Spain Travel Guide - Key Facts

Western Europe.

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).

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

44.7 million (official figure 2006).

88.4 per sq km.

Madrid. Population: 6 million (2006).

Spain shares the Iberian Peninsula with its smaller neighbour, Portugal, and is bordered to the northeast by the Pyrenees Mountains, which separate Spain from France. The Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera), 193km (120 miles) southeast of Barcelona, and the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa are part of Spain, as are the tiny enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on the North African mainland.

Mainland Spain is the second highest and most mountainous country in Europe, with an average height of 610m (2,000ft). The Pyrenees stretch roughly 400km (249 miles) from the Basque Country's Atlantic coast, eastwards to the Mediterranean Sea. In places the peaks rise to over 1,524m (5,000ft), the highest point being 3,404m (11,169ft). The main physical feature of Spain is the vast central plateau, or Meseta, divided by several chains of sierras. The higher northern area includes Castile and León, the southern section comprises Castile/La Mancha and Extremadura. In the south, the high plains rise further at the Sierra Morena before falling abruptly at the great valley of The Guadalquivir.

Southeast of Granada is the Sierra Nevada, part of the Betic Cordillera, which runs parallel to the Mediterranean, rising to 3,478m (11,411ft) at the summit of Mulhacen, the highest point on the Spanish peninsula (the Pico del Teide on Tenerife in the Canaries is the highest peak in Spain at 3,718m (12,198ft). The Mediterranean coast extends 1,660km (1,030 miles) from the French frontier to the Straits of Gibraltar, the narrow strip of water linking the Mediterranean with the Atlantic and separating Spain from North Africa.

Member since 1986.

Parliamentary monarchy since 1978.

King Juan Carlos I since 1975.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero since 2004.

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-centre 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.

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.

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

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

Spanish life has undergone rapid change in recent decades and many of the stricter religious customs are giving way to more modern ways, particularly in the cities and among women. In spite of this, traditions remain strong; hospitality, chivalry and courtesy thrive. Handshaking is the customary form of greeting between men, while women to whom one has already been introduced may be greeted with a fleeting kiss to either cheek. Normal social courtesies should be observed when visiting someone's home and a small gift is always appreciated. Conservative casual wear is widely acceptable. Some hotels and restaurants encourage men to wear jackets. A black tie is only necessary for very formal occasions and is usually specified if required. Outside resorts, scanty beachwear should be confined to beach or poolside. The evening meal is taken late, generally 2100-2200. The Spanish have two family names; the maternal surname follows the paternal, but is rarely used outside a formal context. A law banning smoking in offices, shops, schools, hospitals, cultural centres and on public transport was introduced on 1 January 2006. Bars and restaurants must declare whether they permit or prohibit smoking. The vast majority have opted for the former.