Political parties and leaders:
Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Josu Jon IMAZ]; Canarian Coalition
or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO Baute];
Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro] (a coalition of
the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Artur MAS i Gavarro]
and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN y
LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a Senate coalition grouping
four Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV, EUA); Galician Nationalist
Bloc or BNG [Anxo Manuel QUINTANA]; Party of Independents from
Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Mariano
RAJOY]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Joan Puigcercos
BOIXASSA]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis
RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU (a coalition of parties
including the PCE and other small parties) [Gaspar LLAMAZARES]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor
unions (authorized in April 1977); Socialist General Union of
Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or
USO; university students; Trade Union Confederation of Workers'
Commissions or CC.OO.; Nunca Mas (Galician for "Never Again"; formed
in response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill)
International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB,
EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI
(observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNRWA,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos WESTENDORP
chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340
FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eduardo AGUIRRE, Jr.
embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642
telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200
FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303
consulate(s) general: Barcelona
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 includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of
Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on
either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar
Economy Spain
Economy - overview:
The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990, averaging five
percent annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early
1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994.
Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita
basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. The
center-right government of former President AZNAR successfully
worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching
the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR
administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization,
and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to
that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administration
but remains high at 10.1%. Growth of 2.5% in 2003, 2.6% in 2004, and
3.4% in 2005 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering
European economy. The socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, has
initiated economic and social reforms that are generally popular
among the masses of people, but that are anathema to religious and
other conservative elements. Adjusting to the monetary and other
economic policies of an integrated Europe, reducing unemployment,
and absorbing widespread social changes will pose challenges to
Spain over the next few years.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.033 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.019 trillion (2005 est.)