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The '''Kingdom of Spain''' or '''Spain''' ({{ll|Spanish}} and {{ll|Galician}}: ''Reino de España'' or ''España''; [[Catalan language|Catalan]]: ''Regne d'Espanya''; [[Basque language|Basque]]: ''Espainiako Erresuma'') 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 [[Islas Chafarinas|Chafarine]] islands, the "rocks" (es: ''peñones'') of [[Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera|Vélez]] and [[Peñón de Alhucemas|Alhucemas]], and the tiny [[Parsley Island]] (disputed). Strong 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 healthcare are first-rate, although the [[Gross Domestic Product|GDP]] [[per capita]] remains at 87% of that of the four leading European economies. |
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|+<big><big>'''Reino de España'''</big></big> |
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| align=center colspan=2| |
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{| align=center border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 |
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| width=130px| [[Image:Spain_flag_large.png|125px|Flag of Spain]] || align=center width=130px|[[Image:Spain_coa.png|115px|Spain: Coat of Arms]] |
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| width=130px| [[Flag of Spain]] |
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|[[Coat of arms of Spain]] |
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|- |
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| align=center style="vertical-align: top;" colspan=2 | <small>''[[List of state mottos|National motto]]: [[Plus Ultra]]<br>({{ll|Spanish}}: "Further Beyond")''</small> |
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| align=center colspan=2 style="background: #ffffff;" | [[image:LocationSpain.png|Location of Spain]] |
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|'''[[Official language]]'''|| {{ll|Spanish}}<sup>1</sup> |
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|'''[[Capital]]''' || [[Madrid]] |
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|'''Largest City''' || [[Madrid]] |
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|'''[[Kings of Spain|King]]''': || [[Juan Carlos I of Spain|Juan Carlos I]] |
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|'''[[Prime Ministers of the Spanish government|Prime Minister of the Spanish government]]''': || [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]] |
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|'''[[Area]]'''<br> - Total<br> - % water |
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|[[List of countries by area|Ranked 50th]]<br>[[1 E11 m2|504,782 km²]]<br>1.04% |
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|'''[[Population]]''' <br> - Total ([[2004]])<br> - [[Population density|Density]] |
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|[[List of countries by population|Ranked 29th]]<br>43,197,684<br>85/km² |
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|'''[[Currency]]''' || [[Euro]] (€)<sup>2</sup> |
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| '''[[Time zone]]'''<br> - in [[European Summer Time|summer]]<br>- |
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| [[Central European Time|CET]] ([[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]+1)<br>[[Central European Summer Time|CEST]] ([[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]+2)<br>[[Canary Islands]] (UTC+0)<br>[[Canary Islands]] (UTC+1) |
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| '''[[National anthem]]''' || [[Marcha Real]] |
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| '''[[Top-level domain|Internet TLD]]''' || [[.es]] |
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| '''[[List_of_country_calling_codes|Calling Code]]''' || +34 |
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|colspan=2|<small> |
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<sup>1</sup> In some autonomous communities, [[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Basque language|Basque]], and [[Galician language|Galician]] are co-official; in the [[Val d'Aran]], the [[Aranese]] dialect of [[Occitan]] is co-official.<br> |
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<sup>2</sup> Prior to [[1999]]: [[peseta|Spanish Peseta]]. |
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== History == |
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''Main article: [[History of Spain]]'' |
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=== Prehistory === |
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The original peoples of the [[Iberian peninsula]] (in the sense that they are not known to have come from elsewhere), consisting of a number of separate tribes, are given the generic name of [[Iberians]]. This may have included the [[Basque]]s, the only pre-Celtic people in Iberia surviving to the present day as a separate [[ethnic group]]. The most important culture of this period is that of the city of [[Tartessos]]. Beginning in the [[9th century BC]], [[Celtic]] tribes entered the [[Iberian peninsula]] through the Pyrenees and settled throughout the peninsula, becoming the [[Celt-Iberian]]s. |
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The seafaring [[Phoenicians]], [[Greeks]] and [[Carthaginians]] successively settled along the Mediterranean coast and founded trading colonies there over a period of several centuries. |
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Around 1,100 BC Phoenician merchants founded the trading colony of [[Gadir]] or Gades (modern day [[Cádiz]]) near Tartessos. In the 8th century BC the first Greek colonies, such as Emporion (modern [[Empúries]]), were founded along the Mediterranean coast on the East, leaving the south coast to the Phoenicians. The Greeks are responsible for the name Iberia, after the river Iber ([[Ebro]] in Spanish). In the 6th century BC the [[Carthaginians]] arrived in Iberia while struggling with the Greeks for control of the Western Mediterranean. Their most important colony was [[Carthago Nova]] (Latin name of modern day [[Cartagena, Spain|Cartagena]]). |
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=== Roman Empire === |
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The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] arrived in the Iberian peninsula during the [[Second Punic war]] in the [[2nd century BC]], and annexed it under [[Augustus]] after two centuries of war with the Celtic and Iberian tribes and the Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian colonies becoming the province of [[Hispania]]. Some of Spain's present languages, religion, and laws originate from this Roman period. |
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=== Medieval Spain === |
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As the Roman empire declined, the [[Suebi]], [[Vandals]] and [[Alans]] each took control of part of Hispania. In the [[5th century]] AD the [[Visigoths]], a romanized germanic tribe, conquered all of Hispania and established a relatively stable kingdom lasting until [[711]], when it fell to an invasion by [[Islamic]] North African [[Moors]] and became part of the expanding [[Umayyad]] empire, under the name of [[Al-Andalus]]. When the Umayyad empire gave way to the [[Abbaside]] empire, an Umayyad exile established the [[Kalphite of Cordoba]], effectively making [[Al-Andalus]] independent from the empire. |
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Modern Spain began to take form during the [[Reconquista]], the struggle between the [[Christianity|Christian]] kingdoms arising in the northern regions left unconquered by the [[Moors]] and the [[Muslim]] kingdoms into which Al-Andalus eventually split. |
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Three states came to dominate Christian Spain: [[Portugal]], [[Aragon]] and [[Castile]]. During the last half of the XV century two heirs of Castile married, '''[[Isabella of Castile]]''' with [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] de Aragon and '''[[Juana la Beltraneja]]''' with [[Alfonso V of Portugal]]. After a succession war, [[Isabella of Castile|Isabella]] and [[Ferdinand II of Aragon|Ferdinand]] overtook the kingdom, and Portugal remained separate. In [[1492]], [[Granada]], the last of the Moorish kingdoms, was conquered by the [[Catholic]] monarchs. |
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The kingdom of the Catholic monarchs then imposed the Christian religion; in 1492, Isabel and Fernando ordered the expulsion of all [[Jew]]s from their dominions, having imposed physical segregation in 1480 (two years after the establishment of the [[Inquisition]]) and, in 1502, Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity or be banished. |
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Just before the conquest of Granada, Isabel funded [[Christopher Columbus]] in his attempts to reach [[Asia]] through a western route across the [[Atlantic Ocean]] - resulting in the "discovery" of the "[[New World]]". |
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In 1492, Granada was taken and America discovered. |
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In [[1499]], about 50,000 Moors in Granada were coerced into taking part in a mass [[baptism]]. During the [[uprising]] that followed, people who refused the choices of baptism or [[deportation]] to [[Africa]], were systematically eliminated. What followed was a mass flight of Moors, Jews and [[Gitanos]] from the city of Granada and the surrounding villages to the mountain regions (and their hills) and the rural country. It was in this socially and economically difficult situation that the musical cultures of the Moors, Jews and Gitanos started to form the basics of [[flamenco]] music. |
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=== Renaissance in Spain === |
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By [[1512]], most of the kingdoms of present-day Spain were politically unified, although not as a modern centralized state. The grandson of Isabel and Fernando, [[Carlos V, Holy Roman Emperor|Carlos I]], extended his crown to other places in [[Europe]] and the rest of the world. The unification of Iberia was complete when Carlos I's son, [[Philip II of Spain|Felipe II]], became King of [[Portugal]] in [[1580]], as well as of the other Iberian Kingdoms (collectively known as "Spain" since this moment). |
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During the [[16th century]],with Carlos I and Felipe II, Spain became the most powerful European nation, its territory covering most of [[South America|South]] and [[Central America]], [[Asia - Pacific]], the Iberian peninsula, southern [[Italy]], [[Germany]], and the [[Low Countries]]. This was later known as the [[Spanish Empire]]. |
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It was also the wealthiest nation but the uncontrolled influx of goods and minerals from [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|Spanish colonisation of the Americas]] resulted in rampant [[inflation]] and [[economic depression]]. |
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In [[1640]], under [[Felipe IV of Spain|Felipe IV]], the centralist policy of the [[Count-Duke of Olivares]] provoked wars in [[Portugal]] and [[Catalonia]]. Portugal became an independent kingdom again and Catalonia enjoyed some years of French-supported independence but was quickly returned to the Spanish Crown. |
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A series of long and costly wars and revolts followed in the [[17th century]], beginning a steady decline of Spanish power in Europe. Controversy over succession to the throne consumed the country during the first years of the [[18th century]] (see [[War of the Spanish Succession]]). It was only after this war ended and a new dynasty was installed - the French Bourbons (see [[House of Bourbon]]) - that a centralized Spanish state was established and the first Borbon king [[Philip V of Spain]] in 1707 canceled the Aragon court and changed the title of king of Castilla and Aragon for the current king of Spain. |
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=== French occupation === |
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Spain was occupied by [[Napoleon]] in the early [[1800s]], but the Spaniards raised in arms. After the [[Spanish War of Independence|War of Independence]] ([[1808]]–[[1814]]), a series of revolts and armed conflicts between [[Liberal]]s and supporters of the [[ancien régime]] lasted throughout much of the [[19th century]], complicated by a dispute over dynastic succession by the [[Carlists]] which led to three civil wars. After that, Spain was briefly a [[First Spanish Republic|Republic]], from [[1871]] to [[1873]], a year in which a series of coups reinstalled the [[monarchy]]. |
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In the meantime, Spain lost all of its colonies in the [[Caribbean]] region and [[Asia-Pacific]] region during the [[19th century]], a trend which ended with the loss of [[Cuba]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[Philippines]] and [[Guam]] to the [[United States]] after the [[Spanish-American War]] of [[1898]]. |
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=== 20th century === |
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The [[20th century]] initially brought little peace; colonisation of [[Western Sahara]], [[Spanish Morocco]] and [[Equatorial Guinea]] was attempted as a substitute for the loss of the Americas. A period of dictatorial rule ([[1923]]-[[1931]]) ended with the establishment of the [[Second Spanish Republic]]. The Republic offered political autonomy to the [[Basque Country]] and [[Catalonia]] and gave voting rights to women. However, with increasing political polarisation and pressure from all sides, coupled with growing and unchecked political violence, the Republic ended with the outbreak of the [[Spanish Civil War]] in July [[1936]]. Following the victory of the [[nationalist]] forces in [[1939]], General [[Francisco Franco]] ruled a nation exhausted politically and economically until his death in [[1975]]. |
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After [[World War II]], being one of few surviving [[fascist]] regimes in Europe, Spain was politically and economically isolated and was kept out of the [[United Nations]] until [[1955]], when it became strategically important for U.S. president [[Eisenhower]] to establish a military presence in the Iberian peninsula. This opening to Spain was aided by Franco's rabid anti-communism. |
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In the [[1960s]], more than a decade later than other western European countries, Spain began to enjoy economic growth and gradually transformed into a modern [[industrial]] [[economy]] with a thriving [[tourism]] sector. Growth continued well into the [[1970s]], with Franco's government going to great lengths to shield the Spanish people from the effects of the [[oil crisis]]. |
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Upon the death of the [[dictator]] General Franco in November [[1975]], his personally-designated heir [[Juan Carlos I of Spain|Prince Juan Carlos]] assumed the position of king and [[head of state]]. He played a key role in guiding Spain further in its growth into a modern democratic state, notably in opposing an attempted [[coup d'état]] in [[1981]]. Spain joined [[NATO]] in [[1982]] and became a member of the [[European Union]] in [[1986]]. |
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With the approval of the [[Spanish Constitution of 1978]] and the arrival of [[democracy]], the old historic nationalities — [[Basque Country]], [[Catalonia]], [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] and [[Andalusia]]— were given far-reaching [[Autonomous Communities of Spain|autonomy]], which was then soon extended to all Spanish regions, resulting in one of the most decentralized territorial organizations in [[Western Europe]]. |
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On April 21, 2005, the country became the first country in the world to give full marriage and adoption rights to homosexual couples. Belgium and The Netherlands allow same-sex marriages, however, they do not allow homosexuals to adopt. |
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:''See also: [[List of Spanish monarchs]], [[Kings of Spain family tree]], [[List of Prime Ministers of Spain]]'' |
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== Politics == |
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''Main article: [[Politics of Spain]]'' |
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Spain is a [[constitutional monarchy]], with a hereditary [[monarch]] and a bicameral [[parliament]], the ''[[Cortes Generales]]'' or National Assembly. The [[executive branch]] consists of a Council of Ministers presided over by the President of Government (comparable to a [[prime minister]]), proposed by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections. |
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The [[legislative branch]] is made up of the Congress of Deputies (''Congreso de los Diputados'') with 350 members, elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms, and a [[Senate]] or ''Senado'' with 259 seats of which 208 are directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to also serve four-year terms. |
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Spain is, at present, what is called a ''[[State]] of Autonomies'', formally unitary but, in fact, functioning as a [[Federation]] of [[Autonomous Communities of Spain|Autonomous Communities]], each one with different powers (for instance, some have their own educational and health systems, others do not) and laws. There are some problems with this system, since some autonomous governments (especially those dominated by nationalist parties) are seeking a more federalist—or even [[confederation|confederate]]—kind of relationship with Spain, while the Central Government is trying to restrict what some see as excessive autonomy of some autonomous communities (e.g. [[Basque Country]] and [[Catalonia]]). |
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Terrorism is a problem of present-day Spain, since the [[ETA]] (Basque Homeland and Freedom) is trying to achieve Basque independence through violent means, including bombings and murders. Although Basque Autonomous government does not condone any kind of violence, the different approaches to the problem are a source of tension between Central and Basque governments. Besides ETA violence, the conflict in the Basque Country is also shaped by the non-acceptance on the part of the Spanish state of the right of Basque people to choose freely their political status. Recently, 2 political parties - which in previous elections had received the support of around 10% of the popular vote- have been banned due to their unwillingness to publicly condemn ETA violence. |
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On May 17, 2005, all the parties in the Congress of Deputies, except the PP, passed the Central Government's motion of beginning peace talks with the ETA with no political compensations and only if it gives up weapons. PSOE, CiU, ERC, PNV, IU-ICV, CC and the mixt group -BNG, CHA, EA y NB- supported it with a total of 192 votes, while the 147 PP parliamentaris objected. |
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On February 20th 2005, Spain became the first country to allow its people to vote on the European Union constitution that was signed in October 2004. The rules states that if any country rejects the constitution then the constitution will be declared void. The final result was very strongly in affirmation of the constitution, making Spain the first and so far only country to approve the constitution via referendum ([[Hungary]], [[Lithuania]] and [[Slovenia]] approved it before Spain, but they did not hold referenda). |
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== Administrative divisions== |
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Administratively, Spain is divided into 50 [[provinces of Spain|provinces]], grouped into 17 [[autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous communities]] and 2 autonomous cities with high degree of autonomy. |
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=== Autonomous communities === |
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[[Image:ccaa-spain.png|thumb|400px|Autonomous communities of Spain]] |
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''Main article: [[Autonomous communities of Spain]]'' |
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Spain consists of 17 autonomous communities (''comunidades autónomas'') and 2 autonomous cities (''ciudades autónomas''; [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]]). |
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* [[Andalusia]] (''Andalucía'') |
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* [[Aragon]] (''Aragón'') |
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* [[Asturias, Principality of]] (''Principáu d'Asturies'' in [[Asturian language|Asturian]]/''Principado de Asturias'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]) |
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* [[Balearic Islands]] (''Illes Balears'' in [[Catalan language|Catalan]] / ''Islas Baleares'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]) |
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* [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque Country]] (''Euskadi'' in [[Basque]]/''País Vasco'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]) |
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* [[Canary Islands]] (''Islas Canarias'') |
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* [[Cantabria]] |
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* [[Castile-La Mancha]] (''Castilla-La Mancha'') |
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* [[Castile-Leon]] (''Castilla y León'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]) |
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* [[Catalonia]] (''Catalunya'' in [[catalan language|Catalan]]/''Cataluña'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]/ ''Catalunha'' in [[Aranese]]) |
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* [[Extremadura]] |
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* [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] (''Galicia or Galiza'' in [[Galician]]) |
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* [[La Rioja]] |
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* [[Madrid (autonomous community)|Madrid]] |
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* [[Murcia (autonomous community)|Murcia]] |
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* [[Navarre]] (''Nafarroa'' in [[Basque]]/''Navarra'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]) |
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* [[Valencia (autonomous community)|Valencia]] (''Comunitat Valenciana'' in [[Valencian dialect|Valencian]] ([[Catalan language|Catalan]]) /''Comunidad Valenciana'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], as official denominations). |
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=== Provinces === |
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''Main article: [[Provinces of Spain]]'' |
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The Spanish kingdom is also divided in 50 [[Provinces|provinces]] (''provincias''). Autonomous communities group provinces (for instance, [[Extremadura]] is made of two provinces: [[Cáceres (province)|Cáceres]] and [[Badajoz (province)|Badajoz]]). The autonomous communities of [[Asturias]], the [[Balearic Islands]], [[Cantabria]], [[La Rioja]], [[Navarre]], [[Murcia]], and [[Madrid]] are each composed of a single province. Traditionally, provinces are usually subdivided into historic regions or ''comarcas'' (''main article: [[Comarcas of Spain]]''). |
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=== Places of sovereignty === |
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There are also five places of sovereignty (''[[plaza de soberanía|plazas de soberanía]]'') on and off the [[Africa|African]] coast: the cities of [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]] are administered as autonomous cities, an intermediate status between cities and communities; the islands of the [[Islas Chafarinas]], [[Penon de Alhucemas|Peñón de Alhucemas]], and [[Penon de Velez de la Gomera|Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera]] are under direct Spanish administration. |
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The [[Canary islands]], [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]], although not officially historic communities, enjoy a special status. |
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== Geography == |
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''Main article: [[Geography of Spain]]'' |
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[[Image:Sp-map.png|right|Map of Spain]] |
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Mainland Spain is dominated by high plateaus and mountain ranges such as the [[Pyrenees]] or the [[Sierra Nevada (Spain)|Sierra Nevada]]. Running from these heights are several major rivers such as the [[Tajo]], 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 [[Africa]]n coast are found. |
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Spain's [[climate]] can be divided in four areas: |
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*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. |
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*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. ''Low records'': Guadalajara -25.0º. |
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*Northern Atlantic coast: precipitations mostly on winter, with mild summers (slightly cold). ''Hot records'': Bilbao 42.0º, La Coruña 37.6º, Gijón 36.4º. |
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*The Canary Islands: subtropical weather, with mild temperatures (18º to 24º [[celsius]]) throughout the year. |
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===Biggest metropolitan areas=== |
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# [[Madrid]] 5,603,285 |
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# [[Barcelona]] 4,667,136 |
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# [[Valencia]] 1,465,423 |
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# [[Sevilla]] 1,294,081 |
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# [[Malaga]] 1,019,292 |
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''For a more complete list, see [[List of cities in Spain#Biggest cities|List of cities in Spain]]'' |
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===Territorial disputes=== |
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Spain has called for the return of [[Gibraltar]], a tiny [[United Kingdom|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. |
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[[Morocco]] claims the Spanish enclaves of [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]] and the uninhabited [[Penon de Velez de la Gomera|Vélez]], [[Penon de Alhucemas|Alhucemas]], [[Islas Chafarinas|Chafarinas]], and [[Isla Perejil|Perejil]] ("Parsley") islands, all on the northern coast of Africa. |
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== Economy == |
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''Main article: [[Economy of Spain]]'' |
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Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 87% that of the four leading [[Western Europe|West Europe]]an 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 2004, 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. |
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== Languages == |
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''Main article: [[Demographics of Spain]]'' |
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The Spanish Constitution, although affirming the sovereignty of the Spanish Nation, recognises historical nationalities. |
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The Castilian-derived ''[[Spanish language|Spanish]]'' (called both ''Español'' and ''Castellano'' in the language itself) is the official language throughout Spain, but other [[regional language]]s are also spoken. Without mentioning them by name, the [[Spanish Constitution of 1978|Spanish Constitution]] recognizes the possibility of regional languages being coofficial in their respective autonomous communities. The following languages are coofficial with Spanish according to the appropriate [[Autonomy Statute (Spain)|Autonomy Statute]]s. |
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* [[Catalan language|Catalan]] (''català'') in [[Catalonia]] (''Catalunya''), the [[Balearic Islands]] (''Illes Balears'') and [[Valencia (autonomous community)|Valencia]] (''València''). |
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* [[Basque language|Basque]] (''euskara'') in [[Basque Country]] (''Euskadi''), and parts of [[Navarre]] (Nafarroa). A non–[[Indo-European]] language. |
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* [[Galician language|Galician]] (''gallego'') in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] (''Galiza''). |
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* [[Occitan language|Occitan]] (the [[Aranese]] dialect). Spoken in the Vall d'Aran in Catalonia. |
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Catalan, Galician, Aranese (Occitan) and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] (Castilian) are all descended from [[Latin]] and have their own dialects, some championed as separate languages by their speakers (the [[Valencià]] of [[València]], a dialect of Catalan, is one example). |
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There are also some other surviving [[Romance languages|Romance]] [[minority language]]s: [[Asturian language|Asturian]], in [[Asturias]] and parts of [[Leon]], [[Zamora]] and [[Salamanca]], and the [[Extremaduran language|Extremaduran]] in [[Caceres]] and [[Salamanca]], both descendents of the historical Astur-Leonese dialect; the [[Aragonese language|Aragonese]] or ''fabla'' in part of [[Aragon]]; the xalimegian or a [[fala]] in Extremadura; and some Portuguese dialectal towns in Extremadura and Castile-Leon. However, unlike Catalan, Galician, and Basque, these do not have any official status. |
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[[Berber language]] is spoken among Muslims in Ceuta and Melilla. |
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In the touristic areas of the Mediterranean ''[[costa]]s'' and the islands, German and English are spoken by tourists, foreign residents and tourism workers. |
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Many linguists claim that most of the Spanish language variants spoken in [[Latin America]] (Mexican, Argentinian, Colombian, Peruvian, etc. variants) descended from the Spanish spoken in southwestern Spain ([[Andalusia]] and [[Extremadura]]). |
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==Identities== |
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Spain is considered by many, including a large part of Spanish population, to be a group of nations unified under a single State, much like [[Belgium]], [[Switzerland]] or the [[United Kingdom]]. Despite this, the policy of many Spanish governments has led to a "Spanish nationhood" which is the one people identify with Spain internationally. |
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The [[Spanish Constitution of 1978]] recognizes historic entities ("nationalities", not "nations") such as [[Catalonia]], [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], the [[Basque Country]] or [[Navarre]]. In the 19th and 20th centuries, similar recognition was rare and short-lived. |
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But Spain's identity is, in fact, an overlap of different national identities, some of them even conflicting. |
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Castile is considered to be by many the "core" of Spain. However, this may just be a reflection of the fact that the Castilian national identity was the first one to be quashed by the Spanish Empire in the revolt of the Communards (''[[comuneros]]''). Today, Castilians generally consider themselves to be Spanish first, with regional identity being of lesser importance. |
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The opposite is the case of Galicians, Asturians, Catalans and Basques, who quite frequently identify primarily with Galicia, Asturias, Catalonia and the Basque Country first, with Spain only second, or even third, after Europe. |
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The situation is even more confusing, since there are regions with ambiguous identities, like [[Navarre]], [[Valencia]], the [[Balearic Islands]], the [[Canary Islands]], etc. There has been a lot of internal migration ([[rural exodus]]) from regions like Galicia, Andalusia and Extremadura to Madrid, Catalonia, Basque Country and the islands. |
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Until 1714, Spain was a loose confederation of kingdoms and statelets, under the same king, until King [[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]] removed the autonomous status of the Aragonese crown. Moreover, the creation of a unified state in the 19th and 20th centuries has lead to the present situation, apparently simple, but sometimes extremely confusing. During the [[Second Spanish Republic]] ([[1931]]-[[1936]]), the Basque and Catalan were given limited self-government, which was lost after the [[Spanish Civil War]] ([[1936]]-[[1939]]) and restored in [[1978]] during the [[Spanish transition to democracy|transition to democracy]]. |
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<!-- Yet, relationships betweeen Hispanic peoples have created strong ties between them, which are more apparent to foreigners than differences. :: There is not such a thing called Hispanic peoples. This statement is political. The ties between people in the spanish state are created by a forced political union. Both culturally and economically Spain is an heterogeneuos state only united by the threat of military action --><!-- |
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People in Spain think that foreigners or visitors see the Spanish reality in their simplified image, that is, a romantic vision of the country. That is why many would say : "Spain is not just bullfights, flamenco and Spanish language." |
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(((This desire not to be stereotyped surely applies to every single nation on Earth, and is therefore not very helpful here.))) |
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--> |
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===Minority groups=== |
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The most important minority group in the country are the [[Gitanos]]. |
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Other indigenous minorities are [[Merchero]]s (or [[Quinqui]]s) and [[Vaqueiros de alzada]].- The latter, meaning "Mountain cow-breeders" dwell in mountain ranges in the Principality of Asturias and have kept historically apart from the valley dwellers. Foreign minorities include [[South America]]ns from countries like [[Argentina]], [[Ecuador]] or [[Colombia]]; black [[Africa]]ns; [[Arab]]s and [[Berber]]s mainly from [[Morocco]] and other countries of North Africa; and [[Asia]]ns from [[China]], [[Japan]], [[Korea]], and [[Vietnam]]. |
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== Religion == |
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[[Image:1928SpanishStamppeseta-pio11-alfonso13.jpg|thumb|right|240px|1928 Spanish one-peseta postage stamp pairs [[Pope Pius XI]] and [[Alfonso XIII of Spain|Alfonso XIII]]]] |
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[[Roman Catholic]]ism is, by far, the most popular religion in the country, with four in five Spaniards (80%) self-identifying as Catholics. The next group (one in eight, or 12%) is represented by [[atheism|atheists]] or [[agnosticism|agnostics]]. Minority religions account for one in seventy (1.4%) of all Spaniards. |
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According to membership [http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_jw.html], the second religion of Spain is the organization of the [[Jehovah's Witness]]es with 103,784 active publishers; there are also many Protestant denominations, all of them with less than 50,000 members, and about 20,000 [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints|Mormon]]s. [[Evangelism]] has been better received among [[Gypsies]] than among the general population; pastors have integrated [[flamenco]] music in their liturgy. Taken together, all self-described "Evangelicals" slightly surpass Jehovah's Witnesses in number. |
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The recent waves of immigration have led to an increasing number of [[Muslim]]s, who have about 800,000 members. Muslims were forcibly converted in 1492 and then expelled in the 16th century. Since the expulsion of the [[Sephardi]]m in 1492, [[Judaism]] was practically nonexistent until the 19th century. There are also many Spaniards (in Spain and abroad) who claim Jewish ancestry to the [[Conversos]], and still practice certain customs. Spain is believed to have been about 8 percent [[Judaism|Jewish]] on the eve of the [[Spanish Inquisition]]. |
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Over the past thirty years, Spain has become a more secularised society. The number of believers has decreased significantly and for those who believe the degree of accordance and practice to their church is quite diverse. |
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According to the latest official poll [http://www.cis.es/Catalogo/Estudio.aspx?year=&barometro=&ultimosestudios=&tema=119&estudio=2170&cuestionario=2190&muestra=5485 (CIS, 2002)], 80% of Spaniards self-identify as [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]], 12% as ''non-believer'', and 1% as ''other'' (the remaining 7% declined to state). Of the 1.4% identifying as ''other'', 29% identified as [[Evangelical Christian]], 26% as [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and 3% as Muslim (the rest either mentioned smaller religions or declined to state). According to the same poll, 73% believe in God, 14% don't and 12% are unsure (1% declined to state). Additionally, according to this poll, only 41% believe in [[Heaven]]. 24% of the Spaniards think that the [[Bible]] is just a fable. Only 25% of [[Catholics]] go to church at least once a week. |
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According to the [[CIA World Factbook]], 94% of Spaniards are Roman Catholic. This is consistent with the Catholic Church's practice to claim all baptized as Catholic regardless of self-identification, and with the CIS poll's finding that 91% to 96% of all parents are remembered as being Catholics. While 80% of Spaniards self-describing as Catholics, 94% report having baptized their children but only 79% being inclined to baptize new children. 90% had a religious wedding. |
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== Culture == |
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''Main article: [[Culture of Spain]]'' |
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* [[List of Spaniards]] |
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* [[Cuisine of Spain]] |
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* [[List of Spanish football league teams|Spanish football]] |
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* [[Spanish literature]] |
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* [[Bonfires of Saint John]] |
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* [[Bullfighting]] |
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* [[Music of Spain]] |
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== International rankings == |
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* [[Reporters without borders]] world-wide press freedom index 2002: Rank 39 out of 139 countries (2 way tie) |
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* [[The Economist]] Intelligence Unit's worldwide quality-of-life index 2005: Rank 10 out of 111 countries (above countries like the [[United States of America]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[France]]) |
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== Further reading == |
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John Hickman and Chris Little, "Seat/Vote Proportionality in Romanian and Spanish Parliamentary Elections", ''Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans'' Volume 2, Number 2, November 2000. |
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== Miscellaneous topics == |
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''Main article: [[List of Spain-related topics]]'' |
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* [[Communications in Spain]] |
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* [[Transportation in Spain]] |
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**[[SEAT]] automobile |
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**[[Biscuter]] automobile |
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* [[Military of Spain]] |
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* [[Foreign relations of Spain]] |
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* [[Tourism in Spain]] |
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* [[List of cities in Spain]] |
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* [[List of municipalities in Spain]] |
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* [[Plaza de soberanía|Places of sovereignty near Morocco]] |
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* [[List of Spanish birds]] |
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* [[List of Spanish national parks]] |
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* [[Spanish nobility]] |
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== External links == |
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* [http://www.economist.com/countries/Spain/ Spain]: [[The Economist]] Country Briefings entry (current) |
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* [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sp.html Spain]: [[CIA World Factbook]] entry (updated January 27, 2005. most of the information as available on January 1, 2004) |
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* [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/estoc.html Spain]: US [[Library of Congress Country Studies]] entry (1988) |
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{{wikitravel}} |
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* [http://www.castillosnet.org Spanish Castles (www.castillosnet.org)] The most complete guide of Spanish Castles and military architecture... (in Spanish) |
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* [http://www.inspain.org Spain for travellers] (in Spanish) |
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* [http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Home?Language=en spain.info] Spain Tourist Information |
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* [http://es.todalanet.net Todalanet.net Spain]: Searches for web pages from Spain only (in Spanish) |
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* [http://www.administracion.es administracion.es] e-government Portal |
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* [http://www.la-moncloa.es/webIngles/asp/inicio.asp La Moncloa.es] - Official governmental site |
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* [http://www.mae.es Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores] Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
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* [http://www.congreso.es/ingles/index.htm Congreso de los Diputados] - Official site of the Congress of Deputies |
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* [http://www.senado.es/home_i.html El Senado] - Official site of the Senate |
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* [http://www.casareal.es/casareal/home2i.html Casa Real] - Official site of the Spanish Royal House |
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* [http://www.ine.es/inebase/cgi/um?L=0 INEBase] - National Institute of Statistics (Spanish) |
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* [http://www.explorerspain.com ExplorerSpain] - Spain Tourist Information and regional news. |
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* [http://www.proel.org/lenguas.html Proel.org] - Languages of Spain |
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* [http://www.lodgephoto.com/galleries/spain/ Photographs of Spain]: Barcelona, Girona and Catalonia |
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* [http://www.map-of-spain.co.uk Spain Maps] - Maps of Spain and its regions |
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* [http://www.searchandsurvey.co.uk/information-on-spain.htm Information on Spain] - Information On Spain |
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*[http://www.iberianature.com/ iberianature] a guide to the environment, geography, climate, wildlife, natural history and landscape of Spain |
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*[http://spain.ianandwendy.com Pictures and travelogue from a backpacker's trip to Spain] |
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*[http://www.spanish-airport-guide.com Spanish Airport Guide]A Guide to all Airports in Spain |
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{{EU_countries}} |
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{{Europe}} |
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[[Category:Monarchies]] |
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[[Category:Spain| ]] |
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[[Category:European Union member states]] |
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[[af:Spanje]] |
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[[ar:إسبانيا]] |
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[[ast:España]] |
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[[bg:Испания]] |
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[[be:Гішпанія]] |
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[[cs:Španělsko]] |
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[[ko:에스파냐]] |
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[[id:Spanyol]] |
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[[it:Spagna]] |
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[[he:ספרד]] |
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[[ka:ესპანეთი]] |
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[[la:Hispania]] |
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[[lt:Ispanija]] |
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[[hu:Spanyolország]] |
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[[ro:Spania]] |
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[[rm:Spagna]] |
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[[ru:Испания]] |
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[[se:Spánia]] |
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[[sk:Španielsko]] |
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[[zh:西班牙]] |
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