Outline of Spain
The following outline provides an overview of and topical guide to Spain.
Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth-most populous European Union (EU) member state. Spanning the majority of the Iberian Peninsula, its territory also includes the Canary Islands, in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean; the Balearic Islands, in the Western Mediterranean Sea; and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, in mainland Africa. Peninsular Spain is bordered to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; to the east and south by the Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar and Morocco, through its exclaves in North Africa; and to the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Málaga, Murcia, and Palma de Mallorca.
Spain is a secular parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with King Felipe VI as head of state. A developed country, Spain has a high nominal per capita income globally, and its advanced economy ranks among the largest in the world and is the fourth-largest in the EU. Spanish is the world's second-most spoken native language.
General reference
- Pronunciation:
- English /speɪn/ ⓘ
- Spanish: pronounced [esˈpaɲa] ⓘ)
- Common English country name: Spain
- Official English country name: The Kingdom of Spain
- Common endonym: España
- Official endonym: Reino de España
- Adjectival: Spanish
- Demonym: Spaniard
- Etymology: Name of Spain
- International rankings of Spain
- ISO country codes: ES, ESP, 724
- ISO region codes: ISO 3166-2:ES
- Internet country code top-level domain: .es
- International Direct Dialing uses the prefix +34. Then a first digit 9 or 8 indicates a fixed landline, 6 or 7 are for mobile cellphones[1]
- Vehicle registration plates: 1234 ABC format.[2]
Geography of Spain
- Time zones:
- Canary Islands – Western European Time (UTC+00), Western European Summer Time (UTC+01)
- Rest of Spain – Central European Time (UTC+01), Central European Summer Time (UTC+02)
- Extreme points of Spain
- High: Teide on Tenerife 3,718 m (12,198 ft) - highest point in all of Spain[3]
Mulhacén 3,479 m (11,414 ft) - highest point in continental Spain[4] - Low: North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea 0 m
- High: Teide on Tenerife 3,718 m (12,198 ft) - highest point in all of Spain[3]
- Borders of Spain
- Topography of Spain
Location
- Northern Hemisphere, on the Prime Meridian
- Eurasia
- Europe
- Southern Europe
- Western Europe
- Iberian Peninsula – Spain occupies most of this peninsula, sharing it with Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar[5]
- Europe
- Population of Spain: 49,442,844 (October 2025) - 31th most populous country
- Area of Spain: 506,000 km2 [8]
- Second largest country in Western Europe (behind France)
- Altitude:
- Average altitude: 650 m
- Rank: second highest country in Europe (behind Switzerland)
- Atlas of Spain
Environment of Spain
- Geology of Spain
- Climate of Spain
- Renewable energy in Spain
- Environmental issues in Spain
- National parks of Spain
- Wildlife of Spain
Natural geographic features of Spain
- Beaches in Spain
- Caves in Spain
- Deserts of Spain
- Glaciers of Spain
- Islands of Spain
- Lakes of Spain
- Wetlands in Spain
- Mountains of Spain
- Rivers of Spain
- World Heritage Sites in Spain
- Instituto Geográfico Nacional
Regions of Spain
Ecological regions of Spain
Administrative divisions of Spain
Administrative divisions of Spain
- Autonomous communities of Spain
- History of the regional distinctions of Spain
- NUTS statistical regions of Spain
Autonomous communities of Spain
Autonomous communities of Spain – each has its own parliament and government
- By name:
- By statistic:
Autonomous cities of Spain
Autonomous cities of Spain – less autonomous than the autonomous communities, but with more autonomy than Spain's other cities[9]
Other territory
- Spanish exclaves:
- Places of sovereignty near Morocco, consisting of:
Provinces of Spain
- Ranked lists of autonomous communities
- Spanish provinces by name:
Comarcas of Spain
Municipalities of Spain
- Capital of Spain: Madrid
- Metropolitan areas in Spain
- Municipalities of Spain – Spain's approximately 8100 municipalities comprise the basic level of Spanish local government.[10]
Demography of Spain
Government and politics of Spain
- Spain is a:
- Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
- Capital of Spain: Madrid
- Corruption in Spain
- Federalism in Spain
- Elections in Spain
- Political parties in Spain
- Partido Popular or PP Mainstream Centre-Right associated with the main Employers Organization and clerics.[11]
- Partido Socialista Obrero Español mainstream social-democrats linked to Unión General de Trabajadores trade union and the Confederación Empresarial de Economia Social.[12]
- Sumar, a coalition of smaller left-wing parties.[13]
- Vox, a far-right political party[14]
- Political parties in Catalonia
- Social Security in Spain
- Taxation in Spain
- Political positions and movements in Spain
Monarchy of Spain
- Head of state: King of Spain, Felipe VI
- Royal Household of Spain
- Spanish royal sites
- Spanish monarchs
- Spanish nobility
- Forms of address in Spain
- Mayordomo mayor
- Camarera mayor de Palacio
- Grandee, a title given to the majority of Spanish nobility, including all dukedoms with one exception[15] and no barons.[16]
- Titles and honours of the Spanish Crown
- Coat of arms of Spain
- Sumiller de Corps
- Imperator totius Hispaniae, a medieval title for the emperor of Spain in Latin[17]
- Bourbon claim to the Spanish throne
- Crown of Aragon
- Kingdom of Gibraltar
Branches of the government of Spain
Executive branch of the government of Spain
- Head of state: King of Spain, Felipe VI
- Head of government: Prime Minister of Spain (Presidente del Gobierno), Pedro Sánchez
- Leader of the Opposition (Spain)
- Cabinet of Spain (Council of Ministers)
Legislative branch of the government of Spain
- Parliament of Spain – bicameral legislature of Spain, consisting of:
Judicial branch of the government of Spain
Foreign relations of Spain
- Diplomatic missions in Spain
- Foreign Ministers of Spain
- Centro Nacional de Inteligencia
- Burning of the Spanish Embassy
- Disputed status of the isthmus between Gibraltar and Spain
International organization membership
The Kingdom of Spain is a member of:[18]
Law and order in Spain
- Constitution of Spain
- Constitutions of Spain
- Spanish Constitution of 1978, the current constitution.[19]
- Constitutions of Spain
- Civil Code of Spain
- Historical Memory Law – recognizes the victims on both sides of the Spanish Civil War, gives rights to the victims and the descendants of victims of the war and the subsequent dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and formally condemns the Franco Regime.[20]
- Spanish referendum on the European Constitution
- Admission to legal practice in Spain
Crime in Spain
- Cannabis in Spain
- Human trafficking in Spain
- Homicide in Spain
- Terrorism in Spain
- Squatting in Spain
Human rights in Spain
- Abortion in Spain
- Censorship in Spain
- Civil unions in Spain
- Copyright law of Spain
- Disability in Spain
- Euthanasia in Spain
- Family policy in Spain
- Homelessness in Spain
- Gender-related rights in Spain
- Freedom of the press in Spain
- Prostitution in Spain
- Freedom of religion in Spain
- Racism in Spain
Law enforcement in Spain
- Courts in Spain
- Police in Spain
- Punishment in Spain
Military of Spain
- Command
- Commander-in-chief:
- Ministry of Defence of Spain
- Chief of the Defence Staff (Spain), principal advisor to the above.[21]
- Commander-in-chief:
- Forces
- Military history of Spain
- Military ranks of Spain
- Armorial of the Spanish Armed Forces
Local government in Spain
History of Spain
History of Spain by period
- Years in Spain
- Prehistoric Iberia
- Hispania
- Spain in the Middle Ages
- Habsburg Spain
- Enlightenment in Spain
- Mid-nineteenth century Spain
- Spanish confiscation
- First Spanish Republic
- Spain under the Restoration
- Second Spanish Republic
- Spanish Civil War
- Spain under Franco
- Modern Spain
- Contemporary Spain
History of Spain by region
History autonomous communities in Spain
- History of Andalusia
- History of Aragon
- History of Asturias
- History of the Balearic Islands
- History of Basque Country
- History of the Canary Islands
- History of Cantabria
- History of Castilla-La Mancha
- History of Castile and León
- History of Catalonia
- History of Extremadura
- History of Galicia
- History of La Rioja
- History of the Community of Madrid
- History of the Region of Murcia
- History of Navarre
- History of the Valencian Community
History of cities in Spain
- History of Madrid
- History of Barcelona
- History of Valencia
- History of Toledo
- History of Granada
- History of Seville
- History of León
- History of Bilbao
- History of Zaragoza
- History of Las Palmas
- History of Pamplona
- History of A Coruña
- History of Oviedo
- History of Murcia
- History of Santander
- History of Málaga
- History of Badajoz
- History of Logroño
- History of Girona
- History of Cádiz
- History of Tarragona
History of Spain by subject
- Chivalry in Spain
- Economic history of Spain
- Enlightenment in Spain
- History of education in Spain
- History of the far-right in Spain
- History of the Jews in Spain
- Literature in Medieval Spain
- Postal history of Spain
- History of the flags of Spain
- LGBTQ history in Spain
- Military history of Spain
- History of rail transport in Spain
- Religious history of Spain
- History of science and technology in Spain
- Slavery in Spain
Culture of Spain
- Aztec influence in Spain
- Time in Spain
- Gardening in Spain
- Festivals in Spain
- Freemasonry in Spain
- Folklore of Spain
- Heraldry in Spain
- Media in Spain
- National Prizes awarded by the Ministry of Culture
- National monuments of Spain
- Museums in Spain
- Propaganda in Spain
- Postage stamps of Spain
- Public holidays in Spain
- Records of Spain
- Scouting in Spain
- Sites of cultural significance in Spain:
- Scouting and Guiding in Spain
- Tourism in Spain
- UFO sightings in Spain
- Video games in Spain
- Windmills of Spain
Art in Spain
- Cave of Altimira
- Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin
- Television in Spain
- Spanish Golden Age
- Spanish Baroque Painting
- Spanish Renaissance
- Art and culture in Francoist Spain
Architecture of Spain
- By location
- By period
- By type
- Spanish architects
- Missing landmarks in Spain
- Submerged places in Spain
Cinema of Spain
- Spanish films
- Spanish directors
- Luis Buñuel – first Spanish director to achieve universal recognition[22]
- Pedro Almodóvar – achieved universal recognition in the 1980s[23]
- Segundo de Chomón
- Florián Rey
- Luis García Berlanga
- Juan Antonio Bardem
- Carlos Saura
- Julio Médem
- Alejandro Amenábar
- Goya Awards
Dance in Spain
Literature of Spain
Literature of Spain — Castilian (Spanish) literature
- Books in Spain
- By genre
- By region
- By author
Music of Spain
- By genre:
- By region:
- Chronologically:
- By name:
- Benidorm International Song Festival
- Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest
Painting in Spain
- Spanish painters
- By name
- Alonso Cano
- Juan Carreño de Miranda
- Ramon Casas i Carbó
- Claudio Coello
- Salvador Dalí
- Mariano Fortuny
- Francisco Goya
- El Greco (born in Creta).
- Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
- Pablo Picasso
- José de Ribera
- Santiago Rusiñol
- Enrique Simonet
- Joaquín Sorolla
- Diego Velázquez
- Ignacio Zuloaga
- Francisco de Zurbarán
- María Blanchard
- Ángeles Santos
- By period
- Medieval Spanish artists (born 1300–1500)
- Modern Spanish artists (born 1500–1800)
- Contemporary Spanish artists (born 1800 onwards)
- By name
Sculpture in Spain
- Lady of Elche
- Lady of Baza
- El Oso y el Madroño
- Spanish sculptors
Cuisine in Spain
Language in Spain
National symbols of Spain
- Coat of arms of Spain
- Cockade of Spain
- Flags of Spain
- National anthem of Spain (Marcha Real)
- National motto: Plus Ultra
- A solis ortu usque ad occasum, a secondary motto.
- ¡Santiago, y cierra España!
People of Spain
Regional ethnic groups in Spain
- Andalusian people
- Aragonese people
- Asturian people
- Balearic people
- Basque people
- Canarian people
- Cantabrian people
- Castilian people
- Catalan people
- Extremaduran people
- Galician people
- Leonese people
- Valencian people
Other groups in Spain
- Afro-Spanish
- Algerians in Spain
- Arabs in Spain
- Argentines in Spain
- Armenians in Spain
- Bulgarians in Spain
- Chinese people in Spain
- Colombians in Spain
- Dominicans in Spain
- Ecuadorians in Spain
- Indians in Spain
- Iranians in Spain
- Italians in Spain
- Japanese people in Spain
- Jews in Spain
- Koreans in Spain
- Lebanese people in Spain
- Moroccans in Spain
- Pakistanis in Spain
- Paraguayans in Spain
- Peruvians in Spain
- Poles in Spain
- Romani people in Spain
- Romanians in Spain
- Russians in Spain
- Sahrawis in Spain
- Serbs in Spain
- Turks in Spain
- Uruguayans in Spain
- Venezuelans in Spain
Religion and belief systems in Spain
- Irreligion in Spain
- Bahá'í Faith in Spain
- Buddhism in Spain
- Hinduism in Spain
- Islam in Spain
- Judaism in Spain
- Paganism in Spain
- Odinist Community of Spain – Ásatrú
- Sikhism in Spain
Christianity in Spain
- Anglicanism in Spain
- Bible translations into Spanish
- Protestantism in Spain
- Eastern Orthodoxy in Spain
- Monasteries in Spain
- Cathedrals in Spain
Sports in Spain
- Spanish sportspeople
- Baseball in Spain
- Basketball in Spain
- Basque pelota
- Cycling in Spain
- Chess in Spain
- Disabled sports in Spain
- Golf in Spain
- Handball in Spain
- Ice hockey in Spain
- Ice skating in Spain
- ISU Junior Grand Prix in Spain
- Lacrosse in Spain
- Spain at the Olympics
- Tennis in Spain
- Racing in Spain
- Auto racing in Spain
- Motorcycle racing in Spain
Football in Spain
- Futsal in Spain
- Football records in Spain
- Men's football clubs in Spain
- Women's football clubs in Spain
- Spain international footballers
- Women's football in Spain
Economy and infrastructure of Spain
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2024): 15th
- Archives in Spain
- Agriculture in Spain
- Banking in Spain
- Bridges of Spain
- Lighthouses of Spain
- Companies of Spain
- Commercial fishing in Spain
- Currency of Spain: Euro (see also: Euro topics)
- Decline of Spain
- Ensanche
- Economic history of Spain
- Energy in Spain
- Healthcare in Spain
- Mining in Spain
- Science and technology in Spain
- Social Security in Spain
- Spanish stock markets
- Supermarket chains in Spain
- Tallest structures in Spain
- Trade unions in Spain
- Tourism in Spain
- Water supply and sanitation in Spain
Communications in Spain
- Internet in Spain
- Television in Spain
- Radio stations in Spain
- Telecommunications in Spain
- Newspapers in Spain
- Postal codes in Spain
- Golden age of Spanish software
Transport in Spain
- Air transport in Spain
- Airports in Spain
- EADS CASA – defunct aircraft manufacturer
- Airlines of Spain
- Iberia (airline), main airline in Spain and Portugal[24]
- Defunct airlines of Spain
- Air Spain, former charter airline.
- Rail transport in Spain
- Rapid transit in Spain
- Town tramway systems in Spain
- History of rail transport in Spain
- High-speed rail in Spain
- AVE, "Alta Velocidad Española", Spanish High Speed
- Renfe, National Network of the Spanish Railways[25]
- Cercanías, commuter rail services
- Euskotren Trena
- Rodalíes
- Track gauge in Spain
- FEVE, Narrow Gauge Railways
- Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
- Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana
- Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca
- Talgo – train manufacturer
- Road transport in Spain
- Directorate General of Traffic
- Roads in Spain (carreteras)
- National roads in Spain (carreteras nacionales)
- Highways in Spain (autopistas and autovías)
- Roman roads
- Vehicle registration plates of Spain
- Automotive industry in Spain
- Spanish automobiles
- Plug-in electric vehicles in Spain
- Road vehicle manufacturers
- Car manufacturers
- Motorcycle manufacturers
- Montesa Honda – Spanish subsidiary of Honda, manufactures motorcycles and bicycles[26]
- History of road transport in Spain
- Spanish automobiles
- Bultaco – defunct motorcycle manufacturer
Education in Spain
- Higher education in Spain
- Spanish school students' union
- Instituto Cervantes
- Academic Awards in Spain
- Academic grading in Spain
- Academic ranks in Spain
- Spanish universities
- List of universities in Spain (organized by autonomous communities)
- Diplomatic School of Spain
- DELE
- Tuition fees in Spain
See also
- Spain
- Spain (disambiguation)
- List of international rankings
- Outline of Europe
- Outline of geography
- Outline of Catalonia
References
- ^ "Spanish Phone Numbers". MCXess. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Number Plate Format". car-registrations-spain.com. CAR REGISTRATIONS SPAIN. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Teide National Park". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ de Ibero, Ibañez. "Reseña Vértice Geodésico" (PDF). viewfinderpanoramas.org. Subsecretaria Ministro de Fomento. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ a b "How many countries does Spain border?". Polska Costa. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ van de Put, Fleur. "Everything you need to know about the Spanish coasts". caserexpatinsurance.com. Caser Helvetia Group. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Gibraltar". exteriores.gob.es. Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Spain". biodiversity.europa.eu. BISE Biodiversity Information System for Europe. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "ciudad autónoma". www.aatespanol.cl (in Spanish). Tesauro de Arte & Arquitectura. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "INEbase/ Clasificaciones / Relación de municipios, provincias, comunidades y ciudades autónomas y sus códigos / Relación de provincias con sus códigos". www.ine.es. Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Garrido Ardilla, Juan Antonio (3 July 2025). "La ideología del PP". Revista de Prensa (in European Spanish). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "RESUMEN PROGRAMA ELECTORAL EN LECTURA FÁCIL" (PDF). plenainclusionmadrid.org. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ Negro, Ángel (6 July 2023). "¿Cuáles son los ejes principales del programa de Sumar?" (in Spanish). Antena 3. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "100 Medidas para la España Viva" (PDF). newtral.es. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "Guía de Títulos". diputaciondelagrandezaytitulosdelreino.es (in Spanish). Diputación de la Grandeza y Títulos del Reino. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Guía de Títulos" (in Spanish). Diputación de la Grandeza y Títulos del Reino. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ Cervera, César (9 February 2022). "Cuando los Reyes de León se proclamaron Emperadores de España por encima de Castilla". Diario ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "Spain". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 2, 2009. Archived from the original on January 18, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ "Vigente Constitución Española, 1978". noticias.juridicas.com (in Spanish). Noticias Jurídicas. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ Jones, Sam (5 October 2022). "Spain passes law to bring 'justice' to Franco-era victims". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Royal Decree 521/2020, of May 19, which establishes the basic organization of the Armed Forces". BOE.es. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "Luis Buñuel - Hispanopedia". es.hispanopedia.com (in Spanish). Etapa mexicana. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Pedro ALMODÓVAR". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Linda Blachly, Linda Blachly (29 November 2017). "Iberia remodels T4 lounge at Madrid Airport". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017.
- ^ "Renfe". thetrainline.com. Trainline. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ Torre, Juan Pedro de la (19 March 2023). "La española Montesa sigue en pie, y más allá de las motos de trial" (in Spanish). El Confidencial. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
External links
- Overviews
- Encyclopædia Britannica's Spain Portal site
- IberiaNature Archived 2005-01-20 at the Wayback Machine A guide to the environment, geography, climate, wildlife, natural history and landscape of Spain
- Library of Congress Spain Country Series site
- Local Spanish news and features
- Maps of Spain: satellite images, relief maps, outlines and themed maps of Spanish autonomous communities, provinces and municipalities
- Spain: CIA World Factbook entry — updated in May 2006
- Spain: The Economist Country Briefings entry
- Government
- administracion.es e-government Portal
- Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria Archived 2008-12-16 at the Wayback Machine — Tax Agency
- Casa Real.es - Spanish Royal Family
- Congreso de los Diputados — Congress of Deputies
- Dates in Spanish history
- El Senado - Senate
- La Moncloa.es — Prime Minister
- Other
- INEBase — National Institute of Statistics
- Languages of Spain
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Official Website of Tourism in Spain
- History of Spain Primary history documents