Isla Perejil

Ceuta is a Spanish exclave in North Africa, located on a northern tip of the Maghreb, on the Mediterranean coast near the Strait of Gibraltar. It is known in Arabic as سبتة (Sabtah in Standard Arabic, Sebta in Morocco). Its area is approximately 28 km². Ceuta is dominated by a hill called Monte Hacho, on which there is a fort occupied by the Spanish army. Monte Hacho is one of the possible locations for the southern Pillars of Hercules of Greek Legend, the other possibility being Jebel Musa. Ceu ...

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• Ceuta - History
• Ceuta - Administration

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Ceuta's strategic location has made it the crucial waypoint of many cultures' trade and military ventures — beginning with the Carthaginians in the 5th century BC (They called the city Abyla). It wasn't until the Romans took control in about AD 42, however, that the port city (named Septem at the time) assumed an almost exclusive military purpose. Approximately 400 years later, the Vandals ousted the Romans for control, and later it fell to the Visigoths of Spain or to the Byzantines. In 710, as Muslim invade ...

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Ceuta, Ceuta - History, Ceuta - Administration

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Melilla was a Phoenician and later Punic establishment under the name of Rusadir. Later it became a part of the Roman province of Hispania Nova Ulterior Tingitana in Hispania . As centuries passed, it went through Vandal, Byzantine and Hispano-Visigothic hands. Melilla was on the frontier of the Kingdom of Tlemcen and the Kingdom of Fes when the Juan Alfonso Perez de Guzman El Bueno 3rd Duke of Medina Sidonia reconquered it in 1497, a few years after Castille had taken control of ...

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Melilla, Melilla - History, Melilla - Architecture

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Ceuta is known officially in Spanish as Ciudad Autónoma de Ceuta, the Autonomous City of Ceuta, having a rank between a standard Spanish city and an autonomous community. Before the Statute of Autonomy, Ceuta was administratively part of the Cádiz province. Ceuta forms part of the territory of the European Union. The city was a free port before Spain joined the European Union in 1986. Now it has a low-taxes system inside the European Monetary Syste ...

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Ceuta, Ceuta - History, Ceuta - Administration

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Melilla sports the only Gothic arch in Africa. During the change from the 19th to the 20th century, Melilla was prosperous. A new bourgeois class expressed its prestige in the architectural style of Modernisme, the Catalan version of Art Nouveau, which was then in vogue in Spain. The workshops inspired by Catalan architect, Enrique Nieto, continued in the modernist style, even after it went out of fashion elsewhere. So Melilla has the second most important concentration of Mo ...

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Melilla, Melilla - History, Melilla - Architecture

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Main article: History of Spain Spain - Prehistory. The aboriginal peoples of the Iberian peninsula, consisting of a number of separate tribes, are given the generic name of Iberians. This may have included the Basques, the only pre-Celtic people in Iberia surviving to the present day as a separate ethnic group. The most important culture of this period is that of the city of Tartessos. Beginning in the 9th century BC, Celtic tribes entered the Iberian peninsula through the Pyrenees and settled throughout the peni ...

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Spain, Spain - History, Spain - Prehistory, Spain - Roman Empire, Spain - Muslim Spain, Spain - The Fall of Muslim Rule, Spain - From the Renaissance to the 19th Century, Spain - 20th century, Spain - 21st century, Spain - Politics, Spain - Administrative divisions, Spain - Autonomous communities, Spain - Provinces, Spain - Places of sovereignty, Spain - Geography, Spain - Most populous metropolitan areas, Spain - Territorial disputes, Spain - Economy, Spain - Demographics, Spain - Identities, Spain - Minority groups, Spain - Religion, Spain - International rankings, Spain - Other images

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List of territorial disputes - In Africa and neighbouring seas. Bassas da India, Europa Island and Juan de Nova Islands: France and Madagascar Badme: Ethiopia and Eritrea Bakassi: Nigeria and Cameroon Cabinda: Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo Ceuta and Melilla: Spain and Morocco Chagos Archipelago: United Kingdom, Mauritius and Seychelles Corisco area : Gabon and Equatorial Guinea ...

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List of territorial disputes, List of territorial disputes - Disputes involving states that recognize each other, List of territorial disputes - In Africa and neighbouring seas, List of territorial disputes - In the Americas, List of territorial disputes - In Asia and the Pacific, List of territorial disputes - In Europe, List of territorial disputes - Disputes between a state and its subnational entities or between subnational entities, List of territorial disputes - Disputes involving parties that each have some territory under control but do not recognize each other, List of territorial disputes - Formally frozen dispute, List of territorial disputes - Disputes between a state and a secessionist group with no territorial control

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On May 28, 1588 the Armada,with 130 ships and 30,000 men, began to set sail from Lisbon heading for the English Channel. At this time the English fleet was prepared and waiting in Plymouth for news of Spanish movements. It took until May 30 for all ships to leave port, and on the same day Elizabeth's ambassador Dr Valentine Dale met Parma's representatives to begin peace negotiations. It was not until July 17 that the peace negotiations were wholly abandoned. ...

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Spanish Armada, Spanish Armada - Background, Spanish Armada - Execution, Spanish Armada - The English Channel, Spanish Armada - Calais and the fireships, Spanish Armada - Battle of Gravelines, Spanish Armada - Pursuit, Spanish Armada - Tilbury speech, Spanish Armada - The return to Spain, Spanish Armada - Consequences, Spanish Armada - Points of view, Spanish Armada - Ships involved, Spanish Armada - England and the Netherlands, Spanish Armada - Spain and Portugal, Spanish Armada - Other meanings

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Spain - Prehistory. The indigenous peoples peoples of the Iberian peninsula, consisting of a number of separate tribes, are given the generic name of Iberians. This may have included the Basques, as one of the pre-Celtic people. The most important culture of this period is that of the city of Tartessos. Beginning in the 9th century BC, Celtic tribes entered the Iberian peninsula through the Pyrenees and settled throughout the peninsula, becoming the Celtiberians. The seafaring Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians successively settled along the ...

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Spain, Spain - History, Spain - Prehistory, Spain - Roman Empire, Spain - Muslim Spain, Spain - The Fall of Muslim Rule, Spain - From the Renaissance to the 19th Century, Spain - 20th century, Spain - 21st century, Spain - Politics, Spain - Administrative divisions, Spain - Autonomous communities, Spain - Provinces, Spain - Places of sovereignty, Spain - Geography, Spain - Most populous metropolitan areas, Spain - Territorial disputes, Spain - Economy, Spain - Demographics, Spain - Identities, Spain - Minority groups, Spain - Religion, Spain - International rankings, Spain - Other images

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The 16th and 17th centuries are sometimes called "the Golden Age of Spain" (in Spanish, Siglo de Oro). During the sixteenth century, Spain held the equivalent of US$1.5 trillion dollars (1990 terms) in gold and silver received from New Spain. It was often said during this time that it was the empire on which the sun never set. The unwieldy empire of this Golden Age was controlled, not from distant inland Madrid, but from Seville. The Habsburg dynasty squandered the American and Castilian riches in wars across Europe for Habsburg inter ...

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Spanish Empire, Spanish Empire - The beginnings of the empire 1402-1521, Spanish Empire - The Golden Age of Spain: The Sun Never Sets 1521-1643, Spanish Empire - Battle of Pavia to the Peace of Augsburg 1525-1555, Spanish Empire - St. Quentin to Lepanto 1556–1571, Spanish Empire - The troubled kingdom 1571-1598, Spanish Empire - God is Spanish 1596-1626, Spanish Empire - The road to Rocroi 1626-1643, Spanish Empire - The Empire of the last Spanish Habsburgs 1643 – 1713, Spanish Empire - The Bourbon Spanish Empire: Reform and Recovery 1713 – 1806, Spanish Empire - Twilight in the Global Empire 1808 – 1898, Spanish Empire - The last territories in Africa 1898-1975, Spanish Empire - External link

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The depth is about 300 m, and it is about 14 km wide at its narrowest point. Strait of Gibraltar - Tunnel. For a number of years the Spanish and Moroccan governments have been jointly investigating the feasibility of a tunnel underneath the strait, similar to the Channel tunnel between England and France. However, the tunnel idea was renounced because it would be impossible to vent gases from automobiles in a tunnel that was about nine miles long. A new three-year study for a railway tunnel was announced in 2003. See also:

Strait of Gibraltar, Strait of Gibraltar - Etymology, Strait of Gibraltar - Boundaries, Strait of Gibraltar - Location, Strait of Gibraltar - Logistics, Strait of Gibraltar - Tunnel, Strait of Gibraltar - Bridge, Strait of Gibraltar - Salty, Strait of Gibraltar - Ancient history

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List of territorial disputes - In Africa and neighbouring seas. Bassas da India, Europa Island and Juan de Nova Islands: France and Madagascar Badme: Ethiopia and Eritrea Bakassi: Nigeria and Cameroon Canary Islands: Spain and Morocco Ceuta and Melilla: Spain and Morocco Chagos Archipelago: United Kingdom, Mauritius and Seychelles Glorioso Islands: France, Madagascar and the Seychelles Hala'ib Tri ...

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List of territorial disputes, List of territorial disputes - Disputes involving states that recognize each other, List of territorial disputes - In Africa and neighbouring seas, List of territorial disputes - In the Americas, List of territorial disputes - In Asia and the Pacific, List of territorial disputes - In Europe, List of territorial disputes - Disputes between a state and its subnational entities or between subnational entities, List of territorial disputes - Disputes involving parties that each have some territory under control but do not recognize each other, List of territorial disputes - Formally frozen dispute, List of territorial disputes - Disputes between a state and a secessionist group with no territorial control

Read more here: » List of territorial disputes: Encyclopedia II - List of territorial disputes - Disputes involving states that recognize each other

The 16th and 17th centuries are sometimes called "the Golden Age of Spain" (in Spanish, Siglo de Oro). During the sixteenth century, Spain held the equivalent of US$1.5 trillion dollars (1990 terms) in gold and silver received from New Spain. It was often said during this time that it was the empire on which the sun never set. The unwieldy empire of this Golden Age was controlled, not from distant inland Madrid, but from Seville. The Habsburg dynasty squandered the American and Castilian riches in wars across Europe for Habsburg inter ...

See also:

Spanish Empire, Spanish Empire - The beginnings of the empire 1402-1521, Spanish Empire - The Golden Age of Spain: The Sun Never Sets 1521-1643, Spanish Empire - Battle of Pavia to the Peace of Augsburg 1525-1555, Spanish Empire - St. Quentin to Lepanto 1556–1571, Spanish Empire - The troubled kingdom 1571-1598, Spanish Empire - God is Spanish 1596-1626, Spanish Empire - The road to Rocroi 1626-1643, Spanish Empire - The Empire of the last Spanish Habsburgs 1643 – 1713, Spanish Empire - The Bourbon Spanish Empire: Reform and Recovery 1713 – 1806, Spanish Empire - Twilight in the Global Empire 1808 – 1898, Spanish Empire - The last territories in Africa 1898-1975, Spanish Empire - External Link

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Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 87% that of the four leading West European economies. The centre-right government of former Prime Minister Aznar successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency, the euro, on 1 January 1999. The Aznar administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatisation, and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the Aznar and Zapatero admini ...

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Spain, Spain - History, Spain - Prehistory, Spain - Roman Empire, Spain - Muslim Spain, Spain - The Fall of Muslim Rule, Spain - From the Renaissance to the 19th Century, Spain - 20th century, Spain - 21st century, Spain - Politics, Spain - Administrative divisions, Spain - Autonomous communities, Spain - Provinces, Spain - Places of sovereignty, Spain - Geography, Spain - Most populous metropolitan areas, Spain - Territorial disputes, Spain - Economy, Spain - Demographics, Spain - Identities, Spain - Minority groups, Spain - Religion, Spain - International rankings, Spain - Other images

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Administratively, Spain is divided into 50 provinces, grouped into 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities with high degree of autonomy. Spain - Autonomous communities. Main article: Autonomous communities of Spain Spain consists of 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autónomas) and 2 autonomous cities (ciudades autónomas; Ceuta and Melilla). Andalusia (Andalucía) Aragon (Aragón) Principality of Asturias ...

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Spain, Spain - History, Spain - Prehistory, Spain - Roman Empire, Spain - Muslim Spain, Spain - The Fall of Muslim Rule, Spain - From the Renaissance to the 19th Century, Spain - 20th century, Spain - 21st century, Spain - Politics, Spain - Administrative divisions, Spain - Autonomous communities, Spain - Provinces, Spain - Places of sovereignty, Spain - Geography, Spain - Most populous metropolitan areas, Spain - Territorial disputes, Spain - Economy, Spain - Demographics, Spain - Identities, Spain - Minority groups, Spain - Religion, Spain - International rankings, Spain - Other images

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Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament, the Cortes Generales or National Assembly. The executive branch consists of a Council of Ministers presided over by the President of Government (comparable to a prime minister), proposed by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections. The legislative branch is made up of the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados) with 350 members, elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional r ...

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Spain, Spain - History, Spain - Prehistory, Spain - Roman Empire, Spain - Muslim Spain, Spain - The Fall of Muslim Rule, Spain - From the Renaissance to the 19th Century, Spain - 20th century, Spain - 21st century, Spain - Politics, Spain - Administrative divisions, Spain - Autonomous communities, Spain - Provinces, Spain - Places of sovereignty, Spain - Geography, Spain - Most populous metropolitan areas, Spain - Territorial disputes, Spain - Economy, Spain - Demographics, Spain - Identities, Spain - Minority groups, Spain - Religion, Spain - International rankings, Spain - Other images

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In 1481 the papal Bull Aeterni regis had granted all land south of the Canary Islands to Portugal. Only this archipelago and the cities of Sidi Ifni (1476-1524), known then as "Santa Cruz de Mar Pequeña", Melilla (conquered by Pedro de Estopiñán in 1497), Villa Cisneros (founded in 1502 in current Western Sahara), Mazalquivir (1505), Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera (1508), Oran (1509-1790), Algiers (1510-1529), Bugia (1510-1554), Tripoli (1511-1551), Tunis (1535-1569) and ...

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Spanish Empire, Spanish Empire - The beginnings of the empire 1402-1521, Spanish Empire - The Golden Age of Spain: The Sun Never Sets 1521-1643, Spanish Empire - Battle of Pavia to the Peace of Augsburg 1525-1555, Spanish Empire - St. Quentin to Lepanto 1556–1571, Spanish Empire - The troubled kingdom 1571-1598, Spanish Empire - God is Spanish 1596-1626, Spanish Empire - The road to Rocroi 1626-1643, Spanish Empire - The Empire of the last Spanish Habsburgs 1643 – 1713, Spanish Empire - The Bourbon Spanish Empire: Reform and Recovery 1713 – 1806, Spanish Empire - Twilight in the Global Empire 1808 – 1898, Spanish Empire - The last territories in Africa 1898-1975, Spanish Empire - External link

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Mainland Spain is dominated by high plateaus and mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees or the Sierra Nevada. Running from these heights are several major rivers such as the Tajo, the Ebro, the Duero, the Guadiana and the Guadalquivir. Alluvial plains are found along the coast, the largest of which is that of the Guadalquivir in Andalusia, in the east there are alluvial plains with medium rivers like Segura, Júcar and Turia. Spain is bound to the east by Mediterranean Sea (containing the Balearic Islands), to the north by the Bay of Biscay a ...

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Spain, Spain - History, Spain - Prehistory, Spain - Roman Empire, Spain - Muslim Spain, Spain - The Fall of Muslim Rule, Spain - From the Renaissance to the 19th Century, Spain - 20th century, Spain - 21st century, Spain - Politics, Spain - Administrative divisions, Spain - Autonomous communities, Spain - Provinces, Spain - Places of sovereignty, Spain - Geography, Spain - Most populous metropolitan areas, Spain - Territorial disputes, Spain - Economy, Spain - Demographics, Spain - Identities, Spain - Minority groups, Spain - Religion, Spain - International rankings, Spain - Other images

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The Spanish Constitution, although affirming the sovereignty of the Spanish Nation, recognizes historical nationalities. The Castilian-derived Spanish (called both español and castellano in the language itself) is the official language throughout Spain, but other regional languages are also spoken. Without mentioning them by name, the Spanish Constitution recognizes the possibility of regional languages being co-official in their respective autonomous communities. The following languages are co-official with Span ...

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Spain, Spain - History, Spain - Prehistory, Spain - Roman Empire, Spain - Muslim Spain, Spain - The Fall of Muslim Rule, Spain - From the Renaissance to the 19th Century, Spain - 20th century, Spain - 21st century, Spain - Politics, Spain - Administrative divisions, Spain - Autonomous communities, Spain - Provinces, Spain - Places of sovereignty, Spain - Geography, Spain - Most populous metropolitan areas, Spain - Territorial disputes, Spain - Economy, Spain - Demographics, Spain - Identities, Spain - Minority groups, Spain - Religion, Spain - International rankings, Spain - Other images

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Roman Catholicism is, by far, the most popular religion in the country. According to several sources (CIA World Fact Book 2005, Spanish official polls and others), from 80% to 94% self-identify as Catholics, whereas around 6% to 13% identify with either other religions or none at all. Spain is also the location of one of the Roman Catholic church's most important holy cities; Santo Toribio de Liébana, which holds the largest single piece of the true cross. It is important to note, however, that many Spaniards identify themselves as Catholic ...

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Spain, Spain - History, Spain - Prehistory, Spain - Roman Empire, Spain - Muslim Spain, Spain - The Fall of Muslim Rule, Spain - From the Renaissance to the 19th Century, Spain - 20th century, Spain - 21st century, Spain - Politics, Spain - Administrative divisions, Spain - Autonomous communities, Spain - Provinces, Spain - Places of sovereignty, Spain - Geography, Spain - Most populous metropolitan areas, Spain - Territorial disputes, Spain - Economy, Spain - Demographics, Spain - Identities, Spain - Minority groups, Spain - Religion, Spain - International rankings, Spain - Other images

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