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Spain evokes images of passion and fire. From bullfighting to flamenco, paellas to tapas, Gaudi to Picasso, Spain offers a plethora of experiences. A spectacular and diverse country, it is an amalgam of Spanish, Roman and Moorish influences. Centuries of history are reflected in its prehistoric cave paintings, Moorish palaces, crumbling castles, Roman ruins, Gothic and Renaissance cathedrals as well as some very distinctive modern architecture.
With a natural geography that sees rolling hills in the north and tremendous beaches in the south, Spain is also home to very unique manmade landscape and skyline as seen in the cities of Cordoba, Salamanca, Madrid and Seville. If it is artifacts that attract you, there are myriad offerings that will keep you enthralled for hours. From the famed Picasso museum in Barcelona; the world-famous Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid; to steel workshops of Toledo that carry swords resembling those procured by Crusaders en route to battles in the Holy Land; the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Extremadura for its blend of Islamic, Italian Renaissance and gothic-style architecture; Granada's Arab Quarter, to the eighth-century mosque in Cordoba, Spain will satiate your appetite for culture and art.
Given its endless offerings, let us help you create an authentic travel experience. We can show you the shadowy plazas of Madrid, leave you to wander the olive groves and wheat fields of Castile la Mancha or for something truly authentic, take you on an exploration of the interior of Andalucia along the Route of the White Hill Towns (Ruta de los Pueblos Blanchos). Whether it is popular city routes you seek or off the beaten track adventures, let EuroSwiss Global be your guides.
| Area: |
504,782 km², of which 499,542 km² is land and 5,240 km² is water. |
| Population: |
44 million |
| Capital city: |
Madrid |
| Language: |
Castilian Spanish - 74%, Catalan - 17%, Galician - 7%, Basque - 2% |
| Life expectancy: |
78 male, 84 female (source World Health Organisation) |
| People: |
Approximately 10% of the Spanish population are foreign nationals. Top foreign nationalities in Spain are Moroccan (675k), Romanian (664k), Ecuadorian, (413k), Colombian (264k) and British (206k registered with the police and 1 million do not live in Spain permanently). |
| Religion: |
Roman Catholic - 97%; Protestant/other - 3% |
| Currency: |
Euro |
| Composition of Parliament: |
Total seats: 350. PSOE, centre left (169); Partido Popular (PP) centre right (154); others (27). |
| Membership of international groupings/organisations: |
European Union (EU), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), United Nations (UN), Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). |
Recent History
Spain joined the EEC (now EU) in 1986,hosted the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and Seville Expo'92. These three events confirmed the world view of Spain as a modern economic power on the world stage.
The centre-right Partido Popular government came to power in 1996 led by José María Aznar. Spain exchanged the peseta for the Euro in 2002.
Spain became the first country in the world to give full marriage and adoption rights to homosexual couples in 2005.
Government: Spain is a democratic constitutional monarchy with a National Parliament (Cortes Generals), formed by the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, that is elected every 4 years. Spain is divided in to 17 regions - Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile and Leon, Castile-La-Mancha, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Community of Madrid, Region of Murcia, Basque Country, Community of Valencia, Navarra and two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Meillla. These autonomous communities have varying powers, but each has its own parliament, government and administrative apparatus.
Major political parties:
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Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) leader: Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero; |
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Popular Party (PP) leader: Mariano Rajoy; |
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United Left (IU) leader: Gaspar Llamazares; |
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Convergence and Union (CiU) leader: Artur Mas. |
The Spanish Democracy
The transition from dictatorship to democracy began with Franco's death on 20 November 1975, its completion was marked by the electoral win of the socialist PSOE Party on 28 October 1982 in free democratic elections. The Spanish monarch King Juan Carlos was instrumental in the promotion of democracy; he intervened in the coup attempt known as "23-F" causing the plot to fail.
After the political transformation Spain changed radically adopting liberal values and free market practices, whilst maintaining the Spanish way of life.
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