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6
- Other sectors
Services
: The tertiary sector employs 54% of the
country's labour force and earns 60% of the
GNP.
Since the end of
1998 when it was liberalized, the
telecommunications market has been booming.
The CMT (the commission of the telecommunications
market) was set up in early March 1997.
The mobile telephone has been very successful and
the 3 operators, Telefonica, Moviles, retevision
(Airtel and Amena) have 7 million clients between
them.
1999 was marked by
the expansion of Internet and the electronic
business in Spain.
In 1998 the sale of computers had risen by 23.8%
and the logistic sector by 17.6% (+33% for
services).
There are between 2.5 and 3 million internet
users.
Spain is the third biggest beer producer in
Europe.
Tourism: Tourism brings in an income of 29.7
billion US dollars.
The sector employs more than 1 million people and
is a key part of the economy.
The revenue has gone up by 13.2% and the sector
represents 11% of the GDP.
7
- Population
Population :
39,370,000 ( 77 % of whom live in urban zones).
0 - 14 years : 15.26%
15 - 64 years : 68.47%
65 years and over : 16.27%
Population density
: 79 inhab/Km².
life expectancy : 77.91 years
reproduction rate : 1.16
Average annual growth rate of the population : 0.4%
(= 170,000 inhabitants).
There are different groups in the population :
Andalousian, Castillians, Catalans, Basques
8
- Language
The official
language is Spanish.
Castillian is the main language spoken in Spain
(73%) and used over the whole country. But Catalan
(24%), Valencian, Basque (3%) (or Euskera) and
Galician are also spoken in the different
autonomous communities.
English is understood in all the big hotels, and
sometimes French too. If you are moving to Spain
you should take Spanish lessons, either beforehand
or once you are there.
9
- Religion
There is
freedom of worship but the huge majority of
Spaniards are Roman Catholics (99%)
10
- Weights, measures and voltages
The metric
system is in use. Electrical current : 110/220
V.
11
- Money
The official
currency is the peseta. 1 franc is worth approx. 25
pesetas.
100 pesetas = about 4 francs (3.942)
1 euro = 166.386 pesetas
Coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500
pesetas
Notes of 1 000, 2 000, 5 000 et 10
000.
12 - Main towns
13
- Climate
Average
temperatures (max/min)
J F M A M J
J A S O N D
Madrid .. 8/1 11/2 15/5 18/7 21/10 27/15 31/17
30/17 25/14 19/10 13/5 9/2
Barcelona .. 13/6 14/7 16/9 18/11 21/14 25/18 28/21
28/21 25/19 21/15 16/10 13/7
Palma de Majorca .. 14/6 15/6 17/8 19/10 22/13
26/17 29/20 29/20 27/18 22/14 18/10 15/8
Sea
temperatures : monthly average
J F M A M J
J A S O N D
Barcelona .. 13 12 13 14 16 19 22 23 22 19 16
14
Palma de Majorca .. 14 13 14 15 17 21 24 25 24 21
18 15
The temperature varies enormously :
on the northern Atlantic side it is rainy whereas
on the Mediterranean coast the climate is very
mild.
The central plateaus are cold in winter and very
hot in summer.
The best periods to holiday in Spain are spring and
autumn if you are visiting Andalousia.
It is pleasant all the year round in Madrid and
Barcelona.
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