Outline of Spain
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The following outline provides an overview of and topical guide to Spain.
Spain is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa[a] and islands in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Being the southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth-most populous European Union member state. Spanning the majority of the Iberian Peninsula, its territories include the Canary Islands, in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands, in the Western Mediterranean Sea, the autonomous cities of Ceuta, Melilla, and some plazas de soberanía in mainland Africa. Peninsular Spain is bordered to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; to the east and south by the Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar; and to the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. Spain's population as of July 2025 is 49,315,949.[1]
General reference
- Pronunciation:
- English /speɪn/ ⓘ
- Spanish: pronounced [esˈpaɲa] ⓘ)
- Common English country name: Spain
- Official English country name: The Kingdom of Spain
- Common endonym: España
- Official endonym: Reino de España
- Adjectival: Spanish
- Demonym: Spaniard
- Etymology: Name of Spain
- International rankings of Spain
- ISO country codes: ES, ESP, 724
- ISO region codes: ISO 3166-2:ES
- Internet country code top-level domain: .es
- International Direct Dialing uses the prefix +34. Then a first digit 9 or 8 indicates a fixed landline, 6 or 7 are for mobile cellphones[2]
- Vehicle registration plates: 1234 ABC format. [3]
Geography of Spain
- Time zones:
- Canary Islands – Western European Time (UTC+00), Western European Summer Time (UTC+01)
- Rest of Spain – Central European Time (UTC+01), Central European Summer Time (UTC+02)
- Extreme points of Spain
- High: Teide on Tenerife 3,718 m (12,198 ft) - highest point in all of Spain[4]
Mulhacén 3,479 m (11,414 ft) - highest point in continental Spain[5] - Low: North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea 0 m
- High: Teide on Tenerife 3,718 m (12,198 ft) - highest point in all of Spain[4]
- Land boundaries: 1,918 km[6]
- Coastline: 4,964 km[7]
Location
- Northern Hemisphere, on the Prime Meridian
- Eurasia
- Europe
- Southern Europe
- Western Europe
- Iberian Peninsula – Spain occupies most of this peninsula, sharing it with Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar:
- Europe
Map of the surrounding european countries, Portugal, France, Italy, Andorra and the United Kingdom (Gibraltar)
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- Population of Spain: 49,315,949 (July 2025) - 31th most populous country
- Area of Spain: 506,000 km2 [9]
- Second largest country in Western Europe (behind France)
- Altitude:
- Average altitude: 650 m
- Rank: second highest country in Europe (behind Switzerland)
- Atlas of Spain
Environment of Spain
- Geology of Spain
- Climate of Spain
- Renewable energy in Spain
- Environmental issues in Spain
- Wildlife of Spain
Natural geographic features of Spain
- Beaches in Spain
- Deserts of Spain
- Glaciers of Spain
- Islands of Spain
- Lakes of Spain
- Wetlands in Spain
- Mountains of Spain
- Rivers of Spain
- World Heritage Sites in Spain
- Instituto Geográfico Nacional
Regions of Spain
Ecological regions of Spain
Administrative divisions of Spain
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Administrative divisions of Spain
- Autonomous communities of Spain
- History of the regional distinctions of Spain
- NUTS statistical regions of Spain
Autonomous communities of Spain
Autonomous communities of Spain – each has its own parliament and government
- By name:
- By statistic:
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Autonomous cities of Spain
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Autonomous cities of Spain – less autonomous than the autonomous communities, but with more autonomy than Spain's other cities.[10]
Other territory
- Spanish exclaves:
- Places of sovereignty near Morocco, consisting of:
Provinces of Spain
- Ranked lists of autonomous communities
- Spanish provinces by name:
Comarcas of Spain
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Municipalities of Spain
- Capital of Spain: Madrid
- Metropolitan areas in Spain
- List of municipalities of Spain – Spain's approximately 8100 municipalities comprise the basic level of Spanish local government.[11]
Demography of Spain
Government and politics of Spain
Spain is a:
- Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
- Capital of Spain: Madrid
- Anarchism in Spain
- Anti-austerity movement in Spain
- Anti-nuclear movement in Spain
- Pacifism in Spain
- Republicanism in Spain
- Elections in Spain
- Political parties in Spain
- Partido Popular or PP Mainstream Centre-Right associated with the main Employers Organization and clerics.[12]
- Partido Socialista Obrero Español mainstream social-democrats linked to Unión General de Trabajadores trade union and the Confederación Empresarial de Economia Social.[13]
- Sumar, a coalition of smaller left-wing parties.[14]
- Vox, a far-right political party[15]
- Political parties in Catalonia
- Liberalism and radicalism in Spain
- Social Security in Spain
- Taxation in Spain
- Corruption in Spain
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Monarchy of Spain
- Bourbon claim to the Spanish throne
- Head of state: King of Spain, Felipe VI
- Royal Household of Spain
- Spanish royal sites
- Spanish monarchs
- Spanish nobility
- Forms of address in Spain
- Mayordomo mayor
- Camarera mayor de Palacio
- Grandee, a title given a part of spanish nobility, incluiding all dukes with one exception, and no barons.[16]
- Chamber of Peers (Spain)
- List of current grandees of Spain
- Dukedoms of Spain
- Duke of Fernandina, only dukedom in Spain that doesn't carry the Grandee title.[17]
- Dukedoms of Spain
- Grandee, a title given a part of spanish nobility, incluiding all dukes with one exception, and no barons.[16]
- Titles and honours of the Spanish Crown
- Coat of arms of Spain
- Imperator totius Hispaniae, a medieval name for the emperor of Spain in Latin.[18]
- Sumiller de Corps
- Crown of Aragon
- Kingdom of Gibraltar
Branches of the government of Spain
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Executive branch of the government of Spain
- Head of state: King of Spain, Felipe VI
- Head of government: Prime Minister of Spain (Presidente del Gobierno), Pedro Sánchez
- Leader of the Opposition (Spain)
- Cabinet of Spain (Council of Ministers)
Legislative branch of the government of Spain
- Parliament of Spain – bicameral legislature of Spain, consisting of:
Judicial branch of the government of Spain
Foreign relations of Spain
- Diplomatic missions in Spain
- Foreign Ministers of Spain
- Centro Nacional de Inteligencia
- Burning of the Spanish Embassy
- Disputed status of the isthmus between Gibraltar and Spain
International organization membership
The Kingdom of Spain is a member of:[19]
Law and order in Spain
- Crime in Spain
- Human rights in Spain
- Copyright law of Spain
- Law enforcement in Spain
- Capital punishment in Spain
- Constitution of Spain
- Constitutions of Spain
- Spanish Constitution of 1978, the current constitution.[20]
- Constitutions of Spain
- Historical Memory Law – recognizes the victims on both sides of the Spanish Civil War, gives rights to the victims and the descendants of victims of the Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, and formally condemns the Franco Regime.[21]
- Spanish referendum on the European Constitution
- Supreme Court of Spain
Military of Spain
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- Command
- Commander-in-chief:
- Ministry of Defence of Spain
- Chief of the Defence Staff (Spain), principal advisor to the above.[22]
- Commander-in-chief:
- Forces
- Military history of Spain
- Military ranks of Spain
- Armorial of the Spanish Armed Forces
Local government in Spain
History of Spain
History of Spain by period
- Prehistoric Iberia
- Hispania
- Spain in the Middle Ages
- Habsburg Spain
- Enlightenment in Spain
- Mid-nineteenth century Spain
- Spanish confiscation
- First Spanish Republic
- Spain under the Restoration
- Second Spanish Republic
- Spanish Civil War
- Spain under Franco
- Modern Spain
History of Spain by region
By autonomous community
- History of Andalusia
- History of Aragon
- History of Asturias
- History of the Balearic Islands
- History of Basque Country
- History of the Canary Islands
- History of Cantabria
- History of Castilla-La Mancha
- History of Castile and León
- History of Catalonia
- History of Extremadura
- History of Galicia
- History of La Rioja
- History of the Community of Madrid
- History of the Region of Murcia
- History of Navarre
- History of the Valencian Community
By city
- History of Madrid
- History of Barcelona
- History of Valencia
- History of Toledo
- History of Granada
- History of Seville
- History of León
- History of Bilbao
- History of Zaragoza
- History of Las Palmas
- History of Pamplona
- History of A Coruña
- History of Oviedo
- History of Murcia
- History of Santander
- History of Málaga
- History of Badajoz
- History of Logroño
- History of Girona
- History of Cádiz
- History of Tarragona
History of Spain by subject
- Chivalry in Spain
- Economic history of Spain
- Literature in Medieval Spain
- Postal history of Spain
- Military history of Spain
- Religious history of Spain
Culture of Spain
- Date and time notation in Spain
- Festivals in Spain
- Media in Spain
- National symbols of Spain
- Coat of arms of Spain
- Cockade of Spain
- Flag of Spain
- National anthem of Spain (Marcha Real)
- National motto: Plus Ultra
- A solis ortu usque ad occasum, a secondary motto.
- National Prizes awarded by the Ministry of Culture
- Museums in Spain
- Postage stamps of Spain
- Public holidays in Spain
- Records of Spain
- Scouting in Spain
- World Heritage Sites in Spain
Art in Spain
- Cave of Altimira
- Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin
- Television in Spain
- Spanish Golden Age
- Spanish Baroque Painting
- Spanish Renaissance
- Art and culture in Francoist Spain
Architecture of Spain
- By location
- By period
- By type
- Spanish architects
- Missing landmarks in Spain
- Submerged places in Spain
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Cinema of Spain
- Spanish films
- Spanish directors
- Luis Buñuel – first Spanish director to achieve universal recognition[23]
- Pedro Almodóvar – achieved universal recognition in the 1980s[24]
- Segundo de Chomón
- Florián Rey
- Luis García Berlanga
- Juan Antonio Bardem
- Carlos Saura
- Julio Médem
- Alejandro Amenábar
- Goya Awards
Dance in Spain
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Literature of Spain
Literature of Spain — Castilian (Spanish) literature
- By genre
- By region
Music of Spain
- By genre:
- By region:
- Chronologically:
- By name:
- Benidorm International Song Festival
- Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest
Painting in Spain
- Spanish painters
- By name
- By period
- Medieval Spanish artists (born 1300-1500)
- Modern Spanish artists (born 1500-1800)
- Contemporary Spanish artists (born 1800 onwards)
Sculpture in Spain
- Lady of Elche
- Lady of Baza
- El Oso y el Madroño
- Spanish sculptors
Cuisine in Spain
Language in Spain
People of Spain
- Regional ethnic groups:
- Other groups:
Religion and belief systems in Spain
- Irreligion in Spain
- Religion in Spain
- Christianity in Spain
- Bible translations into Spanish
- Bahá'í Faith in Spain
- Hinduism in Spain
- Islam in Spain
- Judaism in Spain
- Paganism in Spain
- Freemasonry in Spain
- Odinist Community of Spain – Ásatrú
Sports in Spain
- Football records in Spain
- Chess in Spain
- Tenis in Spain
- Golf in Spain
- Spain at the Olympics
- Formula 1 in Spain
- Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix
- Disabled sports in Spain
- Basque pelota
Economy and infrastructure of Spain
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2024): 15th
- Agriculture in Spain
- Banking in Spain
- Companies of Spain
- Currency of Spain: Euro (see also: Euro topics)
- Economic history of Spain
- Energy in Spain
- Slate industry in Spain
- Healthcare in Spain
- Mining in Spain
- Social Security in Spain
- Spanish billionaires
- Spanish inventors and discoverers
- Spanish stock markets
- Supermarket chains in Spain
- Tallest structures in Spain
- Tourism in Spain
- Water supply and sanitation in Spain
Communications in Spain
Transport in Spain
- Roman roads
- Air transport in Spain
- Airports in Spain
- EADS CASA – defunct aircraft manufacturer
- Airlines of Spain
- Iberia (airline), main airline in Spain and Portugal[25]
- Defunct airlines of Spain
- Air Spain, former charter airline.
- Rail transport in Spain
- Rapid transit in Spain
- List of town tramway systems in Spain
- History of rail transport in Spain
- AVE, Spanish High Speed
- Renfe, National Network of the Spanish Railways[26]
- Cercanías, commuter rail services
- Euskotren Trena
- Narrow-gauge railways in Spain are the majority of the time operated by the above
- Rodalíes
- FEVE, Narrow Gauge Railways
- Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
- Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana
- Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca
- Talgo – train manufacturer
- Road transport in Spain
- Directorate General of Traffic
- Roads in Spain (carreteras)
- List of national roads in Spain (carreteras nacionales)
- Highways in Spain (autopistas and autovías)
- Vehicle registration plates of Spain
- Automotive industry in Spain
- Spanish automobiles
- Road vehicle manufacturers
- Car manufacturers
- Motorcycle manufacturers
- Montesa Honda – Spanish subsidiary of Honda, manufactures motorcycles and bicycles[27]
- History of road transport in Spain
- Abadal automobile
- Biscúter automobile
- Bultaco – defunct motorcycle manufacturer
- Hispano-Suiza – defunct car manufacturer
- Pegaso – defunct car manufacturer
- América Autos – defunct car manufacturer
Education in Spain
- Higher education in Spain
- Spanish school students' union
- Instituto Cervantes
- Academic Awards in Spain
- Academic grading in Spain
- Academic ranks in Spain
- Spanish universities
- List of universities in Spain (organized by autonomous communities)
- Diplomatic School of Spain
- DELE
See also
- List of international rankings
- List of Spain-related topics
- Member state of the European Union
- Member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Member state of the United Nations
- Outline of Europe
- Outline of geography
Notes
References
- ^ "INEbase / Continuous Population Statistics (CPS). 1st July 2025. Provisional data". ine.es. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ "Spanish Phone Numbers". MCXess. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Number Plate Format". car-registrations-spain.com. CAR REGISTRATIONS SPAIN. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Teide National Park". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ de Ibero, Ibañez. "Reseña Vértice Geodésico" (PDF). viewfinderpanoramas.org. Subsecretaria Ministro de Fomento. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "How many countries does Spain border?". Polska Costa. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ van de Put, Fleur. "Everything you need to know about the Spanish coasts". caserexpatinsurance.com. Caser Helvetia Group. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Gibraltar". exteriores.gob.es. Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Spain". biodiversity.europa.eu. BISE Biodiversity Information System for Europe. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "ciudad autónoma". www.aatespanol.cl (in Spanish). Tesauro de Arte & Arquitectura. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "INEbase/ Clasificaciones / Relación de municipios, provincias, comunidades y ciudades autónomas y sus códigos / Relación de provincias con sus códigos". www.ine.es. Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Garrido Ardilla, Juan Antonio (3 July 2025). "La ideología del PP". Revista de Prensa (in European Spanish). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "RESUMEN PROGRAMA ELECTORAL EN LECTURA FÁCIL" (PDF). plenainclusionmadrid.org. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ Negro, Ángel (6 July 2023). "¿Cuáles son los ejes principales del programa de Sumar?" (in Spanish). Antena 3. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "100 Medidas para la España Viva" (PDF). newtral.es. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "Guía de Títulos" (in Spanish). Diputación de la Grandeza y Títulos del Reino. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "Guía de Títulos". diputaciondelagrandezaytitulosdelreino.es (in Spanish). Diputación de la Grandeza y Títulos del Reino. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Cervera, César (9 February 2022). "Cuando los Reyes de León se proclamaron Emperadores de España por encima de Castilla". Diario ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "Spain". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 2, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ "Vigente Constitución Española, 1978". noticias.juridicas.com (in Spanish). Noticias Jurídicas. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ Jones, Sam (5 October 2022). "This article is more than 2 years old Spain passes law to bring 'justice' to Franco-era victims". The Gaurdian. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Royal Decree 521/2020, of May 19, which establishes the basic organization of the Armed Forces". BOE.es. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "Luis Buñuel - Hispanopedia". es.hispanopedia.com (in Spanish). Etapa mexicana. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Pedro ALMODÓVAR". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Linda Blachly, Linda Blachly (29 November 2017). "Iberia remodels T4 lounge at Madrid Airport". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017.
- ^ "Renfe". thetrainline.com. Trainline. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Torre, Juan Pedro de la (19 March 2023). "La española Montesa sigue en pie, y más allá de las motos de trial" (in Spanish). El Confidencial. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
External links
- Overviews
- Encyclopædia Britannica's Spain Portal site
- IberiaNature A guide to the environment, geography, climate, wildlife, natural history and landscape of Spain
- Library of Congress Spain Country Series site
- Local Spanish news and features
- Maps of Spain: satellite images, relief maps, outlines and themed maps of Spanish autonomous communities, provinces and municipalities
- Spain: CIA World Factbook entry — updated in May 2006
- Spain: The Economist Country Briefings entry
- Government
- administracion.es e-government Portal
- Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria — Tax Agency
- Casa Real.es - Spanish Royal Family
- Congreso de los Diputados — Congress of Deputies
- Dates in Spanish history
- El Senado - Senate
- La Moncloa.es — Prime Minister
- Other
- INEBase — National Institute of Statistics
- Languages of Spain
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Official Website of Tourism in Spain
- History of Spain Primary history documents