SPAIN 
- CAPITAL: Madrid
- POPULATION: 45.200.737 (January 2007)
- OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Spanish (Castilian), Basque, Catalana, Valencian, Galician.
- GOVERMENT: Parliamentary democracy (José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero) and
- Constituconal Monarchy (Juan Carlos I).
- TOTAL AREA: 504.030 km2
- CURRENCY: Euro
- MAIN CITIES:
Madrid (3.232.460)
Barcelona (1.595.110)
Valencia (797.650)
Sevilla (699.140)
Zaragoza (654.390)
Spain is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco.
SPANISH GEOGRAPHY
SPAIN IS THE WORLD'S 51ST-LARGEST COUNTRY WITH 504,782 KM² AND OCCUPIES THE MOST OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA, TWO GROUPS OF ISLANDS (BALEARIC AND CANARY ISLANDS) AND TWO CITIES (CEUTA AND MELILLA) ON THE MOROCCAN NORTH COAST. THE SOUTHERN EXTREMITY OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA, (GIBRALTAR) BELONGS TO THE GREAT BRITAIN.
THE IBERIAN PENINSULA IS ALL SURRONDED BY SEA EXCEPT IN THE NORTHEAST WHERE IT’S THE BORDER WITH FRANCE. IN THE NORTH THERE IS THE CANTABRIC SEA; IN THE EAST IT’S THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, IN THE WEST THERE IS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND IN THE SOUTH THERE ARE THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, BOTH SEPARATED BY THE PROVINCE OF CADIZ IN ITS MOST SOUTHERLY POINT.
THE IBERIAN PENINSULA IS ALL SURRONDED BY SEA EXCEPT IN THE NORTHEAST WHERE IT’S THE BORDER WITH FRANCE. IN THE NORTH THERE IS THE CANTABRIC SEA; IN THE EAST IT’S THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, IN THE WEST THERE IS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND IN THE SOUTH THERE ARE THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, BOTH SEPARATED BY THE PROVINCE OF CADIZ IN ITS MOST SOUTHERLY POINT.
Mountains:
THE HIGHEST PEAK OF SPAIN IS THE TEIDE
(TENERIFE, CANARY ISLAND) AND THE BIGGEST GROUP OF MOUNTAINS ARE THE PYRENEES THAT CONFORM THE BORDER WITH FRANCE. THE HIGHEST PEAK OF THE PENINSULA IS THE MULHACEN IN SIERRA NEVADA (GRANADA, ANDALUCIA).Rivers:
THE LONGEST RIVER OF SPAIN IS
THE RIVER EBRO AND THE LONGEST RIVER OF THE IBEREAN PENINSULA IS THE TAJO (TAGUS). OTHER MAIN RIVERS ARE DUERO, MIÑO, GUADIANA AND GUADALQUIVIR.SPANISH CLIMATE
SPAIN EXPERIENCES EXTREMES OF TEMPERATURE AND GENERALLYLOW RAINFALL (LESS THAN 610 MM) EXCEPT FOR IN THE NORTH. ALONG THE NORTHERN ATLANTIC COAST THE CLIMATE IS USUALLY QUITE DAMP AND COOL. THE CENTRAL 
PLATEAU HAS VERY HOT, DRY SUMMERS AND DROUGHT IS COMMON. IN MADRID THE LOCAL SAYING IS THAT THE CLIMATE IS "9 MONTHS OF WINTER AND 3 MONTHS OF HELL" WHICH DESCRIBES THE FREEZING WINTERS AND SCORCHING SUMMERS. IN SEVILLE, CORDOBA AND GRANADA TEMPERATURES REACHED 50ºC (OVER 120ºF) IN THE SUMMER OF 2003, FOREST FIRES CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE. ON THE SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN COAST A SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE PREVAILS WITH MÁLAGA ENJOYING AN AVERAGE WINTER TEMPERATURE OF 14°C (57°F).
PLATEAU HAS VERY HOT, DRY SUMMERS AND DROUGHT IS COMMON. IN MADRID THE LOCAL SAYING IS THAT THE CLIMATE IS "9 MONTHS OF WINTER AND 3 MONTHS OF HELL" WHICH DESCRIBES THE FREEZING WINTERS AND SCORCHING SUMMERS. IN SEVILLE, CORDOBA AND GRANADA TEMPERATURES REACHED 50ºC (OVER 120ºF) IN THE SUMMER OF 2003, FOREST FIRES CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE. ON THE SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN COAST A SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE PREVAILS WITH MÁLAGA ENJOYING AN AVERAGE WINTER TEMPERATURE OF 14°C (57°F). ECONOMY
ACCORDING TO THE WORLD BANK, SPAIN'S ECONOMY IS THE EIGHTH LARGEST WORLDWIDE AND THE FIFTH LARGEST IN EUROPE. AS OF 2007, ABSOLUTE GDP WAS VALUED AT $1,439,000 TRILLION ACCORDING TO THE CIA FACTBOOK,. THE PER CAPITA PPP IS ESTIMATED AT $33,600 (2007), AHEAD OF G7 COUNTRIES LIKE ITALY AT $30,900 (2007), FRANCE AT $32,600 (2007), OR JAPAN AT $33,500 (2007). THE SPANISH ECONOMY GREW 3.8% IN 2007 OUTPACING ALL G7 MEMBERS AND ALL THE BIG EU ECONOMIES FOR THE 3RD CONSECUTIVE YEAR. SPAIN IS ALSO THE 3RD LARGEST WORLD INVESTOR .
HERE YOU HAVE A NICE GAME ABOUT SPAIN AND ITS PROVINCES. GOOD LUCK! http://www.xtec.net/~ealonso/flash/esprovin1e.html
