Spain

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
  - Vegetation
  - Wildlife
  - Fish
People
- Ethnic groups
  - The Romans
  - The Visigoths
  - The Muslims
  - Recent arrivals
  - The Gitano minority
- Languages
  - Castilian
  - Catalan
  - Galician
  - Euskera
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
  - Human landscape
  - Migration
  - Urbanization
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  - Agriculture
  - Forestry
  - Fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labor and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
  - Railroads
  - Roads
  - Air travel
  - Maritime transport
  - Telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Regional government
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
  - National parties
  - Regional parties
  - Minor parties
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- Daily life and social customs
  - Organization of the day
  - Food and drink
  - Internationalization of culture
  - Festivals and holidays
- The arts
  - Music
  - Literature
  - Theater
  - Visual arts
  - Architecture
  - Cinema
- Cultural institutions
  - Museums
  - Libraries and archives
  - Academies and institutes
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
  - The press
  - Television and radio
History
- Pre-Roman Spain
  - Prehistory
  - Phoenicians
  - Greeks
  - Iberians
  - Celts
- Roman Spain
  - The conquest
  - Romanization
  - Administration
  - Economy
  - Religion
  - Roman remains
- Visigothic Spain to c. 500
- The Visigothic kingdom
- Christian Spain from the Muslim invasion to about 1260
  - The Christian states, 711–1035
  - The medieval empire, 1035–1157
  - The rise of Castile and Aragon
  - Society, economy, and culture
- Christian Spain, c. 1260–1479
  - Castile and León, 1252–1479
  - Castilian institutions, society, and culture
- Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia, 1276–1479
  - Aragonese institutions and society
  - Aragonese culture
- Muslim Spain
  - The conquest
  - The independent emirate
  - The caliphate of Córdoba
  - The ṭāʾifas
  - The Almoravids
  - The Almohads
  - Granada
  - Society
  - The economy
  - Culture of Muslim Spain
    - Literature
    - Philosophy
    - Science
- United Spain under the Catholic Monarchs
  - The union of Aragon and Castile
    - Aragon and Catalonia
    - Castile
  - The Spanish Inquisition
    - The conversos
    - The statutes of limpieza
  - The conquest of Granada
  - Spain and the New World
    - Colonial policy
    - The Atlantic trade
- Spain under the Habsburgs
  - Charles I
    - The comunero movement
    - The nobility
    - Charles I’s foreign policy
  - Philip II
    - Finance and imperial policy
    - The Moriscos
    - Portugal and Aragon
  - Lepanto
  - Spain in 1600
    - Spain’s Golden Age in literature
    - The “Golden Age” in architecture and painting
  - The reign of Philip III
    - The expulsion of the Moriscos
    - Spain and Europe
  - Philip IV’s reign
    - Spain and the Thirty Years’ War
    - The government of Olivares
    - The revolt of Catalonia
    - The revolt of Portugal
    - The last years of Philip IV
  - Charles II
    - The French wars
    - The decline of Spain
- The early Bourbons, 1700–53
  - The War of the Spanish Succession
  - “American” and “Italian” policies
- The reign of Charles III, 1759–88
  - Economic revival
  - Imperial problems
  - Domestic reforms
- Charles IV and the French Revolution
- The French invasion and the War of Independence, 1808–14
  - The War of Independence
  - The Constitution of Cadiz, 1812
- Ferdinand VII, 1814–33
  - The failure of liberalism
  - The “ominous decade,” 1823–33
- Isabella II, 1833–68
  - The Carlist wars
  - Moderates, progressives, and the generals
  - Economic expansion
- The Revolution of 1868 and the Republic of 1873
- The restored monarchy, 1875–1923
  - Stability, 1875–98
  - Opposition movements, 1898–1923
- Primo de Rivera (1923–30) and the Second Republic (1931–36)
  - Primo de Rivera
  - The Second Republic
- The Civil War
- Franco’s Spain, 1939–75
- Spain since 1975
  - Transition to democracy
  - The administration of Felipe González, 1982–96
  - Spain at the beginning of the 21st century
    - The Aznar regime
    - Zapatero and a new generation of Socialist leadership
    - Economic downturn
  - Austerity, indignados, and the rise of third parties
    - The Rajoy administration
    - Economic recovery and Catalonian independence
Kings and queens regnant of Spain

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Political map of Spain showing regional boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries including Portugal, France, and Andorra. The map also features the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa, and a locator inset highlighting Spain's position in southwestern Europe.

Granada: Alhambra

Map highlighting Spain in southwestern Europe, shown in tan with its capital Madrid labeled. Surrounding countries and regions include Portugal to the west, France to the northeast, Morocco to the south across the Mediterranean Sea, and the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa. Neighboring bodies of water, such as the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, are also labeled.

Andalusia, Spain

Alcazar of Toledo

The stone Alcala Gate monument in Madrid, Spain, features five arches and classical statues on top, with red flowers planted at its base.

Barcelona: Torre Agbar

Christopher Columbus's fleet

At a Glance

default image

Spain: Media

country, Europe

Videos

The art of making Spanish tapas

The art of making Spanish tapas

Overview of tapas.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Igor Dutina/Dreamstime.com

How did Spain become a colonial power in America?

How did Spain become a colonial power in America?

Overview of Spain's colonial history.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Heritage Pictures/Dreamstime.com

Experience the scenic landscapes and landmarks of Catalonia, Spain

Experience the scenic landscapes and landmarks of Catalonia, Spain

Time-lapse video of Catalonia, Spain.

Video: Piotr Wancerz/Timelapse Media (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

The future of solar power: Multi-junction solar cells

The future of solar power: Multi-junction solar cells

Learn about efforts to increase the efficiency of solar cells.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Andrii Shevchuk/Dreamstime.com

Discover Columbus's voyage to America and the majestic cathedrals and basilicas bear witness to the spread of Catholicism in the South

Discover Columbus's voyage to America and the majestic cathedrals and basilicas bear witness to the spread of Catholicism in the South

From Columbus' hallowed voyage to the majestic cathedrals and basilicas, southern...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Spain

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of Spain showing regional boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries including Portugal, France, and Andorra. The map also features the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa, and a locator inset highlighting Spain's position in southwestern Europe.

Spain

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Granada: Alhambra

Granada: Alhambra

The Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

© neftali/Fotolia

Map highlighting Spain in southwestern Europe, shown in tan with its capital Madrid labeled. Surrounding countries and regions include Portugal to the west, France to the northeast, Morocco to the south across the Mediterranean Sea, and the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa. Neighboring bodies of water, such as the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, are also labeled.

Spain

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Andalusia, Spain

Andalusia, Spain

This image of a village in Andalusia, Spain, shows housing typical of the region.

© David Warren/SuperStock

Alcazar of Toledo

Alcazar of Toledo

Alcazar (fortress) of Toledo, Spain.

© Getty Images

The stone Alcala Gate monument in Madrid, Spain, features five arches and classical statues on top, with red flowers planted at its base.

Puerta de Alcalá

The Puerta de Alcalá, Madrid.

© Ryan McVay—Photodisc/Getty Images

Barcelona: Torre Agbar

Barcelona: Torre Agbar

Torre Agbar skyscraper at night in Barcelona.

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Christopher Columbus's fleet

Christopher Columbus's fleet

Illustration depicting Christopher Columbus's fleet departing from Spain in 1492.

Kean Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Ibiza

Ibiza

Ibiza city and port, Spain.

Josef Muench

La Mancha

La Mancha

Isolated farmstead in the region of La Mancha in the southern Meseta Central, south-central...

© wellych/Fotolia

Teide Peak rises above rugged volcanic rock formations and sparse vegetation on Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

Teide Peak, Canary Islands, Spain

Teide Peak on Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.

© vitalytitov—iStock/Getty Images

Iberian Peninsula; International Space Station

Iberian Peninsula; International Space Station

The Iberian Peninsula seen from the International Space Station, July 26, 2014.

NASA

Júcar River and a 14th-century castle

Júcar River and a 14th-century castle

The Júcar River flowing past a 14th-century castle at Cofrentes, Valencia, Spain.

Robert Frerck/Odyssey Productions

Almería, Spain

Almería, Spain

Old northwest section of Almería, Spain.

Richard Wilkie/Black Star

Narrow alleyway in Toledo, Spain, bordered by tall brick and stone buildings with barred windows and a streetlamp overhead.

alley in Toledo, Spain

Alley in Toledo, Spain.

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

population density of Spain

population density of Spain

Population density of Spain.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Court of the Myrtles at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, showing a long rectangular reflecting pool bordered by trimmed hedges and arched colonnades, with a large tower behind.

Spain: Alhambra

The Court of the Myrtles is one of the principal courts of the Alhambra, in Granada,...

© MrFred/Shutterstock.com

Plate of golden churros next to a white cup filled with thick hot chocolate, set on a table in Valencia, Spain.

churros

Plate of churros with a mug of hot chocolate for drinking or dipping, at a café in...

© Roberto Machado Noa—Moment/Getty Images

Crowd of runners in white clothing with red scarves run alongside bulls on a cobblestone street during the Running of the Bulls at the Fiesta de San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain.

running of the bulls

The running (encierro) of the bulls during the Fiesta de San Fermín, Pamplona,...

© Cesar Manso—AFP/Getty Images

Sagrada Família, Barcelona

Sagrada Família, Barcelona

View of the Nativity facade of the Sagrada Família, Barcelona, designed by Antoni...

© raiwa—iStock/Getty Images

Julian Lopez El Juli, dressed in a blue and gold bullfighter costume, faces a charging bull while holding a pink and yellow cape in a sandy bullring in Barcelona.

Juli, El; bullfighting

Spanish matador El Juli engaging a bull, June 6, 2010, Barcelona.

© Natursports/Shutterstock.com

Atapuerca

Atapuerca

Cave in Atapuerca, northern Spain.

byj2000

Ceiling of the Altamira replica cave at the National Archeological Museum in Madrid, Spain, showing textured rock surface with reddish-brown cave paintings.

cave painting in Altamira, Spain

Cave painting of a bison, Altamira, Spain.

© Juan Aunion/Shutterstock.com

Map of the Iberian Peninsula highlighting the main pilgrimage routes of the Camino de Santiago across Spain, Portugal, and a portion of southern France. Color-coded lines trace the Finisterre, Frances, Ingles, Norte, Portugues Central, Portugues Coastal, and Via de la Plata routes, all converging toward Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Major cities along the routes, such as Lisbon, Porto, Burgos, Leon, and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, are labeled.

Main routes of the Camino de Santiago

The Camino de Santiago is a network of Christian pilgrimage routes that lead to Santiago...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

Alfonso VI

Alfonso VI

Alfonso VI, print by Arnold van Westerhout, 1684.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (RP-P-2020-999)

Court of the Lions

Court of the Lions

Court of the Lions, the Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

© Jose Ignacio Soto/Fotolia

Gilt and polychrome relief by Alonso de Mena showing Ferdinand II on the left and Isabella on the right, both with hands raised in prayer, framed by ornate gold trim.

Ferdinand and Isabella

Ferdinand II (left) and his wife, Isabella I, relief with gilt and polychromy by...

© DEA/G. DAGLI ORTI—De Agostini/Getty Images

Engraving depicting a dungeon scene during the Spanish Inquisition, with hooded figures torturing prisoners using various devices while officials observe and record at a table.

Inquisition

Suspected Protestants being tortured as heretics during the Spanish Inquisition.

©Steven Wright/Dreamstime.com

Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimental, conde-duque de Olivares

Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimental, conde-duque de Olivares

Portrait of Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimental, conde-duque de Olivares, oil on canvas by...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889 (89.4.3479); www.metmuseum.org

Diego Velázquez: painting of Philip III

Diego Velázquez: painting of Philip III

Philip III, painting by Diego Velázquez, 1631–36; in the Prado Museum, Madrid.

© Alfredo Dagli Orti/Shutterstock.com

Madrid: Philip IV statue

Madrid: Philip IV statue

Equestrian statue of Philip IV in the Plaza de Oriente, Madrid.

Jeannine Deubel

Painting by Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes showing Charles IV of Bourbon in a red, ornate suit with blue sash, standing against a dark green draped background.

Francisco Goya: portrait of Charles IV

Charles IV, oil on canvas by Francisco Goya, c. 1789; in the Prado Museum,...

© DeAgostini/Getty Images

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, detail of an engraving by Aruselio Carretero.

Courtesy of the Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid

Antique map from 1902 showing Spain, Portugal, and Andorra with detailed political boundaries, cities, and geographic features. Insets display the Azores Islands, Canary Islands, Madeira Island, and Gibraltar, providing additional detail for these territories.

Iberian Peninsula and Andorra, c. 1900

Map of the Iberian Peninsula, Andorra, and nearby islands (c. 1900) from...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Miguel Primo de Rivera

Miguel Primo de Rivera

Miguel Primo de Rivera

Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe (3/1/0/17/6510)

Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco

Spanish political leader Francisco Franco, 1954.

Archive Photos—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Armored vehicle carrying Franco soldiers drives through Plaza Catalina in Barcelona as crowds line the street during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s.

Spanish Civil War

Gen. Francisco Franco's troops in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, late 1930s.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War

Spanish Nationalists in position along the rugged Huesca front in northern Spain...

AP Images

Pablo Picasso: Guernica

Pablo Picasso: Guernica

Guernica, oil on canvas by Pablo Picasso, 1937; in the Museo Nacional Centro...

© Fine Art Images/age fotostock

José María Aznar

José María Aznar

José María Aznar, 2003.

Staff Sgt. Michelle Michaud/U.S. Air Force

Madrid train bombings of 2004

Madrid train bombings of 2004

Rescue workers evacuating the bodies of victims of a terrorist train bombing near...

Paul White—AP/REX/Shutterstock.com

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in a suit and tie, looking forward with a neutral expression against a plain background.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, 2011.

Chris Jackson—Chris Jackson Collection/Getty Images

Ibiza

Ibiza

Dwellings along the coastline of Ibiza, Spain.

© Goodshoot/Jupiterimages

Onda, Spain

Onda, Spain

Onda, Spain, with the Sierra de Espadán in the distance.

Columbusalbus

Port of Addaya

Port of Addaya

Port of Addaya, Minorca, Spain.

Jupiterimages

Map of Europe color-coded to show the expansion of the European Union by year of joining, distinguishing original 1993 members, later additions in 1995, 2004, 2007, and 2013, as well as candidate countries and the United Kingdom as a former member. Country names are labeled within their borders.

European Union

Map of Europe with European Union member states.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Historical Flags: Spanish

Historical Flags: Spanish

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Spain

Spain

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of Spain

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Spain.

Interactives

Spain: Ethnic composition

Spain: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Spain: Religious affiliation

Spain: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Spain: Urban-rural

Spain: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Spain: Age breakdown

Spain: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Spain: Major import sources

Spain: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Spain: Major export destinations

Spain: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The voyages of Christopher Columbus. His transatlantic journeys opened the way for European exploration and colonization of the Americas.

The voyages of Christopher Columbus. His transatlantic journeys opened the way for...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: