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Spain
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FactsBackground: Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. The government continues to battle the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorist organization, but its major focus for the immediate future will be on measures to reverse the severe economic recession that started in mid-2008. note: data are in 2010 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate): $1.375 trillion (2010 est.); GDP - real growth rate: -0.2% (2010 est.); -3.7% (2009 est.); 0.9% (2008 est.); GDP - per capita (PPP): $29,500 (2010 est.); $29,800 (2009 est.); $31,200 (2008 est.); note: data are in 2010 US dollars GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.9%; industry: 25.5%; services: 71.6% (2010 est.); Population below poverty line: 19.8% (2005); Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6%; highest 10%: 26.6% (2000); Labor force: 22.96 million (2010 est.); Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 4.2%; industry: 24%; services: 71.7% (2009 est.); Unemployment rate: 20% (2010 est.); 18.1% (2009 est.); Budget: revenues: $515.8 billion; expenditures: $648.6 billion (2010 est.); Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment; Industrial production growth rate: -2% (2010 est.); Electricity - production: 300.5 billion kWh (2008 est.); Electricity - consumption: 276.1 billion kWh (2008 est.); Electricity - exports: 16.92 billion kWh (2008 est.); Electricity - imports: 5.88 billion kWh (2008 est.); Statistics: CIA World Factbook. PressDisplaying 15 to 21 of 21 items. Gara(Basque-language), Donostia La Razón(Conservative), Madrid La Vanguardia(Independent), Barcelona La Voz de Galicia Las Provincias(Independent), Valencia Libertad Digital(Liberal, online newspaper), Madrid Times of Earth, The(English-language), Madrid Spain in the NewsDisplaying 1 to 4 of 27 items. The Legacy of GuernicaA quiet town in the heart of Basque Country, Guernica shows no visible signs of the bombardment it suffered during the Civil War 75 years ago. No EU-daimonia after LisbonLacking a democratic mandate and acting by stealth, E.U. elites have sought to make the Union a state in its own right, and a world power to boot. But have they gotten ahead of themselves? Ceuta, the Border-fence of EuropeIn the autonomous city of Ceuta, African refugees find temporary asylum leading nowhere, unable to cross into Spain, unwilling to return to the countries whence they came. UnpreparedBriefings for my semester abroad glossed over a key issue: how to ward off unwelcome sexual advances. |
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