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Spain /'spe?n/&_160;(help·info) (Spanish España?·i, Spanish pronunciation [es'pa?a]) or the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish Reino de España), is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.[note 6] Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. With an area of 504,030&_160;km², Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe after France. Because of its location, Spain has been subject to many external influences, often simultaneously, since prehistoric times. At certain times, the country itself has been an important source of influence to other regions. Archaeological and genetic evidence strongly suggests that the Iberian Peninsula acted as one of three major refugia from which northern Europe was repopulated following the end of the last ice age. It was also the seat of of a global empire that has left a legacy of over 400 million Spanish speakers today. The combination of external influences with the interactions of the culturally and politically differentiated regions of the rugged peninsula has produced a dramatic history; typified by alternating periods of unity and disunity, under very different regimes. Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country with the eighth largest economy in the world based on nominal GDP.[note 7] It is a member of the European Union and NATO. At 195,884 mi² (504,782&_160;km²), Spain is the world's 51st-largest country. It is some 47,000&_160;km² smaller than France and 81,000&_160;km² larger than the U.S. state of California.
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Spain Articles
Discovering the two sides of Barcelona
by Isla Campbell
Nov 28, 2008
Most of us know about Barcelona’s deeply artistic culture, being the birthplace of painter Joan Miro and the city in which Antoni Gaudi studied architecture. Indeed, its city centre streets are lined with the wonderful Gaudi designed buildings, ...
Alicante and the Realities of Retiring to Sunny Spain
by Andrew Regan
Nov 26, 2008
You’re approaching retirement and probably looking forward to relaxing in the sun after years of dedicating yourself to supporting a family. But are you really aware of what you are letting yourself in for?
Many Brits are anxious to f...
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