Spain
| Population | 45.2 m |
| Capital | Madrid |
| Surface area | 506,000 km2 |
| Official Languages | Castilian is the official language of the Spanish state; Catalan is an official language in Catalonia, and Basque in the Basque Country |
| Gross domestic product (GDP) (in euros) | 1,132 bn |
| GDP as a % of EU-27, based on 2009 data | 8.5 |
| GDP per capita by purchasing power standards (indexed to EU average of 100) | 103.4 |
| Currency | Euro |
| Human development index (HDI), an index based on life expectancy, education and GDP (max. 1) | 0.949 |
| World rank in HDI | 27/177 |
| Key economic sectors (% of GDP in 2002) | Services (66.5); industry (30.1); agriculture (3.4) |
| Leading companies | Telefónica SA (mobile phone network); Banco Santander Central Hispanico (bank); Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (bank) |
| Unemployment in January 2010 | 18.8% (source: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table) |
| Main religious denominations (numbers in millions) | Roman Catholic (42.3); other Christians (0.25); Muslim (0.45) |
| Political system | A constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, with a bicameral legislature, the lower house called the Congress of Deputies, the upper house the Senate. The prime minister appoints the cabinet, but need not choose every member from the parliament. |
| Electoral system | Proportional representation from closed party lists for the Congress of Deputies; a simple majority system according to regional quotas for the Senate. |
| Current (March 2010) leaders | Prime minister: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (b. 1960), since March 2004 |
| Previous leaders: | Prime ministers: José María Aznar (1996-2004); Felipe Gonzalez (1982-96); Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo (1981-82) |
| Joined the EU/EC | 1986 |
| Commissioner from country in Barroso II College of Commissioners, and portfolio | Joaquín Almunia (Competition, Vice-President of the Commission) |
| Number of MEPs | 54/745 |
| Turnout in 2009 EP elections (%) | 46.0 |
| Member of eurozone | Yes (founder member) |
Except where a specific reference is inserted, the sources for this profile are either Neill Nugent’s book itself, or Barry Turner (ed.), The Statesman’s Yearbook Online, Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. If your library subscribes, you can gain access at
http://www.statesmansyearbook.com