Spain Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

Western Europe.

Language

The principal language is Spanish (Castilian or castellano). Euskera (Basque) in the northeast, Catalan (in the east, with variations spoken in Valencia and The Balearics), Galician (in the northwest) and other regional dialects are also spoken.

Area

504,644 sq km (194,844 sq miles). Includes Balearics, Canaries, Ceuta, and Melilla.

Time Zone

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.

Population

46.7 million (2009).

Population Density

92.5 per sq km.

Capital City

Madrid. Population: 3.2 million (2008).

Government

Parliamentary monarchy since 1977. The Constitution of 1978 set in place the current political framework.

Head of Government

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero since 2004.

Head of State

King Juan Carlos I since 1975.

Religion

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

Recent History

Prime Minister Zapatero came to power in 2004 in the wake of the Madrid terrorist attacks. His Socialist Party was re-elected in March 2008. Presiding over a period of ongoing economic growth, Zapatero withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq and instituted social reforms including legalization of same-sex marriage, modernization of divorce laws, and raising of the minimum wage. Infrastructural improvements such as the proliferation of the high-speed train network have also been a feature of his premiership, which has been strongly pro-European, in contrast with that of his pro-USA predecessor.

A serious domestic issue continues to be tension in the northern Basque region. Since the breaking of a ceasefire in 2007, the government has moved forcefully against ETA, leading to the arrest of several key figures. Zapatero's initial support for negotiation, combined with a democratic approach to regional autonomy, has been criticized by the rightist opposition.

The global economic downturn of 2008/9 hit Spain hard; ‘la crisis' has seen unemployment climb to nearly 20% of the population.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +34. Emergency calls: 112. Area codes are incorporated within a nine digit number dialed from wherever you are.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good throughout most of the country. Spanish mobile numbers begin with 6.

Internet

Internet cafés are available in most urban areas, and wireless access is widespread in cafés and hotels.

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. State-owned TVE operates TV-1 (La Primera) and TV-2 (La Dos). Antena 3, La Cuatro, Telecinco and La Sexta are privately run channels. There are various free-to-air regional channels, as well as digital sports and entertainment channels. RNE is state-run. It operates Radio 1, Radio Clásica, Radio 3 and Radio 5. Cadena SER and Onda Cero are popular commercial stations. Cadena COPE is controlled by the church.

El País is a liberal Spanish-language daily newspaper; El Mundo, another Spanish-language daily with a wide readership; ABC, a more right wing Spanish-language daily. Marca is a Real-Madrid-biased sports daily that is the nation's biggest newspaper. As and Mundo Deportivo are similar in scope.

Post

There are efficient internal and international postal services (correos) to all countries. Airmail within Europe usually takes around five days. Main post offices in cities are normally open 0800-2000 Mon-Fri, and 0800-1400 Sat.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2010-December 2011 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
6 Jan * Epiphany
19 Mar * San Jose
21 Apr * Maundy Thursday
22 Apr Good Friday
1 May - 2 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

2012
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
(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

British Embassy in Spain

Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, 28046 Madrid, Spain
Tel: (917) 146 300.
Website: www.ukinspain.fco.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1730.

Turespaña Spanish Tourist Board

José Lázaro Galdiano 6, Madrid 28071
Tel: (00 34) 913 433 500.
Website: www.spain.info

Spanish Embassy in the UK

39 Chesham Place, London SW1X 8SB, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 5555.
Website: www.mae.es/embajadas/londres/en/home

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 0906 554 0714 (to make an appointment; calls cost £1 per minute).
Website: www.conspalon.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0915-1400 (visa information by appointment only).

Spanish National Tourist Office in the UK

Second Floor, 79 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6XB, UK
Tel: 0870 850 6599.
Website: www.spain.info/uk/tourspain

Spanish Embassy and Consulate in the USA

2375 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Tel: (202) 452 0100 or 728 2330 (consulate).
Website: www.spainemb.org

Spanish Tourist Office in the USA

666 Fifth Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10103, USA
Tel: (212) 265 8822 (visits by appointment only).
Website: www.spain.info/us/tourspain