Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England.

Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power.

Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39).

A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) have given Spain one of the most dynamic economies in Europe and made it a global champion of freedom.

Continuing challenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and relatively high unemployment.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 40,448,191 (July 2007 est.)

---

Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.4% (male 3,005,818/female 2,826,805) 15-64 years: 67.8% (male 13,758,869/female 13,661,295) 65 years and over: 17.8% (male 3,002,585/female 4,192,819) (2007 est.)

---

Median age: total: 40.3 years male: 39 years female: 41.7 years (2007 est.)

---

Population growth rate: 0.116% (2007 est.)

---

Birth rate: 9.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

---

Death rate: 9.81 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

---

Net migration rate: 0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

---

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.063 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.007 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.716 male(s)/female total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

---

Infant mortality rate: total: 4.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

---

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.78 years male: 76.46 years female: 83.32 years (2007 est.)

---

Total fertility rate: 1.29 children born/woman (2007 est.)

---

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2001 est.)

---

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 140,000 (2001 est.)

---

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 1,000 (2003 est.)

---

Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish

---

Ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types

---

Religions: Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

---

Languages: Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally

---

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 98.7% female: 97.2% (2003 est.)

The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990 averaging 5% annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early 1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994. Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. The center-right government of former President AZNAR successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administration but remains high at 8.1%. Growth averaging 3% annually during 2003-06 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. The Socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, has made mixed progress in carrying out key structural reforms, which need to be accelerated and deepened to sustain Spain's strong economic growth. Despite the economy's relative solid footing significant downside risks remain including Spain's continued loss of competitiveness, the potential for a housing market collapse, the country's changing demographic profile, and a decline in EU structural funds.

---

GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.109 trillion (2006 est.)

---

GDP (official exchange rate): $1.084 trillion (2006 est.)

---

GDP - real growth rate: 3.9% (2006 est.)

---

GDP - per capita (PPP): $27,400 (2006 est.)

---

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.9% industry: 29.4% services: 66.7% (2006 est.)

---

Labor force: 21.77 million (2006 est.)

---

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 5.3% industry: 30.1% services: 64.6% (2004 est.)

---

Unemployment rate: 8.1% (October 2006 est.)

---

Population below poverty line: 19.8% (2005)

---

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)

---

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32.5 (1990)

---

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (2006 est.)

---

Investment (gross fixed): 29.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

---

Budget: revenues: $488.2 billion expenditures: $475.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $12.8 billion (2006 est.)

---

Public debt: 39.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

---

Agriculture - products: grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish

---

Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment

---

Industrial production growth rate: 0.6% (2006 est.)

---

Electricity - production: 263.3 billion kWh (2004)

---

Electricity - consumption: 241.8 billion kWh (2004)

---

Electricity - exports: 11.4 billion kWh (2004)

---

Electricity - imports: 8.3 billion kWh (2004)

---

Oil - production: 31,250 bbl/day (2004 est.)

---

Oil - consumption: 1.573 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

---

Oil - exports: 175,200 bbl/day (2004)

---

Oil - imports: 1.714 million bbl/day (2004)

---

Oil - proved reserves: 157.6 million bbl (1 January 2005)

---

Natural gas - production: 339 million cu m (2004 est.)

---

Natural gas - consumption: 27.01 billion cu m (2004 est.)

---

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

---

Natural gas - imports: 26.95 billion cu m (2004 est.)

---

Natural gas - proved reserves: 2.549 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

---

Current account balance: -$98.6 billion (2006 est.)

---

Exports: $222.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

---

Exports - commodities: machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods

---

Exports - partners: France 18.9%, Germany 11%, Portugal 8.9%, Italy 8.6%, UK 7.8%, US 4.5% (2006)

---

Imports: $324.4 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

---

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments

---

Imports - partners: Germany 14.7%, France 13.2%, Italy 8.1%, UK 5%, Netherlands 4.8%, China 4.8% (2006)

---

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $17 billion (2006 est.)

---

Debt - external: $1.591 trillion (30 June 2006 est.)

---

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.33 billion (1999)

---

Currency (code): euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions with the member countries

---

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)

---

Fiscal year: calendar year