Middle East Fighting in Yemen continued to escalate this week. On Wednesday, the Houthi rebels seized an airbase as they moved closer to the city of Aden, where President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was sheltered. By Thursday, Mr. Hadi had briefly sought shelter in Oman before moving on to Riyadh. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia led airstrikes against the Houthis in […]
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) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
|
Total Area
|
505,370
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
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
|
| Terrain |
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
3,718
m
|
| 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 |
| Arable Land |
24.75% |
| Permanent Crops |
9.29% |
| Exports |
$303.8 billion |
| Export Items |
machinery, motor vehicles |
| Export Partners |
France 17.8%, Germany 10.6%, Portugal 8.3%, Italy 8.3%, UK 6.7% (2011) |
| Imports |
$322.7 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments |
| Import Partners |
Germany 13%, France 11.8%, Italy 6.7%, China 5.8%, Netherlands 5%, UK 4.5% (2011) |
