Ok so you have decided to move to Spain. Before you go, why not understand a few more facts about the country. Please read our overview of Spain. A property buying guide to Spain can be read here.
GEOGRAPHY
Spain is the second largest country in the EU (after France), with a total surface area of 197,000 square miles (510,000 square kilometres). In addition to mainland Spain, territory includes two island archipelagos – the Balearics and the Canaries – and two enclaves on the North African coast, bordering Morocco – Ceuta and Melilla.
HISTORY
Read about Spanish History from the BBC here
POLITICS
King Juan Carlos I became Spain’s Head of State upon Franco’s death in 1975 and nominated Adolfo Suarez as his first Prime Minister. Suarez’s party, the Democratic Centre Union, won Spain’s first post-Franco elections in 1977 and again in 1979 under the new Constitution, which had been approved the year before.
Between 1982 and 1996, Spain was governed by the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), led by Felipe Gonzalez. The PSOE presided over a twelve-year period of economic and political development in Spain. But economic problems and allegations of political corruption discredited the Gonzalez Government towards the end of this period. The 1996 elections were won by the right-of-centre Popular Party (PP) led by José Maria Aznar, although the PP fell short of an overall majority.
On 12 March 2000, the PP was returned to office, this time with a clear overall majority (183 seats out of 350). The scale of the victory meant that there was no longer any need for a pact with smaller, nationalist parties. The PP’s success was attributed to the successful management of the economy and to PSOE’s internal turmoil. In response, the PSOE elected in 2000 a new, young leader, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, as a demonstration of the party’s commitment to modernise and to bring through a new generation of young leaders.
The PP were comfortably ahead in the polls in advance of the 14 March 2004 general elections. However, devastating terrorist attacks by islamic extremists in Madrid three days before the elections threw the elections into turmoil. Unexpectedly, the PSOE won 164 seats to the PP’s 148, forming a minority government. New Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was sworn in on 18 April 2004.
José Maria Aznar stepped down as leader of the PP in September 2003 and said he would not stand for re-election. Mariano Rajoy is the new leader of the PP in opposition.
ECONOMY
Basic economic facts
More information and travel advice available from the Foreign Office website
