Spain (in Spanish, España), officially Kingdom of Spain, constitutional monarchy in south-west Europe, occupying the greater part of the Iberian Peninsula, and bordered on the north by the Bay of Biscay, France, and Andorra; on the east by the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; and on the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
The British dependency of Gibraltar is situated at the southern extremity of Spain. The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa are governed as provinces of Spain. Also, Spain administers two small exclaves in Morocco-Ceuta and Melilla-as well as three island groups near Africa-Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera and the Alhucemas and Chafarinas islands. The area of Spain, including the African and insular territories, is 504,782 sq km (194,897 sq mi). Madrid is the capital and largest city.
Population
39,181,114
(1996 official estimate)
Population Density
78 people/sq km
(201 people/sq mi)
(1996 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
79%Urban
21%Rural
Largest Cities
Madrid3,029,734
Barcelona1,614,570
Valencia763,308
Seville719,590
(1995 estimate)
Largest Metropolitan Areas
Madrid5,181,659
Barcelona4,478,236
Valencia2,200,319
Seville1,719,446
(1995 estimate)
Languages
Official Language
Castilian Spanish
Other Languages
Catalan, Basque, Galician
Religions
97%Roman Catholicism
3%Other
including Protestantism and Islam
