Facts about Spain

Mainland Spain covers an area of half a million square kilometres and has a coastline of 2,100 kilometres. Spain includes both the Canary and Balearic Islands. It is the second largest country in Europe after France. The interior of Spain is a vast plateau called the Meseta bound to the north east by the Pyrenees, in the south west by the Sierra Morena and in the south by the Sierra Nevada. Across the Meseta itself rivers have cut many deep valleys. Much of the coastline is steep and rocky but there is a narrow coastal plain bordering the Mediterranean.

The population of 40 million is less than many European countries. Spain, despite being predominantly a Catholic country, has a low birth rate and a high life expectancy of 75 years for men and 80 for women. Most Spaniards are now urban rather than rural dwellers, living in the major conurbations around Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia . A million British people live in Spain, concentrated along the Mediterranean and Islands.

Castilian Spanish is the language of the country. Catalan, modified French, is spoken in the north east and Valenciano, a difficult to understand regional dialect, in the east. Two hundred million people speak Spanish worldwide, mainly in the former Spanish Empire, making it the third most popular language after English and Chinese. English is well understood in major cities, the Costas and Islands, but is rarely spoken or understood in rural areas. English is gaining in popularity as it is taught as a second language in all schools.

Spain's principal cities are Madrid, situated in the geographical centre of the country; the seat of central government and an important commercial centre, followed by Barcelona, a commercial and industrial city with a large port close to France. There is an intense rivalry between the two cities, both political and sporting. Valencia, the third largest city, faces the Mediterranean and is an important area for car manufacture and for growing oranges. Bilbao on the northern coast is a major modern port and industrial centre. Sevilla in the south west exports agricultural produce such as olive oil, fruit and wine.

The economy of Spain has changed from a tradition of agriculture to that of an industrialised nation. Ten per cent of the workforce is engaged in tourism, 10% in agriculture and 1% in fishing. Encouraged by EU grants, industry is expanding rapidly. Construction of new, colourful buildings is clearly visible alongside main roads while new homes are being built at the rate of half a million per year. Some people have been heard to comment, 'the whole of Spain is a building site'.