III.

Population

The Spanish people are essentially a mixture of the indigenous peoples of the Iberian Peninsula with the successive peoples who conquered the peninsula and occupied it for extended periods. These added ethnologic elements include the Romans, a Mediterranean people, and the Suevi, Vandals, Visigoths (Goths), and Teutonic peoples. Semitic elements are also present. The populations of several regions in Spain have kept a separate identity, culturally and linguistically. These include the Basques, who number about 2.1 million and live chiefly around the Bay of Biscay; the Galicians (about 2.5 million), who live in north-western Spain; and the Catalans of eastern and north-eastern Spain. The nomadic Spanish Roma (Gypsies), who are also called Gitanos, are a separate ethnic group.

A.

Population Characteristics

Spain has a population of 40,448,191 (2007 estimate). The overall population density is about 81 people per sq km (210 per sq mi). Spain is increasingly urban with 77 per cent of the population living in towns and cities.

B.

Political Divisions

Spain comprises 50 provinces in 17 autonomous regions: Andalusia, Aragón, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country (País Vasco), Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castile-León, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, and Valencia.

C.

Principal Cities

The capital and largest city is Madrid (population, 2006 estimate, 3,128,600), also the capital of Madrid autonomous region; the second-largest city, chief port, and commercial centre is Barcelona (1,605,602, 2006 estimate), capital of Barcelona province and Catalonia region. Other important cities include Valencia (805,304, 2006 estimate), capital of Valencia province and Valencia region, a manufacturing and rail centre; Seville (704,414, 2006 estimate), capital of Seville province and Andalusia region, a cultural centre; Saragossa (649,181, 2006 estimate), capital of Saragossa province Aragón region, another industrial centre; and Bilbao (354,145, 2006 estimate), a busy port.

D.

Religion

Roman Catholicism is professed by about 97 per cent of Spaniards. The country is divided into 11 metropolitan and more than 50 suffragan sees. Formerly, Roman Catholicism was the established Church, but the 1978 constitution decreed that Spain shall have no state religion. There are small communities of Protestants, Jews, and Muslims.

E.

Language

Spanish (or “Castilian”) is the primary official language, but many regional Spanish languages are also official languages in their respective regions. Catalan is spoken in the north-east and other areas; Galician (between Portuguese and Spanish, but more similar to Portuguese) is spoken in the north-west; Basque (or “Euskera”) along the French-Spanish border; Extremaduran in Extremadura; Asturian in Asturias; Fala in the north-west of Extremadura; and Aranese Gascon in the Aran Valley and the north-west part of Catalonia.

F.

Education

The golden age of Spanish education occurred during the Middle Ages, when the Moors, Christians, and Jews established strong inter-religious centres of higher education in Córdoba, Granada, and Toledo. The University of Salamanca (1218) served as a model for the universities of Latin America from the 16th century on, thereby extending the international influence of Spanish education. During the 16th century the University of Alcalá (founded in Alcalá de Henares in 1510 and moved to Madrid as the University of Madrid in 1836) was famous for its multilingual, parallel translations of the Bible. Important Spanish educators of that period include Juan de Huarte, a pioneer in the application of psychology to education; the humanist and philosopher Juan Luis Vives, who interpreted new ideas on education and, in particular, advocated the education of women; and St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.

Others who made important contributions to education in the 19th and 20th century include Francisco Giner de los Rios, who sought reforms in higher education and the schooling of women; Francisco Ferrer Guardia, the nationalistic educator who advocated reform and democratization of education; and the philosopher José Ortega y Gasset, whose writings on the mission of the university have been translated into several languages. The Royal Spanish Academy (founded 1713) and the Royal Academy of History (1738) are well known for scholarly publications.

Education in Spain is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 16. The school system consists of pre-primary schools (for children 3 to 5 years old), primary (6 to 11), and secondary (ages 12 to 16, in two-year cycles). Students may then take either a vocational training course for one or two years, or the two-year Bachillerato course in preparation for university entrance. The university system has three cycles. The first, leading to the degree of Diplomatura, lasts for three years. The second cycle lasts for two or three years and leads to the degree of Licenciatura. Students earning the degree of Doctor must complete the two-year third cycle and write a thesis.

In 1995-1996 Spain’s pre-primary schools were attended by approximately 1.1 million pupils, primary schools by about 3.9 million, secondary, vocational, and technical schools by about 2.7 million students. The country has 98 per cent adult literacy. In 2002–2003 around 5 per cent of the country’s gross national product (GNP) was spent on education.

Spanish institutions of higher education enrolled some 1,832,760 students in 2001–2002. The major universities of Spain include the University of Madrid, the Polytechnic University of Madrid (1971), the University of Barcelona (1450), the University of Granada (1526), the University of Salamanca, the University of Seville (1502), and the University of Valencia (1510).

G.

Culture

Any consideration of Spanish culture must stress the tremendous importance of religion in the history of the country and in the life of the individual. An index of the influence of Roman Catholicism is provided by the fervent mystical element in the art and literature of Spain, the impressive list of its saints, and the large number of religious congregations and orders. The Catholic marriage is the basis of the family, which in turn is the foundation of Spanish society.

Fiestas (festivals) are an outstanding feature of Spanish life. They usually begin with a high mass followed by a solemn procession in which venerated images are carried on the shoulders of the participants. Music, dancing, poetry, and singing often enliven these colourful occasions. The fiesta at Valencia, the April fair in Seville, and the San Fermín fiesta at Pamplona are several of the more important ones. In contrast, the feast of Corpus Christi in Toledo and Granada and the Holy Week observances in Valladolid, Zamora, and Cuenca are solemn affairs. The bullfight, so important a part of Spanish tradition, has been called a fiesta brava. It is far more than a mere spectator sport; fans applaud not only the bravery of the toreros but their dexterity and artistry as well.

H.

Painting

A number of great painters have lived and worked in Spain. Among the most famous are El Greco, Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso, one of the most prolific artists in history and a major figure in 20th-century art.

I.

Music

Spanish music has a vitality and a rhythm that reflect the many influences on the culture by the Christians and the Moors. Zarzuela, a form of opera, emerged in the 17th century. A leading keyboard composer during the 18th century was Antonio Soler, and Enrique Granados and Manuel de Falla continued the tradition in the 20th century. Famous Spanish performers of the 20th century include the guitarist Andrés Segovia and cellist Pablo Casals. Popular Spanish instruments include the guitar, tambourine, castanets, and the gaita, a kind of bagpipe. Spanish dance styles (each with its own music) include the bolero, the flamenco, the jota, and the fandango. See also Spanish Dance.

J.

Literature

See Spanish Literature; Catalan Literature.

K.

Cinema

See Spanish Cinema.

L.

Libraries and Museums

The National Library in Madrid, founded in 1712 as the Royal Library, is the largest in Spain; it contains more than 4 million bound volumes. Rare books, maps, prints, and the magnificent Sala de Cervantes, devoted to the writings of the great Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, are among the special collections of the library. The Library of the Royal Palace (1760) in Madrid has many rare editions from the 16th century as well as fine collections of manuscripts, engravings, and music. One of the most complete libraries in Spain is the Madrid University Library, which was founded in 1341; it contains more than 800,000 bound volumes and more than 270,000 pamphlets. The Escorial Library near Madrid is known for its collection of rare books. The Archives and Library of the Cathedral Chapter in Toledo are famous for its collection of some 3,000 manuscripts from the 8th and 9th centuries and more than 10,000 documents of the 11th century.

One of the greatest art collections in the world is in the National Museum of Paintings and Sculpture (known as the Prado) in Madrid. The collection is particularly rich in works by El Greco, Velázquez, Bartolomé Estéban Murillo, and Goya; by the Italian painters Sandro Botticelli and Titian; and by Rembrandt. The National Museum of Modern Art in Madrid specializes in Spanish painting after 1800.

Spanish pottery, brocades, tapestries, and ivory carvings are in the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid, which houses also the most important library on archaeology in the country. The National Ethnological Museum in Madrid contains objects from former Spanish possessions, including Equatorial Guinea, the Philippines, and Bolivia. Other museums in Madrid include the Natural Science Museum and the Museum of the Spanish People. Situated in Barcelona are the Maritime Museum and the Archaeological Museum, which has a large collection of prehistoric, Phoenician, Greek, Roman, and Visigothic art.