Spain - Overview:

Spain is situated in south-western Europe, sharing the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, and is separated from France by the Pyrenees mountain range. It has a total population of just over 41 million people and is comprised of 17 regions, plus the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small territories off the coast of Morocco.

The country joined the (then) European Community in 1986 and over the last decade its economy has consistently out-performed those of its main EU rivals. According to figures published by UK Government's Trade & Investment organisation, Spain's overall per capita GDP is approximately 84 per cent of the EU average, while areas such as Madrid and Barcelona have a per capita GDP much higher than the EU average. The country's unemployment rate is high, at more than 11 per cent, but approximately 2.9 million new jobs have been created since 1996.

Spain's major trading partners include France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Portugal, the USA, Belgium and Japan.