Spain Country & Tourist Information

Location
Western Europe.

Area
505,988 sq km (195,363 sq miles); includes Spanish North Africa.

Population
44.7 million (official figure 2006).

Population Density
88.4 per sq km.

Capital
Madrid.
Population:  6 million (2006).

Government
Parliamentary monarchy since 1978.

Language
The principal language is Spanish (Castilian or castillano). Catalan (in the northeast, with variations spoken in Valencia and The Balearics), Galician (in the northwest) and Basque (in the north, bordering France) are also spoken.

Religion
There is no official religion, but the majority of the population is Roman Catholic.

Time
Mainland Spain/Balearics: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
The Canary Islands: GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 or 225 volts AC, 50Hz. Generally, round two-pin plugs and screw-type lamp fittings are in use.

Head of Government
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero since 2004.

Head of State
King Juan Carlos I since 1975.

Recent History
In March 2008, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s ruling Socialist Party was re-elected, winning 169 seats, short of the 176 needed for an absolute parliamentary majority.

Spain’s right-of-center Popular Party (PP) were poised to win the 2004 general elections until terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists killed 191 people in Madrid, throwing the political situation into turmoil. Unexpectedly, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) achieved sufficient votes to form a minority government under new Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Spanish troops were immediately withdrawn from Iraq and calm was restored at home. Since then, the Zapatero government has attempted, with mixed fortunes, the strategic reforms needed to help Spain sustain the economic growth that began in the late 1980s. One of Spain’s most serious domestic issues continues to be tension in the northern Basque region. In March 2006, the Basque separatist organization ETA announced a permanent ceasefire but despite a pledge to seek a political solution, relations with the government remain brittle. Spain’s claim to Gibraltar continues, while Morocco claims the Spanish North African enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta.

Telephone
Country code: 34. Emergency calls: 112. Area codes are incorporated within a nine digit number.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good throughout most of the country.

Internet
There is a variety of Internet cafes in most urban areas.

Media
Broadcasting in Spain has witnessed a spectacular expansion in recent years with the emergence of new commercial operators and the launch of digital services.

Post
There are efficient internal and international postal services (correos) to all countries. Airmail within Europe usually takes around five days.

Press
• El País, a liberal Spanish-language daily.
• El Mundo, another Spanish-language daily with a wide readership.
• ABC, a more right wing Spanish-language daily.
• Costa Blanca News, an English-language daily.
• Majorca Daily Bulletin, an English-language daily.
• Sur, an English-language weekly.

Radio
• RNE is state-run. It operates Radio 1, Radio Clasica, Radio 3 and Radio 5.
• Cadena SER and Onda Cero are popular commercial stations.
• Cadena COPE is controlled by the church.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
19 Mar* San Jose.
9 Apr* Maundy Thursday. 
10 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
15 Aug Assumption.
12 Oct National Day.
1 Nov All Saints' Day.
6 Dec Constitution Day.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
19 Mar* San Jose.
1 Apr* Maundy Thursday. 
2 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
15 Aug Assumption.
12 Oct National Day.
1 Nov All Saints' Day.
6 Dec Constitution Day.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

(a) *These holidays may be replaced by the autonomous communities with another date. (b) Additional dates are celebrated as regional public holidays. These vary from region to region.

Contact Information:

Spanish Embassy in the UK
39 Chesham Place, London SW1X 8SB, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 5555.
Website: www.maec.es

Spanish Consulate in the UK
20 Draycott Place, London SW3 2RZ, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 8989 or 0906 550 8970 (recorded visa information; calls cost £1 per minute) or 0906 554 0714 (to make an appointment; calls cost £1 per minute).
Website: www.conspalon.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0915-1400 (visa information by appointment only).

Spanish National Tourist Office in the UK
Second Floor, 79 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6XB, UK
Tel: (020) 7486 8077 or 0891 669 920 (24-hour brochure request line; calls cost 60p per minute).
Website: www.spain.info/uk

Embassy and Consulate of the Kingdom of Spain in the USA
2375 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Tel: (202) 452 0100 or 728 2340 or 728 2330 (consulate).
Website: www.maec.es

Spanish Tourist Office in the USA
666 Fifth Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10103, USA
Tel: (212) 265 8822.
Website: www.spain.info


Next Page »

Related Spain Content