MOVING TO SPAIN

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The Moving to Spain Guide is available online and has been created to help expatriate families moving to Spain.

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KEY FACTS

Official Name: Kingdom of Spain

Capital City: Madrid

Type of Government: Parliamentary Monarchy

Official Language: Castilian Spanish

Area: 504,912 sq. km/194,896 sq. mi

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Population: 47 million

Religion: Roman Catholic 94%

Currency: Euro

Number of Time Zones: 1

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) plus 1 hr; Eastern Standard Time (EST) plus 6 hrs.

Weights and Measures: Metric system

Country Domain: .es

Country Tel Code: 34

AT A GLANCE

In the last several decades, Spain has been transformed from an agricultural country to a modernized industrial nation, in addition to becoming a member of the European Union (EU) in 1986. Its distinction of being the sunniest country in Europe has made it a popular vacation destination and contributed to a booming tourist trade.

Government

Spain today is a parliamentary monarchy with the king as head of state. Executive power rests with an elected prime minister, usually the leader of the strongest party in parliament. The parliament, or Las Cortes Generales, is made up of two houses, a 350-member Congress of Deputies and a 259-member Senate.

All the Deputies and 208 of the Senators are elected for four-year terms. The remaining 51 senators are nominated by the 17 “autonomous” communities in Spain. These autonomous communities include the Basques, the Catalonians, and several other regions. These regions are not fully self-governing, but they have been granted authority to deal with a variety of local issues.

However, one segment of the Basque population – the Eta separatist rebels – have not been content with partial self-government. In protest, they commit terrorist acts generally directed against Spanish officials. By one account, the group has been responsible for 800 lives lost since the late 1960s. In January 2011 the Eta announced a ceasefire; however, government skeptics note previous ceasefires have dissolved into continued violence.

Economy

Spain remained an agrarian society until the 1960s, when a dramatic shift from agriculture to industrialization began to take place.

Despite great economic progress, Spain faces stiff challenges if it is to maintain the economic gains of recent decades. These challenges include adjusting to the monetary changes and other economic policies of an integrated, single-currency European Union (EU), while continually trying to reduce the country’s high level of unemployment, as well as providing tax reform.

Having become a more aggressive business entity since joining the EU, Spain is bringing its policies and business climate more in line with other member European countries.

The pace of business has accelerated. The business style in Madrid is now similar to other European business centers. The tradition of a midday “siesta” break has given way to more typical business hours.

Spain today

There is a large community of predominantly U.S., Canadian, and British expatriates in Madrid, with similar communities in other major cities throughout Spain.

Spain offers a comfortable lifestyle for foreigners to embrace. Visitors will find pleasant facilities for living, working, and absorbing the culture of a modern European country with a special flair. This is accomplished despite the slower pace of life and some of the frustrating bureaucratic process that foreigners may encounter.

AT A GLANCE

In the last several decades, Spain has been transformed from an agricultural country to a modernized industrial nation, in addition to becoming a member of the European Union (EU) in 1986. Its distinction of being the sunniest country in Europe has made it a popular vacation destination and contributed to a booming tourist trade.

Government

Spain today is a parliamentary monarchy with the king as head of state. Executive power rests with an elected prime minister, usually the leader of the strongest party in parliament. The parliament, or Las Cortes Generales, is made up of two houses, a 350-member Congress of Deputies and a 259-member Senate.

All the Deputies and 208 of the Senators are elected for four-year terms. The remaining 51 senators are nominated by the 17 “autonomous” communities in Spain. These autonomous communities include the Basques, the Catalonians, and several other regions. These regions are not fully self-governing, but they have been granted authority to deal with a variety of local issues.

However, one segment of the Basque population – the Eta separatist rebels – have not been content with partial self-government. In protest, they commit terrorist acts generally directed against Spanish officials. By one account, the group has been responsible for 800 lives lost since the late 1960s. In January 2011 the Eta announced a ceasefire; however, government skeptics note previous ceasefires have dissolved into continued violence.

Economy

Spain remained an agrarian society until the 1960s, when a dramatic shift from agriculture to industrialization began to take place.

Despite great economic progress, Spain faces stiff challenges if it is to maintain the economic gains of recent decades. These challenges include adjusting to the monetary changes and other economic policies of an integrated, single-currency European Union (EU), while continually trying to reduce the country’s high level of unemployment, as well as providing tax reform.

Having become a more aggressive business entity since joining the EU, Spain is bringing its policies and business climate more in line with other member European countries.

The pace of business has accelerated. The business style in Madrid is now similar to other European business centers. The tradition of a midday “siesta” break has given way to more typical business hours.

Spain today

There is a large community of predominantly U.S., Canadian, and British expatriates in Madrid, with similar communities in other major cities throughout Spain.

Spain offers a comfortable lifestyle for foreigners to embrace. Visitors will find pleasant facilities for living, working, and absorbing the culture of a modern European country with a special flair. This is accomplished despite the slower pace of life and some of the frustrating bureaucratic process that foreigners may encounter.

CITIES

Barcelona

Barcelona is one of several contemporary Spanish cities with a name recalling the distant past. Cartagena was originally Carthago Nova, and Cadiz was a Phoenecian trading settlement called Gades. Barcelona, founded about 680 BC, was named for the Carthaginian general, Hamilcar Barca.
The second largest city in Spain, Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia or Catalunya in the Catalán language and a leading industrial and business center, as well as an important Mediterranean port. Home to 1.6 million, it is Spain’s most cosmopolitan city.

The heart of Barcelona is the old city around the cathedral; this area is known as the Barri Gòtic. In the 19th century, Barcelona spread out beyond the old walls to create a new city based on a grid pattern with broad boulevards. It is still regarded as an outstanding example of urban planning and modern architecture. Barcelona prides itself on its human scale with low-rise buildings and a notable absence of glass and concrete skyscrapers.

Like Madrid, Barcelona was loyal to the Republicans throughout the Civil War and subsequently suffered under the Franco regime as a consequence. It remained, however, Spain’s most important business and industrial city. Its traditional economic base of chemicals, textiles, and heavy industries has diversified in recent years with the growth of electronics firms.

Barcelona was the site of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, and the 1992 World’s Fair, which spurred extensive rebuilding projects including redevelopment of the long-neglected seafront.

Bilbao

A major industrial center, Bilbao is the largest city in the Basque region. Some 16 km /10 mi inland from the Bay of Biscay, Bilbao is one of Spain’s largest cities and one of its most important ports. Its population is just over 355,000.

The city has suffered from a combination of temperature inversion and industrial pollutants causing overcast skies and smog. However, Bilbao has undertaken a comprehensive urban and architectural redevelopment and renewal programs to establish itself as an arts and business center.

Founded in the 14th century, this ancient city has a charming maze of crowded streets in the Gothic Quarter around its magnificent cathedral.

Madrid

Spain’s capital and largest city, Madrid derives its name from the Arabic words for “plenty of water.”
Madrid is a relative newcomer among great European capitals. Originally a stronghold of the Moors, Madrid was captured by the Christians in 1085 but was still an undistinguished provincial town when Philip II moved his capital there from Toledo in 1561.

Under Philip and his Hapsburg successors, the city grew in size, but it wasn’t until the arrival of the Bourbon kings after the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14) that the city acquired the neoclassical buildings and monuments that today make it one of Europe’s most imposing cities.

Madrid was a Republican bastion during the Civil War and suffered severe damage during a lengthy siege before succumbing to the Nationalists. It expanded during the decades following World War II.

While Madrid does not have the industrial importance of Barcelona and the Basque cities, it is a growing high-tech center and the country’s banking and financial center. The population is about 3.5 million.

For administrative purposes, Madrid is divided into 18 districts or barrios. The principal business and government area follows the Paseo de la Castellana from the city center northward. The most desirable residential neighborhoods are in the eastern and northern districts and, outside the city proper, in the northern and northwestern suburbs.

Seville

Seville, the capital of Andalucia, is Spain’s fourth largest city. Located on both banks of the Guadalquivir River, Seville is the quintessential Spanish city in terms of flamenco music and dancing, patios with splashing fountains, holy day processions, fiestas, and general atmosphere.

Founded in 712 A.D. at the time of the Moorish invasion and called Izvilla, its past is evidenced by the Alcazar – an architecturally exquisite former fortress-palace almost on a par with Granada’s Alhambra-and the Giralda, originally a minaret from which the faithful were called to prayer.

There are many other reminders of its long history as a center of Muslim and Christian culture. During the height of imperial Spain, it was the city into which the wealth of the New World flowed. Today, this city of 703,000 is the center of an important agricultural area with canning and textile industries.

CLIMATE

Spain’s climate is extremely varied. Because of its topography and the influence of the northern Gulf Stream along the Atlantic coast and the warm currents of the Mediterranean to the east, most of Spain is sunny, dry, and warm.

The most pleasant weather in Spain occurs in late spring and early fall. The wide range of climate produces a greater variety of vegetation than can be found in any other European country.

The northern coast enjoys a moderate climate with some rainfall year-round, 99 cm/39 in. average. Temperatures in Bilbao range from an average 10°C/50°F from January to March to 19°C/66°F from July to September. Winters are damp, cloudy, and cool, with abundant rainfall.

The southern and eastern coasts have a more Mediterranean climate, with long dry summers and mild winters. The weather of the Meseta fluctuates wildly. It is cold in winter and hot in summer. Madrid’s average temperature in winter is 8°C/46°F, while in summer it averages 23°C/73°F. There are frequent cold winds in winter, although they are generally dry. Average rainfall is a mere 50 cm/20 in. per year. Barcelona remains more temperate at all times of the year because of proximity to the sea.

The Mediterranean coast of Spain extends from the Costa Blanca, considered one of the healthiest spots in the world, to the Costa del Sol. This part of Spain boasts an average of 300+ days a year of sunshine. Being the sunniest country in Europe has made Spain a popular vacation destination.

The climate in Andalucia and the Levante is temperate except in summer, when temperatures can exceed 40°C/104°F in the shade. The south has the mild winters of a Mediterranean climate and is dry, with average annual precipitation of 41-79 cm/16-31 in.

It is safe to describe the entire country as very hot in summer. In winter only the Canary Islands with their sub-tropical climate remain attractive for swimming. Snow falls in the mountains.

Smog can be a problem in Madrid, as the city is located in a depression. Air quality has improved somewhat, but use of coal for fuel and buses operating on low-octane gasoline still contribute to the pollution problem.

Information provided in association with Living Abroad