2010 Edition

Background

Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. The government continues to battle the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorist organization, but its major focus for the immediate future will be on measures to reverse the severe economic recession that started in mid-2008.

Area

land

498,980 sq km

total

505,370 sq km

water

6,390 sq km note: there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

Climate

temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast

Coastline

4,964 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

864 cu m/yr (2002)

total

37.22 cu km/yr (13%/19%/68%)

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 4 00 W

Geography - note

strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas

Irrigated land

37,800 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km

total

1,917.8 km

Land use

arable land

27.18%

other

62.97% (2005)

permanent crops

9.85%

Location

Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

periodic droughts, occasional flooding

volcanism

Spain experiences volcanic activity in the Canary Islands, located off Africa's northwest coast; Teide (elev. 3,715 m, 12,188 ft) has been deemed a "Decade Volcano" by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; La Palma (elev. 2,426 m, 7,959 ft), which last erupted in 1971, is the most active of the Canary Islands volcanoes; Lanzarote is the only other historically active volcano

Natural resources

coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land

Terrain

large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north

Total renewable water resources

111.1 cu km (2005)

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.5% (male 3,021,822/female 2,842,597) 15-64 years: 67.4% (male 13,705,107/female 13,601,399) 65 years and over: 18.1% (male 3,071,394/female 4,282,683) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

10.91 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

8.72 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

4.4% of GDP (2007)

Ethnic groups

composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.5% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,300 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

140,000 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

3.77 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.42 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.27 years (2010 est.)

male

78.06 years

total population

81.07 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.2% (2003 est.)

male

98.7%

total population

97.9%

Median age

female

41.5 years (2010 est.)

male

38.9 years

total

40.1 years

Nationality

adjective

Spanish

noun

Spaniard(s)

Net migration rate

2.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

46,505,963 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

0.493% (2010 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2008)

male

16 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.065 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.47 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

77% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma) and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna (Catalonia), Comunidad Valenciana (Valencian Community), Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country) note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central government, are all along the coast of Morocco and are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: Spain is divided into two time zones including the Canary Islands

geographic coordinates

40 24 N, 3 41 W

name

Madrid

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

approved by legislature 31 October 1978; passed by referendum 6 December 1978; signed by the king 27 December 1978

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Spain

conventional short form

Spain

local long form

Reino de Espana

local short form

Espana

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Alan D. SOLOMONT

consulate(s) general

Barcelona

embassy

Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid

FAX

[34] (91) 587-2303

mailing address

PSC 61, APO AE 09642

telephone

[34] (91) 587-2200

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Jorge DEZCALLAR de Mazarredo

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

FAX

[1] (202) 833-5670

telephone

[1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers designated by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are non-binding

chief of state

King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968

election results

Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO reelected President of the Government; percent of National Assembly vote - 46.9%

elections

the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually proposed president by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly; election last held on 9 and 11 April 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president

head of government

President of the Government (Prime Minister equivalent) Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004); First Vice President (and Minister of the Interior) Alfredo Perez RUBALCABA (since 20 October 2010), Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Elena SALGADO Mendez (since 8 April 2009), and Third Vice President (and Minister of Regional Affairs) Manuel CHAVES Gonzalez (since 8 April 2009)

Flag description

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 is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left, Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon) while Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield; the arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; the red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of "Plus Ultra" (further beyond) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe; the triband arrangement with the center stripe twice the width of the outer dates to the 18th century note: the red and yellow colors are related to those of the oldest

Spanish kingdoms

Aragon, Castile, Leon, and Navarre

Government type

parliamentary monarchy

Independence

1492; the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo

Legal system

civil law system with regional applications; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral; General Courts or Las Cortes Generales (National Assembly) consists of the Senate or Senado (264 seats as of 2008; 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 56 - as of 2008 - appointed by the regional legislatures; members to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; each of the 50 electoral provinces fills a minimum of two seats and the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla fill one seat each with members serving a four-year term; the other 248 members are determined by proportional representation based on popular vote on block lists who serve four-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 101, PSOE 88, Entesa Catalona de Progress 12, CiU 4, PNV 2, CC 1, members appointed by regional legislatures 56; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PSOE 43.6%, PP 40.1%, CiU 3.1%, PNV 1.2%, ERC 1.2%, other 10.8%; seats by party - PSOE 169, PP 154, CiU 10, PNV 6, ERC 3, other 8; note - seats by party in the Congress of Deputies as of 15 December 2009 - PSOE 169, PP 153, CiU 10, PNV 6, ERC 3, other 9

elections

Senate - last held on 9 March 2008 (next to be held by March 2012); Congress of Deputies - last held on 9 March 2008 (next to be held by March 2012)

National anthem

lyrics/music

none/unknown note: officially in use between 1770 and 1931, restored in 1939; the Spanish anthem has no lyrics; in the years prior to 1931 it became known as "Marcha Real" (The Royal March); it first appeared in a 1761 military bugle call book and was replaced by "Himno de Riego" in the years between 1931 and 1939; the long version of the anthem is used for the king, while the short version is used for the prince, prime minister, and occasions such as sporting events

name

"Himno Nacional Espanol" (National Anthem of Spain)

National holiday

National Day, 12 October (1492); year when Columbus first set foot in the Americas

Political parties and leaders

Basque Nationalist Party or PNV or EAJ [Inigo URKULLU Renteria]; Canarian Coalition or CC [Claudina MORALES Rodriquez] (a coalition of five parties); Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Artur MAS i Gavarro] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN i LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a Senate coalition grouping four Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV, EUA); Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Guillerme VAZQUEZ Vazquez]; Initiative for Catalonia Greens or ICV [Joan SAURA i Laporta]; Navarra Yes or NaBai [collective leadership] (a coalition of four Navarran parties); Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY Brey]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Joan PUIGCERCOS i Boixassa]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO]; Union of People of Navarra or UPN [Yolanda BARCINA Angulo]; Union, Progress and Democracy or UPyD [Rosa DIEZ Gonzalez]; United Left or IU [Cayo LARA Moya] (a coalition of parties including the Communist Party of Spain or PCE and other small parties)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Association for Victims of Terrorism or AVT (grassroots organization devoted primarily to opposing ETA terrorist attacks and supporting its victims); Basta Ya (Spanish for "Enough is Enough"); grassroots organization devoted primarily to opposing ETA terrorist attacks and supporting its victims); Nunca Mais (Galician for "Never Again"; formed in response to the oil Tanker Prestige oil spill); Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions or CC.OO.

other

business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); university students

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish

Central bank discount rate

1.75% (31 December 2009) 3% (31 December 2008) note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.72% (31 December 2009 est.) 11.02% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$66.74 billion (2010 est.) -$80.38 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$2.166 trillion (30 June 2010) $2.317 trillion (31 December 2008)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

32 (2005) 32.5 (1990)

Economy - overview

Spain's mixed capitalist economy is the 12th largest in the world, and its per capita income roughly matches that of Germany and France. However, after almost 15 years of above average GDP growth, the Spanish economy began to slow in late 2007 and entered into a recession in the second quarter of 2008. GDP contracted by 3.7% in 2009, ending a 16-year growth trend, and by another 0.4% in 2010, making Spain the last major economy to emerge from the global recession. The reversal in Spain's economic growth reflects a significant decline in the construction sector, an oversupply of housing, falling consumer spending, and slumping exports. Government efforts to boost the economy through stimulus spending, extended unemployment benefits, and loan guarantees did not prevent a sharp rise in the unemployment rate, which rose from a low of about 8% in 2007 to 20% in 2010. The government budget deficit worsened from 3.8% of GDP in 2008 to about 9.7% of GDP in 2010, more than three times the euro-zone limit. Spain's large budget deficit and poor economic growth prospects have made it vulnerable to financial contagion from other highly-indebted euro zone members despite the government's efforts to cut spending, privatize industries, and boost competitiveness through labor market reforms. Spanish banks' high exposure to the collapsed domestic construction and real estate market also poses a continued risk for the sector. The government intervened in one regional savings bank in 2009, and investors remain concerned that Madrid may need to bail out more troubled banks. The Bank of Spain, however, is seeking to boost confidence in the financial sector by pressuring banks to come clean about their losses and consolidate into stronger groups.

Electricity - consumption

276.1 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - exports

16.92 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

5.88 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

300.5 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7179 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)

Exports

$268.3 billion (2010 est.) $224 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods

Exports - partners

France 19.27%, Germany 11.11%, Portugal 9.21%, Italy 8.24%, UK 6.18% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

2.9%

industry

25.5%

services

71.6% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$29,500 (2010 est.) $29,800 (2009 est.) $31,200 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-0.4% (2010 est.) -3.7% (2009 est.) 0.9% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.375 trillion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.374 trillion (2010 est.) $1.379 trillion (2009 est.) $1.432 trillion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 26.6% (2000)

Imports

$324.6 billion (2010 est.) $286.8 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments

Imports - partners

Germany 15.02%, France 12.82%, Italy 7.17%, China 5.8%, Netherlands 5.22%, UK 4.7% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

-2% (2010 est.)

Industries

textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.3% (2010 est.) -0.3% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

22.9% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

22.96 million (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

4.2%

industry

24%

services

71.7% (2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$1.297 trillion (31 December 2009) $946.1 billion (31 December 2008) $1.8 trillion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

33.88 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - exports

975 million cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - imports

34.67 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - production

13 million cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.548 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

1.482 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

218,600 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil - imports

1.716 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil - production

27,230 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

150 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

19.8% (2005)

Public debt

63.4% of GDP (2010 est.) 53.2% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$NA (31 December 2010 est.) $28.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$2.264 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) $2.451 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$641 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $634.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$668.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $664 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$3.683 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) $3.451 trillion (31 December 2008 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$849.2 billion (31 December 2010 est) $856.5 billion (31 December 2009 est) note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Unemployment rate

20% (2010 est.) 18.1% (2009 est.)

Broadcast media

a mixture of both publicly-operated and privately-owned TV and radio stations broadcasting; overall, hundreds of TV channels are available including national, regional, local, public, and international channels; satellite and cable TV systems are accessible; multiple national radio networks, a large number of regional radio networks, and a larger number of local radio stations broadcasting; overall, hundreds of radio stations operating (2008)

Internet country code

.es

Internet hosts

3.822 million (2010)

Internet users

28.119 million (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is nearly 175 telephones per 100 persons

general assessment

well developed, modern facilities; fixed-line teledensity is roughly 50 per 100 persons

international

country code - 34; submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries

Telephones - main lines in use

20.057 million (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

50.991 million (2009)

Airports

154 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

97 over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 24 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

57 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 38 (2010)

Heliports

9 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 7, cargo 17, chemical tanker 12, container 8, liquefied gas 13, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 40, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 13, vehicle carrier 5

foreign-owned

26 (Canada 5, Denmark 2, Germany 5, Italy 1, Mexico 2, Norway 10, Switzerland 1)

registered in other countries

107 (Angola 1, Argentina 3, Bahamas 9, Belize 1, Brazil 12, Cape Verde 1, Cyprus 7, France 1, Malta 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 40, Portugal 15, Uruguay 5, Venezuela 1) (2010)

total

138

Pipelines

gas 7,738 km; oil 560 km; refined products 3,445 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona, Valencia (Spain); Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Railways

broad gauge

11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)

narrow gauge

1,949 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2008)

standard gauge

1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified)

total

15,288 km

Roadways

paved

681,298 km (includes 15,152 km of expressways) (2008)

total

681,298 km

Waterways

1,000 km (2008)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 9,851,306 females age 16-49: 9,574,929 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 8,040,207 females age 16-49: 7,798,254 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

181,703 (2010 est.)

male

193,038

Military branches

Spanish Armed Forces

Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2010)

Military expenditures

1.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

20 years of age (2004)

Disputes - international

in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island); Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

Illicit drugs

despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================