Nations of the World - Spain

Spain is one of Europe's largest nations. Separated from the rest of the continent by mountains, Spain has developed a distinctive character. It remains regionally divided, with one-quarter of Spaniards speaking a first language other than Castilian Spanish. Nearly 80 percent of the population live in cities, but Spain also has more wilderness areas than almost anywhere else in Europe. Once the center of a vast American empire, Spain was one of Europe's richest nations before the loss of its colonies left it again impoverished. In the 20th century a civil war brought to power a dictatorship that deprived many Spaniards of their civil rights. Today democracy has been restored.