Map of Spain | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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Location: Southwestern Europe bordering the Mediterranean Sea North Atlantic Ocean Bay of Biscay and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N 4 00 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 505,370 km²
Rank: 52
Land: 498,980 km²
Water: 6,390 km²
Note: there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas Penon de Alhucemas and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

Land boundaries
Total: 1917.8 km
Border countries: (5) Andorra 63.7 km; France 623 km; Gibraltar 1.2 km; Portugal 1214 km; Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km; Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km

Coastline: 4,964 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

Climate: temperate; clear hot summers in interior more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy cold winters in interior partly cloudy and cool along coast

Terrain: large flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Natural resources: coal lignite iron ore copper lead zinc uranium tungsten mercury pyrites magnesite fluorspar gypsum sepiolite kaolin potash hydropower arable land

Land use
Arable land: 27.18%
Permanent crops: 9.85%
Other: 62.97% (2005)

Irrigated land: 38,000 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 111.1 km³ (2005)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts occasional flooding
Volcanism: Spain experiences volcanic activity in the Canary Islands located off Africa's northwest coast; Teide (elev. 3,715 m) has been deemed a 'Decade Volcano' by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; La Palma (elev. 2,426 m) which last erupted in 1971 is the most active of the Canary Islands volcanoes; Lanzarote is the only other historically active volcano

Geography
Note: strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas


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Population: 46,754,784 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 27
Growth rate: 0.574% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 145
Below poverty line: 19.8% (2005)

Nationality
Noun: Spaniard
Adjective: Spanish

Ethnic groups: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types

Languages: Castilian Spanish (official) 74% Catalan 17% Galician 7% and Basque 2%
Note: Catalan is official in Catalonia the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community (where it is known as Valencian); in the northwest corner of Catalonia (Vall d'Aran) Aranese is official along with Catalan; Galician is official in Galicia; Basque is official in the Basque Country

Religions: Roman Catholic 94% other 6%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.1%
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 16,036,556/female 15,637,090)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 3,389,681/female 4,609,532) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 40.5 years
Male: 39.3 years
Female: 41.9 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.574% (2011 est.)
Rank: 145

Birth rate: 10.66 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 179

Death rate: 8.8 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 79

Net migration rate: 3.89 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 25

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 77% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification
International agreements party to: Air Pollution Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds Antarctic-Environmental Protocol Antarctic-Marine Living Resources Antarctic Treaty Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Marine Life Conservation Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Tropical Timber 83 Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.065 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.39 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 212
Male: 3.74 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.03 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.17 years
Rank: 14
Male: 78.16 years
Female: 84.37 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 188

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 3.705 physicians/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 20

Hospital bed density: 3.22 beds/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 66

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 77
People living with hivaids: 130,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 35
Deaths: 1600 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 58

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 15.6% (2007)
Rank: 34

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.3% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 94

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.9%
Male: 98.7%
Female: 97.2% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2008)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain
Conventional short form: Spain
Local long form: Reino de Espana
Local short form: Espana

Government type: parliamentary monarchy

Capital
Name: Madrid
Geographic coordinates: 40 24 N 3 41 W
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Note: Spain is divided into two time zones including the Canary Islands

Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas singular - comunidad autonoma) and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia Aragon Asturias Baleares (Balearic Islands) Ceuta* Canarias (Canary Islands) Cantabria Castilla-La Mancha Castilla y Leon Cataluna (Catalonia) Comunidad Valenciana (Valencian Community) Extremadura Galicia La Rioja Madrid Melilla* Murcia Navarra Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
Note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small islands of Islas Chafarinas Penon de Alhucemas and Penon de Velez de la Gomera administered directly by the Spanish central government are all along the coast of Morocco and are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania)

Dependent areas

Independence: 1492; the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain

National holiday: National Day 12 October (1492); year when Columbus first set foot in the Americas

Constitution: approved by legislature 31 October 1978; passed by referendum 6 December 1978; signed by the king 27 December 1978

Legal system: civil law system with regional variations

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I ; Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE son of the monarch born 30 January 1968
Head of government: President of the Government (Prime Minister equivalent) Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004); First Vice President (and Minister of the Interior) Alfredo Perez RUBALCABA (since 20 October 2010) Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Elena SALGADO Mendez (since 8 April 2009) and Third Vice President (and Minister of Regional Affairs) Manuel CHAVES Gonzalez (since 8 April 2009)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
Note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government but its recommendations are non-binding
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually proposed president by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly; election last held on 20 November 2011 (next to be held in November 2015); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president
Election results: Mariano RAJOY elected President of the Government; percent of National Assembly vote - NA; note - RAJOY will become prime minister on 20 or 21 December 2011

Legislative branch: bicameral; General Courts or Las Cortes Generales (National Assembly) consists of the Senate or Senado (264 seats as of 2008; 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 56 - as of 2008 - appointed by the regional legislatures; members to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; each of the 50 electoral provinces fills a minimum of two seats and the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla fill one seat each with members serving a four-year term; the other 248 members are determined by proportional representation based on popular vote on block lists who serve four-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 20 November 2011 (next to be held by November 2015); Congress of Deputies - last held on 20 November 2011 (next to be held by November 2015)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 136 PSOE 48 CiU 9 EAJ/PNV 4 Amaiur 3 other 8 members appointed by regional legislatures 56; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 186 PSOE 110 CiU 16 IU 11 Amaiur 7 UPyD 5 EAJ/PNV 5 other 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo

Political parties and leaders: Amaiur [Inaki ANTIGUEDAD]; Basque Nationalist Party or PNV or EAJ [Inigo URKULLU Renteria]; Canarian Coalition or CC [Claudina MORALES Rodriquez] (a coalition of five parties); Convergence and Union or CiU [Josep Antoni DURAN i LLEIDA] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Artur MAS i Gavarro] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN i LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a Senate coalition grouping four Catalan parties - PSC ERC ICV EUA); Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Guillerme VAZQUEZ Vazquez]; Initiative for Catalonia Greens or ICV [Joan SAURA i Laporta]; Navarra Yes or NaBai [collective leadership] (a coalition of four Navarran parties); Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY Brey]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Joan PUIGCERCOS i Boixassa]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Alfredo PEREZ]; Union of People of Navarra or UPN [Yolanda BARCINA Angulo]; Union Progress and Democracy or UPyD [Rosa DIEZ Gonzalez]; United Left or IU [Cayo LARA Moya] (a coalition of parties including the Communist Party of Spain or PCE and other small parties)

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) AfDB (nonregional member) Arctic Council (observer) Australia Group BCIE BIS CBSS (observer) CE CERN EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EMU ESA EU FAO FATF IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC LAIA (observer) MIGA MONUSCO NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA Schengen Convention SECI (observer) SICA (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL Union Latina UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jorge DEZCALLAR de Mazarredo
In the us chancery: 2,375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100 728-2,340
In the us fax: [1] (202) 833-5,670
In the us consulate general: Boston Chicago Houston Los Angeles Miami New Orleans New York San Francisco San Juan (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alan D. SOLOMONT
From the us embassy: Serrano 75 28,006 Madrid
From the us mailing address: PSC 61 APO AE 9,642
From the us telephone: [34] (91) 587-2,200
From the us fax: [34] (91) 587-2,303
From the us consulate general: Barcelona

Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top) yellow (double width) and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left Castile Leon Navarre and Aragon) while Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield; the arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; the red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of 'Plus Ultra' (further beyond) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe; the triband arrangement with the center stripe twice the width of the outer dates to the 18th century
Note: the red and yellow colors are related to those of the oldest Spanish kingdoms: Aragon Castile Leon and Navarre

National symbols: Pillars of Hercules

National anthem
Name: 'Himno Nacional Espanol'
Lyricsmusic: none/unknown
Note: officially in use between 1770 and 1931 restored in 1939; the Spanish anthem has no lyrics; in the years prior to 1931 it became known as 'Marcha Real' (The Royal March); it first appeared in a 1761 military bugle call book and was replaced by 'Himno de Riego' in the years between 1931 and 1939; the long version of the anthem is used for the king while the short version is used for the prince prime minister and occasions such as sporting events

National heritage


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Economy overview: Spain's mixed capitalist economy is the 13th largest in the world and its per capita income roughly matches that of Germany and France. However after almost 15 years of above average GDP growth the Spanish economy began to slow in late 2007 and entered into a recession in the second quarter of 2008. GDP contracted by 3.7% in 2009 ending a 16-year growth trend and by another 0.2% in 2010 making Spain the last major economy to emerge from the global recession. The reversal in Spain's economic growth reflected a significant decline in construction amid an oversupply of housing and falling consumer spending while exports actually have begun to grow. Government efforts to boost the economy through stimulus spending extended unemployment benefits and loan guarantees did not prevent a sharp rise in the unemployment rate which rose from a low of about 8% in 2007 to 20% in 2010. The government budget deficit worsened from 3.8% of GDP in 2008 to 9.2% of GDP in 2010 more than three times the euro-zone limit. Spain's large budget deficit and poor economic growth prospects have made it vulnerable to financial contagion from other highly-indebted euro zone members despite the government's efforts to cut spending privatize industries and boost competitiveness through labor market reforms. Spanish banks' high exposure to the collapsed domestic construction and real estate market also poses a continued risk for the sector. The government oversaw a restructuring of the savings bank sector in 2010 and provided some $15 billion in capital to various institutions. Investors remain concerned that Madrid may need to bail out more troubled banks. The Bank of Spain however is seeking to boost confidence in the financial sector by pressuring banks to come clean about their losses an

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 14
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 190

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 48
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.3%
Industry: 26%
Services: 70.7% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: grain vegetables olives wine grapes sugar beets citrus; beef pork poultry dairy products; fish

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: 0.8% (2010 est.)
Rank: 148

Labor force: 23.09 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 28
By occupation agriculture: 4.2%
By occupation industry: 24%
By occupation services: 71.7% (2009 est.)

Unemployment rate: 18% (2009 est.)
Rank: 166

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 19.8% (2005)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.6%
Highest 10: 26.6% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 32.5 (1990)
Rank: 106

Budget
Revenues: $503.8 billion
Expenditures: $634.2 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -9.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 194

Taxes and other revenues: 35.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 63

Public debt: 53.3% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 35

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: -0.2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 64

Central bank discount rate: 1.75% (31 December 2009)
Rank: 123
Note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.964% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 142

Stock of narrow money: $881.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 8
Note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 17 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Stock of broad money: $2.522 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 8

Stock of domestic credit: $3.451 trillion (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 8

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 10

Current account balance: -$75.31 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 195

Exports: $228.7 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 19
Commodities: machinery motor vehicles; foodstuffs pharmaceuticals medicines other consumer goods
Partners: France 18.7% Germany 10.7% Portugal 9.1% Italy 9% UK 6.3% (2010)

Imports: $287.7 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 14
Commodities: machinery and equipment fuels chemicals semifinished goods foodstuffs consumer goo
Partners: Germany 12.6% France 11.5% Italy 7.3% China 6.8% Netherlands 5.6% UK 4.9% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $28.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 46

Debt external: $2.166 trillion (30 June 2010)
Rank: 8

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $634.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 7

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $648.5 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 10

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 275.1 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 13
Consumption: 267.5 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 14
Exports: 14.86 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 8.104 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 48 million m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 84
Consumption: 35.82 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 26
Exports: 1.152 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 36
Imports: 36.71 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 10
Proven reserves: 2.548 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 96

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 19.904 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 14
Mobile cellular: 51.493 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 25

Telephone system
General assessment: well developed modern facilities; fixed-line teledensity is roughly 50 per 100 persons
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is nearly 175 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 34; submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe Middle East Asia and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries

Broadcast media: a mixture of both publicly-operated and privately-owned TV and radio stations broadcasting; overall hundreds of TV channels are available including national regional local public and international channels; satellite and cable TV systems are accessible; multiple national radio networks a large number of regional radio networks and a larger number of local radio stations broadcasting; overall hundreds of radio stations operating (2008)

Internet
Country code: .es
Hosts: 3.822 million (2010)
Hosts rank: 23
Users: 28.119 million (2009)
Users rank: 14

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 121

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 154 (2010)
Rank: 35
With paved runways total: 97
With paved runways over 3047 m: 18
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 13
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 18
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 24
With paved runways under 914 m: 24 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 57
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 16
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 38 (2010)

Heliports: 9 (2010)

Pipelines: gas 9,359 km; oil 560 km; refined products 3,441 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 15,293 km
Rank: 18
Broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 1392 km 1.435-m gauge (1054 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 1954 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (2010)

Roadways
Total: 681,298 km
Rank: 10
Paved: 681,298 km (includes 15,152 km of expressways) (2008)

Waterways: 1000 km (2009)
Rank: 65

Merchant marine
Total: 138
Rank: 44
By type: bulk carrier 7 cargo 17 chemical tanker 12 container 8 liquefied gas 13 passenger 1 passenger/cargo 40 petroleum tanker 17 refrigerated cargo 5 roll on/roll off 13 vehicle carrier 5
Foreign owned: 26 (Canada 5 Denmark 2 Germany 5 Italy 1 Mexico 2 Norway 10 Switzerland 1)
Registered in other countries: 107 (Angola 1 Argentina 3 Bahamas 9 Belize 1 Brazil 12 Cape Verde 1 Cyprus 7 France 1 Malta 10 Nigeria 1 Panama 40 Portugal 15 Uruguay 5 Venezuela 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Algeciras Barcelona Bilbao Cartagena Huelva Tarragona Valencia (Spain); Las Palmas Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands)


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Disputes international: in 2002 Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any 'shared sovereignty' arrangement; the government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta Melilla and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas and surrounding waters; both countries claim Isla Perejil (Leila Island); Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: despite rigorous law enforcement efforts North African Latin American Galician and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime