Spain

SPAIN

Information about travelling to Spain

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

Facts about Spain
Population40,491,052 (July 2008 est
CapitalMadrid
Time zoneUTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begin
Location Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France

General info about Spain
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) have given Spain one of the most dynamic economies in Europe and made it a global champion of freedom. Continuing challenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism, illegal immigration, and slowing economic growth.
Languages spoken
Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
What about 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
Ethnic division
composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate
0.7% (2001 est.)
Climate
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Resources
coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
Economy
The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990 averaging 5% annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early 1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994. Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is equal to that of the leading West European economies. The center-right government of former President Jose Maria AZNAR successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administration but remained high. Growth averaging more than 3% annually during 2003-07 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. The Socialist president, Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO, has made mixed progress in carrying out key structural reforms. Growth dropped to 1.3% in 2008 as a result of the mortgage and credit crises and diminished world demand.
Environment
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

Cities in Spain

a coruna     abaran     adeje     adra     aguilar de la frontera     aguilas     aguimes     albacete     albal     albolote     alboraya     albox     alcala de guadaira     alcala de henares     alcala la real     alcaniz     alcantarilla     alcaudete     alcazar de san juan     alcobendas     alcorcon     alcudia     alfafar     algeciras     algemesi     algete     alginet     alhama de murcia     alhaurin de la torre     alhaurin el grande     aller     almansa     almendralejo     almeria     almonte     almoradi     almunecar     alora     altea     ames     amposta     amurrio     andoain     andujar     antequera     arahal     aranda de duero     aranjuez     archena     archidona     arcos de la frontera     arenys de mar     armilla     arnedo     arona     arrecife     arrigorriaga     arucas     aspe     astorga     atarfe     avila     aviles     ayamonte     azpeitia     azuaga     azuqueca de henares     badajoz     badalona     baena     baeza     bailen     balaguer     baranain     barbastro     barbate     barcelona     baza     beasain     bejar     bembibre     benalmadena     benavente     benicarlo     benidorm     berga     berja     bermeo     betanzos     betera     bilbao     blanes     boadilla del monte     boiro     bolanos de calatrava     brenes     bueu     bullas     bunol     burgos     burriana     cabra     caceres     cadiz     calafell     calahorra     calatayud     calella     callosa de segura     calvia     camargo     camas     cambados     cambre     cambrils     campo de criptana     canals     candelaria     cangas     carballo     cardedeu     carlet     carmona     cartagena     cartama     cartaya     castelldefels     castilleja de la cuesta     castrillon     castro-urdiales     catarroja     cehegin     cervo     ceuta     chantada     chiclana     chipiona     ciempozuelos     cieza     ciudad real     cocentaina     colmenar viejo     conil     consuegra     cordoba     coria     coria del rio     cornella     coslada     cuenca     cullera     culleredo     daimiel     denia     don benito     dos hermanas     durango     ecija     eibar     ejea de los caballeros     el astillero     el ejido     el escorial     el prat de llobregat     el puerto de santa maria     el vendrell     el viso del alcor     elda     elgoibar     erandio     ermua     estepa     estepona     felanitx     fene     fernan-nunez     ferrol     foz     fraga     fuengirola     fuenlabrada     fuente palmera     galapagar     galdar     gandia     gava     getafe     gibraleon     gijon     godella     gondomar     grado     granada     granadilla de abona     granollers     guadalajara     guadix     guia de isora     guimar     hellin     hernani     huelva     huercal-overa     huesca     huescar     ibi     icod de los vinos     igualada     illescas     illora     inca     ingenio     irun     jaca     jaen     jerez     jodar     jumilla     la algaba     la baneza     la carlota     la carolina     la garriga     la linea     la llagosta     la orotava     la palma del condado     la puebla de cazalla     la puebla del rio     la rinconada     la roda     la solana     la union     laguna de duero     lalin     langreo     laredo     las palmas     las rozas de madrid     las torres de cotillas     laviana     lebrija     leganes     lena     leon     lepe     linares     llanera     llanes     llodio     lloret de mar     logrono     loja     lora del rio     lorca     los barrios     los corrales de buelna     los llanos de aridane     lucena     lugo     madrid     madridejos     mahon     mairena del alcor     mairena del aljarafe     majadahonda     malaga     malgrat de mar     manacor     manises     manlleu     manresa     manzanares     maracena     marbella     marchena     marin     marratxi     martorell     martos     mataro     mazarron     medina del campo     mejorada del campo     melilla     merida     miajadas     mieres     mijas     miranda de ebro     mislata     moana     moguer     molina de segura     mollet del valles     moncada     monforte de lemos     montijo     montilla     montornes del valles     montoro     monzon     moron de la frontera     mostoles     motril     mula     murcia     muros     naron     navalcarnero     navalmoral de la mata     nerja     nigran     nijar     novelda     oleiros     oliva     olivenza     olot     onda     ondarroa     oria     orihuela     osuna     oviedo     padron     paiporta     palafrugell     palamos     palencia     palma     palma del rio     pamplona     parla     paterna     penarroya-pueblonuevo     pilar de la horadada     pilas     pinos puente     pinto     plasencia     ponferrada     pontevedra     portugalete     pozoblanco     pozuelo de alarcon     pravia     premia de mar     priego de cordoba     puerto de la cruz     puerto del rosario     puerto lumbreras     puerto real     puertollano     punta umbria     redondela     reinosa     requena     reus     rincon de la victoria     ripoll     ripollet     ronda     roquetas de mar     rota     rubi     rute     sabadell     sada     salamanca     salobrena     salou     salt     san andres del rabanedo     san bartolome     san bartolome de tirajana     san fernando     san fernando de henares     san javier     san juan de aznalfarache     san lorenzo de el escorial     san pedro del pinatar     san roque     san sebastian de los reyes     sanlucar de barrameda     sanlucar la mayor     sant cugat del valles     sant feliu de guixols     sant just desvern     sant pere de ribes     santa brigida     santa comba     santa cruz de la palma     santa cruz de tenerife     santa eulalia del rio     santa lucia     santa marta de tormes     santa pola     santander     santiago de compostela     santomera     santona     sarria     segovia     sestao     sevilla     siero     silla     silleda     sitges     socuellamos     soller     sopelana     soria     sueca     tacoronte     tafalla     talavera de la reina     tarancon     tarazona     tarifa     tarragona     tarrega     teguise     telde     teo     teror     teruel     tias     tineo     toledo     tolosa     tomares     tomelloso     tomino     torello     toro     torre del campo     torre-pacheco     torredonjimeno     torrejon de ardoz     torrelavega     torrelodones     torremolinos     torrevieja     torrijos     torrox     tortosa     totana     tudela     ubeda     ubrique     utiel     utrera     valdemoro     valdepenas     valencia     valladolid     valls     valverde del camino     velez-malaga     verin     vic     vicar     vigo     viladecans     vilanova del cami     villablino     villacarrillo     villafranca de los barros     villamartin     villanueva de cordoba     villanueva de la serena     villarrobledo     villarrubia de los ojos     villaviciosa     villaviciosa de odon     villena     vitoria     yecla     zafra     zamora     zaragoza     zarautz     zumarraga    

National airlines
Air Nostrumairline website
Iberiaairline website
Englishairline website
Spanair airline website
Englishairline website


Airports in Spain
Los LlanosABC
MalagaAGP
El Altet AirportALC
BarcelonaBCN
BilbaoBIO
Talaveral La RealBJZ
San SebastianEAS
Costa BravaGRO
GranadaGRX
Ceuta HeliportJCU
La CorunaLCG
AlmeriaLEI
LeonLEN
Aeroport De La SeuLEU
BarajasMAD
San JavierMJV
MelillaMLN
CordobaODB
PamplonaPNA
ReusREU
Santiago De CompostelaSCQ
SantanderSDR
MatacanSLM
SevillaSVQ
Torrejon AFBTOJ
TorremolinosUTL
VigoVGO
VitoriaVIT
ValenciaVLC
Valladolid AirportVLL
La ParraXRY
ZaragozaZAZ


Beer in Spain (0.33l)
A Coruña~ 1 EUR
A CORUÑA~ 1 EUR
Adeje~ 1.6 EUR
Aguilas~ 0.5 EUR
Albacete~ 0.9 EUR
Albir~ 1 EUR
Alcala De Henares~ 1.7 EUR
Alicante~ 1.2 EUR
Almería~ 1 EUR
Altea~ 1 EUR
Ames~ 1.2 EUR
Ayamonte~ 2 EUR
Barcelona~ 2.4 EUR
Barcelona~ 2.4 EUR
Benalmadena~ 1.5 EUR
Benidorm~ 1.2 EUR
Benidorm~ 1.2 EUR
Bilbao~ 2.1 EUR
Caceres~ 1.2 EUR
Cadiz~ 2.1 EUR
Calatayud~ 1.2 EUR
Calella~ 1.2 EUR
Calpe~ 1.1 EUR
Cee~ 0.9 EUR
Cuenca~ 1.2 EUR
Denia~ 1.1 EUR
Dolores~ 1.1 EUR
El Puerto De Santa Maria~ 2.2 EUR
Elda~ 4.5 EUR
Estepona~ 1.8 EUR
Finestrat~ 0.8 EUR
Fuengirola~ 1.4 EUR
Gijon~ 1.8 EUR
Gijón~ 1.8 EUR
Granada~ 4.5 EUR
Granada~ 4.5 EUR
Guardamar~ 1.4 EUR
Huelva~ 1.8 EUR
Ibiza~ 4.6 EUR
Ibiza~ 4.6 EUR
Jaén~ 1.2 EUR
Javea~ 1.8 EUR
La Coruna~ 0.7 EUR
La Felguera~ 1.1 EUR
León~ 1.3 EUR
Leon~ 1.3 EUR
Lepe~ 0.6 EUR
Madrid~ 2.1 EUR
Madrid~ 2.1 EUR
Malaga~ 1.8 EUR
Malaga~ 1.8 EUR
Malgrat~ 1.5 EUR
MANZANARES EL REAL~ 1.5 EUR
Marbella~ 2.1 EUR
Mataro~ 1.5 EUR
Mojacar~ 1.1 EUR
Murcia~ 1.8 EUR
Oliva~ 1 EUR
Oviedo~ 1.5 EUR
Palencia~ 1.1 EUR
Palma~ 1.6 EUR
Pamplona~ 2.1 EUR
Pamplona~ 2.1 EUR
Pego~ 1 EUR
Playa Blanca~ 2.1 EUR
Pliego~ 0.6 EUR
Polop~ 1.1 EUR
Reus~ 1.2 EUR
Sabadell~ 1.8 EUR
Salamanca~ 1.3 EUR
Salou~ 1.7 EUR
SALOU~ 1.7 EUR
San Sebastian~ 2.1 EUR
San Sebastian~ 2.1 EUR
San Sebastián~ 2.1 EUR
Santa Cruz De La Palma~ 0.9 EUR
Santander~ 2 EUR
Sella~ 0.5 EUR
Serracines~ 0.9 EUR
Sevilla~ 0.8 EUR
Seville~ 1.2 EUR
Seville~ 1.2 EUR
Torrejon De Ardoz~ 1.3 EUR
Torremolinos~ 1.7 EUR
Torrevieja~ 1.2 EUR
Turre~ 1.3 EUR
Val De Santo Domingo~ 0.6 EUR
Valencia~ 1.1 EUR
Valencia~ 1.1 EUR
Valladolid~ 1.5 EUR
Vigo~ 0.7 EUR
Zaragoza~ 1.8 EUR
Zaragoza~ 1.8 EUR

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