Area Total | 505,370 sq km |
Climate | temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast |
Natural Resources | coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land |
Imports | Germany 14.2%, France 11.9%, China 6.9%, Italy 6.8%, Netherlands 5.1%, UK 4% (2017) – machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semi-finished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments |
Exports | France 15.1%, Germany 11.3%, Italy 7.8%, Portugal 7.1%, UK 6.9%, US 4.4% (2017) – Exports – machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods |
Government | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Capital | Madrid |
Population | 49.3 million (July 2018 est.) |
Ethnicity | Spanish 86.4%, Morocco 1.8%, Romania 1.3%, other 10.5% (2018 est.) |
Language | Castilian Spanish (official nationwide) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community (where it is known as Valencian)) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and in the Basquespeaking area of Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in the northwest corner of Catalonia (Vall d’Aran) along with Catalan, <5,000 speakers) |
News about Spain
- Spain's PM won't quit over scandals and confirms plan to tackle corruptionby The Local Spain on July 9, 2025
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday vowed "not to throw in the towel" despite a corruption scandal rocking his Socialist party, presenting instead an anti-graft plan designed by the OECD.
- What to know about opening a franchise in Spainby The Local Spain on July 9, 2025
Franchises are seen as a good option for people who want to start their own business but need guidance from those who've made it work successfully. Here's a breakdown of the types of 'franquicias' in Spain, the money needed to invest and the paperwork.
- Spain's Santigo to limit tourist shop numbers in its old townby The Local Spain on July 9, 2025
Authorities in the northwestern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela want to address the growing imbalance between shops and business geared towards tourists in the historic quarter and make sure that residents keep their services.
- Climate change made recent European heatwave 'up to 4C hotter'by The Local Spain on July 9, 2025
Human-caused climate change made recent European heatwaves up to 4C hotter in many cities, pushing temperatures into deadly territory for thousands of vulnerable people, scientists have said.
- How Spain plans to stamp out planned obsolescenceby The Local Spain on July 9, 2025
The Spanish government is hoping to bolster consumer rights against 'planned obsolescence', the practice by tech companies of letting equipment or parts become outdated to force people to buy the latest model.
- Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesdayby The Local Spain on July 9, 2025
Magaluf fire sees hundreds of tourists evacuated, man dies after being sucked into engine of Spain-bound plane and more news from Spain on Wednesday July 9th.
- EES update: Phased launch of Europe's new border system approved by MEPsby The Local Spain on July 8, 2025
The European Parliament gave final approval on Tuesday to a phased rollout of a new border check system for non-EU nationals which will do away with passport stamps.
- Speeding likely cause of Diogo Jota car crash in Spain: policeby The Local Spain on July 8, 2025
Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota was likely speeding when his car veered off a motorway in Spain last week killing him and his brother, Spanish police said on Tuesday.
- 18,000 people told to stay home as Spain forest fire rages onby The Local Spain on July 8, 2025
Hundreds of Spanish firefighters on Tuesday battled a forest fire stoked by fierce winds that had burned more than 3,000 hectares, with authorities ordering 18,000 residents to stay at home.
- Vox proposes deporting more foreigners than are actually living in Spainby The Local Spain on July 8, 2025
Less than a week after proposing the mass deportation of 1 million previously undocumented migrants from Spain, far-right Vox is now calling for 8 million foreigners to get kicked out, more than the 6.9 million who reside in the country.
- What you need to know about opening a language school in Spainby The Local Spain on July 8, 2025
Are you considering opening an English or multilingual language academy in Spain? From the Spanish bureaucracy to how much money you'll need to invest initially, here's everything you need to consider before embarking on this venture.
- The Spanish city with migrant integration as its top priorityby The Local Spain on July 8, 2025
Valladolid city council is looking ahead to the future and putting together an action plan to better implement the integration of foreigners in the northern city.
- Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesdayby The Local Spain on July 8, 2025
Catalonia mulls imposing time restrictions on cyclists, EU freezes €1 billion of Spain’s recovery funds and more news on Tuesday July 8th.
- Spanish Word of the Day: Cuñadoby The Local Spain on July 7, 2025
We all know someone who suffers from acute 'cuñadismo'.
- 'Germans out': Anti-foreigner graffiti stirs tensions in Mallorcaby The Local Spain on July 7, 2025
Graffiti and stickers targeting Germans have appeared on shops and cars in Mallorca's Santanyí area, representing an escalation in simmering anti-tourism sentiment in Spain that blurs the line between protest and outright anti-foreigner feeling.
- Whistle-blowers and audits: How Spain's PM vows to stamp out corruptionby The Local Spain on July 7, 2025
Embroiled in corruption allegations implicating family members and former party secretaries, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has promised a series of new reforms to root out corruption from the ruling Socialist party.
- Five key tax changes for people living in Spain's Valencia regionby The Local Spain on July 7, 2025
Residents of Valencia, Alicante and other parts of La Comunitat Valenciana have several positive tax changes coming up in the next year. These are the new wealth, inheritance, gift, property and personal income tax conditions in the region.
- Spain's Balearics to allow building in pristine nature to fix housing shortageby The Local Spain on April 17, 2025
Faced with a housing crisis, the regional government in the Balearic Islands on Tuesday approved plans to allow the construction of new homes on rural land where building was previously banned, including in a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Nine things you didn't know about Spain's San Fermín bull run festivalby The Local Spain on July 5, 2024
Pamplona's San Fermín is the world's most famous bull-themed festival. Hate it or love it, there are lots of fascinating facts about the event that you probably didn't know, from banned fountain jumping to bull runs for kids.
- EXPLAINED: The rules for moving to Spain with your petby The Local Spain on October 23, 2023
Pets are part of the family for most people, so if there's a move to Spain, there's little question that they'll be joining. Find out what you need to know about bringing your furry friends with, from rules rolled out in 2023 to vaxes and microchipping.
- In photos: Easter in Spain under the coronavirus lockdownby El País (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on April 9, 2020
Reuters photographer Jon Nazca has traveled to Ronda in the southern Spanish city of Málaga to compare this year’s empty streets to the festivities seen in 2019 and 2018
- Catalan premier announces snap election amid dispute over role as deputyby Camilo S. Baquero (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on January 29, 2020
In a surprise institutional statement, Quim Torra said the date will not be set until the regional budget is passed in parliament
- El Rotoby El Roto (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on January 29, 2020
El Roto cartoon, January 29, 2020
- Spaniard in Wuhan faces tough choice: Stay with husband or evacuateby Jaime Santirso (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on January 29, 2020
Spain is planning to repatriate citizens who are trapped in the Chinese city due to a coronavirus outbreak, but for Dácil Sánchez that means leaving her partner behind
- Deià: The Spanish village with more tourist accommodation than residentsby Juan Antonio Bauzá (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on January 29, 2020
The picturesque spot in Mallorca is home to just over 600 people, but the high number of visitors in the summer is putting a strain on resources
- Spain trying to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan along with French, British nationalsby Pablo Linde, Agencies (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on January 28, 2020
China has recommended that foreigners stay put in the quarantined city, but added that it will not prevent them from leaving
- Jailed Catalan leader speaks in parliament on Article 155: “It did nothing to stop us”by Pere Ríos, Camilo S. Baquero (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on January 28, 2020
Oriol Junqueras, who is serving a 13-year sentence for his role in the 2017 breakaway bid, appeared at an investigation commission into the suspension of the Catalan government’s regional powers
- Catalan premier challenges regional parliament by refusing to give up seatby Pere Ríos, Camilo S. Baquero (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on January 28, 2020
Quim Torra got his Together for Catalonia party to abstain from the day’s voting after the speaker warned him that his own vote would not be counted
- Spanish dentist caught secretly filming colleague undress given three yearsby J. J. Gálvez (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on January 28, 2020
The female employee discovered a pen drive that had been used to record her when she got changed at the Madrid clinic where she worked. The victim has also won compensation
- Civil Guard colonel slams actions of Mossos chief during independence driveby J. J. Gálvez (In English Section | EL PAÍS) on January 27, 2020
Diego Pérez de los Cobos tells court he would have removed Josep Lluís Trapero from his role as head of the regional police force for his leadership in 2017