The Affection of Spain

The Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España; English: The Kingdom of Spain), commonly known as Spain, is located in the southwestern part of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, at the junction of Europe and Africa. It is bordered by Portugal to the west, the Bay of Biscay to the north, France and Andorra to the northeast, and faces Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar to the south. Its territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, and the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in Africa. The country is mountainous, with a land area of 506,000 square kilometers, and has a coastline of approximately 7,800 kilometers. It is the country with the second-highest number of Spanish-speaking countries as an official language, second only to English. Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities, 50 provinces, and over 8,100 municipalities, with the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in Morocco, and its capital is Madrid. As of April 2023, Spain has a population of 48.2 million. During the Middle Ages, there were several states within its territory. After the success of the Reconquista in 1492, the unified Kingdom of Spain was established. From the 16th century onwards, it became an important maritime power during the Age of Discovery, establishing a large number of colonies in Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. In 1494, it signed the Treaty of Tordesillas with Portugal, intending to divide the world between them. During the Renaissance, the Spanish Empire became the most powerful state in Europe and a global empire on which the sun never set. It began to decline after the Thirty Years' War. After experiencing two republics and a monarchy, it declared a constitutional monarchy in 1978. Spain is a developed capitalist country and a member of the European Union and NATO. As of October 2020, it has the fourth-largest economy in the EU and the fourteenth in the world. In 2022, its GDP was 1.33 trillion euros, with a growth of 5.5% compared to the previous year, and a GDP per capita of 27,900 euros.