| Location: |
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay,
Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains,
southwest of France |
| Geographic Coordinates: |
40 00 N, 4 00 W |
| Area: |
total: 504,782 sq km
water: 5,240 sq km
note: there are 19 autonomous communities including Balearic
Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions
off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas,
and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
land: 499,542 sq km |
| Land Boundaries: |
total: 1,917.8 km
border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar
1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla)
9.6 km |
| Coastline: |
4,964 km |
| Maritime Claims: |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM (applies only to the Atlantic
Ocean)
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and
cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly
cloudy and cool along coast |
| Terrain: |
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north |
| Elevation Extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718
m |
| Natural Resources: |
coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar,
gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower,
arable land |
| Land Use: |
arable land: 28.6%
permanent crops: 9.56%
other: 61.84% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated Land: |
36,400 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards: |
periodic droughts |
| Environment - Current Issues: |
pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents
from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and
quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification |
| Environment - Iinternational Agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification |
| Geography - note: |
strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
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| People |
|
| Population: |
40,217,413 (July 2003 est.) |
| Age Structure: |
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 2,985,705; female 2,808,791)
15-64 years: 68% (male 13,721,053; female 13,626,121)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,962,646; female 4,113,097)
(2003 est.) |
| Median Age: |
total: 38.7 years
male: 37.4 years
female: 40.1 years (2002) |
| Population Growth: |
0.16% (2003 est.) |
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