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About Spain
officially Kingdom of Spain, constitutional monarchy (1995 est. pop. 39,404,000), 194,884  sq mi (504,750 sq km), including the Balearic and Canary islands, SW Europe. It consists of the Spanish mainland (190,190 sq mi/492,592 sq km), which occupies the major part of the Iberian Peninsula; of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea; and of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Madrid is the nation's capital and largest city.
People
 The Spanish people display great regional diversity. Separatist tendencies remain particularly strong among the Catalans and the Basques. Castilian is the standard Spanish language, but Catalan (akin to Provençal), Galician (akin to Portuguese), and Basque, unrelated to any other language, are still spoken and written extensively in their respective districts. Roman Catholicism was the official religion until 1978, but its role in Spanish public and private life has declined. Spain had 49 universities in 1998, including those of Navarre, Salamanca, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Resources
The major industries produce textiles, iron and steel, and chemicals. Motor vehicles, diesel and electric motors, and machinery are manufactured, in addition to a variety of consumer goods such as shoes, toys, radios, televisions, and home appliances. There are also beverage and tobacco industries.
Traditionally an agricultural country, Spain produces large crops of wheat, sugar beets, barley, tomatoes, olives, citrus fruit, grapes, and cork. Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil and Europe's largest producer of lemons, oranges, and strawberries.
Government
Spain has had a constitutional monarchy since 1975. King Juan Carlos I, who became the head of state after Francisco Franco's death, has the ability to ratify laws, dissolve the legislature, and propose candidates for the office of prime minister; he is also head of the armed forces. Spain's bicameral legislature, the Cortes , consists of the chamber of deputies and the senate, both of whose representatives are elected every four years in provincial elections. The legislature's powers include the ability to ratify, repeal, or reform laws and to approve international treaties. Spain's executive branch consists of the president (prime minister), vice presidents, and heads of ministries.
*Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Copyright (c) 2003.
Costa Blanca, “the white coast”, has 100 miles of coastline. The beaches and dunes take turns with rocks and cliffs creating a beautiful mixture of white, blue, brown and green colours. Due to these beautiful landscapes, a good location and friendly people, the Costa Blanca has become increasingly popular. The entire Costa Blanca has approximately 320 sunny days a year and the yearly average temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius. Thanks to gentle winds from the Mediterranean the weather on the Costa Blanca is pleasant all year round.
Costa Calida, “the warm coast”. On the eastern shoreline of the Iberian peninsula, in the Alicante province, you will find the Costa Calida, washed by the Mediterranean, with an outstanding climate and a wide range of culture and leisure activities, popular festivities and fine cuisine. Considered to be one of the healthiest regions in the world with a warm stable climate varying from an average 8 degrees in the winter and 18 in the summer, this is the European destination that has obtained most Blue Flag Awards for its fine beaches over recent years. With two international airport and a full network of motorways, roads and trains make travelling to and from the Costa Calida fast and easy.
The Costa Almeria
South of the Costa Cálida is Costa Almeria, which stretches from Aguilas in the north to Roquetas de Mar in the south and is largely undeveloped.
Heading down from Aguilas is Vera, where a number of new complexes are being constructed. Further south is Mojacar which is a popular beach holiday destination and the old town is steeped in history. Garrucha is a charming fishing village with a beach promenade. To the east of the city Almeria is the rugged and desolate coast of the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Nature Park.
The region of Almeria is an arid desert landscape with some outstanding areas of natural beauty, some of which have been used as movie locations including Lawrence of Arabia and numerous spaghetti westerns. The region has a low population density which is mainly spread across villages. |