SPAIN

Although at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Europe and Africa, Spain was internationally isolated under General Franco's post-Civil War (1936-39) dictatorship.
But it began to recover from recession in the 1950s, with a rise in tourism and aid from the US.

• Capital City: Madrid
  
• Population: 41 million (UN, 2003)
  
• Major languages: Spanish (Castilian), Catalan, Gallego (Galician), Euskera (Basque)
  
• Major religion: Christianity
  
• Life expectancy: 76 years (men), 83 years (women) (UN)
  
• Monetary unit: 1 Euro = 100 cents
  
• Main exports: Transport equipment, agricultural products
  
• Average annual income: US $14,300 (World Bank, 2001)
  
• Internet domain: .es
  
• International dialling code: +34

The Spanish media is considered to be free from political influence and the major privately-owned newspapers have been active in investigating high-level corruption.

THE MEDIA

• The press
  
  • El Mundo - daily
    
  • El Pais - daily
    
  • ABC - daily
    
  • La Razon - daily
    
  • La Vanguardia - Catalan daily
    
  • El Periodico de Catalunya - Catalan daily
    
    
    
• Television
  
  • TVE - public, services include national networks La Primera and La 2, satellite-delivered TVE Internacional, rolling news channel 24 Horas
    
  • Tele Cinco - national, commercial
    
  • Antena 3 - national, commercial
    
  • Canal Plus Espana - commercial, pay-TV channel
    
    
    
• Radio
  
  • RNE - public, services include speech network Radio 1, cultural network Radio Clasica, youth-oriented Radio 3, news station Radio 5 Todo Noticias
    
  • Cadena SER - commercial
    
  • Onda Cero - commercial
    
  • Cadena COPE - church-controlled
    

     

• News agency
  
  • EFE - state-run
    
  • Europa Press - private
    
  • Vasco Press - private, Bilbao-based