A few facts about Spain
Spain is the largest nation in the Iberian peninsula, an area
that it dominates with an eighty five percent geographical share
leaving a mere fifteen percent to neighbour Portugal.
Spain is divided up into a series of regions called autonomous
communities, each of which has its own local government and law
making powers.
While associated with sun and hot weather by most English
speaking holiday makers, Spain faces not just the Mediterranean,
but also the Atlantic Oceans. It also has ski resorts in some of
its northern provinces including one of the four provincial
areas of Galicia.
Despite its current prosperity and economic growth (last year
the Spanish economy grew at three times the rate of that of
France), it remains a net beneficiary of the European Union.
That status has also been extended to the year 2013 ensuring
Spain's wealth is not only kept in house, but further
supplemented by the British and German tax payers.
Although most visitors to Spain try to pick up a few "Spanish"
phrases before they vacation there, the country has several
dialects which are not simply accents, but unique regional
tongues.
Spain has a socialist government headed by Prime Minister Jose
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. He and his party deposed the more right
wing "Popular Party" in 2004 by breaking an unwritten agreement
to cease electoral campaigning 48 hours before the election to
allow voters some unhindered time for thought. This was done in
order to exploit the terrorist bombings of trains and question
the existing government's conclusion that Islamic terrorists
were to blame. The ploy, although ultimately proven to be
untrue, worked.
Spain has a monarchy, re-instated after the death of General
Franco and the current incumbent is King Juan Carlos I. Unlike
the Queen in the UK, the Spanish King is popular with most
citizens.
Although large geographically Spain's people population is
around forty million with an average life expectancy of almost
eighty years of age. Spain's population work amongst the longest
hours of any of the EU's member states, but also manage the
lowest levels of productivity - a great concern to the Spanish
government.
Spain is still a Christian state and approximately ninety five
percent of its population are Catholic. The church going
community is however a very small representation of this overall
figure.
Spain's two largest cities are Madrid, the capitol, and
Barcelona. The latter has a population of over one and a half
million inhabitants, whilst the former, Madrid, exceeds three
million.