Imperialism In Spain

The country of Spain covers 505,955 square kilometers, making it one of the 50 largest countries worldwide, and the third largest country in Europe. The countries most interesting border feature is that is has over double the amount of coastline compared to land borders with 3,084 mi of the country on the water. The country shares its land borders with France to the Northwest and Portugal to the southwest. The climate of Spain is varied as a result of its position above the equator, between 36 and 43 degrees North latitude, create a wet Spain in the North with mountainous areas, with temperatures that average with an average annual temperature of 14°c (57°f); and a dry Spain in the South, where it can get much hotter with temperatures sometimes
reaching above 40°c (104°f) in the shade.
Throughout history the world was shaped by conquests and war.
Spain played a large role of forming how the world is now. Over a period of five centuries Spain created one of the biggest empires by discovering continents and spreading Catholicism. Yet after revolutions and civil war seemingly lost it all. Spain was considered to be one of the most devout Catholic countries, and the consequences given by the conquistadores to the conquered was to convert or die. Beginning in the 16th Century Spain spread its influence across the world. Millions of people learned the Spanish language, and its become the most important and spoken in the world. This spread by Spanish is a direct result of the most popular language in Central and South America. This spread by the Spanish Empire also led to its downfall. With the raising of taxes to fund wars the commoners took to arms. King Phillip II believed himself and his empire to be invincible. His thoughts paid the price when he lost the Spanish Armada, one of the world’s greatest fleet of ships to bad weather and the British military. Spain never recovered and slowly started its military
decline.
Due to centuries of unplanned cutting forests are now limited to mostly the northern areas of the country. Fire destroys about 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 acres every year. Although the government is attempting to reforest, it is met with difficulty due to sheep and goats freely grazing the land, and erosion affecting approximately 18% of the country.
Air pollution is a major issue within the country. In 1995 it emitted 223.2 million metric tons, ranking 20th to among the world. In 2000 that number rose to 282.9 million metric tons. The water surrounding Spain is also susceptible to oil pollution due to tankers that frequently travel the shipping routes close to the nations shore. Evironmental responsibility falls under the Directorate of the Environment. 8.5% of the countries landmass is protected. A 2006 report issued by the Internationl Union for Conservation and Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) created a list of threatened species which included 20 types of mammals, 20 species of birds, 8 types of reptiles, 4 species of amphibians, 24 species of fish, 27 types of mollusks, 36 species of other invertebrates, and 14 species of plants.
Spains estimated population in 2005 was around 43,484,000.
Among 193 nations it ranks 29th in the world. Approximately 17% is over the age of 65, and another 15% of the population is under the age of 15. The Capital city of Madrid has population of 5,103,000 the same year, with urban growth rates growing at a rate of .21% annually. During the 1960s the Spanish were emigrating to more industrialized countries of Western Europe, most notably the Republic of Germany. Since 1973 the number of Spaniards returning to Spain has been higher than those leaving. More than 1.7 million are residing outside of the country. 2001 there were 1,109,060 foreigners living in the country, 2.5% of total population. There were 62,506 Germans, 84,699 Ecuadorians, 80,183 British, 48,710 Colombians, 234,937 Moroccans, 44,798 French, and 42,634
Portuguese.
Spain has an estimated 215,538 miles of roadways. With an estimated 213,382 miles being paved highways. The National Spanish Railway Network covered 9,194 miles of railway. Due to the majority of Spain’s borders being on water, it has a high number of ports. Of the 200 ports, 26 of them have commercial significance. The largest are Barcelona, Tarragona, and Cartagena on the Mediterranean. The Port Bilbao can accommodate tankers up to half a million tons. Significant improvements were made during the 1970s and now has scheduled ferry services with countries in North Africa.