Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla-La
Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencia, Extremadura,
Galicia, Islas Baleares, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco
note:
there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco (Ceuta,
Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la
Gomera) with administrative status unknown
Independence:
1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
Constitution:
6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system:
civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday:
National Day, 12 October
Political parties and leaders:
principal national parties, from right to left:
Popular Party (PP), Jose Maria AZNAR; Social Democratic Center (CDS), Rafael
Calvo ORTEGA; Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZ
Marquez, secretary general; Socialist Democracy Party (DS), Ricardo Garcia
DAMBORENEA; Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio ANGUITA; United Left (IU) a
coalition of parties including the PCE, a branch of the PSOE, and other
small parties, leader NA
chief regional parties:
Convergence and Unity (CiU), Jordi PUJOL Saley, in Catalonia; Basque
Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier ARZALLUS; Basque Solidarity (EA), Carlos
GARAICOETXEA Urizza; Basque Popular Unity (HB), Jon IDIGORAS; Basque Left
(EE), Juan Maria BANDRES; Basque Socialist Party (PSE); coalition of the
PSE, EE, and PSOE, Jose Maria BANEGAS; Euskal Ezkerra (EUE), Xabier
GURRUTXAGA; Andalusian Party (PA), Pedro PACHECO; Independent Canary Group
(AIC), leader NA; Aragon Regional Party (PAR), leader NA; Valencian Union
(UV), leader NA
Other political or pressure groups:
on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the First
of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) use terrorism to oppose the
government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977) include the
Communist-dominated Workers Commissions (CCOO); the Socialist General Union
of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO);
the Catholic Church; business and landowning interests; Opus Dei; university
students
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

*Spain, Government

Elections:
Senate:
last held 29 October 1989 (next to be held NA October 1993); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (208 total) PSOE 106, PP 79, CiU