During the Spanish Middle Ages, there were many countries in the territory, and after the victory of the Spanish Restoration Movement in 1492, a unified Kingdom of Spain was established. Since the 16th century, it has become an important maritime power in the Great Navigation Age, establishing a large number of colonies in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. In 1494, he signed the Treaty of Tordesillas with Portugal, intending to divide the world in two. During the Renaissance, the Spanish Empire became the most powerful state in Europe at the time and an empire that never set on the sun. It began to decline after the Thirty Years' War. After two republics and one monarchy, a constitutional monarchy was proclaimed in 1978.
Spain is a developed capitalist country and a member of the European Union and NATO. The total economic volume ranks fourth in the European Union and fourteenth in the world. The main industries are textiles, steel, cement, shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, electric power and so on. The level of agricultural modernization is high, and the olive oil production and grape planting area are among the highest in the world. Spain is known as the "kingdom of tourism", palaces, castles, churches and other cultural landscapes are fascinating, and mountains, plains, forests, beaches are more unforgettable. Most of the cities in the territory belong to the Mediterranean climate, and the four seasons are pleasant. It's a land of passion and energy, with lively flamenco dances, romantic guitar ballads, and thrilling bullfighting performances. If that's not enough, the colorful festivals and the passionate Spaniards can definitely bring you back to life with blood.
With a total area of 505925 square kilometers (of which 499542 square kilometers by land and 5,240 square kilometers by water), Spain ranks fifth in Europe, with about 830 kilometers from the northernmost to the southernmost part of the mainland and a maximum of 1,000 kilometers from east to west. Most of the territory is located on the Iberian Peninsula, bordered by France and Andorra to the northeast by the Pyrenees and Portugal to the west. Across the Strait of Gibraltar to the south is Morocco in Africa. It is bordered by the Bay of Vizcaya to the north, the Mediterranean Sea and Italy to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the northwest and southwest.
Social welfare in Spain is comprehensive coverage from birth to old age. Babies born in Spain who have lived for one year are naturalized directly and receive child allowance up to 3 years of age; In addition to 4 months of paid maternity leave, maternity women are entitled to various types of childcare allowances. Free public health care is implemented throughout the country, and one person pays social security, and the whole family can seek medical treatment free of charge. In addition, unemployment benefits, pensions, government low-cost housing, etc., strive to make every citizen and resident live a worry-free life.
The Spanish government attaches great importance to education, which accounts for 5% of GDP, of which 87% comes from direct state appropriations and 50% of scientific research results come from institutions of higher learning. Rich in educational resources, there are more than 300 colleges and universities in the country, and the famous four major business schools are ranked in the world's top 10. In terms of literature, architecture and painting, especially architecture, Picasso, Dalí, Gaudí, Cervantes are all from Spain, and 6 Spaniards have won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Most commendably, Spain, which offers free primary and secondary education, is the only country in the world with 14 years of free public education.
In the ranking of the "World's Most Valuable Passports", the Spanish passport ranks 5th, allowing visa-free access to 186 countries around the world. With the Spanish residency status, you can travel to 26 Schengen countries, and you can also freely enter and exit mainstream developed countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, just like living in a "global village". What's even more tempting is that you can travel to any EU country for tourism, living, studying and working, with no time limit and the benefits of EU countries.