Head of state: King Juan Carlos I Prime minister: Mariano Rajoy
President: Mauricio Funes
Population
47,042,984
6,090,646
Life Expectancy
81.270 years
73.690 years
Capital City
Madrid
San Salvador
Largest city
Madrid (population: 3,117,980)
San Salvador (population: 525,990)
Human Development Index
0.949
0.747
GDP per capita
$31,000 US
$7,600 US
Literacy Rate
97.9%
80.2%
Corruption Perception Index
6.5
3.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
33.6%
16.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
Amancio Ortega ($18.3bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
21.700%
7.000%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished except for special circumstances
Political System
parliamentary monarchy
republic
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
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Religions
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 21.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%, Mormon 0.7%, other religions 2.3%, none 16.8% (2003 est.)
Languages
Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
Exports
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods
