Spain

A kingdom of southwest Europe, Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with Portugal, Gibraltar, and Andorra. Spain consists of a vast plateau that slopes toward the southwest and is crossed by several mountain ranges. The Mediterranean Balearic Islands, the Atlantic Canary Islands, and Ceuta and Melilla, two enclaves in Morocco, together with a few islands, are also included in the territory. Spains economy is based on tourism and manufacturing. It has transformed itself from a poor, agricultural economy into a prosperous industrial nation, producing cars, ships, electronics, chemicals, and textiles. However it still exports fruit and vegetables and is the third-largest wine-producer in the world. Spain entered the European Community (now the European Union) in 1986. The European Countries Today series provides information on the 15 of the most important countries in Europe. Each book in the series describes the history, geography, economy, culture, and relationship each country has with its neighbors. There is also a separate title, European Union Facts & Figures, which provides statistical and factual information about the European Union. Each title in this series includes color photos throughout, and back matter including: an index and further reading lists for books and internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading

Un regat din sud-vestul Europei, Spania ocupa cea mai mare parte a Peninsulei Iberice, pe care o imparte cu Portugalia, Gibraltar si Andorra. Spania este formata dintr-un vast platou care se inclina spre sud-vest si este traversat de mai multe lanturi de munte.