Fall 1995 484/485 Spain

Spain

HISTORY

From the ninth century BC to 700 AD, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Celts entered the Iberian penninsula, followed by the Romans, who arrived in the second century BC. Spain's present language, religion, and law stem from the Roman period. Although the Visigoths arrived in the fifth century AS, the last Roman strongholds along the southern coast did not fall until the seventh century. In 711 AD, North African Moors sailed across the straights, swept into Andalusia, and, within a few years, pushed the Visigoths up the peninsula to the Cantabrian Mountains. The Reconquest-efforts to drive out the moors lasted until 1492, the year Columbus made his voyage to the New World. By 1512 the unification of present day Spain was complete.

In the 16th century, Spain became the most powerful nation in Europe, due to the immense wealth derived from the Americas. Subsequently, a series of long, costly wars and revolts, capped by the defeat by the English of the "Invincible Armada" in 1588, caused the steady decline of Spanish power in Europe. Controversy over succession to the throne consumed the country during the 18th and 19th centuries leading to occupation by France in the Early 1800's.

The 19th century saw the revolt and independence of most of the American colonies; three wars over the succession issue; the brief ousting on the monarchy and establishment of the First Republic(1873-74); and, finally, the Spanish-American War(1898), in which Spain lost Cuba, Peurto Rico and the Philippines to the United States. A period of dictatorial rule (1923-31) ended with the establishment of the Second Republic. It was dominated by political polarization, culminating in the leftest Popular Front electoral victory in 1936. Pressures from all sides, coupled with growing and unchecked violence, led to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936.

Following the victory of his nationalistic forces in 1939, General Francisco Franco ruled the politically and economically exhausted nation. Spain was officially neutral during World War II but followed a pro-Axis policy, The victorious Allies isolated Spain at the beginning of the postwar period, and the country did not join the United Nations until 1955.

Spain's economy began to recover in the 50's, but large-scale modernization and development did not occur until the 1960's. After Franco's death in 1975, Juan Carlos de Bourbon y Boourbon assumed the titles of King and Chief of state. By 1978 the new government drafted a democratic constitution which established Spain as a parliamentary monarchy as it remains today.

From the 60's up until 1975 Spain's economy was increasing at a steady rate. The period between 1965 and 1975 averaged a 7% average annual growth making Spain the second fastest growing economy in the industrialized world. Spain was transformed into a modern industrial economy with a thriving tourism sector.

After 1975, however, Spain suffered 9 years of double digit inflation. Economic growth slowed dramatically. Unemployment rose from a rate of 4% to 22%. By 1986 however, there was another economic boom which involved most of Europe but as soon as it begun it had ended. 1990 marked the beginning of a recession which was felt throughout the European economies which Spain is still trying to pull it's way out of. It was hoped that the Olympic Games and the World Expo would help bring in foreign investment to revitalize the economy but the attempt was hardly realized. Spain's current focus is to promote research and development of a varying range of technological programs, again with the help of foreign investment.

PHYSICAL

Spain is located in Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Portugal and France. It's sea-bound boarders claim 4,964 km of coastline. The Kingdom includes the Balearic and Canary Islands and covers 194,884 square miles in area, or roughly twice the size of Oregon. The country is divided into 6 regions: Catalonia, Madrid, Andalucia, Valencia region, Basque country, and the Galcia. It is a temperate zone with clear, hot summers in the interior region and more moderate cloudy conditions along the coast. Winters are cloudy and cold on the interior, and partly cloudy and cool along the coast.

The terrain of Spain consists mostly of a large flat dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills with the Pyrenees to the north. The types are relatively consistent with 31% considered to be arable land and 10% as permanent crops, 21% consists of meadows and pastures while another 31% is forest and woodland. The land produces a large amount of natural resources including: coal, lignite, iron, ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lea, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash and hydropower.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

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There are 39,300,000 Spanish people occupying the six regions of Spain. The major language is Castilian Spanish while 17% speak Catalan, 7% speak Galician and 2% speak Basque dialects of Spanish. Although everyone considers themselves Spanish the people are first loyal to their regions marking a significant physical and intercultural link amongst themselves.

Spain has a tradition of the coexistence of the past and present. The idea of tradition fighting modernity, as if one were preferable to the other, prevalent among American and British, seldom arises.

The instance of keeping up traditions can be hard for more Western developed countries to accept, especially when applied to cultural rather than artistic activities. Spain posses an immense artistic, bibliographic and documental heritage which holds the key to collective national life. It is the third country in the world in terms of number of monuments declared to have world historical value.

The strongest tradition of all, of course, is the religion, and there is a constant tension between the forces of modern life and the Spanish people's deeply ingrained Catholicism. Although there is freedom of religion, 99% of the country is Catholic.

On-Line Reference to Spain

25X95
CHL