A PICTURE OF SPAIN

Brief history

The Iberian Peninsula, like most Mediterranean countries, has been invaded many times. The Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Celts, the Romans and the Visigoths, six different invaders, take us only to the year 711. Then the good guys arrive. They were the Arab and Berber invaders, now popularly known as the Moors, who called Spain ‘Al Andalus’.

Dominant in the south of the country, the Moors established a rich heritage around Cordoba where mathematics, science, architecture and decorative arts flourished. Some of the finest architectural masterpieces can be found today in the Andalusia cities of Granada, Jaen, Sevilla and Cordoba. The Alhambra at Granada is universally recognised as being the jewel in a rich crown, one place in the world where Jews, Christians and Arabs lived peacefully together. Their impact extended into the development of farming through the establishment of terraces with irrigation systems and, unseen, the development of a competent political administration system.

Nothing stands still. A re-conquest followed with the foundation of a Spanish state. This led to the voyages of Columbus to the New World. From 1492 Spaniards attempted to extend their rule worldwide by conquering Mexico, Peru and Chile, destroying in the process Indian civilisations, and returning home with great wealth in the form of gold and silver.

This did not last. The next 300 years saw a succession of wars, the loss of its Empire, and increasing instability in government with a consequent slow decline in economic wealth and influence. An increasingly weary nation saw nationalist generals, led by Franco, rise against the government in 1936 and the start of the Spanish Civil War. Supported by Hitler and Mussolini, Spain was an international outcast. In the aftermath of the Civil War a dictatorship was established, with an often brutal rule. A slow, painful reconstruction of the country began. The economy strengthened and started to boom in the 1960s as northern Europe’s wealth enabled its peoples to visit sunny of Spain for the first time. The influx of different cultures and international pressures brought social liberalisation long before Franco’s death and the arrival of democracy in 1975.

Today’s Spain

Modern Spain is a monarchy under King Juan Carlos. It is a tolerant society with many different customs and lifestyles. Since 1985 Spain has been a full member of the EU taking both European and international politics very seriously.

It is a tightly regulated country having five levels of government. The top two levels comprise a congress and senate of elected representatives from the provinces, the islands and the regions. There are 17 autonomous regions, called Comunidades, with their own parliaments and governments. This has led to a duplication of bureaucracy, because in addition to its own parliament each comunidad also has separate representation from the state. The autonomous regions are further divided into provinces and then into the smaller local municipio.

Spain has transformed itself into a tolerant, democratic society but one still trying to shake off the shackles of the era when heavyweight bureaucracy ruled the day. The political scene is stable, pacifist, proud of its role in Europe concentrating on improving Spain’s public finances. The country has benefited greatly from the EU programme of special economic aid to poorer countries. Internally it is still troubled by the Basque separatist group called ETA.

Modern Spain as we know it now has been established for 30 years. The economy has boomed. Traditional agriculture has declined. The importance of manufacturing and tourism has increased. A motorway network has opened up the country. Building is taking place everywhere. The pace of change is dramatic, purposeful and peaceful. Its people, so long oppressed, are now vibrant, confident, open, tolerant and justifiably proud of their achievements.

Some facts

Mainland Spain covers an area of half a million square kilometres and has a coastline of 2,100 kilometres. Spain includes both the Canary and Balearic Islands. It is the second largest country in Europe after France. The interior of Spain is a vast plateau called the Meseta bound to the north east by the Pyrenees, in the south west by the Sierra Morena and in the south by the Sierra Nevada. Across the Meseta itself rivers have cut many deep valleys. Much of the coastline is steep and rocky but there is a narrow coastal plain bordering the Mediterranean.

The population of 40 million is less than many European countries. Spain, despite being predominantly a Catholic country, has a low birth rate and a high life expectancy of 75 years for men and 80 for women. Most Spaniards are now urban rather than rural dwellers, living in the major conurbations around Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. A million British people live in Spain, concentrated along the Mediterranean and Islands.

Castilian Spanish is the language of the country. Catalan, modified French, is spoken in the north east and Valenciano, a difficult to understand regional dialect, in the east. Two hundred million people speak Spanish worldwide, mainly in the former Spanish Empire, making it the third most popular language after English and Chinese. English is well understood in major cities, the Costas and Islands, but is rarely spoken or understood in rural areas. English is gaining in popularity as it is taught as a second language in all schools.

Spain’s principal cities are Madrid, situated in the geographical centre of the country; the seat of central government and an important commercial centre, followed by Barcelona, a commercial and industrial city with a large port close to France. There is an intense rivalry between the two cities, both political and sporting. Valencia, the third largest city, faces the Mediterranean and is an important area for car manufacture and for growing oranges. Bilbao on the northern coast is a major modern port and industrial centre. Sevilla in the south west exports agricultural produce such as olive oil, fruit and wine.

The economy of Spain has changed from a tradition of agriculture to that of an industrialised nation. Ten per cent of the workforce is engaged in tourism, 10% in agriculture and 1% in fishing. Encouraged by EU grants, industry is expanding rapidly. Construction of new, colourful buildings is clearly visible alongside main roads while new homes are being built at the rate of half a million per year. Some people have been heard to comment, ‘the whole of Spain is a building site’.