Guide Note

Spain is the second-largest country in Europe and has the eighth largest economy among developed countries. Occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula, it is south of the Pyrenees from France and the micro-state of Andorra, and comprises the land borders of Portugal. Spain touches the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Fast Facts

1. Capital: Madrid
2. Population: 44.7 million (2007)
3. Currency: Euro
4. Languages: Spanish (Castilian), Catalan, Valencian, Gallego (Galician), Euskera (Basque)
5. GDP: U.S. $21,200 per capita
6. Long name: Kingdom of Spain (Reino de Espana)
7. Government: Parliamentary monarchy
8. Member of European Union since 1986
9. Calling code +34
10. Main religion: Roman Catholicism

Spain has diverse cultural influences. Over its history, it has incorporated elements of Latin, Roman Catholic, Islamic and Iberian cultures. It has divergent cultures within its borders as well; there is some tension between the centralized Castilian culture and the Basque, Catalonia and Galicia regions.

Spanish artists have had a central role in world cinema, music, and visual arts for centuries. Some of its notable contributors: Pablo Picasso, artist, Pedro Almodovar, Luis Bunel and Alejandro Amenabar, film directors, Diego Velazquez, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro, painters.