Spain – Quick Facts

Here are some quick facts about Spain.

Spain – The Kingdom Of Spain (España)

Capital: Madrid

National Flag: The national flag, adopted in 1785, consists of three horizontal stripes: a yellow one – equal in size to the other two combined – between two red ones, with the coat of arms on the yellow stripe.

National Anthem: Called “Marcha Real Granadera” (March of the Royal Grenadier) it is one of few national anthems with no official lyrics. Click this link to listen to it.

Money: The peseta was replaced by the euro as official currency in 2002. A euro is divided into 100 cents. Coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents and 1 euro and 2 euros. Notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros (although 500’s are rare and often fake).

Economy: Spain has the 16th largest economy worldwide. It’s the 5th largest in the European Union, as well as the 4th largest in the Eurozone.

Weights & Measures: The metric system is standard in Spain.

Time: GMT+1

Area: 194,897 sq miles (504,782 sq km)

Population: 46.77 million (2014)

Government: Partido Popular (conservative) – Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy elected in November 2011.

Monarch: Felipe VI. Ascended to the throne on 19 June 2014 following the abdication of his father, King Juan Carlos I.

Autonomies: Spain consists of 17 autonomous communities. These are the first level administrative division in the country and were created in 1979 when the current constitution came into effect in recognition of the right to self-government to the “nationalities and regions of Spain”. The communities are:

• Andalusia (capital – Sevilla)
• Aragon (capital – Zaragoza)
• Asturias (capital – Oviedo)
• Balearic Islands (capital – Palma de Mallorca)
• Basque Country (capital – Vitoria)
• Canary Islands (they have two capitals – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
• Cantabria (capital – Santander)
• Castile-La Mancha (capital – Toledo)
• Castile and León (capital – Valladolid)
• Catalonia (capital – Barcelona)
• Extremadura (capital – Mérida)
• Galicia (capital – Santiago de Compostela)
• La Rioja (capital – Logroño)
• Community of Madrid (capital – Madrid)
• Region of Murcia (capital – Murcia)
• Navarre (capital – Pamplona)
• Valencian Community (capital – Valencia)