General:

Area:

504,750 sq km; 194,884 sq miles

Population:

39.5 million (growth rate 0.2%)

Languages:

Castilian Spanish (official language)
Catalonian, Galician, Valenciano, Vasco (are also official languages in the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Galicia, Valencia and Basque Country, respectively)

Religion:

99% Roman Catholic

Capital:

Madrid

Form of Government:

Constitutional Monarchy

Head of State:

King Juan Carlos

President:

José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

Of Interest for Visitors:

Tourism:

45 million visitors per year

Currency:

Euro (Exchange Rate)

Credit Cards:

Visa, Eurocard, American Express, MasterCard, Diners Club and Access are widely accepted.

Visas:

No visa required for EU passport holders and for U.S. and Canadian citizens staying up to 90 days.

Time:

GMT/UTC plus 1 hour

Electricity:

220V

Weights and Measures:

metric

Economic Profile:

GDP:

$ 548 billion

GDP per head:

$ 14.000

Annual Growth:

3,5%

Inflation:

3,4%

Major Trading Partners:

E.U. nations, U.S.A.