Flag Description

three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left, Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon) while Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield; the arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; the red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of "Plus Ultra" (further beyond) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe; the triband arrangement with the center stripe twice the width of the outer dates to the 18th century

Background:Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.

Total Area: 505,370 sq km

Land Area:498,980 sq km

Water Area:6,390 sq km

Land Boundries Total:1,953 km

Border Countries:Andorra 63 km, France 646 km, Gibraltar 1 km, Portugal 1,224 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 8 km, Morocco (Melilla) 11 km

Coastline:4,964 km

Lowest Point:Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Highest Point:Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Population:47,737,941 (July 2014 est.)

Population Growth Rate:0.81% (2014 est.)

Religion:Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%

Literacy(%):0.977

Literacy(%) Male:0.985

Literacy(%) Female:97% (2010 est.)

Independence Day:1492; the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain

National Holiday:National Day, 12 October (1492); year when Columbus first set foot in the Americas

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