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spain |
4 definitions found From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: Spain n : a kingdom in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula; a former colonial power [syn: {Spain}, {Espana}] From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]: Spain Paul expresses his intention (Rom. 15:24, 28) to visit Spain. There is however, no evidence that he ever carried it into effect, although some think that he probably did so between his first and second imprisonment. (See {TARSHISH}.) From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]: Spain, rare precious From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Spain Spain:Geography Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, and North Atlantic Ocean, southwest of France Map references: Europe Area: total area: 504,750 sq km land area: 499,400 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Oregon note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - Ceuta Mellila Islas Chafarinas Penon de Alhucemas and Penon de Velez de la Gomera Land boundaries: total 1,903.2 km Andorra 65 km France 623 km Gibraltar 1.2 km Portugal 1,214 km Coastline: 4,964 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: Gibraltar question with UK Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas 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 in north Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower Land use: arable land: 31% permanent crops: 10% meadows and pastures: 21% forest and woodland: 31% other: 7% Irrigated land: 33,600 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; air pollution; deforestation; desertification natural hazards: periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification Law of the Sea Note: strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar Spain:People Population: 39,404,348 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 17% (female 3,214,606; male 3,446,643) 15-64 years: 68% (female 13,377,839; male 13,457,683) 65 years and over: 15% (female 3,461,367; male 2,446,210) (July 1995 est.) Population growth rate: 0.27% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 11.21 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 8.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: 0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.91 years male: 74.67 years female: 81.39 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.41 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish Ethnic divisions: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other sects 1% Languages: Castilian Spanish, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2% Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986) total population: 96% male: 98% female: 94% Labor force: 14.621 million by occupation: services 53%, industry 24%, agriculture 14%, construction 9% (1988) Spain:Government Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain conventional short form: Spain local short form: Espana Digraph: SP Type: parliamentary monarchy Capital: Madrid Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencia, Extremadura Galicia, Islas Baleares La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco note: there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco (Ceuta, Mellila Islas Chafarinas Penon de Alhucemas and Penon de Velez de la Gomera) with administrative status unknown Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification) National holiday: National Day 12 October Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975) head of government: Prime Minister Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez (since 2 December 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Narcis SERRA y Serra (since 13 March 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers; designated by the prime minister Council of State: is the supreme consultative organ of the government Legislative branch: bicameral The General Courts or National Assembly (Las Cortes Generales) Senate (Senado): elections last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held by June 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA seats - (255 total) PSOE 117, PP 107, CiU 15, PNV 5, IU 2, other 9 Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados): elections last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held by June 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA seats - (350 total) PSOE 159, PP 141, IU 18, CiU 17, PNV 5, CC 4, HB 2, other 4 Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo) Political parties and leaders: principal national parties, from right to left: Popular Party (PP), Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez; Democratic Social Center (CDS), Rafael CALVO Ortega; Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez, secretary general; Socialist Democracy Party (DS), Ricardo GARCIA Damborenea Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio ANGUITA Gonzalez; United Left (IU - a coalition of parties including the PCE, a branch of the PSOE, and other small parties), Julio ANGUITA Gonzalez chief regional parties: Convergence and Union (CiU), Miquel ROCA i Junyent secretary general; Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier ARZALLUS Antia and Jose Antonio ARDANZA Basque United People (HB), Jon IDIGORAS Guerricabeitia and Inaki ESNAOLA Canarian Coalition (CC), a coalition of five parties Other political or pressure groups: on the extreme left the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) use terrorism to oppose the government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977) include the Communist-dominated Workers Commissions (CCOO); the Socialist General Union of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO); business and landowning interests; the Catholic Church; Opus Dei; university students Member of: AfDB AG (observer), AsDB Australia Group BIS, CCC, CE CERN, EBRD, EC ECE, ECLAC EIB, ESA, FAO, G- 8, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD ONUSAL OSCE, PCA, UN UNCTAD UNESCO, UNHCR UNIDO UNMIH UNOMOZ UNPROFOR UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU WHO WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime De OJEDA Eiseley chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340 FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard N. GARDNER embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid mailing address: APO AE 09642 telephone: [34] (1) 577-4000 FAX: [34] (1) 577-5735 consulate(s) general: Barcelona consulate(s): Bilbao Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar Economy Overview: Spain, with a per capita output approximately two-thirds that of the four leading economies of Western Europe, has shared with these countries the recession of the early 1990s and the upturn of their economic fortunes in 1994. But whereas unemployment in these countries has hovered just above 10%, Spain has been forced to cope with a 25% unemployment rate. Continued political turmoil has complicated the establishment of stable government policies toward budgetary restraint, interest rates, labor law reform, and Spain's role in the evolving economic integration of Western Europe. Because the recession has been so deep, the growth in industrial output, tourism, and other sectors in 1994, while welcome, falls far short of the growth required to bring unemployment down to say 10%. The recovery in the economies of major trade partners, the comparatively low inflation rate, lower interest rates, and prospects in the tourist sector suggest that Spain can make substantial progress in 1995. National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $515.8 billion (1994 est.) National product real growth rate: 1.8% (1994 est.) National product per capita: $13,120 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.9% (1994) Unemployment rate: 24.5% (yearend 1994) Budget: revenues: $97.7 billion expenditures: $128 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.) Exports: $72.8 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: cars and trucks, semifinished manufactured goods, foodstuffs, machinery partners: EC 71.2%, US 4.8%, other developed countries 7.9% (1992) Imports: $92.5 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, fuels, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals partners: EC 60.7%, US 7.4%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 5.9% (1992) External debt: $90 billion (1993 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1994 est.) Electricity: capacity: 43,800,000 kW production: 148 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,545 kWh (1993) Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GDP and 14% of labor force; major products - grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus fruit, beef, pork, poultry, dairy; largely self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 1.4 million metric tons is among top 20 nations Illicit drugs: key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1.9 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $545 million note: not currently a recipient Currency: 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos Exchange rates: pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 132.61 (January 1995), 133.96 (1994), 127.26 (1993), 102.38 (1992), 103.91 (1991), 101.93 (1990) Fiscal year: calendar year Spain:Transportation Railroads: total: 14,400 km broad gauge: 12,111 km 1.668-m gauge (6,404 km electrified; 2,295 km double track) standard gauge: 515 km 1.435-m gauge (515 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,774 km (privately owned: 1,727 km 1.000-m gauge, 560 km electrified; 28 km 0.914-m gauge, 28 km electrified; government owned: 19 km 1.000-m gauge, all electrified) Highways: total: 331,961 km paved: 328,641 km (2,700 km of expressways) unpaved: 3,320 km (1991) Inland waterways: 1,045 km but of minor economic importance Pipelines: crude oil 265 km petroleum products 1,794 km natural gas 1,666 km Ports: Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta Huelva La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes Puerto de Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), Santander Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo Merchant marine: total: 157 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 868,326 GRT/1,382,335 DWT ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 41, chemical tanker 11, container 9, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 25, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 12, roll-on/roll-off cargo 34, short-sea passenger 5, specialized tanker 2 Airports: total: 106 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 15 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 12 with paved runways under 914 m: 34 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 16 Spain:Communications Telephone system: 15,350,464 telephones; generally adequate, modern facilities local: NA intercity: NA international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; 2 earth stations for INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); earth stations for working the EUTELSAT INMARSAT and MARECS satellite communications systems; microwave tropospheric scatter links to adjacent countries Radio: broadcast stations: AM 190, FM 406 (repeaters 134), shortwave 0 radios: NA Television: broadcast stations: 100 (repeaters 1,297) televisions: NA Spain:Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil Guard Manpower availability: males age 15-49 10,435,970; males fit for military service 8,434,460; males reach military age (20) annually 335,967 (1995 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $8 billion, 1.6% of GDP (1994)
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