Geography, economy, society
Getting to know the country: land, climate, institutions, economy and figures of today's Spain.
Introduction
An introduction to Spain: from the long isolation of the dictatorship to democratic, European modernity, the many Spains between sea and meseta…
Spain today
Spain in 2026: Pedro Sánchez's government and the snap election of 29 November, economic growth, record tourism, the housing crisis, unemployment…
Geography
The geography of Spain: the central Meseta, the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, the great rivers, the Atlantic and…
Maps
Maps of Spain: an interactive map with all the destinations in our guides, the autonomous communities and provinces, the main cities, high-speed rail…
Climate
Spain's climate: Atlantic, continental, Mediterranean, mountain and subtropical, temperatures in Madrid, Seville and on the coasts, the best time to…
Facts and figures
Spain in figures: official name, capital, area, population, density, main cities, mountains, rivers, islands, languages, religion, currency, dialling…
Population
The population of Spain: Castilians, Catalans, Basques and Galicians, the Gitanos, past emigration and today's immigration, ageing, the emptied…
Autonomous communities
How Spain's territory is organised: the 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities, the 50 provinces, over 8,000 municipalities, the…
How the state works
How the Spanish state works: the 1978 Constitution, the king, the Cortes Generales with the Congress and Senate, the prime minister, the judiciary…
The flag
The flag of Spain: the red and yellow stripes, the coat of arms with the kingdoms of Castile, León, Aragon, Navarre and Granada, the Pillars of…
Royal family
The royal family of Spain: Juan Carlos I and the democratic transition, his abdication, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, heir to the throne Leonor…
Politics
Spanish politics from the Transition to today: UCD, PSOE and PP, the governments of Suárez, González, Aznar, Zapatero, Rajoy and Sánchez, reforms…
Elections
General elections in Spain: the provincial proportional system, the role of regional parties, results from 1977 to 2023, the 2008 and 2011 elections…
Economy
The Spanish economy: growth after joining the EEC, the property bubble and the crisis, the recovery, tourism, the car industry, farming and olive…
The 2008-2012 crisis
Spain's great crisis: the post-Franco boom, the property bubble, recession from 2008, unemployment at 26%, the 2012 bank bailout, Rajoy's cuts, the…
Healthcare
The Spanish health system: the National Health System run by the autonomous communities, family doctors, care for tourists and students with the…
School system
How school works in Spain: early years, primary, compulsory ESO to age 16, bachillerato, vocational training, the PAU university entrance exam…
National parks
A guide to Spain's 16 national parks: Picos de Europa, Ordesa y Monte Perdido, Teide, Caldera de Taburiente, Aigüestortes, Doñana, Tablas de Daimiel…