Economy overview: The mixed capitalist economy of Spain has a GDP per capita of 80% of the level of the four leading countries of Western Europe. Its centre-right government successfully prepared Spain for entry into the euro area on January 1, 1999. The ASNARA government continues its policy of liberalization, privatization and deregulation of the economy, including a series of tax reforms. Unemployment under this government has steadily declined but is still the highest in the EU at 14%. The government intends to continue reforms of labor legislation and the pension system, which is a key condition for maintaining domestic economic success and competitiveness in the common currency area. See topb2bwebsites.com to know more about Spain in 2004. GDP: Purchasing Power Parity $720.8 billion (2000 est.) Real GDP growth rate: 4% (2000 est.). GDP per capita: at purchasing power parity – $18,000 (2000 est.). The composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: 4%; industry: 31%; service sector: 65% (1999). Proportion of the population below the poverty line: no data available. Percentage distribution of household income or consumption: per 10% of the poorest families: 2.8%; by the top 10% of families: 25.2% (1990). Inflation rate at consumer prices: 3.4% (2000 est.). Labor force: 17 million people (2000). Employment structure: services 64%, industry and construction 28%, agriculture 8% (1997 est.). Unemployment rate: 14% (2000 est.). Budget: revenues: $105 billion; expenditures: $109 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.8 billion (2000 est.). Economic sectors: textile industry, production of clothing and footwear, food and beverages, metallurgy, chemical industry, shipbuilding, automotive, machine tool building, tourism. Growth in industrial production: 4.5% (2000 est.). Electricity generation: 197.694 billion kWh (1999) Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuels: 57.71%; hydropower: 12.1%; nuclear fuel: 28.28%; others: 1.91% (1999). Electricity consumption: 189.57 billion kWh (1999). Export of electricity: 6.23 billion kWh (1999). Electricity import: 11.945 billion kWh (1999) Agricultural products: grain, vegetables, olives, grape wines, sugar beets, citrus fruits; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish. Exports: $120.5 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Export articles: machines, vehicles; food, other consumer goods. Export partners: EU 71% (France 20%, Germany 12%, Italy 9%, Portugal 9%, UK 8%), Latin America 6%, US 5% (2000). Imports: $153.9 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Import articles: machinery and equipment, top beer, chemicals, semi-finished products; food, consumer goods (1997). Import partners: EU 68% (France 18%, Germany 16%, Italy 9%, UK 7%, Benelux 8%), US 8%, OPEC countries 5%, Japan 3%, Latin America 4% (1999). External debt: $90 billion (1993 est.) Donor of economic aid: official development support – $1.3 billion (1995). Currency: Spanish peseta, euro; note – On January 1, 1999, the EU introduced a common currency used by financial institutions in some countries and exchanged for the peseta at a fixed rate of 166.386 peseta per euro; the euro in 2002 will completely replace local currencies in countries that are members of the euro area. Currency code: ESP; EUR. Exchange rate: EUR/USD – 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); ESP/USD – 149.40 (1998), 146.41 (1997), 126.66 (1996). Fiscal year: calendar year.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Telephone lines: 17.336 million (1999). Mobile cell phones: 8.394 million (1999) Telephone system: satisfactory service, modern facilities; the level of telephonization is 44 fixed telephones per 100 people; internal: no data; international: 22 submarine cables; satellite earth stations -2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic and 1 Indian Oceans), Eutelsat (no data on the number); communication using troposcatter with nearby countries. Broadcast stations: AM – 208, FM – 715, shortwave – 1 (1998). Radio receivers: 13.1 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 224 (and 2,105 repeaters); note – figures include 11 television stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (September 1995). Televisions: 16.2 million (1997) Internet country code: es Internet service providers: 56 (2000). Number of users: 4.6 million (2000).
Transport
Transport Railways: total: 13,950 km; broad gauge: 12,781 km (1.668 m gauge; 6,358 km electrified; 2,295 km dual gauge); standard gauge: 525 km (1.435 m gauge; 525 km electrified); narrow gauge: 644 km (1,000 m gauge; 438 km electrified) (1998). Roads: total: 346,858 km; paved: 343,389 km (including 9,063 km of expressways); unpaved: 3,469 km (1997 est.). Waterways: 1,045 km, not of significant economic importance. Pipelines: for crude oil – 265 km; for oil products – 1,794 km; for natural gas – 1,666 km. Ports and harbours: Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Vigo, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellón de la Plana, La Coruña, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Ceuta, San ta Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), San Tander, Tarragona, Gijon, Huelva. Merchant fleet: total: 135 ships (displacement 1,000 tons or more) with a total displacement of 1,208,730 gross register tons / 1,773,378 long tons of gross tonnage; ships of various types: bulk carriers – 10, cargo ships – 26, chemical tankers – 10, container ships – 9, liquefied gas tankers – 2, livestock ships – 1, passenger ships – 1, oil tankers – 24, ships – refrigerators – 5, ferries – 35, coastal passenger ships – 8, specialized tankers – 1, vehicles for the transport of vehicles – 3 (2000 est.). Airports: 110 (2000 est.). Airports with paved runways: total: 75; over 3,047 m: 15; from 2438 to 3047 m: 10; from 1,524 to 2,457 m: 18; from 914 to 1,523 m: 19; less than 914 m: 13 (2000 est.). Airports with unpaved runways: total: 35; from 1524 to 2437 m:1; from 914 to 1523 m:9; less than 914 m: 25 (2000 est.). Helipads: 2 (2000 est.).
Armed forces
Branches of the Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Civil Guard, National Police, Civil Coast Guard. Enlistment age: 20 years old. Total Military Manpower: Male 15 to 49: 10,551,945 (2001 est.). Eligible for military service: men aged 15 to 49: 8,448,150 (2001 est.). Number of persons reaching military age each year: male: 281,043 (2001 est.). Military spending in dollar terms: $6 billion (1997) Military spending as part of GDP: 1.1% (1997).
International Issues
International issues International disputes: dispute with Britain over Gibraltar; Spain owns five territories on the coast of North Africa and the nearby islands (Ceuta, Melilla, the islands of Chafarinas, Penon de Alusemas and Penon de Vélez de la Gomera), which are claimed by Morocco. Illicit drugs: a key entry point for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish into Europe; transit point and heroin user from Southwest Asia.
