Spain Country & Tourist Information

Location
Western Europe.

Area
505,988 sq km (195,363 sq miles); includes Spanish North Africa.

Population
44.1 million (official figures, 2005).

Population Density
87.15 per sq km.

Capital
Madrid.
Population: 5.5 million (2005).

Government
Parliamentary Monarchy since 1978. 
Recent history: Spain’s right-of-center Popular Party (PP) won a clear majority in Parliament in 2000 and was comfortably ahead in the polls before the 2004 general elections. Three days before the elections, however, devastating terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists in Madrid killed 191 people and threw the political situation into turmoil. Unexpectedly, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party won the election and formed a minority Government under new Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. In April, Zapatero was sworn in, and he immediately ordered Spanish troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. One of Spain’s most serious domestic issues continues to be tension in the northern Basque region. The Supreme Court finally approved a government request for a permanent ban on the Basque separatist party Batasuna in March 2003, despite the party’s persistent denial that it is terrorist group ETA’s political wing. In May 2005, the government offered peace talks with ETA on condition that the group disarms.

Language
Spanish (Castillian), Catalan (in the northeast), Galician (in the northwest) and Basque (in the north).

Religion
There is no official religion, but the majority of the population is Roman Catholic.

Time
Mainland Spain/Balearics: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
The Canary Islands: GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 or 225 volts AC, 50Hz. Generally, round two-pin plugs and screw-type lamp fittings are in use.

Head of Government
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero since 2004.

Head of State
King Juan Carlos I since 1975.

Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 34. Emergency calls: 112. Area codes are incorporated within a nine digit number. The following are a selection of codes for major centers: Madrid 91, Alicante 96, Balearic Islands 971, Barcelona 93, Benidorm 96, Bilbao 94, Granada 958, Málaga and Torremolinos 95, Las Palmas 928, Santander 942, Seville 95, Tenerife 922 and Valencia 96

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good throughout most of the country.

Internet
There is a variety of Internet cafes in most urban areas.

Media
Broadcasting in Spain has witnessed a spectacular expansion in recent years with the emergence of new commercial operators and the launch of digital services.

Post
There are efficient internal and international postal services to all countries. Airmail within Europe usually takes around five days.

Press
Local newspapers published in English include the Costa Blanca News, Majorca Daily Bulletin and the English-language edition of Sur (weekly). Spanish dailies with large circulations include ABC (website: www.abc.es), El Marca (sports only), El Mundo (website: www.elmundo.es), El País (website: www.elpais.es), El Perodico de Catalunya (website: www.elperiodico.com), La Razon (website: www.larazon.es) and La Vanguardia (website: www.lavanguardia.es).

Radio
TVE operates La Primera, La 2, TVE Internacionale and Channel 24. Tele Conco, Antena 3 and Cuatro are national, commercial networks.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
19 Mar* San Jose.
5 Apr* Maundy Thursday.
6 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
15 Aug Assumption.
12 Oct National Day.
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
6 Dec Constitution Day.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
19 Mar* San Jose.
20 Mar* Maundy Thursday. 
21 Mar Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
15 Aug Assumption.
12 Oct National Day.
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
6 Dec Constitution Day.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

(a) *These holidays may be replaced by the autonomous communities with another date.
(b) Additional dates are celebrated as regional public holidays. These vary from region to region.

Contact Information:

Spanish Embassy in the UK
39 Chesham Place, London SW1X 8SB, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 5555.
Website: www.mae.es

Spanish Consulate in the UK
20 Draycott Place, London SW3 2RZ, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 8989 or 0906 550 8970 (recorded visa information; calls cost £1 per minute) or (020) 7594 4904 (to make an appointment).
Website: www.conspalon.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0915-1415 (closed Spanish national holidays; visa information by appointment only).

Spanish National Tourist Office in the UK
PO Box 4009, London W1A 6NB, UK
Tel: (020) 7486 8077 or 0845 940 0180 (24-hour brochure request line; calls cost 60p per minute).
Website: www.spain.info


Embassy and Consulate of the Kingdom of Spain in the USA
2375 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Tel: (202) 728 2340 or 30 (consulate).
Website: www.spainemb.org

Spanish Tourist Office in the USA
666 Fifth Avenue, Btwn 52nd and 53rd Street, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10103, USA
Tel: (212) 265 8822.
Website: www.okspain.org


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