Spain

Reino de España

Political Status: Formerly under a system of personal rule instituted in 1936; monarchy reestablished November 22, 1975, in accordance with the Law of Succession of July 26, 1947, as amended in 1969 and 1971; parliamentary monarchy confirmed by constitution effective December 29, 1978.

Area: 194,896 sq. mi. (504,782 sq. km.).

Population: 40,847,371 (2001C); 45,695,000 (2008E).

Major Urban Areas (2005E): MADRID (3,192,000), Barcelona (1,621,000), Valencia (798,000), Seville (703,000), Zaragoza (648,000), Málaga (543,000), Bilbao (352,000).

Official Languages: Spanish and regional languages (principally Basque, Catalan, Galician, and Valencian).

Monetary Unit: Euro (market rate December 1, 2009: 1 euro = $1.51US).

Monarch: JUAN CARLOS I de Borbón y Borbón; invested before the Spanish Legislative Assembly in 1969; sworn in as king on November 22, 1975, following the death of the former ...