Saturday, November 28, 2015

What drives Spain's economy?



Long a largely agricultural country, Spain produces large crops of wheat, barley, vegetables, tomatoes, olives, sugar beets, citrus fruit, grapes, and cork. Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil and Europe's largest producer of lemons, oranges, and strawberries.


Spain produces more olive oil than any other country on Earth

Manufacturing and Services 

Spain has a lot of businesses that the country relies on to keep the economy afloat and strong. Steel and iron is a huge part of the counties infrastructure but it has slowly been declining after becoming the 5th largest producer of steel in Europe. Spain is the 2nd largest car manufacturer in Europe and the 12th in the world. Spain is the 1st manufacturer of industrial vehicles in Europe and 9 out of 10 vehicles produced in Spain are exported to over 130 countries. 

The Future Economy

The future economic performance of Spain are still domestic – both on the fiscal front and, above all, in its capacity to create jobs. the continued gap between public spending and tax receipts will oblige Spain to either meet further borrowing requirements, implement additional cuts or, more attractively, to collect more revenue. The more structure Spain has going forward, the better chances of a stable economy. 

Friday, November 13, 2015

Who makes up Spain?


Ethnic Composition:

Spain is made up of people from all over Europe, especially the Iberian Peninsula. There are three major ethnic groups that Spain is composed of:

  1. Castilians
  2. Catalans
  3. Basques

There are definitely struggles between the groups that make up Spain, especially for the Catalans. The Catalans have been seeking independence for generations and independence is a very sensitive topic to them. Catalans speak their own dialect of Spanish and teach only Catalonian to the youth of the region. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, which is located in the heart of Catalonia, so if Catalonia becomes its own nation, Spain would lose a large amount of population and the economy may spiral out of control. 



Religion:

The Spanish Constitution guarantees religious freedom to all its citizens although the majority of the population is Catholic. Other religions also practiced in Spain include Islam, Judaism, Protestantism, and Hinduism, all of which have places to safely and properly practice. 



Government:

The government of Spain is much like that of Great Britain but Spain has a few differences. Spain is a Constitutional Monarchy governed under the Constitution of 1978 but Spain is also one of 24 democratic nations worldwide. The Prime Minister is "President of Government" and they are the head of government. The King is a symbol of the Spain's enduring unity and permanence. His Majesty Felipe VI of Spain is the King however, he holds no power similar to Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. The King as a palace in Madrid but does not live there, it is more for historical significance. 

I personally have been to the Royal Palace and words cannot express how amazing it is.