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Compare Spain (2003) - Poland (2003)

Compare Spain (2003) z Poland (2003)

 Spain (2003)Poland (2003)
 SpainPoland
Administrative divisions 19 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Ceuta, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencian, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country)


note: three small Spanish possessions are located off the coast of Morocco: Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera; Ceuta and Melilla gained limited autonomous status in 1994
16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie
Age structure 0-14 years: 14.4% (male 2,985,705; female 2,808,791)


15-64 years: 68% (male 13,721,053; female 13,626,121)


65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,962,646; female 4,113,097) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 3,458,844; female 3,284,995)


15-64 years: 69.8% (male 13,407,012; female 13,547,728)


65 years and over: 12.7% (male 1,879,445; female 3,044,636) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork
Airports 152 (2002) 150 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 93


over 3,047 m: 15


2,438 to 3,047 m: 10


1,524 to 2,437 m: 18


914 to 1,523 m: 23


under 914 m: 27 (2002)
total: 88


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 30


1,524 to 2,437 m: 39


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 9 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 59


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 14


under 914 m: 43 (2002)
total: 62


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 15


under 914 m: 43 (2002)
Area total: 504,782 sq km


land: 499,542 sq km


water: 5,240 sq km


note: there are 19 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
total: 312,685 sq km


land: 304,465 sq km


water: 8,220 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of Oregon slightly smaller than New Mexico
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 Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). In the second half of the 20th century, Spain has played a catch-up role in the western international community; it joined the EU in 1986. Continuing concerns are Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and further reductions in unemployment. Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived around the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation, until an agreement in 1772 between Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, but Poland currently suffers low GDP growth and high unemployment. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and is scheduled to accede to the European Union along with nine other states on 1 May 2004.
Birth rate 10.08 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 10.47 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $105 billion


expenditures: $109 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.8 billion (2000 est.)
revenues: $49.6 billion


expenditures: $52.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
Capital Madrid Warsaw
Climate temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Coastline 4,964 km 491 km
Constitution 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain


conventional short form: Spain


local short form: Espana
conventional long form: Republic of Poland


conventional short form: Poland


local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska


local short form: Polska
Currency euro (EUR)


note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions with the member countries
zloty (PLN)
Death rate 9.48 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 9.96 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $90 billion (1993 est.) $64 billion (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador George L. ARGYROS


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
chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher R. HILL


embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw P1


mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, 5010 Warsaw Place, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)


telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000


FAX: [48] (22) 504-2951


consulate(s) general: Krakow
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Javier RUPEREZ Rubio


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, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
chief of mission: Ambassador Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI


chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802


FAX: [1] (202) 328-6270


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Disputes - international Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against "total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain and UK to change 300-year rule over colony; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco also rejected Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands in 2002 to set limits to undersea resource exploration and refugee interdiction; Morocco allowed Spanish fishermen to fish temporarily off the coast of Western Sahara after an oil spill soiled Spanish fishing grounds; Portugal has periodically reasserted claims to territories around the town of Olivenza, Spain small boundary changes made with Slovakia in 2003
Economic aid - donor ODA, $1.33 billion (1999) -
Economic aid - recipient - EU structural adjustment funds
Economy - overview Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. Its center-right government 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 has continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and has introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment has been steadily falling under the AZNAR administration but remains high at 11.7%. The government intends to make further progress in changing labor laws and reforming pension schemes, which are key to the sustainability of both Spain's internal economic advances and its competitiveness in a single currency area. A general strike in mid-2002 reduced cooperation between labor and government. Growth of 2.4% in 2003 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. Adjusting to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe - and reducing unemployment - will pose challenges to Spain over the next few years. Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. Even so, much remains to be done. The privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has encouraged the development of the private business sector, but legal and bureaucratic obstacles alongside persistent corruption are hampering its further development. Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy), while recently initiated, have stalled due to a lack of political will on the part of the government. Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger than expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on privatization of Poland's remaining state sector, the reduction of state employment, and an overhaul of the tax code to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers most of whom pay no tax. The government's determination to enter the EU has shaped most aspects of its economic policy and new legislation; in June 2003, 77% of the voters approved membership, now scheduled for May 2004. Improving Poland's export competitiveness and containing the internal budget deficit are top priorities. Due to political uncertainty, the zloty has recently depreciated in relation to the euro and the dollar while currencies of the other euro-zone aspirants have been appreciating. GDP per capita equals that of the 3 Baltic states.
Electricity - consumption 210.4 billion kWh (2001) 118.8 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 4.138 billion kWh (2001) 11.04 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 7.588 billion kWh (2001) 4.306 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 222.5 billion kWh (2001) 135 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 50.4%


hydro: 18.2%


nuclear: 27.2%


other: 4.1% (2001)
fossil fuel: 98.1%


hydro: 1.5%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0.4% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m


highest point: Rysy 2,499 m
Environment - current issues pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to European Union code, but at substantial cost to business and the government
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belarusian 0.5% (1990 est.)
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999) zlotych per US dollar - 3.99 (2002), 4.09 (2001), 4.35 (2000), 3.97 (1999), 3.48 (1998)


note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty
Executive branch chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968


head of government: President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (since 5 May 1996); First Vice President (and Minister of Economy) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 4 September 2003) and Second Vice President (and Minister of the Presidency) Javier ARENAS (since 4 September 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president


note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government


elections: the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly; election last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president


election results: Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (PP) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 44.54%; note - the Popular Party (PP) obtained an absolute majority of seats in both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate as a result of the March 2000 elections
chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)


head of government: Prime Minister Leszek MILLER (SLD) (since 19 October 2001), Deputy Prime Ministers Marek POL (since 19 October 2001), Jerzy HAUSNER (since 11 June 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm


election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected president; percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzej OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1%
Exports 135,100 bbl/day (2001) 53,000 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, other consumer goods machinery and transport equipment 30.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 25.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 20.9%, food and live animals 8.5% (1999)
Exports - partners France 19%, Germany 11.4%, UK 9.6%, Portugal 9.5%, Italy 9.3%, US 4.6% (2002) Germany 33%, Italy 5.7%, France 5%, UK 4.8%, Czech Republic 4.3% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
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 two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
GDP purchasing power parity - $850.7 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $373.2 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4%


industry: 31%


services: 65% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 3.8%


industry: 35%


services: 61.2% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $21,200 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $9,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2% (2002 est.) 1.4% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 40 00 N, 4 00 W 52 00 N, 20 00 E
Geography - note strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
Heliports 7 (2002) 3 (2002)
Highways total: 663,795 km


paved: 657,157 km (including 10,317 km of expressways)


unpaved: 6,638 km (1999)
total: 364,656 km


paved: 249,060 km (including 358 km of expressways)


unpaved: 115,596 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)
lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 24.7% (1998)
Illicit drugs key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin major illicit producer of amphetamine for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe
Imports 1.582 million bbl/day (2001) 413,700 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods (1997) machinery and transport equipment 38.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 20.8%, chemicals 14.3%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999)
Imports - partners France 17%, Germany 16.5%, Italy 8.6%, UK 6.4%, Netherlands 4.8% (2002) Germany 29.9%, Italy 8.1%, Russia 7.4%, France 7.2%, Netherlands 5.3% (2002)
Independence the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Moslem 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 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)
Industrial production growth rate 1.2% (2002 est.) 0.3% (2001)
Industries textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
Infant mortality rate total: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 4.94 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 8.95 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 10.04 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2002 est.) 1.9% (2002 est.)
International organization participation AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, 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 (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 56 (2000) 19 (2000)
Irrigated land 36,400 sq km (1998 est.) 1,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms)
Labor force 17.1 million (2001) 17.6 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 29%, agriculture 7% (2001 est.) industry 22.1%, agriculture 27.5%, services 50.4% (1999)
Land boundaries total: 1,917.8 km


border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km
total: 2,788 km


border countries: Belarus 407 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 526 km
Land use arable land: 28.6%


permanent crops: 9.56%


other: 61.84% (1998 est.)
arable land: 45.81%


permanent crops: 1.23%


other: 52.96% (1998 est.)
Languages Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%


note: Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languages are official regionally
Polish
Legal system civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg
Legislative branch bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); Congress of Deputies - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PP 44.6%, PSOE 34.1%, CiU 4.2%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1.1%, PIL 0%; seats by party - PP 127, PSOE 61, CiU 8, PNV 6, CC 5, PIL 1; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 44.5%, PSOE 34%, CiU 4.2%, IU 5.4%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1%, BNG 1.3%; seats by party - PP 183, PSOE 125, CiU 15, IU 8, PNV 7, CC 4, BNG 3, other 5
bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms)


elections: Sejm elections last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held by September 2005); Senate - last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held by September 2005)


election results: Sejm - percent of vote by party - SLD-UP 41%, PO 12.7%, Samoobrona 10.2%, PiS 9.5%, PSL 9%, LPR 7.9%, AWSP 5.6% UW 3.1%, other 1%; seats by party (as of 25 April 2003) - SLD 193, PO 57, Samoobrona 39, PiS 43, PSL 39, LPR 28, UP 16, SKL 8, PLD 6, PBL 5, RKN 5, PP 3, ROP 3, German minorities 2, independents 13; note - SLD and UP ran together on electoral lists in the 2001 elections, but constitute separate parliamentary clubs in the Sejm; several other deputies have left their parties and set up other parliamentary factions; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SLD-UP 75, AWSP (an electoral alliance of some 36 parties) 15, PSL 4, Samoobrona 2, LPR 2, independents 2


note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties
Life expectancy at birth total population: 79.23 years


male: 75.87 years


female: 82.8 years (2003 est.)
total population: 73.91 years


male: 69.77 years


female: 78.28 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.9%


male: 98.7%


female: 97.2% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.8%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
Location Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France Central Europe, east of Germany
Map references Europe Europe
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)


territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,585,563 GRT/2,022,104 DWT


ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 31, chemical tanker 10, container 13, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 33, short-sea passenger 6, vehicle carrier 4


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 1, Cuba 2, Denmark 1, Germany 7, Italy 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 6, Uruguay 3 (2002 est.)
total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 199,186 GRT/275,476 DWT


ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil Guard Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $8.6 billion (2002) $3.5 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.15% (2002) 1.71% (2002)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 10,524,715 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 10,354,978 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 8,391,612 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 8,077,706 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 20 years of age (2003 est.) 19 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 255,826 (2003 est.) males: 343,500 (2003 est.)
National holiday Hispanic Day, 12 October Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)
Nationality noun: Spaniard(s)


adjective: Spanish
noun: Pole(s)


adjective: Polish
Natural hazards periodic droughts flooding
Natural resources coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land
Net migration rate 0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 7,290 km; oil 730 km; refined products 3,110 km; unknown (oil/water) 397 km (2003) gas 12,901 km; oil 737 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Xabier ARZALLUS Antia]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO]; Convergence and Union or CiU [Jordi PUJOL i Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Jordi PUJOL i Soley] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN y LLEIDA]); Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Xose Manuel BEIRAS]; Party of Independents from Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY]; 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] Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ]; Citizens Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Conservative Peasants Party or SKL-RNP [Artur BALAZS]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Peasant-Democratic Party or PLD [Roman JAGIELINSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Bloc or PBL [Wojciech MOJZESOWICZ]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Samoobrona [Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Movement or RS [Krzysztof PIESIEWICZ]; Union of Labor or UP [Marek POL]
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; Workers Confederation or CC.OO; Nunca Mais (Galician for "Never Again"; formed in response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill) All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Maciej MANICKI]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Jozef GLEMP]; Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK]
Population 40,217,413 (July 2003 est.) 38,622,660 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 18.4% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate 0.16% (2003 est.) 0% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw
Radio broadcast stations AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways total: 14,189 km


broad gauge: 11,804 km 1.668-m gauge (6,409 km electrified)


standard gauge: 455 km 1.435-m gauge (455 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 1,902 km 1.000-m gauge (781 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2002)
total: 23,420 km


broad gauge: 646 km 1.524-m gauge


standard gauge: 21,639 km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (2002)
Religions Roman Catholic 94%, other 6% Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities; teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 persons


domestic: NA


international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
general assessment: underdeveloped and outmoded system in the process of being overhauled; partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly is underway; the long waiting list for main line telephone service has resulted in a boom in mobile cellular telephone use


domestic: cable, open-wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital


international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 17.336 million (1999) 8.07 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8.394 million (1999) 13 million (2002)
Television broadcast stations 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)


note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)
179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995)
Terrain large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Total fertility rate 1.26 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 11.3% (2002 est.) 18.1% (2002)
Waterways 1,045 km (of minor economic importance) 3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996)
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