Continent: Europe (western region) belonging to the southern Europe
Important holidays: National Day: October 12; Constitution Day: December 6th.
Capital: Madrid, population 3.1 million (2004).
Area: 505,925 square kilometers
Population: 45,200,737 (2007 estimate) Predominantly Castilian (i.e., Spanish), with minorities of Catalan (6.81 million), Galician (2.75 million) and Basque (2.12 million).
Religion: 96% of the population is Catholic.
Language: Castilian (Spanish) is the official language and the national language. Minority languages are also official in the region.
State system: constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy
National flower: pomegranate, carnation
National stone: emerald
National sphere: water balloon
Currency: euro (old currency: peseta)
International abbreviation: es
International telephone code: +34
Time difference: 7 hours behind Beijing time. Time difference: 7 hours later than Beijing time, 6 hours during Daylight Saving Time;
Spanish flag: rectangular, the ratio of length to width is 3:2. The flag consists of three parallel horizontal rectangles, the top and bottom of which are red, each occupying 1/4 of the flag; the center is yellow. In the center is yellow, with the Spanish coat of arms painted on the left side of the yellow part. Red and yellow are the traditional colors loved by the Spanish people and represent the four ancient kingdoms that make up Spain. There is a saying that red represents blue blood, yellow represents yellow sand, blue blood and yellow sand symbolizes the Spanish people love bullfighting, from which embodies the spirit of bravery and tenacity, defying violence.
Spain's coat of arms: the centerpiece is the coat of arms. Coat of arms on the surface of six groups of patterns: the upper left corner of the yellow castle on the red, the upper right corner of the red lion wearing a crown on the white, the castle and the lion is the symbol of ancient Spain, respectively, to symbolize Castile and Leon; the lower left corner of the yellow and red vertical bars, symbolizing the northeastern Aragon; the lower right corner of the gold chain link on the red, symbolizing the north of the Navarra; the bottom of the green leaves on the white pomegranate, symbolizing the south of the Granada; the blue center of the shield face of the red pomegranate on the white, symbolizing the spirit of heroism and courage. At the bottom is a red pomegranate with green leaves on a white field, symbolizing Granada in the south; in the blue oval in the center of the coat of arms there are three lilies, symbolizing the country's wealth and strength, the people's happiness and national unity. At the top of the coat of arms there is a large crown, which is a symbol of national power. On each side of the coat of arms there is a Hercules pillar. Also known as Hercules silver column, the left and right columns at the top of the crown and the Imperial Crown, wrapped around the columns of the band written on the "overseas and the continent".
National anthem: "Royal March" The Spanish national anthem originated in the 18th century during the time of Carlos III, Granada army march, the royal name for the "Spanish Honor March", folk is called "infantry march". The royal family has repeatedly organized musicians to compose new songs, but none of them could surpass this tune, so this anthem with a song but no words continued until the end of 2007, by the national launch of a call for lyrics, to determine the lyrics of the Spanish national anthem, the lyrics are:
Viva Espa?a! / We sing together / In different voices / With one heart
Viva Espa?a! / From the green valleys / To the vast oceans / Is a hymn of brotherhood
We love our motherland / To embrace her / Under her blue skies / All the nations are as one
Glorious children and grandchildren / Great history / Sing of justice and prosperity / Sing of democracy and peace.
The four verses of the song reflect "unity, freedom, democracy and peace".
But the lyrics were not widely recognized, and the question of the lyrics of the Spanish national anthem was put on hold.
In 1931, the Second **** and the State had made the Ligo Chant the national anthem, but after the failure of the democratic government it was restored to its original status as the national anthem.
King Juan Carlos I Important people: Juan Carlos I: King, Head of State of Spain, born in Rome on January 5, 1938, grandson of Alfonso XIII, the last king of the Bourbon dynasty of Spain. When he was young, he lived with his father in Italy, Switzerland and Portugal, etc. From 1955, he studied at the Military Academy of the Western Navy, Army and Air Force and at the University, and after graduation, he practiced administration in various government departments, and in July 1969, he was approved by the Spanish Parliament as the heir to the throne, and in November 1975 he ascended to the throne. Hobbies skiing, hunting, sailing, aviation. 1962 and the Greek Princess Sophia married, there are two daughters and a son.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero: Prime Minister, born on August 4, 1960, in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León. He joined the Labor Party in 1979, became the youngest member of the Chamber of Deputies in 1986, and was elected four times in a row, was elected General Secretary of the Labor Party in July 2000, and became Prime Minister in April 2004.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero: Prime Minister.
[edit]Administrative divisions
The country is divided into 17 autonomous regions, 50 provinces, and more than 8,000 municipalities. 17 autonomous regions are: Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic, Basque, Canary, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, and Catalonia. Andalusia, Aragón, Asturias, Balearic, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, La Rioja and Valencia.
Administrative divisions and centers
Andalucía Andalucía/ Sevilla
Aragón/ Zaragoza
Asturias/ Oviedo
Baleares/ Mallorca Mallorca
Basque Vasco/ Vitoria-Gasteiz
Canarias/
Cantabria/ Santander
Castilla y León Castilla y León/ Valladolid
Castilla La Mancha/ Toledo
Catalunya/ Barcelona
Estrema Extremadura/ Mérida
Galicia Galicia/ Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela
Madrid/ Madrid Madrid
Murcia/ Murcia Murcia
Navarra Navarra/ Pamplona Pamplona
La Rioja/ Logronyo Logronyo
Valencia/ Valencia Valencia
The four main tourist areas: Canary Islands -tropical landscapes, Costa del Sol-Mediterranean beaches, Balearic Islands-Mediterranean baths, and Madrid-ancient cities of culture;
Demographic profile
The main ethnic group in Spain is the Castilians, who make up more than 70% of the population . The Catalans, Galicians and Basques are the three most important of Spain's 20 ethnic groups.
The Catalans live mainly in northeastern Spain, with Barcelona being the main Catalan town. A small number of Catalans live in the Aragon region, in Germany, Italy, Andorra and other countries, there are still about 600,000 people; Galician settlement in the northwestern Galicia region, their origins with the Portuguese have a kinship relationship, cultural and linguistic proximity, the Galician people abroad are mainly concentrated in Argentina, a total of 975,000 people; Basque distribution in the Pyrenees western side of the Pyrenees, living along the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains and along the coast of the Bay of Biscay, with about 300,000 people abroad, many in France. Sociologists have so far failed to find the origins of the Basque people. In all three regions, the national language is official, as is Spanish (Castilian).
The three largest cities in Spain are Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, all of which have populations of more than 2 million. The interior, which covers about two-thirds of the country, has only a third of the country's population, with the rest concentrated in the industrially prosperous areas bordering the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans. The province of Biscay along the coast has 263 people per square kilometer, and the province of Barcelona has 284. In some industrial areas, such as Asturias, the Basque Country and Catalonia, there are even more than 500 people per square kilometer. In certain sparsely populated areas of Teruel, Soria and La Mancha, on the other hand, there are only 9 people per square kilometer. In the interior, the only one with a higher population density is the province of Madrid, where the capital is located, which also has more than 500 people per square kilometer.
The Spanish population is seriously aging. Spain is known as one of the most livable countries in Europe, and as the standard of living has risen, the average life expectancy of the population reached 76 years in 1980, second only to the Netherlands in Europe. Despite being a traditional Catholic country, young people tend to marry late, not to marry, and not to have children because of the impact of the modern concept of marriage and family. The marriage rate for men and women of marriageable age is only about 5 per 1,000, which means that the proportion of cohabitation is huge. At one point in the early 1980s, the number of marriages decreased by 25 percent per year. Currently, the average number of children per woman is 2.1, and the size of families has been reduced to about three persons per household, which is one of the lower levels in Europe. However, the divorce rate in Spain is also low, at 0.5 per thousand. Spain's child mortality rate is also relatively low in Europe, at under one percent. The large number of immigrants from abroad also contributes to the low growth rate of the Spanish population, which is what distinguishes her from other Western countries with low population growth causes.
The number of Spaniards currently living abroad totals about 3.36 million, of which 2.207 million are in the Americas and 1.073 million in Europe. The constant migration that characterizes the demographics of Spain is related to her former colonial rule. After the discovery of the New World, large numbers of Spaniards flocked to Central and South America, and even parts of North America, in search of gold and adventure. By 1913, there were 220,000 immigrants*** to Spanish America. After the war, the direction of Spanish emigration was reversed; before 1960, up to 85 percent of emigrants aimed at the Americas on the other side of the Atlantic, but later plummeted to 10 percent; at the same time, a large number of emigrants turned their new dreams to Europe, and the places where they were most happy to go were France, Germany and Switzerland. After the war, Spain's population*** that moved abroad numbered 1.5 million.
[edit]Capital of the country
The symbol of Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a bear standing up with enough apples to eat. It is located on a mountainous basin 670 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest-lying capitals in Europe. The scenery here is beautiful, sunny, fresh air, and the number of sunny days each year tops all major European capitals.
In ancient times, Madrid was but a small village on the banks of the Manzanares River, where the Romans, Visigoths and Arabs ruled successively. The name Madrid comes from the fortress Majestic, built by the Arabs in the 10th century A.D. In 1083, the Spaniards drove the foreign rulers from the Iberian Peninsula, and in 1562, Felipe II moved the capital from Toledo to Madrid, a strategic place in the heart of the peninsula. At that time, the city had only 30,000 inhabitants, but today Madrid has a population of nearly four million people and has become the political, economic, cultural, transportation and financial center of Spain.
Nowadays, Madrid is a modern city. Spain's total industrial output of 10% from the capital of the machine manufacturing, chemical industry, construction, leather and wood processing, food and other industrial sectors. Since 1851, Madrid since the opening of the first railroad, Madrid has more than 20 cities and the world's major cities with air routes, Spain's highway network to Madrid as the center of the extension of the country. The metro is the main means of transportation in Madrid, with a total length of about 100 kilometers and 1 million passengers travelling in and out of the city every day.
With more than 1,000 triumphal arches, 3,000 plazas, and 50 museums, Madrid, which was recognized as a "European City of Culture" in 1992, is steeped in history. The triangle between the three main squares - Puerta del Sol, Plaza de la Centro and Plaza de Espa?a - is the "Plaza de Espa?a", where the statue of Don Quixote and his servant are located in the center of Madrid. Puerta del Sol is known as the center of Spain, where there is a sign from which Spaniards calculate the mileage of buses, trains, and airplanes to all parts of the country. The Plaza de Espa?a is home to Spain's famous Cervantes Monument, which features the statue of Spain's founding queen, Isabel, and two pools symbolizing the calm Mediterranean Sea and the raging Atlantic Ocean on one side of the monument, and the world-famous bronze statues of Don Quijote and Sancho, the master and servant, on the other. The Columbus Monument, erected in the Plaza de Columbus, with the statue of Columbus looking into the distance and the fountain in the shape of a three-masted ship at his feet, is also one of Madrid's landmarks. The image of the Lion Chariot, a sculpture in the Plaza de la Terra, is also often used to symbolize the city of Madrid, and this square is the place where fans of the famous football club Real Madrid celebrate.
With the development of tourism in the last decade or two, Madrid has seen the construction of many new institutional and commercial buildings, as well as magnificent hotels and hostels, mainly for the rest of foreign tourists. Among the new buildings, the "European Gate" is both architecturally and aesthetically stunning. Two symmetrical parallelogram towers are situated on each side of the highway, leaning dramatically towards each other. Built for the European Union meeting in Madrid, they display a bold and fearless grandeur.
[edit]Main Cities
Barcelona (Barcelona), the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia
Located in northeastern Spain on the Mediterranean coast, by the mountains and the sea, the terrain is majestic, is the gateway to the Iberian Peninsula, the city covers an area of 91 square kilometers, the city's population of 1.51 million people, if together with the periphery of the area for 4 million people, only after the capital city of Madrid, is the second largest city in Spain and one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Its official language is Spanish in Villafranca, Spain, where people participate in Jenga competitions, but the native Catalan language is spoken throughout the region. Barcelona is the port city of Catalonia, is the world-renowned Mediterranean scenery tourist destinations and world-famous historical and cultural city, but also Spain's most important trade, industry and financial base, industrial output value accounted for the country's 1/5, with automobiles, heavy machinery, chemicals, precision instruments, textiles and other industrial sectors. Barcelona Port is also the largest port on the Mediterranean coast and the largest container distribution terminal, Barcelona Port is the country's largest integrated port, the annual port of entry for 8,000 ships (total tonnage of 40 million tons), the annual throughput of 20 million tons. Barcelona is older than Madrid and has been a more important city than Madrid for most of Spain's history, first as the capital of the Visigoths, then as the domain of the powerful Counts of Barcelona, and in 1137 as the capital of the United Kingdom of Catalonia and Aragon, which has since turned into a city of great wealth and prominence, and in the early 1500's when Barcelona and its territories were annexed to the State of Spain, and since then the relationship between Barcelona and Barcelona has grown to be a very important one. Since then there has been a fierce rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona, which has prospered as one of the country's leading seaports, commercial centers and industrial cities.
[edit]National politics
Politics
The terrorist bombings in Madrid on March 11, 2004 had a profound effect on Spanish politics. Despite the change of government, the West is socially stable and the economy is on a steady rise. The new Prime Minister, Mr. Zapatero, vigorously pursued "dialogue and consultation" and adopted a series of policies with the traditional left-wing coloration of the Labor Socialist Party (PSOE). His economic policy focuses on macroeconomic stabilization and maintaining fiscal balance. He has also pursued democratic reforms and paid attention to the interests of vulnerable groups. Relevant laws or regulations have been enacted or amended in the areas of combating domestic violence, solving the problem of illegal immigration, raising the minimum wage and pensions, and increasing scholarships. It has stepped up its efforts to combat terrorism and actively engaged in international cooperation on counter-terrorism.
The Constitution
The current Constitution was adopted by national referendum on December 6, 1978, and entered into force on December 29th. The Constitution establishes that Spain is a social and democratic State under the rule of law, with a constitutional monarchy, a parliamentary democracy and a hereditary throne that is inherited by direct descendants of Juan Carlos I. The King is the Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The King represents the country as Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Government is responsible for governing the country and reports to Parliament. The Constitution recognizes and guarantees the autonomy of the ethnic regions.
Parliament
It consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which exercises legislative power, approves the budget and oversees the work of the government. The House of Representatives is the main legislative body, and the Senate is the regional representative house. Members are elected by universal suffrage for a four-year term. The current Parliament was formed in April 2004, with 350 members of the House of Representatives and 25 members of the Senate. There are 350 deputies and 259 senators (51 of whom are appointed by the assemblies of the Autonomous Communities). The distribution of seats in the two chambers is as follows:
House of Representatives Senate
Workers' Socialist Party (PSOE) 164 95
People's Party (PP) 148 126
Unity and Coalition (PUC) 10 6
*** and Left 8 -
Union for the Progress of Catalonia (UPC) - 16
United Left (UL) 5 -
Basque Nationalist Party 7 7
Canary Alliance 3 4
Other parties 5 4
Speaker of the House of Representatives Manuel Marín González (M), who took office in April 2004 The President of the Senate, Francisco Javier Rojo García (M), took office in April 2004, and the President of the House of Representatives, Manuel Marín González (M), took office in April 2004, and the President of the House of Representatives, Manuel Marín González (M). Both belong to the Labor and Socialist Party.
Government
The current government took office on April 18, 2004, and has 17 cabinet members. The main ones are: the Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero; the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Prime Minister's Office and Government Spokesperson, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega Sanz (f); the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Pedro Solbes Mira, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Miguel Angel Moratinos Cuyaubé (Miguel ?ngel Moratinos Cuyaubé), among others.
Judiciary
The leading body of the judiciary is the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), composed of 20 members and chaired by the President of the Supreme Court of Justice. The judiciary is organized into two systems: the Judicial Court and the Administrative Court. Francisco José Hernando, President of the Supreme Court of Justice, and Carlos Divar, President of the National Court of Justice.
The supreme prosecutorial body is the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation, with the various levels of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the public prosecutors assigned to the various jurisdictions. The Attorney General is Candido Conde-Pumpido.
Political parties
West has a multi-party system. The main political parties are:
(1) Spanish Workers' Socialist Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Espa?ol): the ruling party. Founded in 1879, it has about 410,000 members. The party was in power for four consecutive terms between 1982 and 1996. President Manuel Chaves (Manuel Chaves), General Secretary José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero).In April 2004, the PSOE won the general election and came to power.
(2) Partido Popular (People's Party): Formerly known as the People's Alliance, it was founded in 1977 and renamed the People's Party in 1989. It has a "centrist reformist" line. It has about 600,000 members. The party first came to power in May 1996 and was re-elected in April 2000. President Mariano Rajoy and General Secretary Angel Jesús Acebes lost the general election in 2004 and became the largest opposition party.
(3) Partido Comunista de Espa?a (Partido Comunista de Espa?a): Founded in 1920, with about 40,000 members and General Secretary Francisco Frutos. West*** and other left-wing parties formed the United Left (Izquierda Unida), which it dominated, with about 50,000 members. Gaspar Llamazares is the general coordinator.
(4) Convergencia Democrática de Catalu?a (Convergencia Democrática de Catalu?a): Co-governance of the autonomous region of Catalonia with another nationalist party, the Union Democrática de Catalu?a (Democratic Unity of Catalonia). Founded in 1975, it has about 10,000 members. Jordi Pujol is the president and Artur Mas is the general secretary.
(5) Partido Nacionalista Vasco (Basque Nationalist Party): founded in 1895, the ruling party of the Basque Autonomous Community, with around 40,000 members. President Josu Jon Imaz.
Military
The armed forces consist of the regular army and the paramilitary forces (National Security Forces), with the King as supreme commander. The National Defense Council is the highest decision-making body for national defense, chaired by the King and presided over by the Prime Minister of the Government. The members are the Deputy Prime Minister, the Ministers of Defense, Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs, the Chief of Defense Staff, and the Chiefs of Staff of the three armed forces. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for formulating defense policy and leading the defense industry. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are the military advisory body to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Defense. The Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Félix Sanz Roldán, adopted a decree by the Council of Western Governors in March 2001 to abolish compulsory military service on 31 December 2001 and professionalize the army.
The 2005 defense budget was 6,991 million euros, or 0.8% of GDP. The total strength of the Western Regular Army is 121,000 men, of which 77,100 are in the army, 19,400 in the navy, 21,000 in the air force, and 328,500 in the three military reserves***. In addition, there are 53,000 members of the National Police and 71,000 members of the National Guard. Since 2004, the three armies have abolished their previous formations and set up six operational commands and 10 troop support organs based on the division of functions and tasks to reduce command hierarchies and enhance operational efficiency.
[edit]Foreign relations
Foreign relations After coming to power, the Zapatero administration dramatically reorganized its foreign policy. It advocated a pragmatic and effective policy of multilateralism in international affairs, emphasized the leading role of the United Nations, and advocated dialogue among civilizations and the establishment of a world alliance of civilizations. It has made the pursuit of "Europeanism" a priority, seeking to be at the center of the construction of the European Union. We will vigorously consolidate and strengthen friendly and cooperative relations with Latin American countries and actively promote the development of EU cooperation with Latin America. It is also striving to restore and develop relations with countries in North Africa, promote security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region, and advocate the eastward expansion of the EU and NATO while taking into account the southward expansion of the EU and NATO. We will pay attention to peace and stability in the Middle East, actively promote the implementation of the "Road Map" program, and strive to make a contribution to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It emphasizes strengthening its political and economic presence in the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on developing relations with China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries. It has diplomatic, consular and commercial relations with nearly 200 countries and territories, and was a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and Chairman of its Counter-Terrorism Committee from 2003 to 2004.
Relations with the European UnionWest pursues Europeanism and regards Europe as the first of the three traditional pillars of its foreign policy, and its integration into, and greater role within, the European Union is fundamental to West's foreign policy. It believes that a strong and united Europe is the guarantee of world progress, and that the EU should have a genuine security and defense policy, play an active, effective and credible role in preventing and resolving international and regional conflicts, and assume its responsibility for maintaining world peace and security in accordance with the UN Charter.
West has maintained close relations with the EU member states. West maintains close relations with EU member states and has strengthened its "close and traditional ties of friendship" with France and Germany. Regular meetings of heads of government have been established with Germany, France, Italy and Portugal. The EU member states are the main economic and trade partners of the West, at present, 64% of West's imports and more than 71% of exports with the EU member states, more than 50% of foreign investment in the West from the EU countries.
Relations with Latin American countries West has special traditional relations with Latin American countries and has made the development of relations with Latin American countries its strategic priority. Emphasis is placed on maintaining priority relations between the two sides, expanding mechanisms for political dialogue and cooperation, helping Latin American countries to strengthen and consolidate their democracies, reinforcing civilized societies, and supporting Latin American economic integration, mechanisms for political consultation and sustainable development. in October 2005, West hosted the 15th Ibero-American Summit. West continues to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Latin American countries in the political and economic fields, expand trade and promote bilateral cooperation and development. West advocates promoting further proximity between the EU and Latin America through the establishment of the EU-Latin America Strategic Partnership.