Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Pearlette Louisy Prime minister: Kenny Anthony
Head of state: King Juan Carlos I Prime minister: Mariano Rajoy
Population
162,178
47,042,984
Life Expectancy
77.040 years
81.270 years
Capital City
Madrid
Largest city
Bisee (population: 12,980)
Madrid (population: 3,117,980)
Human Development Index
0.821
0.949
GDP per capita
$31,000 US
Literacy Rate
90.1%
97.9%
Corruption Perception Index
7.1
6.5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
17.2%
33.6%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Amancio Ortega ($18.3bn US)
Unemployment Rate
21.700%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
parliamentary democracy
parliamentary monarchy
Independence date
the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain
Religions
Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Languages
English (official), French patois
Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
Exports
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods
External Debt
$2,570,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.200%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
18
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Area
616 km sq
505,370 km sq
Coastline
158 km
4,964 km
Climate
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
