About Spain
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Official Name: The Kingdom of Spain or Reino de Espana, also known as Espana or Spain.
Capital: The Spanish capital is the city of Madrid, located in the center of the country. Madrid is also the name of the province where the capital is located.
Location: Spain is situated on the Iberian Peninsula in South-western Europe . The country shares land borders with Portugal, Francia and Andorra. Spain also lays claim to two autonomous cities located in North Africa which share borders with Morocco. Spain also shares a water border with the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Bay of Biscay, and Gibraltar.
Size: With a total area of 504,782 square kilometers the Kingdom of Spain is roughly the same size as Turkmenistan or the US state of California.
Climate: Spain has a temperate climate. The weather in the country is characterized by clear, hot, summers and cool to cold winters. The best time for tourists to visit Spain is from May to September.
Population: There is a total population of approximately 40,448,000 people in Spain. As such Spain has the 31 st largest population in the world.
Life expectancy at birth: There is an average life expectancy for Spanish residents of 79.78 years from birth. Spain has the 19 th highest life expectancy in the world, which is mainly due to the progressive healthcare systems and networks evident in the country.
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: Approximately 0.7% of the Spanish population has HIV/Aids. This is equivalent to approximately 140,000 people. In global terms Spain has the 65 th highest Aids rate in the world.
Major illnesses: Spain is a modern country and as such there is a fairly limited risk of disease. The major healthcare threats come from sunburn and dehydration in the summer and hypothermia in the winter. As such it is recommended that you take suitable precautions against the climate.
Ethnic Groups: The majority of the population of Spain claim Spanish ethnicity which is a mix between Mediterranean and Nordic ethnicities.
Languages: The official language of Spain is Spanish, which is spoken by 74% of the country's population. 17% of the population speaks Catalan, 7% Galician, and 2% Basque.
Religion: 94% of the total Spanish population observes Catholicism, while the remaining 6% of the population practices a wide array of religions.
Government: Spain is a parliamentary monarchy. As such the King of Spain is considered to be the head of state, however the monarch has no actual power in the day to day running of the country, this is instead handled by the parliament which is elected by the Spanish population.
Head of State: King Juan Carlos I. The king has no actual political power and is more of a figurehead in terms of state.
Head of Government: President of the government Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The president of the government is involved in the day to day running of the country and is the leader of the majority party in parliament.
Military: Spain has a comprehensive military with an army, airforce and navy. The country spends 1.2% of its GDP on the armed forces.
Economy: The Spanish economy saw a period of growth from 1986 – 1990, however after a recession in the European Economy during the early ‘90's the economy's growth slowed dramatically. Currently the Spanish economy is experiencing another period of growth, and under the socialist leadership of President Rodriguez, has seen the standard of living and level of social services, including healthcare, improve dramatically.
GDP: Spain has a purchasing power parity of US$ 1.326 trillion and an actual GDP of US$ 1.153 trillion, the 13 th highest in the world.
For more information about Spain expat insurance, the international health insurance plans that we can offer there, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.