputy Chief of Mission--J. Robert Manzanares
Counselor for Management Affairs--Michael S. Hoza
Counselor for Agricultural Affairs--Stephen Hammond
Counselor for Commercial Affairs--Jim Wilson
Counselor for Consular Affairs--Laura Clerici
Counselor for Economic Affairs--Whitney Y. Baird
Counselor for Political Affairs--Kathleen Fitzpatrick
Counselor for Public Affairs--Josie Shumake
Chief, Office of Defense Cooperation--Capt. Carlos A. Sotomayor,
USN
Defense Attaché--Kevin Little
Drug Enforcement Administration Attaché--Alfredo Christlieb
NASA Representative--Marcus Watkins
Regional Security Officer--Randall D. Bennett
Consul General Barcelona--Juan Alsace
Border and Transportation Security Directorate (BTS), Dept. of
Homeland Security--Walter D. Cadman
Defense Communication Support Group (DCSG)--Jackie C. Gendron
The U.S. Embassy is located at Serrano, 75, 28006 Madrid (tel.
34-1-587-2200; fax 34-1-587-2303). Consulate General, Barcelona,
Paseo Reina Elisenda 23, Barcelona 08034 (tel. 34-3-280-2227;
fax 34-3-205-5206).
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides
Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include
information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health
conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political
disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country.
Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends
that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements
are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about
terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas
that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers.
Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau
of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system:
202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings
also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page:
http://travel.state.gov. Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication
series, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning
a safe trip abroad, are on the Internet and hard copies can be
purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may
be obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202)
647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call
202-647-4000.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department
of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S.
passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778).
Customer service representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are
available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time,
excluding federal holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations
or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety
for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information
for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280)
is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.
Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency
and customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest
to travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a
country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country,
see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this
publication).
U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous
areas are encouraged to register their travel via the State Department’s
travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov
or at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in
a country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy of
their passports. This may help family members contact you in case
of an emergency.
Further Electronic Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov,
the Department of State web site provides timely, global access
to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background
Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key
officers of Foreign Service posts and more.
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance
and market information offered by the federal government and provides
trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process,
and more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade
information from the Federal government. The site includes current
and historical trade-related releases, international market research,
trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access
to the National Trade Data Bank.
