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Spain(Spanish España), officially - the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish and Galician Reino de España, cat. Regne dEspanya, Basque Espainiako Erresuma, ox. Reialme dEspanha, Astur. Reinu dEspaña) - a state in southwestern Europe. It occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula. The name of the country comes from the Phoenician "i-spanim" - "coast of rabbits".

Borders with:
Portugal in the west of the Iberian Peninsula;
British possession of Gibraltar in the south of the Iberian Peninsula;
Morocco in northern Africa (autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla);
France and Andorra in the north.

Spain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the west and north, as well as the Mediterranean Sea in the east and south.
National holiday in Spain - 12 October. This is the Day of the Spanish Nation.

Physical and geographical characteristics

Relief

The relief of Spain is very diverse. The center of the country is located at a distance of 300 km from the sea. The relief is dominated by systems of mountain ranges and high plateaus.

Plateaus and mountains make up about 90% of its territory. Almost half of the country's surface is occupied by a vast, the largest high plateau in Europe - Meseta with an average height of 660 m Meseta is distinguished by the alternation of plateaus, fold-block ridges and mountain basins. The Central Cordillera divides Meseta into two parts: northern and southern.

In the north, Meseta is bordered by the powerful Cantabrian Mountains, which stretch along the coast of the Bay of Biscay for 600 km, isolating the hinterland from the influence of the sea. In their central part there is the Picos de Europa massif (from Spanish - Peaks of Europe) with heights up to 2648 m. These mountains of the Alpine type are composed mainly of deposits of the Carboniferous period - limestone, quartzite, sandstone. The Cantabrian Mountains are an orographic and tectonic continuation of the most powerful mountain system in Spain - the Pyrenees.

The Pyrenees are several parallel ranges stretching from west to east for 450 km. This is one of the most inaccessible mountainous countries in Europe. Although on average their height is not very high (just over 2500 m), they do not have conveniently located passes. All passes are at an altitude of 1500-2000 m. Therefore, the railways going from Spain to other countries bypass the Pyrenees from the west and east. The widest and highest part of the mountains is central. Here is their main peak - Aneto peak, reaching 3404 m.

From the northeast, the system of the Iberian Mountains adjoins the Meseta, the maximum height (Mon Cayo peak) is 2313 m.

Between the eastern Pyrenees and the Iberian mountains stretch the low Catalan Mountains, the southern slopes of which break off in ledges to the Mediterranean Sea. The Catalan Mountains (average heights are 900-1200 m, the peak is Mount Caro, 1447 m) follow for 400 km almost parallel to the Mediterranean coast and actually separate the Aragonese plateau from it. The areas of coastal plains developed in Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia north of Cape Palos to the border with France are highly fertile.

The entire southeast of the Iberian Peninsula is occupied by the Cordillera Betica, which is a system of massifs and ridges. Its crystalline axis is the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. In height, they are second only to the Alps in Europe. Their peak, Mount Mulasen, reaching 3478 m, is the highest point in peninsular Spain. However, the highest mountain peak in Spain is located on about. Tenerife (Canary Islands) is the Teide volcano, whose height reaches 3718 m.

Most of the territory of Spain is located at an altitude of about 700 m. It is the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland.

The only major lowland is the Andalusian in the south of the country. In the northeast of Spain in the valley of the river. The Ebro stretches the Aragonese plain. Smaller lowlands stretch along the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main rivers of Spain (and the only navigable one in the lower reaches) flows through the Andalusian lowland - the Guadalquivir. The rest of the rivers, including the largest ones: Tajo and Duero, the lower reaches of which are located on the territory of neighboring Portugal, the Ebro, Guadiana, are distinguished by sharp seasonal level fluctuations and rapids.

Large areas of the country suffer from lack of water. Related to this is the problem of erosion - millions of tons of topsoil are blown out every year.

The capital of Spain - Madrid - is located in the geographical center of the country and is the "highest" capital in Europe.

There are more than two thousand beaches on the coast of Spain: Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Assar, Costa de Almeria, Costa Blanca, Mar Menor, Costa del Sol, Costa de la Luz, Rias -Bajas, Rias Altas, Costa Cantabrica, Canary and Balearic Islands.

Climate

Spain is one of the warmest countries in Western Europe. The average number of sunny days is 260-280. The average annual temperature on the Mediterranean coast is 20 degrees Celsius. In winter, the temperature drops below zero (in the central and northern regions of the country). In summer, the temperature rises to 40 degrees and above (from the central part to the southern coast). On the northern coast, the temperature is not so high - about 25 degrees Celsius.

Spain is characterized by very deep internal climatic differences, and it can only conditionally be fully attributed to the Mediterranean climatic region. These differences are manifested both in temperature and in annual amounts and precipitation patterns. In the far northwest, the climate is mild and humid with little temperature variation throughout the year and high rainfall. Constant winds from the Atlantic bring a lot of moisture, mainly in winter, when foggy and cloudy weather prevails with drizzling rain, almost without frost and snow. The average temperature of the coldest month is the same as in the northwest of France. Summers are hot and humid, the average temperature is rarely above +17 degrees. Annual rainfall exceeds 1000 mm, and in some places reaches 2000 mm.

Minerals

The bowels of Spain are rich in minerals. Of more than 100 types of minerals, only 16 are seriously developed. Among them, iron ore, quartz, pyrites, copper, gold, tin, mercury, silver, tungsten, uranium, and coal can be especially distinguished.

Economy

Today's Spain is a highly developed country. In terms of total industrial production in 1995, the country ranked 10th in the world and 5th in Western Europe. GNP per capita $14,000 (1999). Major advances have been made in recent decades. After World War II, Spain was isolated. The United States did not provide the country with economic assistance (according to the Marshall plan) and Spain began to develop a closed self-sufficient economy. This entailed a high degree of state intervention in the market, an increase in the share of state ownership.

In the early 1960s, a stabilization plan was adopted, later known as the "Spanish Miracle". In 1960-1974 economic indicators grew by an average of 6.6% per year, which was higher than that of any other country in the world (with the exception of Japan). The most important role was played by the discovery of Spain as a world resort center.

In 1959-1974. more than 3 million Spaniards left the country in search of work, sending the money they earned back to their homeland. The energy crisis of 1973 hit Spain, due to its dependence on other countries, very hard, unemployment rose to 21% in 1975. But in the 1980s. Spain is back on the economic upswing. Although the growth figures were lower than those of the 1960s, they still remained the highest in Western Europe. But now the growth of production was accompanied by inflation and high unemployment (up to 22% of the able-bodied population).

In the 1990s the country has become one of the leaders of the EU (although it is still a recipient, that is, it receives subsidies to support agriculture and some areas from pan-European funds).

In the country's economy, strong positions are occupied by companies from the USA, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Switzerland. They own more than 50% of machine-building and metallurgy enterprises. About 40% of the share capital falls on the share of 8 largest Spanish financial, industrial and banking groups (Marchey, Fierro, Urquijo, Garrigues, Ruiz-Mateos, etc.).

In 2004, Spanish exports amounted to over 135 billion euros, imports - about 190 billion euros. The main partners in foreign trade are the EU countries, the USA, Latin America.

Major ports: Bilbao, Barcelona; oil - Algeciras, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tarragona, coal - Gijón. Spain is one of the largest centers of international tourism (62 million in 1997, 95% of tourists are from EU countries; the main tourist centers are Madrid and Barcelona), as well as resorts - Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol. In 2004, 53.6 million foreign tourists visited Spain (2nd place in the world). The industry's revenues in 2004 were about 35 billion euros. More than 65% of tourists are from EU countries. 1.3 million people are employed in this area.

An original industry is the harvesting and export of cork bark.

The Spanish banking system is one of the most stable in Europe. Among its distinctive features, the following can be distinguished: a high degree of concentration of banking capital along with a small number of credit institutions (395), a significant level of foreign exchange reserves (13.9 billion euros), an extensive network of branches of private banks and state savings banks. The dominant role is played by national banks with 100% Spanish capital. The leader in terms of the value of market assets is the financial group Banco Santander Central Hispano, which was formed in 1999 as a result of the merger of two large banks.

GDP - 798.67 billion € (2004). Its growth was 2.6%.

mining industry

The oldest industry is mining. Spain, rich in minerals, is one of the world leaders in the extraction of mercury (about 1.5 thousand tons per year; the main center is Almaden) and pyrites (about 3 million tons per year; mainly in the Huelva region); in Europe stands out for the extraction of polymetallic and uranium ores, silver. Iron (1.4 million tons in 1996; the provinces of Biscay, Santander, Lugo, Oviedo, Granada, Murcia), lead-zinc, tungsten copper, titanium ores, quartz, gold, potash salts, etc. are mined. Oil and gas are imported. The annual oil production is about 30 million tons, and covers less than 10% of the needs. Spain ranks 9th in the world and 1st among the EU countries in the extraction of metal-containing raw materials. On energy carriers - 40th place in the world.

mechanical engineering

Among the engineering industries, shipbuilding stands out (the old centers are located in the north of the country: Bilbao, Gijón, Santander; new ones are in the northwest: El Ferrol, Vigo, in the east: Cartagena, Valencia, Barcelona, ​​and in the south: Seville, Cadiz) (production of cars, including "Seat" concern "Volkswagen" 2.2 million in 1996; centers: Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Valladolid, Vitoria, Pamlona, ​​Vigo) and the electrical industry. The production of equipment for the chemical, light, food and building materials industries is also developed.

Light industry

Of the light industries, the most important are the textile and leather and footwear industries (Spain accounts for 4% of world shoe exports). In the food industry, winemaking stands out (in terms of the production of grape wines, Spain in Europe is second only to France and Italy), the production of vegetable oil (1.7 million tons in 1996; Spain is the world leader in the production of olive oil, about 0.5 million tons per year) , fruit and vegetable and canned fish. Spain is among the top ten world manufacturers of cars, ships, forging and pressing equipment and gas compressors, machine tools, petroleum products and chemical products. St. 1/2 of industrial production is concentrated in the northeast (Catalonia), the north of the country (Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country) and in Greater Madrid.

Agriculture

The leading branch of agriculture is crop production (it gives St. 1/2 of the cost of production). They grow wheat (about 20% of the cultivated area), barley, corn (in the central and southern regions of the country), rice (on the irrigated lands of the Mediterranean coast; its yield in Spain is one of the highest in the world), potatoes and sugar beets, legumes, tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggplants and other vegetables (vegetables occupy 60% of the cultivated area), olives - (the leading place in the cultivation of olives in the world) - (Andalusia, Castile-la-Mancha, Extremadura), citrus fruits and tobacco. Viticulture - on the Mediterranean coast and in the areas of Castile-la-Mancha, Extremadura. In the very south of the country, almonds are grown (the leading export place in Western Europe), dates and sugar cane (in Europe they grow only in Spain), figs, pomegranates, and cotton.

fishing

Spain is among the top ten countries in the world in terms of catching fish and seafood (1.1 million tons in 1996) and their processing, and is a major exporter of fresh fish and canned fish.

Population

Population dynamics:
1900 - 18.6 million people;
1932 - 24.1 million people;
1959 - 29.9 million people;
1977 - 36.3 million people;
1996 - 39.6 million people;
2004 - 40.28 million people;
2006 - 45.13 million people;
2008 - 46.06 million people;
2009 - 46.66 million people

Urban population - 76%. Population density - 79.7 people / km².

The official language is Castilian; in the autonomous regions, along with Castilian (Spanish), other languages ​​\u200b\u200bare also official (Catalan-Valencian-Balearic in Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, Basque in the Basque Country and Navarre, Galician in Galicia, Aran in Catalonia).

95% of believers are Catholics. Despite this, 67% of the Spanish population supported the idea of ​​officially registering same-sex marriages. Since July 2005, a law has come into force in the country legalizing same-sex marriages and granting same-sex couples the right to adopt children.

More than 2.7 million Spaniards live outside the country, including 1.7 million in the countries of North and South America, over 1 million in Western Europe (mainly in France and Germany).

Housing

Housing supply: in 2000, on average, each Spaniard had 27.5 m² of total housing space. (For comparison: in Russia, each Russian has an average of 21.6 m² (2006), in Ukraine - 22 m², in Belarus - 23 m², in Bulgaria and Hungary - 30 m² each, in Ireland - 33 m², in Portugal - 29 m² (2000), in France - 40 m² (2008), in Germany - 39 m² (2000), in Denmark - 52 m² (2000), in Luxembourg - 44 m² (2000) , in Sweden - 43 m2 (2000), Belgium - 34.5 m2 each (2000), in the USA - 65 m2, in Norway - 73 m2). The proportion of homeowners is 87% of the population, according to this indicator, Spain ranks first in the European Union [source not specified 51 days].

Story

Modern man settled in the Iberian Peninsula c. 35 thousand years ago. Molecular genetic data suggest that the Franco-Cantabrian region, where the maximum population density was observed in the Paleolithic era, was the source of the genes of the majority of the modern population of Europe, at least in the female line (mitochondrial haplogroup H). It was in this region that numerous monuments of Paleolithic art were found - rock paintings (Altamira Cave, etc.) and figurines. Several types of cultures have replaced each other. Perhaps the modern Basques are the descendants of some of the first settlers in Europe after the end of the Ice Age. For 1200 years BC. e. coast began to be mastered by the Phoenicians. The colony of Gades founded by them is now the city of Cadiz. The Phoenicians and Greeks left evidence of local tribes, collectively called the Iberians, who had a fairly high culture, but broke up into many small tribes and did not have a single organization. In the 5-3 centuries. BC e. the Celts came here and mixed with the Iberians into the people of the Celtiberians. After the Punic Wars (3-2 centuries BC), the Romans began the conquest of Iberia, which ended during the reign of Emperor Augustus.

From the 2nd century n. e. Christianity began to spread here. From the 2nd floor. 5th c. n. e. the Visigoths (Visigoths) invaded here and founded a kingdom here. In 711-718. almost the entire territory of Spain was conquered by the Arabs, who included the country in their Caliphate. Soon the Caliphate disintegrated into a number of states. The rule of the Umayyad dynasty, which reached its peak in the 10th century, was held in Cordoba. The Christian kingdoms (Castile, Aragon, Leon) waged a continuous struggle for the reconquest of territory from the Moors (Reconquista). In 1492, the united kingdom of Aragon and Castile took the last stronghold of the Moors - Granada. In the same period, Spain sent its ships to the New World, conquering huge colonies. In Europe, during the reign of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg (1516-1556), Spain was the center of the Holy Roman Empire and the largest state, the support of the Catholic Church in the struggle against the reformation that had begun. The defeat of the Spanish fleet ("Invincible Armada") in 1588, the loss of the war with England in 1607 and the loss of the Dutch provinces in 1609 marked the end of influence in Europe. The influx of gold from overseas colonies did not contribute to the development of local agricultural and handicraft production. In the reign of Philip III, the era of the decline of Spain began, which was facilitated by the Inquisition, which suppressed any free thought. In the beginning. 18th century the struggle of European dynasties for the Spanish throne led to the War of the Spanish Succession, the Habsburgs were replaced by the Bourbons. In the 19th century there were 5 unfinished revolutions: in 1808-1814, 1820-1823, 1834-1843, 1854-1856 and 1868-1874. The struggle was not so much between monarchists and liberals, but between supporters of modernization and traditionalists. After all the revolutions, a constitutional monarchy was established.

In 1812-1826. achieved independence most of the Spanish colonies in Latin America, to the beginning. 20th century the rest mostly went to the US and Germany.

20th century

In 1923, under the living monarch, the military dictatorship of General M. Primo de Rivera was established. The king already during this period did not have any power in the country. In January 1930, after losing support in the army, having failed to rectify the situation after the acute economic crisis of the previous year, the dictator leaves the country. On April 14, 1931, the last of the Bourbons, Alphonse XIII, abdicated his throne - the parties supporting him suffered a crushing defeat in the elections. The government was formed by adherents of the regime change. Soon N. Zamora became the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Spain. Thus began the Republican period.

The radical policy of the new government towards the landowners, the church, the army, the extreme liberalism towards the separatist-minded regions of the north and east met with ardent support from one part of the population and a burning feeling of hatred from the other. Local uprisings succeeded each other. Despite all the radical measures for two years, the government has not achieved any success in the economy. In the November 1933 elections, the Conservatives returned to the government, and the reforms were halted. Now pogroms and rebellions across the country have already begun to be carried out by their opponents - liberals and anarchists. In the next elections in January 1936, again, as in 1931, the radicals won - the "People's Front" with the participation of the Communist Party. The new composition of the Cortes (the representative body of Spain) resumed the implementation of radical policies, hoping to start solving the deepest problems in the country's economy with extreme measures.

In July of the same year, conservative generals led by J. Sanjurho raised a well-prepared rebellion. However, in the very first days of the uprising after the death of the old leader in a plane crash, the previously indecisive F. Franco had to become the new head of the conspiracy. The nationalists turned to fascist Germany and Italy for help, the communists received help from the USSR and many left-wing parties in Europe and the world. The Spanish Civil War began. Republicans in their zone expropriated land, businesses, banks, organized the persecution of priests and monks. On the "nationalist" territory, all traditional institutions were restored, power was concentrated in the hands of Franco. The front of armed confrontation stretched across the country. In three years of slow victorious advance in battles, all the provinces supporting the Republicans were conquered. From the first to the last weeks of the war, the unyielding capital, Madrid, was under siege. During these years, Spain is the main diplomatic problem of all developed countries of the world.

In 1939, after the victory of the military, the dictatorship was extended to the whole country, political parties were banned, except for the fascist "phalanx" that supported Franco. Spain remained neutral during World War II, although it sent the Blue Division to the Eastern Front. In 1947, Spain was again declared a kingdom (the throne remained unoccupied under the regency of Franco's "caudillo").

In November 1975, after the death of Franco, Juan Carlos I was proclaimed king, the dismantling of the fascist regime and democratic reforms began. In December 1978, a new constitution came into force. In 1985 Spain joined the EU. The Basque Country and Catalonia, under the constitution of 1978, received significant autonomy, but there are also separatist movements in them. The Basque terrorist organization ETA is especially intransigent.

National holiday - October 12 (Day of the Spanish Nation, the date of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus).

Political structure

Spain - Constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the king. Currently - Juan Carlos I. The legislature is a bicameral parliament - the Cortes Generales (Congress of Deputies and the Senate). It consists of the Senate (259 seats - some deputies are elected by direct universal suffrage, others are appointed by the provincial legislatures; all senators are elected for a 4-year term) and the Congress of Deputies (350 seats - elected by party lists for a 4-year term). The executive power is headed by the prime minister, the leader of the party that won the majority of votes in parliamentary elections.

In total, more than 500 political parties and public organizations are officially registered in Spain.

parties

People's Party of Spain
ISRP,
communist party,
Regionalists.

The major regional parties include the Catalan Convergence and Union bloc), the Catalan Esquerra Republican party, the BNP, and the Canary Coalition.

Events

On March 9, 2008 parliamentary elections were held in Spain. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) won the elections. In accordance with the election results, the PSOE won 168 seats in parliament, its main rival, the conservative People's Party, won 154 seats. The remaining seats (a total of 350 seats in parliament) were divided among another eight parties, mostly regional ones. The Communists and the Greens of the United Left Coalition reduced their presence in parliament from five to three deputies. Thus, the leader of the PSOE, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, said: PSOE won by increasing the number of its deputies compared to the previous parliament

In the elections, where candidates from 92 parties ran, 75% of voters took part.

Administrative division

50 provinces included in 17 autonomous regions. Also in Spain there are 2 so-called autonomous cities (ciudades autónomas) in Africa - Ceuta and Melilla.

culture

Spain is rightfully considered an open-air museum. The vastness of this country carefully preserves cultural and historical monuments that are world famous.

The most famous museum in Spain - the Prado Museum - is located in Madrid. Its vast exposition cannot be viewed in one day. The museum was founded by Isabella of Braganza, wife of King Ferdinand VII. The Prado has its own branch, located in Cason del Buen Retiro, which houses unique collections of Spanish paintings and sculptures of the 19th century, as well as works by English and French painters. The museum itself presents large expositions of Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Flemish and German art. Prado owes its name to the Prado de San Jeronimo alley, where it is located, laid back in the Enlightenment. Currently, the funds of the Prado Museum are 6,000 paintings, over 400 sculptures, as well as numerous treasures, including royal and religious collections. During several centuries of its existence, the Prado was patronized by many kings.

Dome on sails, made in the construction of a honeycomb vault in the form of honeycombs (hexagons), Islamic architecture of Spain

It is believed that the very first collection of the Prado Museum was formed under Carlos I, known as the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. His heir, King Philip II, became famous not only for his bad temper and despotism, but also for his love of art. It is to him that the museum owes priceless acquisitions of paintings by Flemish masters. Philip was distinguished by a gloomy outlook, it is not surprising that the ruler was a fan of Bosch, an artist known for his bizarre pessimistic fantasy. Initially, Philip bought Bosch's paintings for El Escorial, the hereditary castle of the Spanish kings. And only in the XIX century the paintings were transferred to the Prado Museum. Now here you can see such masterpieces of the Dutch master as the "Garden of Delights" and "Hay Cart". Currently, in the museum you can enjoy not only paintings and sculptures, but also theatrical performances designed to "revive" the famous canvases. The first such staging was dedicated to the paintings of Velasquez and enjoyed great success with the public.

There are many more unique museums and galleries in Spain: the Picasso Museum and the National Art Museum of Catalonia, located in Barcelona, ​​the National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid, the El Greco Museum in Toledo, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art in Cuenca.

Sport

Football has ruled over sports in Spain since the beginning of the 20th century. Basketball, tennis, cycling, handball, motorcycling and, more recently, Formula 1 are also important thanks to the presence of Spanish champions in all these disciplines. Today, Spain is the world's leading sports power, the development of sports in the country in particular was spurred by the summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. In 2008, Spain won the European Football Championship.

Armed forces

On November 2, 2004, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced the new doctrine of Spanish national defense 1/2004.

The former military doctrine was adopted in December 2000 by the government of José María Aznar. In particular, it attached great importance to the readiness of the Spanish armed forces to resolve possible internal social or territorial conflicts (the army, according to the Spanish constitution, protects the country not only from an external, but also from an internal enemy). The actions of the army outside of Spain were determined by its NATO membership and transatlantic solidarity with the United States.

In the new doctrine 1/2004, terrorism is declared the main enemy of Spain (both external and internal). It is noted that from now on, Spanish troops will be able to take part in international peacekeeping operations directly approved by the UN or, as was the case in Kosovo, enjoying the obvious support of the world community. In addition, participation in hostilities will require permission from the Spanish Parliament.

In the new military doctrine, the role of the JEMAD Defense General Staff, which is headed by General Felix Sans, has been increased. At the end of October 2004, he made a statement about the need to "balance" the unequal relationship between Spain and the United States that developed after 1953, when Spain and the United States signed a military cooperation agreement in the field of defense, under which the United States received the right to use several large military bases in Spain .

In 2001, Spain abolished conscription and switched to a fully professional army.

There are no laws in Spain banning openly gays and lesbians from serving in the armed forces. On March 4, 2009, Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacón (the first woman to hold this post) issued a decree repealing a pre-existing law that banned transgender people from serving in the armed forces.

Spanish foreign policy

In early 2004, in connection with the coming to power of the new socialist government, there was a sharp turn in Spanish foreign policy from supporting the US course to solidarity with the leaders of the European Union, in particular, on the Iraq issue: after winning the elections on March 14, 2004, the new socialist government withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq. Spain is the largest of the EU countries that did not recognize the independence of Kosovo because of similar problems with the Basques of their own.

One of the most important areas of Spanish foreign policy is Latin America. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Spain is helping the countries of this region in the development of civil society, democratic principles, open and free trade, and in solving socio-economic problems. To achieve these goals, the Iberoamerican Community of Nations was created. Summits are held annually, at which the most important issues are resolved.

Another important area is the Mediterranean. Solving problems in this region and maintaining friendly relations and contacts with the Mediterranean countries play an important role for Spain, because it is a matter of its own security, in addition, these countries are neighbors with it, and are also important trading partners. An important project in the field of the Spanish-Mediterranean dialogue is the "Barcelona Process" - a program designed to strengthen state institutions in the countries of the Mediterranean region, develop the economy, progress in the social field, and resolve acute issues and problems of the region.

Russia

Diplomatic relations with the USSR were established on July 28, 1933. In March 1939, after General Franco came to power in Spain, they were discontinued. Diplomatic relations were restored only in 1977. On December 27, 1991, Russia was recognized by Spain as the successor to the USSR.

During the Spanish Civil War, Spanish children were transported to the USSR. The orphaned children of the Spanish anti-fascist fighters were brought up, in particular, in the Interdom in Ivanovo. Spain had no actual wars with Russia. When the Russian emperor Paul, due to disagreements between the two countries in relation to France and Malta, declared war on Spain, the Spanish government refused to recognize the state of war, telling the Russian authorities that due to the vast distance, the armies of the two countries would still not be able to meet on land, and the fleets are at sea, and therefore war is impossible.

On April 12, 1994, the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Spain was signed. Currently, bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Spain have an extensive contractual and legal basis: the basis for interaction in various fields is formed by more than 50 treaties, agreements, protocols and other documents.

Transport in Spain.

The length of motor roads is 328,000 km. Car park - more than 19 million cars. Roads carry out 90% of passenger and 79% of cargo transportation. The length of railways is 14589 km. About 6.5% of all land transport cargo and 6% of passengers are transported.

About 300 ships with a total displacement of 1 million 511 thousand tons are involved in maritime transport. From 30 million tons of foreign trade cargo are transported by ships under the Spanish flag annually. 24 seaports control almost 93% of all traffic.

The leading place is occupied by air transport. Of the 42 airports, 34 carry out regular flights. Madrid International Airport handles 56 million passengers every year. The airport in Barcelona serves about 20 million passengers annually.

Education in Spain.

Spain has a system of compulsory free secondary education from 6 to 16 years. About 70% study in public schools, 96.5% - in public universities.

The largest universities in the country: Autonomous University of Madrid, Complutense (in Madrid), Barcelona Central and Autonomous, Santiago de Compostea, Polytechnic University of Valencia.

media in Spain.

Spain has a well developed media network. 137 newspapers and about 1000 magazines are published. The most read daily newspapers are Pais, Mundo, Vanguardia, ABC, Periodiko, Marka.

The leading radio stations are SER, COPE, Radio Nacional de España (RNE).

The largest TV channels: TVE (covers the entire territory of the country), private studios Telesinko and Antena 3. The Autonomous Communities have their own regional television, which also broadcasts in national languages.

Siesta in Spain

At the end of December 2005, the Spanish government passed a law limiting the lunch break only in official establishments to one hour (from 12 to 13 o'clock), while the establishments themselves will close at 18 pm. Previously, a lunch break (the so-called siesta) in public institutions in Spain lasted from two to four in the afternoon, while the working day ended at eight in the evening. By destroying the tradition of midday siesta, the Spanish authorities hope to increase productivity.

Crime in Spain

In recent years, the proportion of immigrants among Spanish offenders has gradually increased. This is due to increased immigration to Spain (including illegal) from African countries, as well as from Latin America. Among the latter, two gangs from the Dominican Republic became especially active: Dominicans Don't Play (“Dominicans do not joke”) and Trinitarios (“Trinitaria” - named after the underground organization “La Trinitaria”, which fought for the independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti in 1838 ).

And Galis. Reino de España, cat. Regne d "Espanya, Basque Espainiako Erresuma, ox. Reialme d" Espanha) is a state in southwestern Europe with its capital in the city of Madrid. Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula. According to one version, the name of the country comes from the Phoenician expression "i-spanim" - "coast of rabbits". It occupies 4/5 of the territory of the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary and Balearic Islands with a total area of ​​504,782 km² (together with small sovereign territories on the African coast, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla), being the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France. The average height of the surface of Spain is 650 meters above sea level. The country is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe.

Physical and geographical characteristics

Relief

The relief of Spain is very diverse. The center of the country is located at a distance of 300 kilometers from the sea. The relief is dominated by systems of mountain ranges and high plateaus.

Plateaus and mountains make up about 90 percent of its territory. Almost half of the country's surface is occupied by the vast, the largest high in Europe - with an average height of 660 meters - Meseta plateau. It is distinguished by the alternation of plateaus, fold-block ridges and mountain basins. The Central Cordillera divides Meseta into two parts: northern and southern.

The Pyrenees are several parallel ranges stretching from west to east for 450 kilometers. This is one of the most inaccessible mountainous countries in Europe. Although on average they are not very high (a little over 2500 meters), they have only a few conveniently located passes. All passes are at an altitude of 1500-2000 m. Therefore, only four railways go from Spain to France: two of them bypass the Pyrenees along the coast from the northwest and southeast, and two more railways cross the Pyrenees in the Aerbe-Oloron- Saintes Marie and Ripoll - Prades, through a system of tunnels. The widest and highest part of the mountains is the central one. Here is their main peak - Aneto Peak, reaching 3405 meters.

From the northeast, the system of the Iberian mountains adjoins Meseta, the maximum height (Mon Cayo peak) is 2313 meters.

Between the eastern Pyrenees and the Iberian mountains stretch the low Catalan Mountains, the southern slopes of which break off in ledges to the Mediterranean Sea. The Catalan Mountains (average heights are 900-1200 meters, the peak is Mount Caro, 1447 meters) follow for 400 kilometers almost parallel to the Mediterranean coast and actually separate the Aragonese plateau from it. The areas of coastal plains developed in Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia north of Cape Palos to the border with France are highly fertile.

The entire southeast of the Iberian Peninsula is occupied by the Cordillera Betica, which is a system of massifs and ridges. The mountains of the Sierra Nevada serve as its crystalline axis. In height, they are second only to the Alps in Europe. Their summit, Mount Mulasen, at 3,478 meters, is the highest point in peninsular Spain. However, the highest mountain peak in Spain is located on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) - this is Teide volcano, whose height reaches 3718 meters.

Most of the territory of Spain is located at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level. It is the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland.

The only large lowland - Andalusian - is located in the south of the country. In the northeast of Spain in the valley of the river. The Ebro stretches the Aragonese plain. Smaller lowlands stretch along the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main rivers of Spain (and the only navigable one in the lower reaches) flows through the Andalusian lowland - Guadalquivir. The rest of the rivers, including the largest ones: Tajo and Duero, the lower reaches of which are located on the territory of neighboring Portugal, Ebro, Guadiana, are distinguished by sharp seasonal level fluctuations and rapids.

Large areas of the country suffer from lack of water. Related to this is the problem of erosion - millions of tons of topsoil are blown out every year.

Climate

Spain is one of the warmest countries in Western Europe. The average number of sunny days is 260-285. The average annual temperature on the Mediterranean coast is 20 degrees Celsius. In winter, the temperature drops below zero, usually only in the central and northern regions of the country. In summer, the temperature rises to 40 degrees and above (from the central part to the southern coast). On the northern coast, the temperature is not so high - about 25 degrees Celsius.

Spain is characterized by very deep internal climatic differences, and it can only conditionally be attributed entirely to the Mediterranean climatic region. These differences are manifested both in temperature and in annual amounts and precipitation patterns.

On extreme northwest the climate is mild and humid with little temperature variation throughout the year and high rainfall. Constant winds from the Atlantic bring a lot of moisture, mainly in winter, when foggy and cloudy weather prevails with drizzling rain, almost without frost and snow. The average temperature of the coldest month is the same as in northwestern France. Summers are hot and humid, with average temperatures rarely below 16 degrees Celsius. Annual rainfall exceeds 1070 mm, and in some places reaches 2000 mm.

Completely different conditions internal parts countries - on the plateau of Old and New Castile and the Aragonese plain. In these areas, the influence of the plateau-mountain-hollow relief, considerable height, and local continental air is felt. They are characterized by relatively low precipitation (no more than 500 mm per year) and sharp temperature fluctuations by season. In Old Castile and the Plain of Aragon there are rather cold winters, with frosts and strong, harsh winds; summers are hot and rather dry, although the maximum precipitation falls on this season of the year. In Nueva Castile, the climate is slightly milder, with warmer winters but also low rainfall. Agriculture in all these areas needs artificial irrigation.

The soil

In the north-west of Spain, brown forest soil is developed on the coastal plains and windward slopes of the mountains. The interior of the country - Old and New Castile, the Iberian mountains and the Aragonese plateau - are characterized by brown soil; in the driest treeless areas, there is a thin calcareous gray-brown soil with areas of solonchaks in relief depressions. Serozems are developed in the arid landscapes of Murcia. They are non-gypsum-bearing and not saline; when irrigated, they give high yields of fruit and other crops. The heavy clay barros soil stands out on the flat ancient alluvial plains, especially favorable for the cultivation of rice.

Flora and fauna

A variety of climatic conditions - from humid in the north to arid in the south - determines the heterogeneity of the flora and vegetation of Spain. In the north, similarities with Central Europe appear, and in the south - with Africa. Traces of forest vegetation in Murcia, La Mancha and Granada indicate that in the past a significant part of the territory of Spain was afforested, but now forests and light forests occupy only 30% of the country's area, with only 5% falling on full closed forest stands.

Evergreen oak forests grow in the northwest of the country. There are more deciduous oak species in the mountain forests, along with beech, ash, birch and chestnut, which is typical of Central Europe. In the hinterland of Spain, in places, small tracts of dry evergreen forests are preserved, dominated by oak, interspersed with pine forests and shrubs. In the most arid areas of New Castile, the Aragonese plateau and Murcia, there are fragments of semi-deserts (usually on salt marshes).

In areas of southern Spain where there is more rainfall, especially along the coast, typical Mediterranean shrub-grass communities such as garrigue and tomillara are present. Garriga is characterized by the participation of local species of gorse and cornflowers, for tomillara - the presence of aromatic labiales (shrub species of thyme, rosemary, etc.), as well as rockrose. A special variety of garriga is made up of scattered thickets of dwarf fan palm, very characteristic of Andalusia, as well as communities dominated by tall alpha grass, or esparto, a hardy xerophyte that gives strong fiber.

In the fauna of Spain, Central European and African connections are obvious. Among European species, two varieties of the brown bear deserve mention (a large Asturian and a smaller, black suit found in the Pyrenees), a lynx, a wolf, a fox, a forest cat. There are deer, hares, squirrels and moles. The imperial eagle is found in Spain and North Africa, and the blue magpie found in the Iberian Peninsula is also found in East Asia. On both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar, there are genets, Egyptian mongooses and one species of chameleon.

Minerals

Minerals of Spain: The bowels of Spain abound in minerals. Especially significant are the reserves of metal ores, the deposits of which are associated with outcrops of the folded base of the Meseta or with volcanic rocks of mountain structures. Along the northwestern outskirts of the Meseta, within the Gallic massif, in the Caledonian and Proterozoic granite intrusions, there are tin, tungsten, and uranium ores. A strip of lead-zinc-silver deposits stretches along the southern outskirts of Meseta. There is also a large mercury deposit of global importance - Almaden. Iron ores are found in the north and south of Spain. They are confined to the structures of the Mesozoic and Alpine magmatic cycles. These are the well-known deposits of the Bilbao region on the northern slope of the Biscay Mountains and in Almeria on the southern slope of the Cordillera Beta. In the north, in the Carboniferous deposits that fill the foothill depression of the Asturian Mountains, there is the largest coal basin in the country. In addition, there are small deposits of coal on the southern slopes of the mountains and in some other areas. The Cenozoic deposits of intermountain and intramountain depressions contain strata of salts and brown coal. Significant reserves of potash salts are located within the Ebro plain.

It is worth noting, however, that most of the mineral deposits in the country are very modest in size and rather heavily depleted, like many deposits in other European regions, which makes Spain dependent on mineral imports, mainly from North Africa.

Economy

Airports in Spain are subordinate to the public organization Spanish Airports and Air Navigation (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea (Aena)), which in turn is subordinate to the Ministry of Development (Ministerio de Fomento de España). Under the Catalan Autonomy Act of 2006, three Catalan airports were placed under the control of the Generalitat de Catalunya, which manages them jointly with the NGO Aerocat. Madrid Airport (Barajas) with 50.8 million passengers in 2008 is one of the busiest airports in the world. Barcelona Airport (El Prat) served 30 million passengers in 2008. Less busy airports are in Gran Canaria, Malaga, Valencia, Seville, Mallorca, Alicante and Bilbao.

Spanish airlines are: Air Europa, Air Nostrum, Air Pullmantur, Binter Canarias, Iberia LAE, Iberworld, Islas Airways, Spanair, Vueling Airlines.

Spain aims to have one million electric vehicles by 2014 as part of the government's plan to save energy and improve the environment.

Light industry

food industry

In the food industry, winemaking stands out (in terms of the production of grape wines, Spain in Europe is second only to France and Italy), the production of vegetable oil (1.7 million tons in 1996; Spain is the world leader in the production of olive oil (about 0.5 million tons per year). ), fruits and vegetables and canned fish. Spain is among the top ten world manufacturers of cars, ships, forging and pressing equipment and gas compressors, machine tools, petroleum products and chemical products. Half of industrial production is concentrated in the northeast (Catalonia), the north of the country (Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country) and in Greater Madrid.

Agriculture

The leading branch of agriculture is crop production (it gives St. 1/2 of the cost of production). They grow wheat (about 20% of the cultivated area), barley, corn (in the central and southern regions of the country), rice (on the irrigated lands of the Mediterranean coast; its yield in Spain is one of the highest in the world), potatoes and sugar beets, legumes, tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggplants and other vegetables (vegetables occupy 60% of the cultivated area), olives - (the leading place in the cultivation of olives in the world) - (Andalusia, Castile-la-Mancha, Extremadura), citrus fruits and tobacco. Viticulture - on the Mediterranean coast and in the regions of Castile-la-Mancha, Extremadura. In the very south of the country, almonds are grown (the leading export place in Western Europe), dates and sugar cane (in Europe they grow only in Spain), figs, pomegranates, cotton.

fishing

Spain is among the top ten countries in the world in terms of catching fish and seafood (1.1 million tons in 1996) and their processing, and is a major exporter of fresh fish and canned fish.

The main part of the fishery is carried out off the coast of the Basque Country and Galicia. The most caught are sardines, hake, mackerel, anchovies and cod. Every year, 20-25% of the total catch is processed into canned food.

Banking sector

Banks in Spain need to recapitalize 59.3 billion euros, according to the results of stress tests posted on the website of the Spanish central bank. The financial crisis in Spain led to an explosion of separatism. The economic crisis in Spain is gradually turning into a political one. On the one hand, regions with their extremely weak banks need help from the government. On the other hand, some territories, in particular Catalonia, believe that without the guiding and guiding hand of Madrid, they would feel much better.

The crisis was not limited to the financial sector. Property prices fell, which in turn increased unemployment. Spanish construction company Martinsa-Fadesa has filed for bankruptcy after failing to refinance a €5.1 billion debt. In the second quarter property prices in Spain fell by 20%. In the Castile-La Mancha region, approximately 69% of all buildings built in the past three years are still unsold. Deutsche Bank expects a 35% fall in property prices in Spain by 2011. Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero has blamed the European Central Bank for aggravating the situation by raising interest rates.

Population

Population dynamics:

• city ​​- 6.5 million people;
• city ​​- 4.5 million people;
• city ​​- 6 million people;
• city ​​- 11.3 million people;
• city ​​- 6.2 million people;
• city ​​- 11.55 million people;
• city ​​- 18.6 million people;
• city ​​- 24.1 million people;
• city ​​- 29.9 million people;
• city ​​- 36.3 million people;
• city ​​- 45.97 million people

The population of Spain is 46.16 million people (October 2011).

According to genetic studies of the University of Leeds, conducted in 2008, 20% of the modern population of Spain has Jewish roots, and 11% have Arabic and Berber roots.

Story

On the southwestern coast of Iberia, a culture arose in the Bronze Age, from which, at the end of the 2nd millennium, the Tartess civilization was formed, which traded metal with the Phoenicians. After the depletion of the mines, Tartessus falls into decay.

Along the east coast of Spain in the III millennium BC. e. Iberian tribes appeared; some hypotheses link their ancestral home to North Africa. From these tribes comes the ancient name of the peninsula - Iberian. In the middle of the II millennium BC. e. Iberians began to settle in fortified villages on the territory of modern Castile. The Iberians were mainly engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding and hunting, they knew how to make tools from copper and bronze. The Iberians used the Paleo-Spanish script created earlier by the Tartessians. The Iberian language was not related to Tartessian.

There is Roman evidence that Ligures previously lived in Spain, but nothing is known of their existence in the historical period.

In the late Bronze Age, the culture of the fields of funerary urns (the remnant of which in the historical period were probably the Lusitanians) penetrated into Iberia, and at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. most of Iberia is colonized by Celtic tribes. Part of the Celts, who lived next to the Iberians, fell under their influence and created the Celtiberian culture; the Celts, who lived in the western part, maintained a relatively conservative way of life, were unliterate. The Celts of Iberia became famous as warriors. It was they who invented the double-edged sword, which later became the standard weapon of the Roman army and used against their own inventors.

20th century

XXI Century

In March 2004, 13 explosions rocked the approaches to the Atocha railway station in Madrid, killing 191 and injuring 2,050 people. This attack was organized by an underground Islamist organization that followed the ideology of Al-Qaeda. The explosions took place three days before the parliamentary elections and were the terrorists' response to the participation of the Spanish military in the military operation in Iraq. Most Spaniards blamed the attacks on the government of Prime Minister José María Aznar, who sent Spanish troops to support the US and Britain. The Aznar government made this decision unilaterally, without coordinating it with the Parliament (Cortes) and despite the massive protests of civil society, which spoke at thousands of demonstrations against the participation of the Spanish army in the war. In addition, mass surveys of the population, conducted by a state agency, indicated that about 80% of the country's population was against Spain's entry into the war. Aznar's People's Party lost the March 14, 2004 elections.

In early 2004, the new socialist government of José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero made a sharp turn in Spanish foreign policy: from support for the US course to solidarity with most of the EU countries. After winning the elections on March 14, 2004, the socialist government withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq, thus fulfilling an important item in the electoral program of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). In the subsequent parliamentary elections held in 2008, the PSOE won again. New parliamentary elections in Spain took place on November 20, 2011.

In 2005, same-sex marriage was legalized in Spain. Thus, Spain became the third state in the world, after Holland and Belgium, to recognize the legal equality of marriage unions, regardless of the sex of the spouses. Currently, same-sex marriage is recognized in many countries, as well as in some US states.

One of the problems of modern Spain is the problem of immigration. Basically, residents of the Maghreb countries and Latin America come to Spain. At the beginning of the new century, there were an estimated 2.5 million Latin Americans in the EU countries, 800,000 of whom were in Spain. However, after the terrorist attacks of 2004, the attitude of the Spaniards towards immigrants has changed significantly.

Political structure

Administrative division

50 provinces, included in 17 autonomous regions. Also within Spain are 2 so-called autonomous cities (ciudades autónomas) in Africa - Ceuta, Melilla and the sovereign territories of Spain.

Andalusia (Spanish) Andalucia) Aragon (Spanish) Aragon) Asturias (Spanish) Principado de Asturias) Balearic Islands (Spanish) Islas Baleares, cat. Illes Balears) Basque Country (Spanish) Pais Vasco, bask. Euskadi) Valencia (Spanish) Comunidad Valenciana) Galicia (Spanish) Galicia, gallis. Galiza) Canary Islands (Spanish) Islas Canarias) Cantabria (Spanish) Cantabria) Castile - La Mancha (Spanish) Castilla-La Mancha) Castile and Leon (Spanish) Castilla y Leon) Catalonia (Spanish) Cataluna, cat. Catalunya) Madrid (as an autonomous region) (Spanish) Madrid) Murcia (Spanish) Region of Murcia) Navarre (Spanish) Navarra, bask. Nafarroa) Rioja (Spanish) La Rioja) Extremadura (Spanish) Extremadura)

Cities

The largest cities in Spain are:

culture

Spain is rightfully considered an open-air museum. The vastness of this country carefully preserves cultural and historical monuments that are world famous.

The most famous museum in Spain - the Prado Museum - is located in Madrid. Its vast exposition cannot be viewed in one day. The museum was founded by Isabella of Braganza, wife of King Ferdinand VII. The Prado has its own branch, located in Cason del Buen Retiro, which houses unique collections of Spanish paintings and sculptures of the 19th century, as well as works by English and French painters. The museum itself presents large expositions of Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Flemish and German art. The Prado owes its name to the Prado de San Jeronimo alley, where it is located, laid back in the Enlightenment. Currently, the funds of the Prado Museum are 6,000 paintings, over 400 sculptures, as well as numerous treasures, including royal and religious collections. During several centuries of its existence, the Prado was patronized by many kings.

It is believed that the very first collection of the Prado Museum was formed under Charles I, known as the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. His heir, King Philip II, became famous not only for his bad temper and despotism, but also for his love of art. It is to him that the museum owes priceless acquisitions of paintings by Flemish masters. Philip was distinguished by a gloomy outlook, it is not surprising that the ruler was a fan of Bosch, an artist known for his bizarre pessimistic fantasy. Initially, Philip bought Bosch's paintings for El Escorial, the hereditary castle of the Spanish kings. And only in the XIX century the paintings were transferred to the Prado Museum. Now here you can see such masterpieces of the Dutch master as the "Garden of Delights" and "Hay Cart". Currently, in the museum you can enjoy not only paintings and sculptures, but also theatrical performances designed to "revive" the famous canvases. The first such staging was dedicated to the paintings of Velasquez and enjoyed great success with the public.

There are many more unique museums and galleries in Spain: the Picasso Museum and the National Art Museum of Catalonialocated in Barcelona, ​​the National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid, the El Greco Museum in Toledo, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art in Cuenca.

Spanish cuisine

Sport

Football has been the main sport in Spain since the beginning of the 20th century. Basketball, tennis, cycling, handball, motorcycling and, more recently, Formula One are also important due to the presence of Spanish champions in all these disciplines. Today, Spain is the world's leading sports power, the development of sports in the country in particular was spurred by the summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. In 2008, Spain won the European Football Championship, and in 2010 - the victory in the World Football Championship. In 2012, Spain won the European Football Championship over Italy with a score of 4:0.
In general, in the 2000s, the Spanish national teams won the world and European championships in almost all team sports: football, basketball, water polo, field hockey, roller hockey, handball, volleyball and the Davis Cup in tennis.

It is also worth noting that the Real Madrid football club is officially recognized as the best club in the world of the 20th century.

Armed forces

The new doctrine 1/2004 declares terrorism as the main enemy of Spain (both external and internal). It is noted that from now on, Spanish troops will be able to take part in international peacekeeping operations directly approved by the UN or, as was the case in Kosovo, enjoying the obvious support of the world community. In addition, participation in hostilities will require permission from the Spanish Parliament.

In the new military doctrine, the role of the JEMAD Defense General Staff, which is headed by General Felix Sans, has been increased. At the end of October 2004, he made a statement about the need to "balance" the unequal relationship between Spain and the United States, which developed after 1953, when Spain and the United States signed a military agreement on cooperation in the field of defense, according to which the United States received the right to use several large military bases in Spain.

In 2001, Spain abolished conscription and switched to a fully professional army.

There are no laws in Spain banning openly gays and lesbians from serving in the armed forces. On March 4, 2009, Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacón (the first woman to hold this post) issued a decree repealing a pre-existing law that banned transgender people from serving in the armed forces.

Spanish foreign policy

The preamble to the Spanish Constitution proclaims the willingness to "cooperate in strengthening peaceful relations and cooperation with all countries of the world." Currently, Spain's foreign policy is mainly based on three directions: Europe (especially the EU), the Ibero-American direction, the countries of the Mediterranean Sea.

To date, Spain has diplomatic relations with all UN countries. Recently, Spain has relations with Bhutan (since October 2010), South Sudan (since independence from Sudan in July 2011) and the state of Karibati (since September 2011).

On April 12, 1994, the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Spain was signed. Currently, bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Spain have an extensive contractual and legal basis: the basis for interaction in various fields is formed by more than 50 treaties, agreements, protocols and other documents.

Morocco

In the foreign policy of Spain, Morocco occupies one of the key places, for which the Moroccan kingdom is the most important African partner, if only because of its territorial proximity. The main areas of Spanish policy in Morocco are: issues related to the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the unresolved problem with Western Sahara, problems of illegal migration, issues of stopping drug smuggling, etc.

Relations between Spain and the Maghreb countries began to develop most actively after the Socialist Party came to power in Spain in 1982.

Under the government of the People's Party, headed by Prime Minister H.M. Aznar, who were in power from 1996 to 2004, relations could not be called good and were rather characterized by instability, in particular, the conflict over the island of Perejil (Leila) occupies a bright place in 2002.

The socialists, who came back to power in April 2004, led by José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, were determined to improve relations with their neighbors, and especially with Morocco. Since the meeting between Mohamed VI and Juan Carlos in 2005, relations between the two monarchs have improved markedly. The conflict in Western Sahara, which arose a long time ago, has always had an adverse effect on relations between the two countries. After the aborted quadripartite conference, Morocco in 1975 authorized the "Green March" on Western Sahara with the aim of "cleansing" Western Sahara from Spain. The result was an agreement between Spain, Mauritania and Morocco on the transfer of temporary control over the Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania.

An important component of relations between the two countries are close economic ties. In 1995, the Moroccan government decides to put everything on foreign investors, the most important of which are Spain and France.

Peace missions

The armed forces of Spain, consisting of 3,000 people, took part in 5 peacekeeping missions of the EU, NATO, and the UN. These missions are: International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan; EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina; KFOR in Kosovo; FINUL to Lebanon and UN mission to Darfur (Chad).

Various questions

Transport in Spain

The length of motor roads is 328,000 km. Car park - more than 19 million cars. Roads carry out 90% of passenger and 79% of cargo transportation. The length of railways is 14589 km. About 6.5% of all land transport cargo and 6% of passengers are transported.

About 300 ships with a total displacement of 1.511 million tons are involved in maritime transport. From 30 million tons of foreign trade cargo are transported by ships under the Spanish flag annually. 24 seaports control almost 93% of all traffic.

The leading place is occupied by air transport. Of the 42 airports, 34 carry out regular flights. Madrid International Airport handles 56 million passengers every year. The airport in Barcelona serves about 30 million passengers annually.

Education in Spain

Spain has a system of compulsory free secondary education from 6 to 16 years. About 70% study in public schools, 96.5% - in public universities.

The largest universities in the country: Autonomous University of Madrid, Complutense (in Madrid), Barcelona Central and Autonomous, Santiago de Compostea, Polytechnic University of Valencia.

Media in Spain

Spain has a well developed media network. 137 newspapers and about 1000 magazines are published. The most read daily newspapers are Pais, Mundo, Vanguardia, ABC, Periodiko, Marka. Magazines for women "Patrones", Labores del HOGAR, Moda.

The leading radio stations are SER, COPE, Radio Nacional de España (RNE). The international department of Spanish national radio, known as Radio Exterior de España, broadcasts in Spanish and six foreign languages. The Russian Spanish Foreign Broadcasting Service has been operating (with a short break) since the time of Franco, but is less known than similar broadcasters in Russian from the USA, Germany, and France.

The largest TV channels: TVE (covers the entire territory of the country), private studios "Telesinko" and "Antena 3", as well as round-the-clock news Canal 24 Horas, broadcasting around the world. The Autonomous Communities have their own regional television, which also broadcasts in national languages.

Siesta in Spain

Crime in Spain

In recent years, the proportion of immigrants among Spanish offenders has gradually increased. This is due to increased immigration to Spain (including illegal) from African countries, as well as from Latin America. Among the latter, two gangs from the Dominican Republic became especially active: Dominicans Don't Play (“Dominicans do not joke”) and Trinitarios (“Trinitaria” - named after the underground organization “La Trinitaria”, which fought for the independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti in 1838 ) .

Real estate market in Spain

The average cost per square meter in Spain for the 1st trimester of 2011 is 1777.6 euros (1793.8 euros - new construction; 1764.8 euros - second-hand). The highest prices (in €/m²) : San Sebastian - 3762.3; San Cugat del Valles - 3282.6; Getcho - 3224.3; Barcelona - 3103.5; Pozuelo de Alarcon - 2964.0; Madrid - 2921.0.

The main real estate in Spain is villas, apartments and apartments. At the moment, buying property in Spain has become more profitable, since on August 20, 2011, the Spanish government temporarily changed the tax - VAT on the purchase of new housing from 8% to 4%.

Telecommunications in Spain

In astronomy

The asteroid (804) Spain, discovered on 20 March 1915 by Spanish astronomer José Comas Sola at the Fabra Observatory in Barcelona, ​​is named after Spain. It was the first asteroid discovered from Spanish territory.

see also

	Portal "Spain"
	Spain in Wiktionary
	in Wikisource
	Spain at Wikimedia Commons

General information about Spain

The official name is the Kingdom of Spain (El reino de Espana, The Kingdom of Spain). It is located in the southwest of Europe (it occupies St. 4/5 of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean). The total area is 506 thousand km2, the population is 40.2 million people. (2002). The official language is Spanish (Castilian). The capital is Madrid (3 million people, 2002). Public holiday - Day of the Spanish Nation on October 12. The monetary unit is the euro (since 2002, before that peseta).

Possessions (under the direct control of Spain): the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, located on the northern coast of Africa with small islands and capes adjacent to them: Chafarinas, Alusemas, Velez de la Gomera.

Member of international organizations: UN (since 1955), NATO (1981), EU (1986), as well as the OECD, OSCE, IMF, WTO, UNESCO, etc.

Geography of Spain

It is located between 43° and 36° north latitude and between 3° east and 9° west longitude. It is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean - in the northwest and southwest, the Mediterranean Sea - in the south and east.

The total length of maritime borders is 4964 km, land - 1918 km. The shores of Spain are poorly dissected, but in the north and northwest in the Bay of Biscay there are a number of convenient bays that are natural harbors.

Spain borders in the north with France (the length of the Franco-Spanish border is 623 km) and in a short section with Andorra (62.3 km), in the west - with Portugal (1214 km), in the southwest - with Gibraltar (1.2 km ), in the south - from Morocco (Ceuta, 6.3 km and Melilla, 9.6 km).

The landscape of Spain is a kind of "continent in miniature", full of contrasts and deep natural differences. The center of the country is located at a distance of 300 km from the sea. The relief is dominated by systems of mountain ranges and high plateaus, occupying 60% of the country's interior. In the northeast, Spain is connected to Europe by a ridge of the Pyrenees, stretching for 440 km and reaching 3404 m in height (Aneto peak). The main part of Spain is filled with the largest plateau in Europe, called the Central or Castilian Meseta (660 m above sea level). From almost all sides it is bordered by mountain ranges: the Cantabrian Mountains with the main peak Peña de Seredo (altitude 2500 m), the Galician massif, the Iberian and Toledo mountains. Meseta is crossed from northeast to southwest by the Central Cordillera mountain range, the highest point of which is Plaza Almansor (2678 m). Along the southern and southeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, there is a system of Andalusian, or Beta, mountains, which break up into a large number of ridges and massifs, the highest of which (more than 3000 m in height) is the Sierra Nevada. Here is also the highest point of peninsular Spain - Mulasen peak, 3481 m. Along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea there is a mountain range of the Catalan Mountains with the top of Montseny (1698 m). In the east, under their cover, Mediterranean Spain opens up, where sandy coastal valleys and steep cliffs alternate. The Canary Islands are of volcanic origin. On the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, there is the highest point in Spain - Peak Teide (3717 m).

The lowlands in Spain occupy a relatively small area. From the east, the vast Aragonese plain adjoins the Catalan mountains, and in the southwest - the Andalusian lowland, which forms the coast of the Gulf of Cadiz. In a narrow strip, two other plains adjoin the Mediterranean Sea: Valencia and Murcia.

The main rivers of Spain - Duero, Tagus (belonging to Portugal in the lower reaches), Guadiana (flows along the Spanish-Portuguese border), Guadalquivir and Ebro - do not differ in high fullness, they are significantly dependent on rain supply. The only navigable river for a long distance is the Guadalquivir, which flows into the Gulf of Cadiz.

The soil cover varies considerably between wet and dry Spain. In the north, moist forest brown soils are common, in the south - red earth soils, in a significant part of the Meseta - infertile, sandy and stony soils. The most fertile alluvial soils of the coastal lowlands and river valleys give good crop yields.

The flora of Spain is exceptionally diverse. Forests and shrubs cover 52% of the country's territory, but only 5% of them are real dense and tall massifs (evergreen oaks, including cork, coniferous and juniper forests), found mainly to the north and west of the Meseta plateau. Broad-leaved forest with chestnut, beech and ash grows in moist forests, along river valleys. Shrubs, herbal meadow (including medicinal) and rocky flora are richly represented, close to alpine, but with a considerable number of local forms. Meseta is a predominantly agricultural region, where the production of traditional cereals (wheat, barley), as well as grapes, olives, almonds, and citrus fruits is concentrated. The natural landscape of the south and southeast of the country is predominantly steppe and desert type with a predominance of grasses, wormwood, thickets of dwarf palms, and other species of southern flora. The only exception is the Andalusian lowland, which is characterized by vast fields of agricultural crops. Spain has approx. 215 (8.4% of the national territory) nature reserves. Among them - Doñana and Karajonay National Parks - recognized by UNESCO as a heritage of mankind.

The animal world is widely represented by a variety of Central European and North African fauna. There are lynx, fox, wild boar, wild goat, wolf, rodents, insectivores, reptiles (turtles, lizards, snakes), magot monkey (in the Gibraltar region) are quite numerous. The avifauna of Spain is also diverse, which is characterized by the presence of endemic forms (blue magpie, sultan chicken, flamingos). From other types of birds: eagles, hawks, herons, owls, a detachment of waterfowl is numerous. The coastal waters and local freshwater basins of Spain are rich in fish, various types of aquatic invertebrates, and shellfish.

The bowels of Spain are rich in minerals. Of pan-European importance are deposits of iron ore, pyrites, copper, lead, tin, zinc, tungsten, uranium, titanium, molybdenum, gold and silver. Large deposits of mercury (one of the first places in the world). Energy resources are represented by hard and brown coal. Explored coal reserves are 0.7 billion tons. Coals are of low quality, among them there are few coking ones. Explored oil reserves are 1 million tons, gas - 2 billion m3. In general, Spain's fuel and energy resources are insufficient, and it has to import oil (97% of domestic consumption) and coke (30%). Fresh water resources per capita - 2398 m3.

The climate of Spain - subtropical Mediterranean type - is divided into three main zones. Northern humid Iberia is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. It has moderately warm summers and mild but very wet winters. In central Iberia, the climate is sharply continental with dry, dusty summers and rather cool winters. In the south and southeast, the climate is close to African: summers are dry, long and very hot, winters are warm with a significant amount of precipitation. The main climatic feature of the country is the lack of moisture and the abundance of sunlight. By the number of sunny days per year, Spain occupies one of the first places in Europe.

Population of Spain

In the 1990s the average annual population growth rate was 0.2%. To the beginning 1980s the traditionally negative balance of migration has acquired a positive balance. The country is currently experiencing immigration pressure, especially from North Africa and Latin America. The net immigration rate is 0.87‰.

Population density 79 people. per 1 km2 (one of the lowest in Europe), incl. in the Autonomous Community of Madrid - 605 people/km2, in the Basque Country - 295 people/km2, in the Valencian Community - 100 people/km2. Approx. 70% Spaniards.

Birth rate - 9.26‰, mortality - 9.13‰ (2001), infant mortality 4.92 people. per 1000 newborns (2001). The dominant trend is a decrease in mortality with a simultaneous decrease in the birth rate. Average life expectancy is 78.9 years, incl. 75.5 years - men, 82.6 years - women.

The age composition of the population: young people under 14 years old - 14.6%, aged 15-64 years - 68.2%, 65 years and older - 17.2%. The total number of women slightly exceeds the number of men. In 2001, there were 96 men for every 100 women.

Employed population - 17 million people. (43% of the total population), 33.4% of the economically active population are women (in 1975 - 23%). The proportion of the economically active male population is declining due to the reduction of the retirement age to 65 and even to 60 years (in the private sector).

Adult literacy is 98%. Human Development Index - 0.908 (2001).

According to the Constitution, Spain is recognized as a single nation, formed on the basis of various ethnic groups and nationalities. Live in the country: Castilians (31%), Catalans (19%), Andalusians (15%), Valencians (10%), Galicians (8%), Basques (6%), as well as people of other nationalities: gypsies (200 thousand .), Portuguese (35 thousand), Jews (15 thousand), Americans, French, etc.

The official language is Spanish (Castilian). The use of the Catalan language is legal (it is spoken by 17% of the population), Galician (7%), Basque (2%) and other languages ​​of the autonomous regions.

OK. 90% of Spaniards are believers, 99% of believers are Catholics, there are Protestants, Muslims, Jews.

History of Spain

Ancient Spain was formed as a result of a mixture of two different races: the Celts and the Iberians, who later went through the Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian colonization. The victory of Rome over Carthage as a result of the 2nd Punic War (208-01 BC) led to the Romanization and urbanization of the Iberian communities and the creation on their territory of the 1st Roman province with a developed economic and administrative system. In the beginning. 5th c. The barbarian tribes of Alans, Sueves, Vandals and Visigoths invaded the Iberian Peninsula. The latter formed here the Visigothic kingdom (with its capital in Toledo), which became stronger on the basis of the rapprochement between the Spanish-Roman latifundists and the Visigothic military nobility. One of the manifestations of this rapprochement is the transition of the Visigoths to Catholicism (589). The Visigothic period in the history of Spain ends at the beginning. 8th c. In 711-18, the Visigothic kingdom becomes easy prey for the Moors, the Arab conquerors who established the power of the Damascus Caliphate over most of the peninsula. In 758, as a result of long internecine strife, the Emirate of Cordoba (later Caliphate) independent of the Damascus Caliphate was created with its center in the city of Cordoba, and after it the Granada Emirate. Under the Arabs (especially in the 10th century under Abderrahman III), Spain achieved a significant economic and cultural upsurge. The Caliphate of Cordoba lasted three centuries (8th-10th centuries). In the 11th century as a result of the process of feudalization, it broke up into a number of independent Muslim states.

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The Spaniards took advantage of the weakening of the Arab states, starting the process of the Reconquista (reconquest of land from the Arabs), which finally ended in 1492 with the capture of Granada. The decisive role in the victory of the Spaniards was played by the unification (1479) as a result of the "dynastic union" of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, the two largest feudal kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula - Castile and Aragon. It marked the beginning of the formation of Spain as a single centralized state and nation. The main instrument of Spanish absolutism was the Inquisition, created in 1480. The most important factor that ensured victory was also the liberation (1486) of the Spanish peasantry from serfdom. On October 12, 1492 (Nation Day of Spain), almost simultaneously with the capture of Granada, an event of world-historical significance takes place - the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, which marked the beginning of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries of the 15-16th centuries. Spain played a leading role in the seizure of vast territories in America, Africa, Asia and Europe, becoming the monopoly owner of untold wealth.

To the beginning 17th century during the period of primitive accumulation of capital, feudal reaction and the rule of the Inquisition became a brake on the economic development of the country. The political and economic collapse of the Great Spanish Monarchy, which began after the Dutch Revolution (1565-1609), ended in 1701-14 with the war for the "Spanish Succession" and the loss of Gibraltar, transferred to England in accordance with the Utrecht and Rastad peace treaties. The first signs of an economic renaissance (the appearance of manufactories, "economic societies of friends of the nation", public works, etc.) appeared in Spain only during the reign of Charles III (1759-88), the Spanish variety of "enlightened absolutism".

In the 19th century Spain went through the Napoleonic Wars (1807-14), the struggle of the American colonies for its independence (1810-26), four democratic revolutions, the Spanish-American War of 1898, which ended in the defeat of Spain and the loss of its last colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico , Philippine Islands and Guan Island.

The outbreak of the crisis of the Spanish monarchy and the aggravation of the domestic political situation led to the establishment of the military-monarchist dictatorship of General Primo de Rivera (1923-29), who, however, could not cope with the task of preserving the monarchy assigned to him. After the abdication of Alfonso XIII in Spain, a period of republican rule begins (1931-39), culminating in a military rebellion by General F. Franco and a civil war (1936-39). With the coming to power of Franco, an authoritarian system of government was created in the country with the suppression of all democratic freedoms and the concentration of all political, legislative, executive, judicial and military power in the hands of Franco, who proclaimed himself "responsible only to history and God." The policy of autarchy pursued by him was characterized by a high degree of state intervention in the economic and social spheres. From the beginning 1960s Spain, within the framework of an authoritarian political system, embarked on the path of liberalization, deregulation and the creation of an "open" market economy. The period 1960-75 was characterized by high rates of economic development and was called the "Spanish economic miracle". The dismantling of the authoritarian political system, which began after the death of Franco (1975), took place in the context of a consensus of the country's political forces. In 1977, the Moncloa Pacts became their legal basis. They contained a political and economic program of measures necessary for the country's peaceful transition to democracy. In December 1978, the country's democratic constitution was adopted at a national referendum. In subsequent years, the processes of political transformation of Spanish society, liberalization and deep structural reform of the economy and social sphere, as well as the country's entry into the main international institutions of the West, were successfully completed.

State structure and political system of Spain

Spain is a social, democratic state, the political form of which is a parliamentary monarchy. The Constitution is in force, approved by a national referendum on December 6, 1978 and entered into force on December 29, 1978.

Administratively, Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities of the Kingdom of Spain (Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Valencian Community, Galicia, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile - La Mancha, Castile and Leon, Catalonia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra , Basque Country, Extremadura). Ceuta and Melilla are also administered as autonomous communities. Each of the communities consists of one or more provinces, there are 50 provinces in total. The largest cities: Madrid, Barcelona (1.6 million inhabitants), Las Palmas (897 thousand), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (819), Valencia (739), Seville (701), Zaragoza (604), Malaga (531), Bilbao (354 thousand inhabitants). Nine other Spanish cities - Santiago de Compostela, Granada, Salamanca, Avila, Segovia, Cuenca, Caceres, Toledo, Cordoba - are recognized by UNESCO as a heritage of mankind (more than in any other country in the world).

The head of state is King Juan Carlos I (since November 22, 1975). He is also the highest representative of the Spanish state in the international arena, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the head of the Supreme Defense Council, the guarantor of democratic values ​​and the country's Constitution. The king acts and makes decisions with the approval of the country's parliament, which, in turn, shares responsibility for the decisions made with the king. The King appoints the Chairman of the Government (Prime Minister) and, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, members of the Cabinet of the Council of Ministers.

The head of the executive power - the chairman of the government, as a rule, is the leader of the party that has the majority of seats in the Congress of Deputies. Since 1996 this post has been occupied by José Maria Aznar Lopez. The highest advisory body of the government is the State Council, which consists of 29 members.

Legislative and control functions over the activities of the government are assigned to the Parliament (Cortes General), consisting of two chambers. Most of the powers belong to the lower house, the Congress of Deputies (350 seats). The bills adopted by him are submitted for consideration by the upper chamber - the Senate (259 deputies), but the Congress of Deputies can override the veto of the Senate by a majority of votes. Parliament is elected by direct, secret ballot by Spanish citizens who have reached the age of 18 for a period of 4 years: Congress deputies - on a proportional basis according to the party list, senators - on the basis of territorial representation. 208 senators are elected by proportional representation from each autonomous community and each province, 51 senators are elected by the parliaments of the autonomous communities. According to the results of the last parliamentary elections on March 12, 2000, the seats in the Senate are distributed as follows: the conservative People's Party (PN) - 127 seats, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) - 61 seats, regional parties: the Catalan Convergence and Union Party (CiS) - 8, Basque Nationalist Party (BNP) - 6, Canarian Coalition (CC) - 5, Party of Independent Lanzarote (PNL) - 1 seat. As part of the Congress of Deputies, the NP has 183 seats (46.6%), PSOE - 125 (34.1%), KiS - 15 (4.2%), the coalition "United Left" (OL) - 8 (5.5 %), BNP - 7 (1.5%), KK 4 - (1%), Galician Nationalist Bloc (GNB) - 3 (1.3%), Party of Andalusia - 1 (0.9%). The president of the lower chamber of deputies is Luisa Fernando Ludi, the president of the chamber of the Senate is Esperanza Aguirre Gil de Biedma.

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According to the status (approved by referendum in October 1979), each autonomous community has its own parliament (legislative assembly), a president elected by parliament, and a government with broad powers at the regional level in the field of land use, construction, transport and public works, economic development, tourism, culture, health and education. The President of the Parliament is also the highest representative of the region at the state level. However, in the event of conflict situations, state interests prevail over regional ones. The parliaments of the Autonomous Communities are elected for a term of 4 years on a proportional basis based on party lists. Each of the 50 provinces has its own municipal council, headed (since 1997) by a delegate appointed by the regional authorities.

The judicial system includes the Supreme Court (Supreme Tribunal), consisting of 20 members appointed by the king for 5 years, 19 territorial high courts, criminal courts of first instance in each province, district, municipal and special courts. There is also a Constitutional Court, consisting of 12 members appointed by the king for 9 years, whose functions include monitoring the observance of the Constitution.

An innovation of the 1978 Constitution is the post of "defender of the people" of collective and individual rights, recognized today for all Spanish citizens.

Among the outstanding figures of the period of democratic transformations in Spain, Adolph Suarez Gonzalez and Filipe Gonzalez Marquez deserve special mention. Suarez - Chairman of the government of Spain in 1976-81 and the ruling centrist party at that time - the Union of the Democratic Center (SDC). The main merit of A. Suarez is the implementation of the policy of "national accord", which ensured the rapid and successful dismantling of the Francoist authoritarian system, which included political amnesty, the legalization of political parties (including the CPI), democratic trade unions, the restoration of diplomatic relations with the USSR, and the holding of the first free parliamentary elections after 1936 , which was won by the centrist coalition of the SDC led by him, the development and adoption of the Constitution of 1978. Gonzalez is the leader of the PSOE, the chairman of the government of Spain (in 1982-96), a politician who gave the country European dynamics. During his time in power, the PSOE managed to rethink the ideological foundations of the party, carry out deep structural transformations in the economic and social sphere, increase the level of GDP per capita by more than 3 times, ensure Spain's entry and active membership in the EU, and modify the system of Spain's participation in NATO.

Among political parties, two national parties have real influence - the ruling conservative, center-right People's Party (party chairman José María Aznar López) and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero). The NP (originally called the People's Alliance) was created in 1976 as a result of the merger of seven political groups that received very modest results in the first democratic elections in 1977. The founder and main ideologist of the party is one of the famous public and political figures of the era of Francoism, Manuel Fraga Iribarne. The PSOE is one of the oldest in Europe, created in 1879 by the typographical worker Pablo Iglesias. From the moment of its creation until Franco came to power, the PSOE has always played an important role in the political life of the country: it was a member of the Second International, it was the largest party of the Popular Front during the civil war of 1936-39. During the Francoist period, being in an illegal position, the party somewhat weakened its activities. However, from the beginning 1970s in connection with the election of a new general secretary (F. Gonzalez), the PSOE becomes the leading opposition party in the country. In the 1982 elections, she won a triumphant victory, receiving the support of 12 million votes, which gave her an absolute majority in parliament (202 deputy mandates in the lower house and 134 seats in the Senate), and allowed her to form a government cabinet headed by Prime Minister Gonzalez. Among the regional parties are the BNP (Javier Arsalhos Antia, founded in 1985 by Sabino Arana, Christian nationalist in its ideology); KiS (President Jordi Pujol i Soler, represents the coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia and the Democratic Union of Catalonia, both parties were created in the early 1930s, national-centric in their ideology); GNB (Jose Manuel Beiras); KK, consisting of 5 parties (Paulino Rivero); Party of Independent Lanzarote (Dimas Martin Martin); the left movement is represented by the United Left party (OL, general coordinator Gaspar Llamazares Trigo, created in 1986 as an electoral coalition of the Communist Party of Spain (CPI), the Socialist Action Party (PSD), the Republican Left party and independent, some other small parties, subsequently left the coalition).

The trade union movement, which has 15 million members, is primarily represented by the fairly powerful General Union of Workers (GTU), created by the PSOE in 1888, and by the Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions of the Left, which was created in 1956 and played a significant role in the fight against the Francoist regime (numbers 900,000 people). members), the pro-government Trade Union Syndicate of Workers (AKP), a number of university unions. There are also numerous industry and regional business associations operating in the country, united in a national patronage - the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (ICOP), established in 1977, which plays an important role in developing the economic and social policy of the government. According to sociological surveys, the Spanish Catholic Church, including Opus Dei, a hierarchical clerical organization that tries to combine faith and professional work in its ideology, enjoys the greatest confidence among more than 50% of Spaniards. Along with public organizations loyal to the government, there are several left-wing extremist organizations: the Basque Motherland and Freedom (ETA), a closed military-terrorist organization founded in 1959; GRAPO (“Group of anti-fascist resistance on October 1”), created in 1975. They oppose the Constitution and the status of an autonomous community, considering it an attempt to eliminate national historical and cultural traditions.

The internal policy of Spain is aimed primarily at "building a state of self-governing regions", ensuring their mutual solidarity. The process of regionalization, which began in 1978, took place along the following main lines: the development of the status of autonomous communities, the implementation of administrative reform by transferring power and resources to autonomous communities and municipalities through a complex process of negotiations and constitutional amendments. Particular attention is paid to the development of a policy to smooth out economic and social disparities within the framework of a single regional policy of the EU. There is also an active fight against corruption of state and party officials, crime (especially among young people), and illegal immigrants.

The foreign policy of modern Spain is formed under the influence of factors arising from its membership in NATO, the EU, and other international organizations, as well as taking into account bilateral military-political cooperation with the United States, traditional ties with Latin America, the countries of the Mediterranean, the Middle East. Almost three quarters of the 20th century Spain, for a number of reasons, primarily because of the forty years of the Francoist dictatorship, was in long-term international isolation. Spain remained neutral in the 1st World War and formally during the 2nd World War, in fact being an ally of Germany and Italy. In the 1950s and 60s after a short post-war period of international isolation, an active military-political rapprochement between Spain and the United States begins, and indirectly with NATO, given the key role of Washington in this organization, a course is taken towards economic integration with the EU countries. However, Spain managed to fully normalize its relations with the democratic states of Western Europe only in the post-Franco period. In 1981-82, the process of signing and ratifying the Protocol on Spain's accession to NATO was completed. At the same time, the question of the nature of this membership remained open until the nationwide referendum of 1986, which approved the special status of Spain's participation in NATO, limited only by political structures. Accession to the EU (1986) opened a "green light" for connecting Madrid to the Western European Union (1988), and from January 1, 1990 to NATO's military budget. After the collapse of the USSR, Spain completely changes the previous concept of national security, which was limited exclusively to the defense of its own territory, and becomes an active and full-scale participant in all North Atlantic actions to ensure collective security, including peacekeeping operations (in the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, Yugoslavia, etc.). On January 1, 1999, Spain, after a long and difficult process of forming the Spanish model of NATO membership, fully joined its integrated military structure. The main arguments for making such a decision by the Aznar government were: the disappearance of bipolarity and the transformation of the alliance into a major center of power, the start of NATO expansion to the east, the reformation of NATO's integrated military structure after the end of the Cold War and, as a result, the threat of Spain turning into a second-rate partner. Due to skillful foreign policy maneuvering, Madrid, however, managed to maintain the non-nuclear status of its territory, draw NATO's attention to the problems of the Mediterranean in order to ensure the security of its enclaves in Morocco - Ceuta and Melilla, and strengthen its negotiating potential in the dispute with Great Britain over Gibraltar.

A priority place in foreign and defense policy is also occupied by bilateral Spanish-American military cooperation, which Madrid can potentially use as a field for maneuvers and an additional "power" lever in resolving foreign policy issues. Realizing the importance of the Atlantic direction of its foreign policy, Spain, nevertheless, quite actively advocates the development of a European identity in the field of defense and security, welcomes the deepening of integration processes within the EU, and advocates the consistent “growing” of the WEU into the European Union. In this regard, Madrid believes that the strengthening of transatlantic solidarity and the development of European integration are two, on the one hand, parallel, and on the other hand, complementary processes that should not be opposed to each other. Keeping within the framework of its foreign policy priorities, Spain does not refuse to actively defend its own position on certain international problems, which may not coincide with the line of Washington, partners in NATO, the EU and the WEU. However, the degree of such autonomy is not so high as to give rise to accusations of Madrid in its infidelity to the principles of Western solidarity.

The total number of the Armed Forces of Spain is 177.95 thousand people, including 9.4 thousand women. They consist of the Ground Forces - 118.8 thousand people. (including women - 6.6 thousand people), Naval - 26.95 thousand people. (1.6 thousand) and the Air Force - 22.75 thousand people. (1.2 thousand) forces. The main areas for the deployment of the Spanish Armed Forces: land - the Balearic and Canary Islands, the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla; naval bases - El Ferrol (province of La Coruña), San Fernando and Rota (Cadiz), Cartagena (Murcia), Las Palmas and Palma de Mallorca (Canary Islands), Mahon (Menorca). The number of foreign contingents of the Spanish peacekeeping forces (in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Yugoslavia) - 2.85 thousand people. The number of reservists - 328.5 thousand people. The American military contingent in Spain is 2.13 thousand people, incl. Naval forces - 2080 people. and the Air Force - 250 people. The Spanish Armed Forces are recruited on the basis of universal conscription (service life 9 months, draft age 20 years). Since December 2002, a decision was made to gradually switch to a contract basis, to a fully professional army. Military spending ca. $7 billion, or 1.1% of GDP (2001).

Economy of Spain

Spain is an industrial-agrarian country with a developed, large-scale and diversified economy. In 2002, in terms of GDP ($796 billion at PPP), it ranked 5th in Western Europe and 13th in the world. GDP per capita - 19400 dollars, which is 85% of the average level of the 4 leading European countries. In 1991-2002, in terms of average annual GDP growth (3.1%), Spain was several points ahead of the European average. The decisive factors of economic growth are domestic demand (an increase of over 4% annually in 2000-01), exports (9% in 2001), and an effective state economic policy.

In the sectoral structure, the share of agriculture, forestry and fishing accounts for 4%, industry and construction - 31%, services - 65% (2002). 8% of the economically active population is employed in agriculture, 28% in industry and construction, and 64% in the service sector (2000). The unemployment rate is 12.2% (2.3 million people in 2002), incl. the share of unemployed in the total number of economically active male population - 9.7%, economically active women - 20.5%, among young people - 28.5%.

Spain's industry is characterized by an increased share of industries working for consumer demand (38.3% of GDP), a relatively lower share of science-intensive products (6%), and significant disproportions in the regional distribution of industry. Three provinces - Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid account for almost 50% of the country's GDP. The manufacturing industry accounts for 19% of GDP (2001), incl. for the machine-building complex (transport, general, electrical, radio-electronic engineering) 34% of GDP. The main driving force behind the industrial development of Spain is the telecommunications and information technology sector (8% of GDP), the automotive industry (6% of GDP, or over 3 million cars per year, 80% of which are exported, 2001). In contrast to the automotive industry, which is almost completely controlled by foreign capital, the country's information and telecommunications sector is dominated by the world-famous Spanish TNC Telefonika, which controls 1/10 of the world information technology market. In general, Spain is among the top ten world manufacturers in a number of indicators of the manufacturing industry (production of cars, machine tools, telecommunications equipment, petrochemical, chemical, textile, footwear - 159 million pairs per year, food and flavor industry). Other sectors of the manufacturing industry stand out: shipbuilding, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, the pharmaceutical industry, the production of building materials and cement (38 million tons). Of the branches of the fuel and energy complex, the oil refining, gas industry, and nuclear energy are characterized by the greatest dynamics. Electricity production - 223 billion / kW / h (2001). The oldest branch of the national economy - the mining industry (less than 1% of GDP and 0.5% of all employed in industry) is represented by enterprises for the extraction and processing of metal ores, coal (23.4 million tons), zinc, copper, tin, tungsten, manganese, mercury (2.5 thousand tons, 30% of world production, 1st place in the world).

In agriculture, 40% of the value of agricultural products falls on animal husbandry and poultry farming, 35% - on vegetable growing, horticulture and viticulture (27.9 million tons in 2001), 25% - on the grain sector. Despite the relatively developed and diversified agriculture, the latter is nevertheless unable to provide the country with such foodstuffs as grain, meat, and dairy products. The main, most competitive types of agricultural products are citrus fruits: oranges (40% of world production, 1st place in the world) and lemons (15%, 2nd place), olives and olive oil (1st place in the world), tomatoes , stone fruit (peaches, apricots, plums) and pome (apples, pears) crops, nuts (almonds). In terms of the size of vineyards, Spain ranks 2nd in the EU (after France), and 4th in the world in terms of wine production. Bananas, potatoes, saccharos (sugar beet and cane), cotton, and tobacco are also grown. Grain production (wheat, barley, corn, oats) is mainly oriented to the domestic market. Spain is the 3rd grain importer in the world. The only grain that Spain traditionally exports is rice. Animal husbandry is mainly small-scale and extensive. Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, mules and donkeys, a special stock of bulls for bullfighting, poultry are bred. Production of livestock and poultry per capita in slaughter form - 118 kg. The fishing industry is one of the largest in Europe (1% of GDP). The catch of fish and the production of other seafood per capita - 28.1 kg (2001).

The service sector provides 3.5% of annual GDP growth (2001). Leading sectors of the service sector: trade and public catering (22.5% of GDP), tourism (11% of GDP), monetary sector (7% of GDP).

In 2001, 74.4 million foreign tourists visited Spain (2nd place in the world after France), including 26.2 million so-called sightseers (without overnight stays). Tourism revenues amounted to almost 40 billion dollars (3rd place in the world after the USA, France). 91% of tourists come to Spain from Europe. Departure of Russian tourists to Spain amounted to 221 thousand people. (2001). Incomes from tourism cover 136.6% of the country's negative trade balance, provide employment for 1.3 million people, and have an impact on the development of transport and other industries. The tourism sector in Spain is under the control of the state, which is largely due to the country's ability to develop the tourism business, the desire to preserve the historical monuments of its culture.

In the Spanish monetary system, there are approx. 150 banks with a total of 17,727 branches and a total of 138,386 employees. (2000). The Central Bank develops and implements monetary policy, taking into account the introduction of the euro in the country. A characteristic feature of the Spanish banking system is an exceptionally high level of concentration and centralization of production and capital. From Ser. In the 1980s, especially after Spain joined the EU, this process intensified even more. The top 4 Spanish banks account for over 60% of the country's bank deposits. A high level of centralization of capital is also characteristic of Spanish savings banks. In the beginning. 1990s As a result of a series of mergers and acquisitions, two leading savings banks were created, accumulating St. 90% personal savings of Spanish citizens.

The length of motor roads is 663.8 thousand km, incl. with hard surface - 657.2 km (99%). There are 12.5 thousand km of railways (of which 7.1 thousand km are electrified). The main part of the railways belongs to the state company RENFE. By 2004, the process of partial privatization of the company is expected to begin. 80% of import and 70% of export cargo is transported by sea, 1502 sea merchant ships with a total displacement of over 2 million tons. The number of airports is 110 (including private ones), their annual throughput is st. 80 million passengers. Number of mobile phone users 12 million people. (2002), Internet 4.6 million people. (2001).

The Spanish constitution defines the country's economic model as a "free market economy", which the public administration "guarantees and protects in accordance with the requirements of general economic development and planning." At the same time, the state retains exclusive competence in matters of economic policy. It is envisaged that the state will also "regulate free private initiative based on the general economic interests of the country." The strategic task of economic policy in the 1990s. - achievement of economic indicators of the Maastricht agreements of the EU. Much attention is paid to the development of small and medium-sized businesses, restructuring of industry and the banking sector, including the privatization of individual state-owned enterprises. During 1993-2002, the budget deficit decreased from 7.1 to 1.1%, the inflation rate from 11.4 to 3.4%. The public debt is almost $63 billion (2002).

Structural restructuring of industry is aimed at creating knowledge-intensive industries, modernizing production and rationalizing the management structures of crisis industries (textile, shipbuilding, coal, energy, oil refining, ferrous metallurgy) in order to increase their competitiveness, phased privatization of individual state-owned enterprises, revision of their subsidies in order to increase functioning efficiency. In industry as a whole, the task is to increase labor productivity, improve the quality of manufactured goods, increase the share (by 20-25%) of goods with high added value, eliminate excess production capacity, achieve an optimal ratio of employment and technology by closing obsolete workshops and installations, replacing their new high-performance types of equipment. The main conductor of industrial policy is the Ministry of Industry, which develops medium-term programs for the development of industry as a whole, as well as individual sectors.

Among the most priority areas of the state economic policy is the development of small and medium-sized businesses, whose role in the country's economy is exceptionally large. For the share of 97% of companies with up to 50 employees. accounts for 46% of the employed and 60% of the total GDP. Special attention from the state (in terms of tax and preferential incentives) enjoys the so-called. the sector of the public economy - companies of workers, cooperatives of united labor, collective action societies, etc., combining (unlike public and private enterprises) commercial and social functions.

The tax reform was carried out in several stages and was aimed primarily at eliminating the anachronisms of the taxation of the Francoist period. In the course of the reform, the ratio between direct and indirect taxes was brought into greater conformity, the share of the latter decreased by almost 1.5 times; by introducing a progressive scale of taxation, the tax burden of the wealthiest segments of the population increased; landowners and heirs of large fortunes lost tax benefits, a value added tax was introduced (instead of the two dozen taxes that existed under Francoism), a progressive scale of taxation on profits from the business sector, and the system of fiscal inspection and penalties was improved. As a result of a sharp increase in tax collection, their share in GDP increased from 16% in 1975 to almost 37% in 2001.

State budget revenues and expenditures amount to $105 and $109 billion, respectively (2000). 96% of the total budget revenues come from taxes, incl. direct 29.7%, indirect 21%, social fund contributions 39%, property taxes 0.2%. In 2001, the country's central budget controlled 65% of government spending, compared to 90% in 1975, and without accounts for state enterprises and the social security system, only 35%. Decentralization of budget funds and their transfer to the regional level is carried out mainly in the form of targeted subsidies through the Fund for Inter-Territorial Compensations (FMC, established in 1984). The amount of funding for the regions is calculated according to a certain formula and automatically increases every 5 years. The competence of the center is only long-term investments with the right of local authorities (at the level of municipalities) to independently choose the mechanism for financing their investment projects. Along with the decentralization of budgetary funds, there were significant changes in the directions of their spending: expenditures on public administration were reduced (a decrease in the share of salaries of government officials) and on military needs. In the structure of spending budget funds, the bulk (over 50%) falls on social security, health care, education and culture, on public administration 5.5%, on defense 3.2%.

Monetary policy ensured financial stability and coordination of economic policy in strict accordance with the objectives and priorities of structural reforms. At the same time, much attention was paid to the restructuring of the banking sector in the direction of its diversification (increasing the role of foreign banks, investment funds and insurance companies), overcoming extreme isolation and focusing primarily on the domestic market (until the early 1980s, even the largest national banks participated in international transactions amounted to a little more than 1%), reducing direct state control over the financial and credit system, its gradual integration into the EU monetary system. With the creation of a single EU internal market (1993), the last restrictions on the free movement of capital were lifted. In particular, the entry of Spanish securities to international financial markets has been liberalized, legislation has been adopted that allows credit transactions between residents and non-residents, residents are allowed to open accounts abroad, and the national currency has become fully convertible. The only restriction that has been preserved for non-residents is that they cannot invest their funds in sectors of "national interest": railways, radio, television, and the military industry.

The main priorities of social policy are the fight against unemployment, education, healthcare, and social security. In 2001, public spending in the social sector amounted to 16% of GDP (against 8% in 1975). The social security system is represented by a single and 5 special regimes (for agricultural workers, miners, the economically active population, civil servants and the military), covering 95.5% of the country's population. 2/3 of the social security system goes to the payment of social income (old-age pensions, disability pensions, accident insurance payments, etc.), 50% of these payments are old-age pensions. Sources of social payments: budget financing and contributions to the social insurance system (66% of total social spending), incl. business contributions (85%), workers' contributions (15%). Pension payments (for old age) and unemployment benefits account for more than 55% (14.5% in 1975) of the total amount of social security funds. Along with a relatively high average pension (60-100% of the average wage), an annual increase in the minimum pension, a mechanism for indexing pensions (at the beginning of each financial year) depending on the growth rate of consumer prices has been introduced, the controllability of the pension system has been improved, the State Council for the Affairs of the Elderly was established, coordinating the activities of the relevant regional departments, engaged in the development and implementation of gerontological plans. The influence of private pension funds, despite the high dynamics of their growth, remains insignificant so far. They cover 20% of the economically active population of the country, and the amount of funds accumulated by them is 5%. Unemployment benefits receive 70% of the total number of unemployed.

The healthcare system is predominantly public. The share of public spending on health care is 7.4% of GDP (2001). The administrative and organizational functions of managing the system at the federal level are assigned to the National Institute of Health, which works in close cooperation with both the majority of its subordinates and independent regional health authorities. By taking on 83% of health care expenditures, the government has significantly strengthened the prestige of the state health care system, ensured a high quality level of public health services and free access to them for 99.5% of the country's population. At the first stage of clinical treatment, patients pay only 40% of the cost of drugs, chronically ill 10%, pensioners are completely exempt from paying them. The state finances 70% of pharmaceutical products sold on the domestic market, which is one of the highest rates in the EU.

Foreign economic policy is aimed at developing exports, diversifying its commodity and geographic structure, and reducing the trade balance deficit. The share of Spain in world trade rose from 1.6% in 1975 to 4.4% in 2001, incl. for export from 0.7 to 1.9%, for import from 0.9 to 2.5%, respectively. Export of goods $ 111 billion: agricultural raw materials and food account for 19%, semi-finished products - 40%, finished industrial goods - 41% (of which science-intensive products - 8%, 2001). Imports $144 billion. Almost 60% of Spanish imports are agricultural and food products, raw materials, energy and technologically sophisticated engineering products. The main items of engineering exports (21% of the total export volume) are vehicles (cars, ships and ship equipment, machine tools for the light and food and flavor industries, equipment for nuclear power plants). Among the export specialization of Spain are oil products (6% of world exports), products of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, food and flavor, light and footwear industries, building materials, cement. In imports, the share of science-intensive products, oil and oil products, chemical goods, metals and products from them, softwood lumber, food (10%), incl. grain (30% of all food purchases). Main trading partners: EU (approx. 70% of foreign trade turnover); developing countries (18%), incl. Latin American countries (9%); USA (5%); China and Japan (3%); countries of Central and Eastern Europe (4%), including the Russian Federation (1.6%).

One of the main problems of Spanish foreign trade is a chronic trade deficit ($30 billion in 2001). Despite the accelerated growth in commodity exports, the export coverage ratio of imports tends to decrease. In 2001 it was 74% against 80% in 1995.

The inflow of foreign direct investment into Spain is $36 billion (2001), and the volume of accumulated foreign direct investment is $160 billion (2001). Main investors: EU (approx. 70% of the total) and the USA (17%). The volume of accumulated direct Spanish investments abroad is also large - $ 160 billion, of which 60% are in Latin America, 35% - in the EU. The negative balance of payments on current operations is 19 billion dollars (2001), the state external debt is 90 billion dollars (1997).

In 2000, Spain's exports to the Russian Federation amounted to $0.7 billion, imports - $1.6 billion; St. 80% is oil and other commodities. Compared to 1995, the annual influx of Spanish investments in the Russian economy has more than doubled, the total amount of accumulated Spanish investments in the Russian Federation is approx. $100 million (2000).

Science and culture of Spain

In 2002, spending on education amounted to 6% of GDP (against 2.3% in 1975), in the budget - 12%, incl. for primary 33.3%, secondary 47.9%, higher 16.9%. Education is predominantly state, four-level: preschool, secondary compulsory (from 6 to 16 years old), non-mandatory special (from 16 to 18 years old), university. During the years of democratic reforms, the education system has undergone significant reform towards universalization and openness to all social groups, decentralization of management, and most importantly, an increase in the quality level of education focused on common European standards for training the workforce. Management of the system of secondary education is transferred to the regional level, pre-school and primary education - to the municipalities. The central government retains only regulatory, controlling and coordinating functions on a national scale, including the distribution of financial resources for educational purposes. Compulsory free secondary education has been extended to 10 years, including secondary vocational education, which is received by 30% of Spanish students. Overall, 90% of children under the age of 16 are high school graduates (2001). The share of people aged 25-34 with incomplete secondary education in the total number of employed fell to 45%, those aged 20-24 - to 15%, while among 55-year-olds this figure is over 10%. 90%. A system of vocational training and retraining of personnel (virtually non-existent under Franco) was created for the adult population of the country, including further employment in a new specialty. Vocational training programs are developed at the level of the regional administration in cooperation with local educational institutions, business associations and trade unions, taking into account the real demand for labor. During 1980-2001, the number of student youth increased from 500 thousand to more than 1.5 million (30.5% of the total number of young people), and the proportion of people with higher education in the total working-age population increased from 5 to almost 9%. Having ensured the complete independence of the educational process of universities and their autonomy, the state nevertheless assumed the main share of funding for higher education: 47 (out of 57) higher education institutions in today's Spain are state-owned, 97% of the total number of student youth in the country study in them.

The share of R&D in GDP increased from 0.5% in 1975 to 1.1% in 2002. The number of scientists in the total number of employees doubled and amounted to 120,618 people. (2000). The number of scientists who received a doctorate degree increased by 33%, incl. in the technical area by 50%. State share in R&D funding 47% (2000). The first national plan for the development of R&D was adopted in 1986; it was supplemented by a number of sectoral plans for the development of science-intensive industries (electronic industry, automation and computerization, new materials, biotechnology). There is a Center for the Development of Technology and Industry. The center's task is to attract large foreign investors to science-intensive industries in exchange for tax incentives and loans, to train top management and engineering personnel, especially in the field of information technology. I. actively participates in scientific and technical programs of the EU.

Spanish culture is a unique synthesis of Romance (Latin), Arabic, European and, of course, original national culture. The main real embodiment of this synthesis is Spanish, which belongs to the Romance group of Indo-European languages ​​with a significant admixture of Arabic words. The centuries-old influence of Islamic culture is no less noticeable in numerous literary (in Spanish folklore) and architectural monuments of Cordoba, Malaga, Seville, Zaragoza, and Granada. Period 12-15 centuries. associated with the appearance of the first national epic "The Poem of My Side", Castilian literature, the introduction of printing (1474), the creation of original poetic lyrics (famous Spanish romances), the architectural masterpieces of Juan de Herrera, the artistic creations of Luis de Morales and El Greco, reflecting the era of humanism and became harbingers of the Golden Age of Spanish culture. Its most prominent representatives: Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra, Lope Felis de Vega Carpio, Tirso de Molina, Pedro Calderon de la Barca (in literature), Diego Velazquez, F. Zurbaran, J. Ribera, Bartolome Esteban Murillo (in painting). The Spanish culture of the 19th century, influenced by French classicism and later neoclassicism, is associated with the literary names of Manuel José Quintana, Benito Perez Galdos, in painting it was marked by the appearance of the brilliant artist Francisco de Goya, in architecture it left such creations as the Prado Museum in Madrid . At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. the talent of the greatest Spanish philosopher and historian of Spanish literature Marcelino Menendez y Pelayo unfolded, which had a huge impact on the next generation of Spanish scientists, public and political figures, philosophers and writers. A decisive role in the creation of the Spanish culture of the 20th century. two generations played: the so-called "generation of 98", which was spiritually impressed by the "national catastrophe" of Spain caused by its defeat in the war of 1898, and the "generation of the 30s", witnesses of another historical tragedy of the Spanish people - civil war 1936-39. The most prominent representatives of these two generations of Spanish writers, philosophers and public and political figures are Miguel de Unamuno y Huso, Pio Barojo y Nesi, Azorin (Jose Martinez Luis), Antonio Machado, Garcia Lorca and others, who were intensely searching for " national idea” of Spain, ways of its further spiritual, economic and political revival. Other directions of the cultural development of Spain in the 20th century. associated with the names of the great Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi, who initiated the era of modernism and avant-garde in Spanish art. The greatest representatives of the latter were Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro. In the last decade, the contribution of Spain to world culture was made by the outstanding architects of our time Calatrava, Sert, Beaufil, artists and sculptures Tapies, Antonio Lopez, Barcelo, Chillida and others, who expressed themselves in the creations of a huge author's individuality.

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Flamenco music and dancing, bullfights, lots of sun and fantastic beaches… In fact, Spain has much more to offer tourists. Spain has been the cultural center of Europe for many centuries. In this country, a large number of monuments from the times of the Celts, Goths, Romans and Moors have been preserved. The Alhambra Palace in Granada, the Mesquite Cathedral in Cordoba and the Royal Palace in Madrid will be no less interesting to tourists than the beaches of the Costa del Sol or, for example, the Costa Dorada.

Geography of Spain

Spain is located on the famous Iberian Peninsula, in the south of Europe. In the west, Spain borders on Portugal, in the south - on Gibraltar (owned by Great Britain), in the north - on France and Andorra. In North Africa, Spain borders on Morocco (their common border is 13 km). In the south and east, Spain is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, and in the west and northwest by the Atlantic Ocean.

Spain includes the small Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the "Isles of Dogs" (as the Canary Islands were once called) in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, and two semi-autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa.

The total area of ​​Spain is 505,992 sq. km, including the islands, and the total length of the state border is 1,917 km.

Mainland Spain is a mountainous country dominated by plateaus and mountain ranges. The main mountain systems in Spain are the Pyrenees, the Cordilleras, the Cantabrian Mountains, the Catalan Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The highest peak in Spain is the extinct volcano Teide on the island of Tenerife (3,718 m).

Capital of Spain

The capital of Spain is Madrid, which is now home to more than 3.3 million people. Madrid was founded by the Moors in the middle of the 10th century.

Official language

Spain is a multilingual country. Throughout Spain, the official language is Spanish (aka Castilian).

Other official languages:

• Basque language - common in the Basque Country and in Navarre;
• Catalan - common in Catalonia, as well as in Valencia and the Balearic Islands;
• Galician - in Galicia.

Religion

About 96% of the population of Spain are Catholics belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. However, only 14% of Spaniards go to church every week (or more often).

In addition, about 1.2 million Protestants and more than 1 million Muslims now live in Spain (a lot of people from Morocco and Algeria).

State structure

Spain is a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state, according to the Constitution, is the King.

The source of legislative power is the Cortes Generales, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (350 people are elected to it) and the Senate (258 people).

The main political parties in Spain are the right-wing People's Party, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and the Communist Party of Spain.

Spain consists of 17 communities (regions) and 2 autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla).

Climate and weather

In general, the climate of Spain can be divided into three main climatic zones:

• Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by hot summers and rather cold winters (central and north-central Spain);
• semi-arid climate (southeastern Spain, especially in Murcia and the Ebro Valley);
• maritime climate (in northern Spain, especially in Asturias, the Basque Country, Cantabria, and partly in Galicia).

The Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada have an alpine climate, while the Canary Islands have a subtropical climate.

In Spain, in January, the average air temperature is 0C, and in July - +33C.

Seas and oceans

The Mediterranean Sea in the south and east washes the shores of Spain, and in the west and north-west of the country is the Atlantic Ocean. In the north of Spain is the great Bay of Biscay.

Average sea temperature in Spain in May:

• Costa Dorado - +17C
• Costa Brava - +17С
• Costa Calida - +17С
• Almeria - +18C
• Costa del Sol - +17С
• Costa Blanca - +17С

Average sea temperature in Spain in August:

• Costa Dorado - +25C
• Costa Brava - +25C
• Costa Calida - +25C
• Almeria - +24C
• Costa del Sol - +23C
• Costa Blanca - +25C

Rivers and lakes

Despite the fact that Spain is a mountainous country, a large number of rivers flow through its territory. The largest rivers in Spain are the Tagus (1,007 km), the Ebro (910 km), the Duero (895 km), the Guadiana (657 km) and the Guadalquivir (578 km).

According to scientists, there are several hundred lakes in Spain, and more than 440 of them are mountain lakes. The largest lake in Spain is Sanabria, whose area is more than 11 thousand square meters. km.

History of Spain

The ancient Greeks called the indigenous inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula (the territory of modern Spain) Iberians. Iberian tribes, according to archaeological finds, came to the Iberian Peninsula from the eastern Mediterranean during the Neolithic.

Around 1200 B.C. Celts appeared in the Pyrenees, who began to mix with the Iberian tribes. Then the Phoenicians founded several of their cities in the Pyrenees - Gadir (Cadiz), Malaka (Malaga) and Abdera (Adra). Then the ancient Greeks built their colonies in southern Spain along the Mediterranean coast.

During the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, Roman legionnaires invaded Spain and conquered most of it. Then Spain fell completely under the rule of Ancient Rome.

In 409 AD The Goths invaded the Iberian Peninsula and established their kingdom there. However, in 711 AD. The kingdom of the Visigoths fell under the blows of the Moors from Africa. In the end, the Moors managed to conquer almost all of Spain. In the 10th century, Andalusia established its own Muslim Caliphate.

However, Christians are trying to return the Spanish lands occupied by the Moors. This period in Spanish history is known as the Reconquista.

The very same kingdom of Spain was formed in 1469 (the wedding of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon took place this year), but only in 1492 the last Arab emir fled from the territory of Spain (this happened after the fall of Granada).

After Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, Spain received tons of silver and gold from there, thus becoming one of the most influential and powerful countries of that time.

In 1808, the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain, but the Spaniards put up stubborn resistance to them. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, King Ferdinand IV was restored to the Spanish throne.

Due to the economic crisis and political instability in the 19th century, Spain lost almost all of its colonies. In 1895, after the war with the United States, Cuba, the last colony of Spain, was lost.

From 1936 to 1939, the Civil War continued in Spain, the winner of which was the nationalists, led by Franco. During the Second World War, which began in 1939, Spain remained neutral, although it sympathized with Germany.

Franco died in 1975 and a constitutional monarchy was established in Spain.

Spain joined NATO in 1985 and joined the European Union in 1992.

Culture of Spain

Spanish culture was greatly influenced by the ancient Greeks, as well as the ancient Romans. Until now, a large number of ancient Roman monuments have been preserved in Spain. After the Moors conquered Spain in the early 700s, the Arabs began to exert a decisive influence on Spanish culture. In general, the entire Middle Ages in Spain is a confrontation between Arab and Christian cultures.

It so happened that the Spaniards most notably showed themselves in literature and in painting, although, of course, in Spain there were talented architects, philosophers, doctors and philosophers.

The most famous Spanish writers and poets are Lope de Vega (life - 1562-1635), Francisco Quevedo y Villegas (1580-1645), Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (life - 1547-1616), Baltasar Gracian (1601-1658 ), Benito Galdos (1843-1920), and Camilo José Sela (life - 1916-2002).

The most famous Spanish painters are El Greco (life - 1541-1614), Francisco de Herrera (life - 1576-1656), Jusepe de Ribera (life - 1591-1652), Diego Velazquez (life - 1599-1660) , Alonso Cano (life - 1601-1667), Francisco Goya (life - 1746-1828), and Salvador Dali (life - 1904-1989).

For many of us, Spain is flamenco and bullfighting, which has a long tradition.

The dance and song "flamenco" appeared in the Middle Ages in Andalusia. The emergence of this dance and musical style is associated with the gypsies, but since the end of the 18th century, flamenco has become a traditional Spanish dance.

Now every two years in the Spanish Seville, an international flamenco festival called Bienal de Flamenco is held. This festival gathers thousands of participants and visitors.

Another famous Spanish tradition is bullfighting, bullfighting, which was started by the Iberian tribes who lived in the Pyrenees around 3000 centuries BC. BC. At first, the killing of a bull was of a ritual nature, but over time, it became a real art. Since the middle of the 18th century, bullfighting has already existed in many Spanish cities.

Now in some Spanish cities there are bull races - "encierro". During these races, the bulls try to catch up with the people running through the streets. Sometimes the bulls succeed. The most famous encierros are in Pamplona.

Kitchen

Spanish cuisine is characterized by a wide variety of dishes. This is understandable, because in every region of Spain they carefully preserve not only their cultural, but also culinary traditions. In general, the cuisine of Spain can be attributed to the Mediterranean cuisine. Two characteristic elements of Spanish cuisine are olive oil and garlic.

In Mediterranean Spain (from Catalonia to Andalusia), seafood is often used for cooking. Cold soups (eg gazpacho) and rice dishes (eg paella) are traditional here.

Inland Spain is characterized by thick hot soups and stews. Ham and various cheeses are popular here.

For the northern coast of Spain (Atlantic Ocean), including the Basque Country, Asturias and Galicia, dishes with meat, fish and vegetables are typical.

• Cochinillo Asado (roast pig);
• Gambas Ajiillo (fried shrimp with garlic and chili);
• Paella (rice dish);
• Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician octopus);
• Jamon Iberico & Chorizo ​​(Iberian ham and spicy sausages);
• Pescado Frito (this is any fried fish);
• Patatas Bravas (these are fried potatoes cooked in a spicy sauce);
• Tortilla Espanola (Spanish omelet);
• Queso Manchego (Spanish sheep cheese);
• Gazpacho (This is a traditional cold tomato soup).

Sunny Spain is unimaginable without wine. The traditions of winemaking on the Iberian Peninsula were laid down by the ancient Greeks, who founded their colonies there. Spain now produces a wide variety of wines.

In our opinion, the Top 5 best red wines in Spain include:

• Wine Lopez de Heredia
• Bernya (Alicante)
• Vinyes josep - Sola Classic (Priorat)
• Tempranillo - Baron fernand (Valdepeñas)
• Divus - Bodegas Bleda (Jumilla)

Top 5 best white wines in Spain:

1. Xarlel-lo - Clar de Castanyer (Penedés)
2. Amalia - Rubicon (Lanzarote)
3. Wine Mas Plantadera Blanco Roble - Celler Sabate (Priorat)
4. Malvasia semidulce - Bermejo (Lanzarote)
5. el copero (Utiel-Requena)

Sights of Spain

Perhaps Spain does not take the 1st place in terms of the number of attractions, but it is undeniable that tourists have something to see in this ancient country. The top ten attractions in Spain, in our opinion, include the following:

Cities and resorts in Spain

The largest Spanish cities are Madrid, Barcelona (1.7 million people), Valencia (850 thousand people), Seville (720 thousand people), Zaragoza (more than 610 thousand people), and Malaga (about 550 thousand people).

The total coastline of Spain is about 5 thousand kilometers. This means that in Spain there are a large number of beautiful beaches with clear water. Despite the fact that for some reason most tourists choose the Costa Blanca and the sunny Costa del Sol, Spain has beautiful beaches in other resorts.

Top 10 Spanish beaches, in our opinion:

• La Concha Beach - San Sebastian
• Playa de Las Catedrales - Galicia
• Playa del Silencio - Asturias
• Ses Illetes - located on the island of Formentera, Balearic Islands
• Beaches of Sitges - near Barcelona
• Nerja - Costa del Sol, Andalusia
• La Barrosa - This beach is located in Chiclana de la Frontera
• Tarifa - Andalusia
• Gandia - Costa Blanca
• Playa de los Peligros - Santander

When talking about the beach resorts in Spain, they immediately remember the Costa del Sol, the Canary Islands, and the island of Ibiza. But Spain still has the Costa Brava, Tenerife, Mallorca, Costa Dorada, the Balearic Islands, the Costa Blanca, the Costa del Maresme, and the Costa de la Luz.

Souvenirs/Shopping

Returning from Spain, tourists may simply not pick up their suitcases, as there may be so many souvenirs in them. Therefore, we advise tourists who have visited Spain to stop at the following best Spanish souvenirs:

• Olive oil, which is the best in the world (the opinion of Italians and Greeks on this matter does not count);
• "Bota" - a bag for storing wine made of leather (such a bag costs about 30 euros);
• Saffron and other spices;
• Funny T-shirts from Kukuxumusu;
• Spanish ham;
• Flamenco CDs;
• Spanish wine;
• Souvenirs of the Spanish national football team;
• Melee weapons from Toledo.

Office Hours

Banks work:
Mon-Fri: 08:30-14.00
Some banks are also open on Saturdays.

Store opening hours:
Mon-Fri: from 09:00 to 13.30 (or 14:00) and from 16:30 (or from 17:00) to 20:00.
Every Saturday, Spanish shops are open until noon.
Large supermarkets are open all day.

Visa

Square: 504.8 thousand square kilometers

Population size: 46 million people

Capital: Madrid

Currency: Euro

Population: Spain is recognized as a single nation, formed on the basis of various historical regions and ethnic groups, the main of which are:

• Catalans (15.6%)
• Andalusians (15.6%)
• Castilians (11.1%)
• Valencians (9.7%)
• Galicians (7.4%)
• Basques (5.6%)

Approximately 9% of the Spanish population are immigrants. According to Spanish statistics, due to the extraordinary construction boom that Spain experienced in the period before the global financial crisis, the country's population increased by about 1.5% annually, mainly due to migration growth (more than 10 people for every 1000) Now, after a slight decline The growth of emigrants, due to the depression in the economy, according to Eurostat, Spain is again becoming a country with which new tens of thousands of people from other countries want to connect their future lives.

Official language: Spanish; Galician - in Galicia; Catalan - in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencia; Basque - in the Basque Country and in Navarre; Aran - in Val d "Aran.

Public holidays:

Country Religion: the main religion is Catholicism. About 95% of the Spaniards are Catholics, there are also Protestants, Muslims, Jews.

Geography of the country: The Kingdom of Spain is a state in southwestern Europe. It occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula. Spain consists of several groups of islands, including the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza) in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. A significant part of the territory is mountains and highlands, after Switzerland it is the highest country in Europe.

In the central part of the country there are plateaus (the main one is Meseta) and medium-altitude mountains (Central Cordillera, Sierra Morena, etc.) In the north and northeast, a massive chain of the Pyrenees (height up to 3404 m, Aneto peak), Cantabrian, Iberian and Catalan mountains , in the south - the Andalusian mountains with the Sierra Nevada massif (height 3478 m, Mulasen). The highest point in Spain is the active volcano Teide (3718 m) on about. Tenerife (Canary Islands). Lowlands (the largest - Andalusian) are located mainly near the coasts.

Borders with: Portugal in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, with the British possession of Gibraltar in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, with Morocco in the south, France and Andorra in the north.

Washed by the seas: the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south and east.

Climate: predominantly subtropical Mediterranean, in the interior - dry and quite hot, near the Atlantic coast - temperate oceanic. Winter is mild - the average temperature is from +8°C to +14°C, in mountainous areas it sometimes drops to minus temperatures. Summer is hot - from +23°С to +29°С.

In the Canary Islands, the climate is predominantly tropical, the average temperature in winter is +25°С (water +20...+22°С), in summer +26...+28°С (water 22-23°С). The Balearic climate is Mediterranean, less dry than in the continental part of the country. Summer is noticeably cooler than on the mainland - +18...+26°C, the average winter temperature does not fall below +12°C.

The most favorable time for rest is the end of spring and the beginning of autumn.

Culture and customs: Spain is a colorful country. Representatives of various nationalities live here; the inhabitants of different provinces are not similar to each other, they speak different dialects, because of these differences, your communication in Spain may be difficult. Another feature of communication is the fast pace of speech, gesticulation and increased, emotional loudness, which is by no means associated with the manifestation of some kind of aggression.

Spaniards are noisy people, but open and friendly. For some, the temperament of the Spaniards will become unusual. A visitor may be shocked by the peculiarity of the Spaniards to start a conversation with a stranger on the street, “poke” even to someone who is higher in status and older in age (such is the peculiarity of the language - the concept of “you” does not exist here), long and noisy to greet a friend. It is not customary for Spaniards to show resentment and frustration. They are serious, gallant, humane, love and appreciate humor, but tend to be late and unintentionally delay business negotiations, as they like to talk a lot.

Features of the national character are reflected in culture and habits. With music, mysteriously expressive dances, Spain won the hearts of many people living far beyond the borders of the country. Sevillana, flamenco - these Spanish dances have become a vivid illustration of the country's culture, and they are loved not only in Spain. Very popular among the Spaniards is cante jondo - monotonous singing, sardana - Catalan round dance, fandango - Andalusian dance, performed with endless tapping and tapping of castanets.

Some habits of the Spaniards go hand in hand with their national love of pleasure and intersect with the Spanish temperament... One of the favorite pastimes of the Spaniards is a siesta, a two-hour nap after dinner. During these hours, life stops in the country. Another old Spanish tradition is paseo - an evening walk around the city in order to see friends, and also - as a result - osio - an idle conversation after a walk, invariably on the street.

Perhaps briefly, the features of this country, the character and habits of its inhabitants can be described as "a combination of incongruous". The sparkling passion of dancing, the emotionality of communication - and at the same time a measured, unhurried way of life ... Love for pleasures - and craving for knowledge, undisguised respect for intellectual abilities ... Sincere politeness - and so accepted by Russians (and so annoying to us) aspiration go everywhere without a queue. Moreover, the Spaniards do not consider it shameful to skip the line. And in Spain it is impossible to see a standing elderly person in public transport - giving up a seat in transport is highly valued here. A characteristic feature of the Spaniards is the desire to hold the door in front of the person following the trail, as well as let the woman go ahead - this is a matter of course.

The Spaniards are very fond of holidays and know how to spend them. Holidays are all-Spanish (Constitution Day, in December, Christmas and Easter, children's holiday of the Three Kings in January), provincial (fire festival in Valencia, the festival "Romans and Carthaginians" in the province of Murcia, "Moors and Christians" in the province of Alicante, Sevillana in Seville, etc.) and local - urban and even rural. Holidays are often declared non-working days. Holidays, carnivals and festivals are colorful and fun in Spain. You will be very lucky if you come across one of them.

An integral part of the life and culture of Spain, its "soul", its "visiting card", a bright, hot, passionate symbol of the country is, of course, bullfighting. The roots of this spectacle go back centuries. Ritual games with bulls took place in ancient India and on the island of Crete. Bull rituals were common among the ancient Jews, Celts and Phoenicians, who were among the first to colonize the Iberian Peninsula. The modern bullfight was first held in 1775 in the town of Ronda, near Malaga, where an arena was built by the "Equestrian Nobility Society". Since then, Ronda has become the "Academy of bullfighting", and subsequently arenas appeared in Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Cordoba.

It should be noted that the various regions and localities of Spain often have not only dialectical features, but their own symbols and heraldry. This or that folklore tradition is sometimes tied to a specific place. For the whole nation, such symbols as the Spanish monarchy and the king are united.

The respect for the royal house is great here, and God forbid you start criticizing the ruling royal dynasty in a conversation. By the way, the "forbidden" topics in the conversation are the topics of death (due to the religiosity of the Spaniards), bullfighting (your amateurism can play a cruel joke on you), religion, football (locals have a whole system of sympathies / antipathies, what to understand for a visitor extremely difficult), money, prosperity, wealth/poverty (it is not customary to talk about the level of income, complain about poverty), age (you should not discuss the age of not only ladies, but also men), politics.

As for the traditions and customs associated with the family, it can be noted that the Spaniards love children - children in Spain are literally the center of the family. It is customary to celebrate a birthday and a name day - and the second is often celebrated more colorfully, violently. Interestingly, a woman in marriage does not change her last name. Children thus receive a double surname - father and mother. There is a tradition to name the first son by the name of the father, and the daughter by the name of the mother. Various nicknames are also used. A wedding in Spain is arranged according to the same principles as in any other European country, but divorce here is a legally complicated procedure. It is possible to formalize a divorce only after five years.

National cuisine: it is a Mediterranean blend of garlic, olive oil, tomatoes and green peppers, but with a noticeable influence of oriental traditions: the almost 800-year-old presence of the Moors in Spain has left a mark on the culinary. Saffron, cumin, coriander, almonds and, of course, rice are indispensable components of many traditional dishes from the Iberian Peninsula.
It so happened that in the family of the world's great culinary specialists, the Spanish national cuisine found itself in the position of "poor relative": it is the least known and surrounded by the greatest number of erroneous ideas. The most common misconception is to attribute to her the peculiarities of Mexican cuisine. In Spain, cooks never abuse red pepper and a monstrous amount of spices, so characteristic of Mexico. Spanish cuisine is related to New World cuisine only by the active use of products of American origin - after all, it was through Spain that peppers and tomatoes, potatoes, corn and chocolate penetrated Europe.
In addition to history, the geography of the country and its climate have left their mark on the traditions of Spanish cuisine. For example, the long coastline explains the abundance of fish and seafood dishes, such as hake in green sauce, traditional for the Basque Country, the Catalan escuixada salad or a cold appetizer of lightly salted cod with fresh or stewed vegetables. The highlands of the central part of the country are of little use for raising cattle, so beef is less common on the menu of the Spaniards than lamb and game. Cheese is also common, mostly sheep, of all the Spanish provinces, only La Mancha is known for cheeses made from cow's milk. And, of course, pork is extremely popular. Particularly loved throughout Spain are chorizo ​​sausages with cumin and raw smoked bacon, called "salted ham" (serrano) - in contrast to the "sweet" ham (jamon) of a more familiar look and taste. Chorizo ​​is eaten as an independent dish or used in the preparation of something more complicated, for example, judias estofados con choriso - a thick stew of large beans with these same sausages.
From the green and rocky northern coast to the hot olive south, from the fertile lands of La Rioja in the upper Ebro, the birthplace of excellent grape wines, to the arid plateaus of the central part, the “bread heart” of the country, Spain appears as a mosaic canvas of historical regions. Each of them has its own characteristics, traditions, culture. Therefore, talking about national cuisine can only be a stretch: the taste of even such common Spanish dishes as paella (a kind of Spanish pilaf) and tortilla (omelet with potatoes and onions) in Catalonia is not at all the same as, say, in Extremadura.
But Spanish cuisine also has several features that are characteristic of all regions of the country without exception. First of all, it is the simplicity and speed of cooking even the most complex, at first glance, dishes. Sauces do not clog the taste of natural ingredients, but only favorably shade it. The vast majority of appetizers and main courses are prepared with olive oil. Desserts are not very popular, and those that are are also quite simple and are usually made on the basis of milk, eggs and sugar with the addition of cinnamon and lemon. However, each historical region has its own sweet "zest": in Catalonia it is milk cream, in La Mancha - pestinhos honey cookies with anise and lemon, in Aragon - peaches boiled in red wine and served with wine syrup.
Of the traditional dishes found throughout the country (again, their taste can change, sometimes quite a lot), in addition to the previously mentioned tortillas and paella, sopa de ajo - garlic soup with croutons deserve special attention; cochido - the Spanish version of the German aintopf, soup and the second in one pot (in the north it is cooked with beans, in the south - with chickpeas), as well as polo al-ahillo - chicken in garlic sauce. As a side dish for national cuisine throughout Spain, either escalivada is served - a mixture of fried peppers and eggplants, or potatoes: french fries; fried, with spicy tomato sauce; stewed with garlic sauce.
If we talk about regional features, then the north-west of the country, Galicia, is distinguished by the abundance and excellent quality of seafood dishes - octopus, mussels, sea ducks, common and royal shrimps. Only in Galicia, in restaurants and taverns along the coast, you can find freshly caught scallops baked with ham right in the shells. In addition, the northwest of Spain is famous for its soups, most notably caldo gallejo - a thick stew with meat, beans, potatoes and grelos (a vegetable plant resembling cabbage). Of the local wines - and it is simply impossible to imagine a Spanish dinner without wine - the most popular are the red "Ribiero" and the white "Albarino".
In Asturias, fish and seafood are also very common, but the casserole with white beans, pork, ham and spicy sausages is considered the gastronomic hallmark of the region. In this (but only in this!) respect, Asturias is extremely reminiscent of La Mancha: the cuisine of the homeland of Don Quixote, not distinguished by particular richness and diversity, also gained at least all-Spanish fame thanks to one single dish, namely Pisto Manchejo - stew of zucchini, tomatoes, sweet peppers and garlic with salted ham.
But the Basque Country, even in cooking, stands out among all other areas with its “non-Spanishness”. The process of cooking is elevated there to the rank of high art, requiring long preparation, careful following of sophisticated recipes and a very special mental attitude. In addition to a large number of excellent meat dishes, the Basque Country is famous for a variety of fish in salsa verde - a green sauce of parsley and garlic in fish broth and dry wine.
In restaurants all over the Basque coast, dishes that once formed the basis of the diet of the inhabitants of fishing villages are still served: marmitaco - tuna fish stew with potatoes and sweet peppers, as well as Biscay cod in a sour tomato-carrot marinade. All this is usually washed down with tart white wine. From there, from small villages along the coast of the Bay of Biscay, comes one of the best Spanish sea non-fish bluels called "chiperones en su tinta" - a squid mantle stuffed with tentacles of small octopuses or cuttlefish and stewed in its own ink.

The Ebro Valley, especially Navarre and La Rioja, is best known for its extensive hunting grounds and, consequently, for its abundance of game. The cuisine there is varied and, as in the Basque Country, brought to perfection: partridges, quails and pigeons compete with excellent river trout for the “royal” place on the table. Almost the best Spanish wines are also produced there: red ones in La Rioja, pink and white ones in Navarre, thick red Carinena in Aragon. Aragonese cuisine is unimaginable without chilindron - a hot sauce made from sweet peppers and tomatoes, served with meat and poultry, as well as without ternasco - goat or lamb, fried whole.
But for the best roast lambs and suckling pigs, you have to go to Castile. In the same place, in the very heart of Spain, they prepare a wonderful sopa-castellano - “Castilian soup”, a mixture of strained vegetable and meat broths, to which an egg, pieces of ham and flour dumplings are added. The light red wine "Valdepenas" and the rich bouquet of "Rueda" from the south of the province of Valladolid go especially well with the piglet.
But the most famous and delicious version of cochido soup is made in Madrid - cochido madrilleno. Usually it is served in three stages: first the soup itself (sometimes vermicelli or pasta-horns are added to it before serving), then - separately - boiled vegetables and, finally, the meat extracted from the pot of kochido. Although Madrid is quite far from the sea, the people of Madrid are very fond of fish and know how to cook it. And the crown of this love, for the sake of which even at the beginning of the 20th century. fresh fish from the coast was delivered to the Spanish capital by special relay races - Madrid carp (besugo a la madrilena), baked in white wine, is a traditional Christmas dinner dish.
Andalusia, in the very south of Spain, has more olive trees than anywhere else in the world. It is not surprising that olives and black olives are an indispensable ingredient or decoration for most Andalusian dishes. And the main local gastronomic attraction is the cold gazpacho soup, like our okroshka, which is especially pleasant on a hot summer day. The classic, red Andalusian gazpacho (sometimes also called runny salad) is made from tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic and onions - all ingredients are ground to a puree - with wine vinegar and olive oil. There is also a white gazpacho - after all, a similar soup was known in Spain long before the discovery of the New World and the appearance of American tomatoes in Europe.
In this case, crushed almonds give the white color and the required density of gazpacho.
The south of the Iberian Peninsula is the birthplace of the most famous Spanish dessert wines: sherry, manzanilla and malaga. The best sherry for the past two centuries has been produced in the city of Jerez de la Frontera in the province of Cadiz.
The cuisine of the east coast of Spain - Catalonia and the Levant - is "the most Mediterranean" of all; a variety of fish dishes, a lot of vegetables and herbs - everything is generously seasoned with garlic. It is from Catalonia that the traditional Spanish breakfast comes from - pan-con-tomate: a slice of fresh bread, grated with a tomato cut into halves and flavored with salt, garlic and olive oil.
The east coast of Spain is also one of the main wine-growing regions of the country.

Attractions, excursions of the country: Almost the whole country is one huge historical open-air museum. Briefly about the most famous:

Madrid

Main attractions: bullfighting, Buen Retiro Palace, Reina Sofia Center, San Pedro el Viejo Temple Tower, Villa Square, Royal Palace.

Museums: Archaeological Museum, El Prado, Museum of Modern Art.

Every spring in Madrid there is a festival in honor of the patron saint of the city - St. Isidro.

Barcelona

Attractions: Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the largest Cathedral of St. Thecla in Catalonia, the Gothic Quarter, Mila's House, Guell Palace, Pablo Picasso Museum, Columbus Monument, Port Aventura amusement park, as well as Santa Barbara Castle, knight's castles in Costa Blanca , Costa Brava.

Andalusia

Here are the most ancient monuments: Arab towers (XI century), medieval fortresses, cathedrals, Andalusian mountain settlements. In the capital of Andalusia, Seville, there is the Arab fortress Alcazar, the minaret of the Arab mosque Giralda (XII century).

Valencia

Where are: the famous Serrano and Quart towers, the square-ensemble de la Virgen with the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin, the symbol of the city - the Minguelete tower, the ultra-modern Palace of Music, the pearl of Valencian architecture - the Lonja fish exchange.

Purchases: in the middle of summer in Spain, the sales season begins, which usually last a couple of months. In each region, sales take place at different times, but in general they start on July 1 and end on August 31.

Almost all shops close in the middle of the day for at least three hours. The exception is the large department stores of the El Corte Ingles chain. Standard opening hours are from 10:00 to 13:30, from 17:00 to 20:00. Shops are closed on Sunday. On Saturday, many shops are open until lunch.
Spain is a country of bullfighting and flamenco, temperamental beauties and ripe oranges, so souvenirs from Spain are also very unusual.

Souvenir bulls, large and small, hard and soft, made from a variety of materials, can be found everywhere in Spain. There are even toys for children - plush bulls with funny faces.

Flamenco dancers are indispensable without castanets. Do not forget to buy a luxurious Spanish scarf and a CD with flamenco music. They also say that castanets are good for calming the nerves.

The fan is an indispensable attribute of the noble Spanish donna. Fans are very different: at a price of 2 to 500 euros, made of paper, plastic, wood, lace, but equally beautiful and colorfully painted with flowers or views of Spain. They have practical application - hot summer in Spain is indispensable.

Two countries make brandy - Spain and France: France does it rough, but Spain does it pretty well. Brandy is made in the city of Jerez de la Frontera, which is also the birthplace of sherry. Brandy is a cheap, angry and affordable drink: be prepared to shell out 7-10 euros per liter. Other alcoholic beverages to indulge in in Spain include wine from Rioja, cava (Spanish champagne) from Catalonia and Asturian cider.
Spanish olive oil is the best in the world (despite what the Italians and Greeks say) and Andalusia produces one third of all Spanish olive oil and a tenth of the world's consumption. Lugging home large bottles is quite difficult, so you can buy a small bottle - you can find a wide selection in every grocery store!

There are two main types of ham, the Serrano ham and the more expensive type, the Iberico ham. They differ in the way they are prepared, the duration of cooking, and the most significant difference between Serrano Jamon and Iberico Jamon is the breed of pigs and their diets. Outwardly, they can be distinguished by the color of the hoof: Serrano has white, Iberico has black. Pigs, from which the most expensive Iberico varieties are prepared, are fed exclusively with acorns, which is why the price per kilogram can reach up to two hundred euros!

Tips: in cafes and bars they are 15-20 cents, in restaurants they give 5-10% of the order value, about the same in a taxi.

Maid, hotel employee, porter - about 50-60 cents. The Spaniards themselves, as a rule, do not leave a tip, or leave a few small coins for 20-30 cents, as a rule, during a regular lunch in a restaurant or when ordering a cup of coffee with a bun or a mug of beer with a snack in the bar for 7-10 euros.

But if an extensive "non-standard" lunch or dinner is ordered, then tips are almost always included, but only on condition that you are satisfied.

Customs regulations: import restrictions to Spain: cigarettes (10 packs), spirits (2 liters of wine or 1 liter of spirits), coffee (500 g) and tea (100 g). There are no restrictions on the import of photographic film, but if you are bringing a lot of film, it is better to print the boxes. Radio, video and photographic equipment must be declared. Permission to import film equipment must be issued at the consular section of the Spanish Embassy.

The import of foreign currency into Spain is not limited (a declaration is required only if the amount exceeds 500 euros). The export of imported foreign currency is allowed on declaration for an amount not exceeding 500,000 pesetas in terms of.

The import into Spain of drugs, certain medicines, weapons, ammunition and explosives is prohibited. It is forbidden to export historical valuables, antiques, jewelry, weapons and ammunition without special permission.

There are no restrictions on the export of goods purchased for personal use (with the exception of new cars). For some goods, a volume level is defined, after which you will have to prove that they are exported for personal use: cigarettes (800 pieces), alcohol (strong up to 10 liters, wine up to 90 liters). Citizens of Russia and a number of CIS countries must declare the imported goods and pay the due fees and duties for expensive goods. Air departure tax is included in the ticket price.

Helpful information: From 13.00 to 16.00 throughout Spain - siesta. The vast majority of banks, shops and government offices are closed during this time.

Spaniards are famous for their fiery temperament. As a rule, they are noisy, expressive and reckless; tourists are treated kindly and cordially. The Spanish nation has two all-consuming passions - the love of bullfighting and football.
Smoking in public places has recently been banned. In particular, restaurants, bars, hotels, as well as some beaches are banned.
In accordance with Spanish laws, the sale of alcohol stops at 22:00.
Hot drinks - tea and coffee - in hotels are offered, as a rule, only for breakfast. If you are used to drinking tea in the evenings, take care of a small camping kettle.
Metro is available in four major Spanish cities: Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia and Bilbao.

At present, Spain is no more dangerous than any other country. The most serious problem is bag theft and pickpocketing. Therefore, we advise you not to carry large sums of money with you. If you intend to make a large purchase, do not put money in a lady's handbag - it can be torn off by motorcyclist thieves passing by. Leave all valuables in the hotel safe.

If you are staying in a hotel, it is more economical to make phone calls from street booths or public telephone booths. Hotels have the right to set mark-ups for telephone calls and are happy to use this right.

When making a long-distance car trip in Spain, try to plan your trip in such a way that you are on the road from 2 to 4 in the afternoon. At this time, the Spaniards are used to having lunch, and most autotourists (and, most importantly, truck drivers) will eat at roadside restaurants, and you can rush along almost empty roads with a breeze.

It is forbidden to take pictures at military bases, in the areas of military ports, police, military and government employees. If you want to take pictures of locals, ask permission first.

If you decide to have a bite to eat or something to drink in an unfamiliar city, do not rush to go to the first bar or restaurant that comes across. If there are no visitors at all, this is a clear sign that something is not quite right with the institution, and it is not popular with local residents. Possible reasons are food and drink fraud, hygiene problems, uncleanliness in settlements with visitors.

In a restaurant, you should round up the amount and add 5-10% to the waiter. The maid should be tipped the day after arrival, a few days later and before departure.

Having arrived for a short time in a major Spanish city (Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia), it is better to move around it by public transport than by your car or taxi. You will be able to spend more time seeing the sights of the city than in traffic jams. It is best to use the metro - this will allow you to be as close as possible to the purpose of your trip. If you intend to travel to several places, it is better to buy a ticket for 10 trips - each trip will cost you almost half the price. You can use a ticket for 10 trips not only on the metro, but also on buses. Approximately the same applies to urban transport in other major Spanish cities.

If a highway patrol stops you and asks you to take an alcohol test, never refuse the test, whether you've been drinking or not. Even if the test shows that the alcohol limit is exceeded, in the worst case, you will be subject to administrative punishment. Refusal to check is a criminal act with all the ensuing consequences.

Do not try to find public toilets in Spanish cities, they are practically non-existent, except at train stations and bus stations. Feel free to go to the nearest bar or restaurant. If there are several visitors in the institution, calmly go deeper into the room and look for the treasured door. If there are practically no visitors, you may have to order something first - a cup of coffee, a glass of beer or a soft drink.

There are no private beaches in Spain, they are all municipal property. The use of the beach is free, but the rental of sunbeds and umbrellas is paid.

Banks and currency exchanges: currency exchange points in banks: from 9.00 to 14.00, on Saturday - from 9.00 to 12.00, Sunday - day off. On the main streets of Madrid, banks are open around the clock. Be careful when receiving information about the exchange rate, because. very often the posters indicate the course without taking into account the commissions that are taken from above. Credit cards are accepted, a network of ATMs is developed.

Visa: Spain is part of the Schengen area. Tourists need to have a passport and a visa with them. To obtain a tourist visa, you must provide a certain list of documents. Issuing a tourist visa usually takes 5-10 working days, the maximum decision-making time is 3 months.

Telephony:

To call from Spain to Ukraine, you should dial the following numbers: 00 (exit to the international line) +38 (Ukraine code) + area code + phone number.

Calling from Ukraine to Spain must be dialed consecutively - 8 10 34 -<код города>(index of the corresponding province) -<номер вызываемого абонента>.

Code of the Canary Islands: +34 (922).

Tenerife code (islands of Palma, Hierro and Gomera): +22.

Code of Gran Canaria (Fuerteventura and Lanzarote): +28.

It is preferable to use Telefonica booths and machines, which are much cheaper than calling from a hotel. To pay, use coins or "Tarjeta telefonica" phone cards, which can be purchased at the hotel or at tobacconists.

The cheapest option is "prepaid-card" of several types, usually costing up to 10 euros and having a wide variation in the cost of a minute. The most economical - "Unity card" - about 40 minutes of conversation with Kiev for 5 euros, the least economical - about 15 minutes for 5 euros.

Useful phones:

National Police - 091.
Local police - 092.
Ambulance - 061.
TOURESPANYA Tourist Information Phone - 901-300-600.
Inquiry telephone service in Spain - 003.
Time service - 093.
Information about the movement of buses, duty pharmacies, etc. - 098.
Embassy of Ukraine in the country:

España, 28043 Madrid,
Ronda de la Abubilla, 52
Phone: + 3491 748 93 60,
Fax: + 3491 388 71 78
Email: [email protected] [email protected]
www.mfa.gov.ua/spain

Opening hours: 09:00 - 18:00
Lunch break: 14:00 - 15:00
Days off: Saturday, Sunday

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