PEOPLE
Spain's
population density, lower than that of most European countries,
is roughly equivalent to New England's. In recent years, following
a longstanding pattern in the rest of Europe, rural populations
are moving to cities.
Spain has no official religion. The constitution of 1978 disestablished the Roman Catholic Church as the official state religion, while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. More than 90% of the population is at least nominally Catholic. Among the remaining population, there are about 1.2 million evangelical Christians and other Protestants (2006 est.), 1 million Muslims (2006 est.) and 48,000 Jews (2006 est.).
Educational
System
About 70% of Spain's student population attends public schools
or universities. The remainder attend private schools or universities,
the great majority of which are operated by the Catholic Church.
Compulsory education begins with primary school or general basic
education for ages 6-14. It is free in public schools and in many
private schools, most of which receive government subsidies. Following
graduation, students attend either a secondary school offering
a general high school diploma or a school of professional education
(corresponding to grades 9-12 in the United States) offering a
vocational training program. The Spanish university system offers
degree and post-graduate programs in all fields--law, sciences,
humanities, and medicine--and the superior technical schools offer
programs in engineering and architecture.
Nationality: Noun--Spaniard(s). Adjective--Spanish.
Population (2007 est.): 45,116,894.
Annual growth rate (2007 est.): 0.116%.
Ethnic groups: Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant and Islamic faiths also have a significant presence.
Languages: Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan-Valenciana 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 16. Literacy (2003 est.)--98%.
Work force (19.2 million): Services--65.1%; agriculture--5.2%; construction--12.5%; industry--17.2% (2005 est.).
