Basic Information About Spain

Officially the Kingdom of Spain is the country located in the southwest of Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish territory also covers the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla.

With an area of ​​504,712 square kilometers, Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe after France. With an average height of 650 meters, it is the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland. Spain, which is the second European country after Italy due to Unesco Cultural Heritage ownership, is governed by a constitutional monarchy regime organized in the form of parliamentary democracy. It has been a member of the European Union since 1986 and NATO since 1982.

Spain, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, is the third most visited country in the world, together with the People’s Republic of China, after France and the United States of America, with 57.7 million tourists recorded in 2012, according to the data of the United Nations Tourism Organization.