Spain - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Spain, it was derivation of the name "Espana" is uncertain, but may come from the Phoenician term "span," related to the word "spy," meaning "to forge metals," so, "i-spn-ya" would mean "place where metals are forged"; the ancient Phoenicians long exploited the Iberian Peninsula for its mineral wealth. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary constitutional monarchy type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma) and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia; Aragon; Asturias; Canarias (Canary Islands); Cantabria; Castilla-La Mancha; Castilla-Leon; Cataluna (Castilian), Catalunya (Catalan), Catalonha (Aranese) [Catalonia]; Ceuta*; Comunidad Valenciana (Castilian), Comunitat Valenciana (Valencian) [Valencian Community]; Extremadura; Galicia; Illes Baleares (Balearic Islands); La Rioja; Madrid; Melilla*; Murcia; Navarra (Castilian), Nafarroa (Basque) [Navarre]; Pais Vasco (Castilian), Euskadi (Basque) [Basque Country]
National symbols
Pillars of Hercules; national colors: red, yellow.
The flag
The National flag of Spain has three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms is quartered to display the emblems of the traditional kingdoms of Spain (clockwise from upper left, Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon) while Granada is represented by the stylized pomegranate at the bottom of the shield; the arms are framed by two columns representing the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; the red scroll across the two columns bears the imperial motto of "Plus Ultra" (further beyond) referring to Spanish lands beyond Europe; the triband arrangement with the center stripe twice the width of the outer dates to the 18th century.
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note: the red and yellow colors are related to those of the oldest Spanish kingdoms: Aragon, Castile, Leon, and Navarre
The National Anthem
| Title | "Himno Nacional Espanol" (National Anthem of Spain) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | no lyrics/unknown |
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note: officially in use between 1770 and 1931, restored in 1939; the Spanish anthem is the first anthem to be officially adopted, but it has no lyrics; in the years prior to 1931 it became known as "Marcha Real" (The Royal March); it first appeared in a 1761 military bugle call book and was replaced by "Himno de Riego" in the years between 1931 and 1939; the long version of the anthem is used for the king, while the short version is used for the prince, prime minister, and occasions such as sporting events
More about the government of Spain
| Date of Independence | 1492; the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain |
|---|---|
| National holiday | National Day (Hispanic Day), 12 October (1492); note - commemorates the arrival of COLUMBUS in the Americas |
| Legal system | civil law system with regional variations |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Several previous; latest approved by the General Courts 31 October 1978, passed by referendum 6 December 1978, signed by the king 27 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 |
| Amendments | Proposed by the government, by the General Courts (the Congress or the Senate), or by the self-governing communities submitted through the government; passage requires three-fifths majority vote by both houses and passage by referendum if requested by one tenth of the members of either house; proposals disapproved by both houses are submitted to a joint committee, which submits an agreed upon text for another vote; passage requires two-thirds majority vote in Congress and simple majority vote in the Senate; amended 1992, 2011 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Spain |
| Dual citizenship recognized | only with select Latin American countries |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 10 years for persons with no ties to Spain |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | King FELIPE VI (since 19 June 2014) |
| Head of government | President of the Government of Spain (prime minister-equivalent) Pedro SANCHEZ PEREZ-CASTEJON (since 2 June 2018) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers designated by the president |
| Elections/appointments | the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually proposes as president the leader of the majority party or coalition, who is then indirectly elected by the Congress of Deputies; election last held on 23 July 2023 (next to be held on 31 July 2027); vice president and Council of Ministers appointed by the president |
| Election results | Congress of Deputies vote - 179 to 171 (16 November 2023) |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Bicameral General Courts or Las Cortes Generales consists of: Senate or Senado (265 seats; 208 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 57 members indirectly elected by the legislatures of the autonomous communities; members serve 4-year terms) Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; 348 members directly elected in 50 multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote, with a 3% threshold needed to gain a seat, and 2 directly elected from the North African Ceuta and Melilla enclaves by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms or until the government is dissolved) |
| Elections | Senate - last held on 23 July 2023 (next to be held no later than July 2027) Congress of Deputies - last held on 23 July 2023 (next to be held no later than July 2027) |
| Election results | Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PP 120, PSOE 72, ERC 7, PNV 4, other 5; composition - men 153, women 112; percentage women 42.3% Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 33.1%, PSOE 31.7%, Vox 12.4%, Sumar 12.3%, ERC 1.7%, Junts 1.6%, EH-Bildu 1.4%, PNV 1.1% other 4.7%; seats by party - PP 137, PSOE 121, Vox 33, Sumar 31, ERC 7, Junts 7, EH-Bildu 6, PNV 5, other 3; composition - men 195, women 155, percentage women 44.3%; total General Courts percentage women 42% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo (consists of the court president and organized into the Civil Room, with a president and 9 judges; the Penal Room, with a president and 14 judges; the Administrative Room, with a president and 32 judges; the Social Room, with a president and 12 judges; and the Military Room, with a president and 7 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional de Espana (consists of 12 judges) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates proposed by the General Council of the Judiciary Power, a 20-member governing board chaired by the monarch that includes presidential appointees, lawyers, and jurists confirmed by the National Assembly; judges can serve until age 70; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the National Assembly, executive branch, and the General Council of the Judiciary, and appointed by the monarch for 9-year terms |
| Subordinate courts | National High Court; High Courts of Justice (in each of the autonomous communities); provincial courts; courts of first instance |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Ángeles MORENO Bau (since 27 February 2024) |
| Chancery | 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 452-0100 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 833-5670 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/washington/en/Paginas/index.aspx |
| Consulate(s) general | Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Julissa REYNOSO (since 2 February 2022); note - also accredited to Andorra |
| Embassy | Calle de Serrano, 75, 28006 Madrid |
| Mailing address | 8500 Madrid Place, Washington DC 20521-8500 |
| Telephone | [34] (91) 587-2200 |
| FAX | [34] (91) 587-2303 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://es.usembassy.gov/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Barcelona |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 50 (44 cultural, 4 natural, 2 mixed) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain (c); Works of Antoni Gaudí (c); Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) (c); Historic City of Toledo (c); Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida (c); Tower of Hercules (c); Doñana National Park (n); Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (m); Alhambra, Generalife, and Albayzín in Granada (c); Old City of Salamanca (c); Teide National Park (n); Historic Walled Town of Cuenca (c); Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct (c); Historic Cordoba (c); El Escorial (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Spain
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Spain
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