Spain
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Madrid
- Population
- 47,280,433 (2024 est.)
- Area
- 505,370 sq km
- Government
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 58.2%, atheist 16.2%, agnostic 10.8%, other 2.7%, non-believer 10.5%, unspecified 1.7% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Spanish 84.8%, Moroccan 1.7%, Romanian 1.2%, other 12.3% (2021 est.)
- Currency
- euros (EUR)
- Life Expectancy
- 83 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .es
- Climate
- temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
- Terrain
- large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north
- Natural Resources
- coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
- Major Exports
- cars, packaged medicine, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, garments (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Spain remained neutral during both World Wars but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39) resulting in a dictatorship.