Spain Essay -- essays research papers

SpainSpain, a country occupying the greater part of the Iberian Peninsula,and bounded on the north by the Bay of Biscay, France, and Andorra, and on the easterly by the Mediterranean Sea. The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and theCanary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa are governed asprovinces of Spain. Also, Spain administers two small exclaves in MoroccoCeutaand Melilla. The area of Spain, including the African and insular territories,is 194,885 sq mi. capital of Spain is the capital and largest city.PopulationThe Spanish people are essentially a mixture of the indigenous peoples of theIberian Peninsula with the sequent peoples who conquered the peninsula andoccupied it for extended periods. These added ethnologic elements overwhelm the roman letterss, a Mediterranean people, and the Suevi, Vandals, and Visigoths, Teutonicpeoples. Semitic elements are also present.Population CharacteristicsThe population of Spain at the 1991 census was 38,872,268. The think for 1995is 39,276,000, giving the country an overall density of around 202 per sq mi.Spain is increasingly urban, with more than 80 percent of the population intowns and cities.Principal CitiesThe capital and largest city is Madrid (population, greater city, 1991,3,010,492), also the capital of Madrid autonomous region the second largestcity, chief port, and commercial center is Barcelona, capital of Barcelonaprovince and Catalonia region. Other important cities include Valencia, capitalof Valencia province and Valencia region, a manufacturing and railroad centerSeville, a cultural center Saragossa, and Bilbao (369,839), a busy port.ReligionRoman Catholicism is professed by about 97 percent of the population. Thecountry is divided into 11 metropolitan and 52 suffragan sees. In addition, thearchdioceses of Barcelona and Madrid are directly responsible to the Holy See.Formerly, Roman Catholicism was the established church, but the 1978constitution decreed that Spain shall re move no state religion, while recognizingthe role of the Roman Catholic church in Spanish society. There are smallcommunities of Protestants, Jews, and Muslims.Higher EducationSpanish institutions of higher education enrolled nearly 1.3 million students inthe early 1990s. The major universities of Spain include the University ofMadrid, the Polytech... ...ed the ETA, which stepped up its terrorist activities.Meanwhile, Catalans pushed for greater control over local affairs, and demandedgreater language rights. The use of Catalan and nationalist sentiments increasedin and around Barcelona. The Galicians consistently distanced themselves fromMadrid, though ethnoregionalism remained weaker in Galicia than in eitherCatalonia or Basque Country. Surez governed through consensus, consulting allnonextremist parties when formulating basic policy. Catalonia and the BasqueCountry were granted home rule, and their languages were officially recognized.The constitution extended similar privileges to 15 other regions. Thus, themovement toward political centralization begun by Ferdinand and Isabella some500 years earlier was reversed, and a Spain of autonomous communities wascreated.In recent years, concerns over Spains environmental problems have grown. Thecountry has experienced increased air-pollution problems in Madrid and along thenortheastern coast, water pollution in agricultural and coastal areas, and soilerosion. Controversies arose over fast development along the Mediterraneancoast and threats to scenic attractions.