Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country located in Southern and Western Europe, with territories extending into North Africa. It holds the southernmost point of continental Europe and ranks as the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth-most populous member of the European Union. Its territory encompasses most of the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. It shares borders with France, Andorra, and Portugal. Madrid is the capital and largest city, while other significant urban centers include Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville.
In 1900, Spain's population stood at 18.6 million.
In 1901, the Regionalist League of Catalonia was formed, marking the rise of Catalanism and Vasquism alongside other nationalisms and regionalisms in Spain.
In July 1909, the Tragic Week events and the subsequent repression exemplified the social instability of the time in Spain.
In 1910, the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, a trade union in the anarcho-syndicalist trend of the labor movement in Spain, was founded.
In 1919, as a result of the La Canadiense strike, the first law was enacted limiting the working day to eight hours.
In 1927, the Federación Anarquista Ibérica was founded, continuing the anarcho-syndicalist trend of the labor movement in Spain.
In April 1931, specifically on April 12, the municipal elections resulted in a victory for Republican-Socialist candidacies, leading to the king's departure and the proclamation of the Republic on April 14.
In June 1931, a Constituent general election was held, leading to the passage of a constitution in October 1931.
In October 1931, a constitution was passed for the country, following the June 1931 Constituent general election.
In 1931, the Restoration period (1875–1931) ended.
Since 1931, Spanish has effectively been the official language of the entire country.
In 1932, a failed coup d'état was led by José Sanjurjo.
In 1932, local studios for sound films were created in Spain.
In 1933, the right triumphed in the elections.
In 1934, the Revolution of 1934 occurred.
On October 1, 1936, General Francisco Franco was sworn in as the supreme leader of the rebels during the Spanish Civil War.
In 1936, the left triumphed in the elections.
In a broader definition encompassing the period from 1868 or 1874 to 1936, the so-called Silver Age of Spanish Culture ensued.
In 1937, the only legal party under Franco's dictatorship, the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS (FET y de las JONS), was formed.
On April 1, 1939, the rebel side led by Franco emerged victorious in the Spanish Civil War, imposing a dictatorship over the whole country.
In 1941, the Spanish government imposed the dubbing of foreign films, influencing Spanish audiences' viewing habits.
In 1955, during the Cold War period, Spain joined the United Nations.
In 1959, during Franco's rule, the armed organisation ETA was formed.
In 1960, technocratic reforms were enacted, laying the groundwork for the Spanish economic miracle.
In 1962, a group of politicians involved in the opposition to Franco's regime met in the congress of the European Movement in Munich, where they made a resolution in favor of democracy.
In 1964, Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.
From 1970 to 2014, Spain has had seven different educational laws (LGE, LOECE, LODE, LOGSE, LOPEG, LOE and LOMCE).
The Spanish economic miracle, a period of rapid growth from 1960, ended in 1974.
In November 1975, with Franco's death, Juan Carlos succeeded to the position of King of Spain.
After the death of Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of diplomatic isolation and expand diplomatic relations.
In 1975, the Francoist dictatorship came to an end.
The Massacre of 3 March 1976 occurred in Vitoria during the transition to democracy.
In June 1976, King Juan Carlos dismissed Carlos Arias Navarro and appointed Adolfo Suárez as Prime Minister.
In 1977, the Spanish Amnesty Law let people of Franco's regime continue inside institutions without consequences.
In 1977, the resulting general election convened the Constituent Cortes to draft and approve the constitution of 1978.
After a national referendum on December 6, 1978, 88% of voters approved the new constitution.
In 1978, after the current constitution came into effect, Spain's autonomous communities were created to recognize the right to self-government.
In 1978, the new Spanish Constitution was approved, restoring democracy and devolving authority to the regions.
The 1978 Spanish Constitution features Spanish as castellano ('Castilian').
The Spanish Constitution of 1978 "protects all Spaniards and all the peoples of Spain in the exercise of human rights, their cultures and traditions, languages and institutions".
On February 23, 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes in an attempt to impose a military-backed government. King Juan Carlos successfully ordered the coup plotters to surrender.
In May 1982, Spain joined NATO, followed by a referendum after a strong social opposition.
Since 1982, Spain has been a member of NATO and has established itself as a participant in multilateral international security activities.
In 1986, Spain joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union).
In 1986, Spain joined the European Economic Community, which later became the European Union.
From 1990 to 2000, EU membership coincided with a tripling of foreign direct investment in Spain.
In 1992, the Summer Olympics and Paralympics were hosted in Barcelona, stimulating interest in sports in the country.
In 1996, the Partido Popular (PP) replaced the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) in government after scandals around the Dirty war against ETA.
In 1996, the number of immigrants in Spain was approximately 500,000.
In 1998, immigrants accounted for 1.6% of the population in Spain.
In 1999, Spain implemented policies and reforms that allowed for its participation in the inaugural launch of the euro.
From 1990 to 2000, EU membership coincided with a tripling of foreign direct investment in Spain.
In 2001, military conscription was suppressed in Spain.
On January 1, 2002, Spain fully adopted the euro.
From 2002 to 2007, Spain was Europe's top recipient of migrants, with 2.5 million arrivals.
In 2002, Spain and Morocco were involved in an armed incident over Perejil Island, a small uninhabited rocky islet.
In 2002, the Prestige oil spill occurred with big ecological consequences along Spain's Atlantic coastline.
In 2003, José María Aznar supported US president George W. Bush in the Iraq War, leading to a strong anti-war movement in Spanish society.
In March 2004, a local Islamist terrorist group inspired by Al-Qaeda carried out the largest terrorist attack in Western European history by bombing commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people.
In 2005, Spain had the second-highest immigration rate in the European Union.
In 2005, the Spanish government legalised same sex marriage, becoming the third country worldwide to do so.
The current state education system in Spain is regulated by the 2006 educational law, LOE (Ley Orgánica de Educación), or Fundamental Law for the Education.
From 2002 to 2007, Spain was Europe's top recipient of migrants, with 2.5 million arrivals.
In 2007, the Cortes Generales approved the Gender Equality Act aimed at furthering equality between genders in Spanish political and economic life.
By 2008, the number of immigrants in Spain had grown to 5.2 million.
Due to the 2008 financial crisis the proportion of Spain's foreign born population declined.
In 2008, Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.
In 2008, the Financial Times reported that Spain was the most favoured destination for Western Europeans considering a move from their own country.
In 2008, the bursting of the Spanish property bubble triggered the 2008–2014 Spanish financial crisis, leading to high unemployment.
By 2009, immigration to Spain had risen to over 12% of the population.
In 2009, fossil fuels accounted for 58% of Spain's electricity generation, while nuclear power contributed 19%, and wind and hydro each provided about 12%.
In November 2010, Spain overtook the United States to become the world leader in solar power with the La Florida power station, located near Alvarado, Badajoz. Additionally, wind energy in Spain reached a peak on November 9, 2010, covering 53% of the mainland's electricity demand.
In 2010, the ETA announced its permanent cease of violence.
In 2011, Mariano Rajoy's conservative People's Party won the election with 44.6% of votes, leading to austerity measures being implemented.
In 2011, more than half a million people left Spain, marking the first net migration rate in decades.
In 2012, Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.
In 2013, a Pew Research study rated Spain first in acceptance of homosexuality, with 88% of those surveyed saying it should be accepted.
On June 19, 2014, King Juan Carlos abdicated the throne in favor of his son, who then became King Felipe VI.
By 2014, Spain aimed to have one million electric cars on its roads as part of a governmental initiative to save energy and increase energy efficiency.
In 2014, the LOE was partially modified by the newer and controversial LOMCE law (Ley Orgánica para la Mejora de la Calidad Educativa).
Spain was affected by the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent European debt crisis, leading to the 2008–2014 Spanish financial crisis, which ended in 2014.
Until 2014, the number of immigrants decreased in Spain due to the economic crisis.
By 2015, net immigration had increased in Spain, marking the country as a major immigration destination once again.
In 2015, the Spanish defense budget was 5.71 billion euros (US$7.2 billion), a 1% increase due to security concerns.
In October 2017, Catalonia held an independence referendum and declared independence from Spain, forming a Catalan Republic. The Spanish Senate approved direct rule, leading to the dissolution of the Catalan parliament and new elections. No country recognized Catalonia as a separate state.
In 2017, the Spanish armed forces had a strength of 121,900 active personnel and 4,770 reserve personnel.
In May 2018, the armed organization ETA dissolved.
In June 2018, the Congress of Deputies passed a motion of no-confidence against Mariano Rajoy, replacing him with PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez.
As of September 1, 2018, 39.1% of the members of the Congress and 39.9% of the Senate were women, placing Spain 16th on the Inter-Parliamentary Union list of countries ranked by proportion of women in the lower house.
In 2018, the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) was ranked as the 5th top governmental scientific institution worldwide in the SCImago Institutions Rankings.
A study in 2019 showed that there were more than 2,100,000 inhabitants of Muslim background living in Spain, accounting for 4-5% of the total population.
In 2019, Spain had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.23/10, ranking it 130th globally out of 172 countries.
In 2019, the first ever coalition government in Spain was formed, between PSOE and Unidas Podemos.
In January 2020, the COVID-19 virus was confirmed to have spread to Spain, causing life expectancy to drop by more than a year.
According to a 2020 study, about 61% of Spaniards self-identify as Catholics, while 35% identify with no religion.
Since 2020, Castile and Leon has been the Spanish leader in rural tourism due to its well-preserved environmental and architectural heritage.
In March 2021, Spain became the sixth nation in the world to make active euthanasia legal.
According to a survey complementary to the 2021 census, Spanish is considered as first language by 81.53% of the population.
As of 2021, the festivals of San Sebastián and Málaga are ranked among the top cultural initiatives in the country.
Following the general election on July 23, 2023, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez formed a coalition government with Sumar.
As of 2023, Spain was home to eight of the 500 largest companies in the world by annual revenue, according to the Fortune Global 500. These include Banco Santander, Iberdrola and Telefónica. Twenty Spanish companies are listed in the 2023 Forbes Global 2000 ranking.
In 2023, Spain produced 2.45 million automobiles, ranking eighth in the world and second in Europe. 89 percent of vehicles and 60% of auto-parts manufactured in Spain were exported worldwide, with a trade surplus of €18.8bn.
In 2023, Spain's average total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.12 children born per woman, making it one of the lowest in the world.
In 2023, Spain's women's national team were champions of the FIFA Women's World Cup.
In 2023, the airport of Madrid (Barajas) saw 60 million passengers, making it the world's 15th busiest airport and the European Union's third busiest.
In 2023, tourism in Spain, including both foreign and domestic contributions, accounted for 12.3% of the country's GDP, underscoring its significant impact on the national economy.
As of December 2024, the largest source of immigrants in Spain was Morocco, with over 1 million residents.
According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Spain is the 23rd most peaceful country in the world.
As of 2024, Spain is the fastest growing major advanced economy in the world, growing nearly four times higher than the eurozone average.
In 2024, Salvador Illa, the first non-independentist Catalan regional president in over a decade, was elected.
In 2024, Spain became the second most visited country globally, with 94 million tourists. International tourist expenditure in Spain that year reached approximately 126 billion euros. The World Tourism Organisation's headquarters are located in Madrid.
In 2024, Spain was ranked 28th in the Global Innovation Index.
In 2024, Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.
In 2024, the airport of Barcelona (El Prat) handled 50 million passengers, making it the world's 30th-busiest airport.
In January 2025, Spain's unemployment rate stood at 10.61 percent, with youth unemployment at 24.90 percent.
As of February 2025, the Spanish high-speed rail network is the longest HSR network in Europe, with 3,973 km. The trains operate at commercial speeds up to 330 km/h.
According to official Spanish statistics (INE), as of 2025, there were over 9.3 million foreign-born people in Spain, making up 19.11% of the population.
In 2025, Spain's population was recorded at 49,153,849 people, as registered by Spain's Instituto Nacional de Estadística.
The European Commission economic recovery package Next Generation EU, created to support the EU member states to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, will be in use in the period 2021–2026.
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