Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

Temperature

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Absolute earnings for every 1$

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

 

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

Population

Population density

Emigration

Immigration

Literacy

Health

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Buddhism (share of the total population)

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

Other religions (share of the total population)

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

In total, Spain spends US$17.177 million on its military, or 1.37 percent of its GDP. This makes Spain the 19th highest military spender in the world and represents 0.89 percent of total global military expenditure.

The military of Spain, the Spanish Armed Forces, have a Navy, and Air Force and ground forces. The Army is, headed by the King of Spain and is supported by NATO, which it joined at the end of the 20th century.  

Military membership

Spain is also a member of 13 international military organizations. This makes it the 11th most militarily connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Common Security and Defence Policy 
  • Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation 
  • Permanent Structured Cooperation 
  • Member state of NATO 
  • Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) 
  • Conference on Disarmament 
  • Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons 
  • Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 
  • Wassenaar Arrangement 
  • Nuclear Suppliers Group 
  • Australia Group 
  • Missile Technology Control Regime 
  • NATO 

Military membership

International wars

Spain has partaken in 69 international wars. These are: 

  • Little War in Hungary 1530-1551 
  • Thirty Years' War 1618-1648 
  • War of the Quadruple Alliance 1718-1710 
  • War of the Polish Succession 1733-1738 
  • Polish succession war 1733-1739 
  • Seven Years' War 1756-1763 
  • War of the League of Cambrai 1508-1516 
  • Italian War of 1511–16 
  • War of the League of Cognac 1516-1530 
  • Italian War of 1536–38 
  • Italian War of 1541–46 
  • Italian War of 1551–59 
  • Eighty Years' War 1568-1648 
  • Castilian War 1578-1578 
  • Second Desmond Rebellion 1579-1583 
  • War of the Portuguese Succession 1580-1583 
  • Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) 
  • Cambodian–Spanish War 1593-1597 
  • Nine Years' War 1594-1603 
  • Uskok War 1615-1618 
  • Anglo-Spanish War (1615–1630) 
  • Relief of Genoa 1615-1615 
  • Relief of Genoa 1615-1615 
  • Franco-Spanish War (1635–59) 

  • Catalan Revolt 1640-1659 

  • War of Devolution 1667-1668 
  • Franco-Dutch War 1671-1678 
  • War of the Reunions 1683-1684 
  • Nine Years' War 1688-1697 
  • Queen Anne's War 1701-1713 
  • Anglo-Spanish War (1717–1719) 
  • Spanish–Portuguese War (1735–1737) 
  • War of Jenkins' Ear 1739-1748 
  • Fantastic War 1761-1763 
  • American Revolutionary War 1775-1783 
  • Spanish–Portuguese War (1776–1777) 
  • Anglo-Spanish War 1779-1783

  • Haitian Revolution 1791-1804 

  • Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808) 
  • War of the Second Coalition 1798-1801 
  • War of the Oranges 1801-1801  
  • Napoleonic Wars 1803-1815 
  • invasion of Santo Domingo 1805-1805 
  • British invasions of the Río de la Plata 
  • Bolivian War of Independence 1809-1815 
  • Argentine War of Independence 1810-1818 
  • US occupation of West Florida 1810-1810 
  • Chilean War of Independence 1810-1816 
  • Mexican War of Independence 1810-1818 
  • Peruvian War of Independence 1811-1816 

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

In total, Spain is a member of 16 international political organizations. This makes it the 36th most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Member state of the United Nations 
  • International Labour Organization 
  • European Union 
  • the Council of Europe 
  • Energy Community 
  • European Cooperation in Science and Technology 
  • Organization of Ibero-American States 
  • UNIDROIT 

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

After the establishment of the new democratic system, Spain has seen regular elections with peaceful transitions of power as well as the judicial accountability of its of politicians. This makes Spain the 22nd most democratic state in the world. However, there are regions in northern Spain and northeastern Spain that seek to separate from Spain. 

Democracy/Dictatorship

The politics of Spain take place in the form of a constitutional monarchy where the king of Spain is head of state and the Prime Minister is head of government. This political system has been established in 1978 when it transitioned from a dictatorial system to a democratic system. Despite being head of state, the king mainly serves a ceremonial function where it formally appoints its prime ministers. 

  • International Criminal Court 

  • Interpol 

  • Permanent Court of Arbitration 

  • Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels 

  • Western European and Others Group 

  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 

  • World Organization for Animal Health 

  • International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property 

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If you want to know more about other states, click on the flag on the right to discover Sri Lanka.

Spain 

Known for its bullfighting and its cuisine, Spain, or the kingdom of Spain has seen large economic growths and contractions throughout the centuries. In its early history, the area was inhabited by the Celts as well as the Iberians. After becoming part of the Roman empire during the third century BCE, the area came under the control of the Visigoths Empire which ruled over Spain until the eighth century. At the start of the eight century, the Umayyad conquered the Spanish Peninsula and ruled over Spain until the start of the 11th century when they were expelled. Between the 11th and the 13th century, several smaller kingdoms fought for control over the Spanish Peninsula, but by 1469, through marriage of the Royals of the largest kingdoms, Spain was fully united. Since then, Spain expelled all Muslims and the Jews from it's the territory and entered a period of exploration and conquest. Between the 15th century and the 18th century, Spain controlled large portions of north and south America as well as current European, African and Asian states. However, due to subsequent wars with other states, the Spanish Empire started to decline which resulted in the loss of large parts of its territory and the independence of its former colonies. At the start of the 20th century, the territory of Spain only consisted of parts of the Iberian Peninsula as well as islands of the coast of Africa, Western Sahara and several exclaves in Morocco. Following the great depression, the Spanish king fled from Spain and a civil war broke out. This led to the establishment of a military dictatorship which lasted from 1939 until 1975. By the end of 1975, the dictatorship handed over power to the Spanish king and by 1982, a liberal democracy was established. Since then, Spain had joined the European union, but has struggled economically.

 Located on the Iberian Peninsula and bordering the Mediterranean Sea as well as the Atlantic Ocean, the geography of Spain mainly consists of high mountains with low coastal Plains and a low plane to its southwest. Most of its terrain is lightly vegetated with the exception of high elevated parts in its mountains which are lightly forested. In total, Spain borders 5 other states with Andorra and France to its north, the exclave of Gibraltar, which belongs to the United Kingdom to its east, Portugal to its west and Morocco through its extraterritorial exclaves. 

It is the 51st largest state with a total surface area of 508.522 square kilometers or 196.342 square miles. This makes Spain slightly smaller than Turkmenistan and slightly larger than Thailand. 

It has a total water surface area of 6.422 square kilometers or 2.482 square miles. This makes Spain the 62nd largest state in the world. 

 

Below, a graph is shown which displays the absolute amount of water of each state in square kilometers and square miles.

Most of its drinking water is derived from surface water with the remaining coming from groundwater. Most of its surface water is derived from the river Ebro which flows from the north of Spain towards the Mediterranean Sea to its east. Most of its tap water is considered safe to drink. 

The climate of Spain is a Mediterranean climate which has relatively hot and dry summers compared to other Mediterranean climates. The average temperature is 14.4 degrees Celsius or 58 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes Spain the 132nd warmest state in the world. 

Spain has four distinct seasons. During its summer period, from June to September, the average high temperature is 20.6 degrees Celsius or 69 degrees Fahrenheit. 

During its winter period, from December to February, the average low temperature is 11.1 degrees Celsius or 52 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Rainfall is heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It mainly occurs during winter and is unevenly distributed with its northern part and its southwestern part receiving the majority of its rainfall. On average, Spain receives 55.2 centimetres or 21.7 inches of rainfall per year which ranks it as the 154th highest in the world. 

The capital of Spain, Madrid, is home to roughly 5 million people. The closest capital is Andorra La Vella, Andorra, with a distance of 456 kilometers or 283 miles. The capital that is the furthest removed is Wellington, New Zealand, with a distance of 19.863 kilometers or 12.342 miles.  

The economy of Spain has seen a steady growth after joining the European union. However, after the financial crisis of 2008, the Spanish economy started to shrink which has led to high unemployment rates as well as the emigration of its highly educated people towards other European states. Today, the Spanish economy is a free-market economy which mainly exports vehicles and medical equipment. Its largest export partners are France and Germany which combined make up 25 percent of all exports. Most of its imports comes from France and Germany as well which represent 20 percent of all imports. 

Spain is a member of 20 international economic organizations. This makes it the 16th most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • African development Bank 
  • Asian Development Bank 
  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 
  • Bank for International Settlements 
  • Council of Europe Development Bank 
  • Financial Action Task Force 
  • Inter-American Development Bank 
  • International Energy Agency 
  • International Monetary Fund 
  • OECD - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development   
  • World Bank Group 
  • World Customs Organization 
  • World Trade Organization 
  • TRACECA Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia 
  • Central American Bank for Economic Integration 
  • International Energy Agency 
  • Energy Charter Treaty 
  • Energy Community 
  • Nuclear Energy Agency 
  • International Renewable Energy Agency 

It has a GDP of US$1.030.451 million, which makes it the 16th highest in the world and represents 1.23 percent of total global GDP.  

Its GDP per surface area is the 49th highest in the world with US$2.026.364 per square kilometer or US$5.248.248 per square mile.  

Its GDP per capita is the 35th highest in the world with US$27.564. 

The absolute earnings (GDP per capita) reflect the average yearly income. The figure below shows how much, on average, an inhabitant of another state earns for every $1 earned by a citizen of this state.

Its purchasing power parity per capita is the 35th highest in the world with US$39.546. 

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of this state with that of the rest of the world. The graph on the left shows how much purchasing power of 1$ compared to the purchasing power of other states

Spain has the 30th highest population in the world with nearly 47 million people. The majority of its population are ethnic Spanish which are made up of different groups such as the Basques and the Catalonian's which have a slightly distinct language from Spanish.  

It has the 94th highest population density in the world with 92 people per square kilometer or 238 people per square mile.  

Three percent of its population, or 1.4 million people, have migrated to other states. This makes Spain the 51st state with the highest number of emigrants and represents 0.56 percent of total global emigration. The main reason has been the high unemployment rates in Spain which motivated many Spaniards to migrate to other European states. The largest recipient of Spanish migrants has been France which is responsible for 25 percent of all migrants. 

12.9 percent of the population, or just over 6 million people have migrated to Spain. This makes Spain the ninth state with the highest number of immigrants and represents 2.42 percent of total global immigration. The majority of migrants to Spain come from former Spanish colonies with South America and Morrocco making up the bulk of all migrants. There is also a sizable population from the United Kingdom which mainly consists of pensioners. 

Education in Spain is free and compulsory between the ages of six and sixteen. This has been made into law since the 1980s which has led to a literacy rate of 97.7 percent which is the 61st highest in the world. 

The Spanish health care system is based on free and universal healthcare which is being implemented in each of the 17 autonomous regions within Spain. Like other European states, Spain faces health risks that are related to lifestyle choices such as tobacco consumption and obesity related diseases. The average life expectancy is 84 years which is the 6th highest in the world. Women have an average life expectancy of 86.7 years, while men have an average life expectancy of 81.3 years. 

The government of Spain provides freedom of religion towards all religions and since the end of the 20th century does not adhere to an official state religion. However, the Catholic church has received a disproportionate amount of state support. 

Spain is the 97th most Christian state in the world with 65.6 percent of its population adhering to Christianity. The largest denomination has been Roman Catholicism which has established itself as the dominant religion after the expulsion of the Muslim population.

Islam has been the dominant religion in Spain under the Umayyad rule that lasted until the end of the 15th century. After the expulsion of Muslims, Morocco tried to invade Spanish cities in northern Africa, but after failing, the territory was carved up between the Spanish and the French. From the end of the Spanish Civil War until joining the European union, Spain had visa free policy with Morocco which led to a high number of Moroccan emigrants moving to Spain. Today, 2.3 percent of the population adheres to Islam which makes Spain the 110th most Islamic state in the world. 

Buddhism is represented by 0.07 percent of the population and arrived in Spain by the end of the 20th century. Since then, there are more than 200 different Buddhist centers throughout Spain. 

Roughly 0.05 percent of the population adheres to Hinduism. These are mainly Indian and Pakistani migrants that crossed the border between Gibraltar and Spain. The largest denomination has been the Krishna denomination which has more than 30 different places of worship throughout Spain. 

Judaism is represented by 0.08 percent of the population. After the expulsion of the Jews in the 16th century, many Jews fled to other places within Europe. today, a small portion of Jews have returned and are mainly situated in the largest cities of Spain.  

Other religions are represented by 0.09 percent of the population and are mainly heathen religions, pagan religions as well as Wiccan religions. These are mainly imported religions, but are also native to the north of Spain. 

Irreligion is represented by 12.7 percent of the population.