Part 692

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.26 years male: 74.95 years female: 81.81 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.26 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish

Ethnic divisions: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types

Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other sects 1%

Languages: Castilian Spanish, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986 est.) total population: 96% male: 98% female: 94%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain conventional short form: Spain local short form: Espana

Data code: SP

Type of government: parliamentary monarchy

Capital: Madrid

Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, 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)

National holiday: National Day, 12 October

Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978

Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975) is a hereditary monarch head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria AZNAR (since 5 May 1996) was proposed by the king and voted into office by the National Assembly on 4 May 1996; AZNAR's Popular Party defeated Felipe GONZALEZ Marques's Socialist Workers Party in the 3 March 1996 legislative election; Deputy Prime Minister (vacant) cabinet: Council of Ministers was designated by the prime minister Council of State: is the supreme consultative organ of the government

Legislative branch: bicameral The General Courts or National Assembly (Las Cortes Generales) Senate (Senado): elections last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by March 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (256 total) PP 132, PSOE 96, CiU 11, PNV 6, IU 2, others 9 Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados): elections last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by March 2000); results - PP 38.9%, PSOE 37.5%, IU 10.7%, CiU 4.6%; seats - (350 total) PSOE 141, PP 156, IU 21, CiU 16, other 16

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo)

Political parties and leaders: principal national parties from right to left: Popular Party (PP), Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez; Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez, secretary general; Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio ANGUITA Gonzalez; United Left (IU - a coalition of parties including the PCE, a branch of the PSOE, and other small parties), Julio ANGUITA Gonzalez chief regional parties: Convergence and Union (CiU), Jordi PUJOL, secretary general (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC), Pere ESTEVE, and the Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC), Josep Antoni DURAN LLEIDA); Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier ARZALLUS Antia and Jose Antonio ARDANZA; Basque United People (HB or Herri Batasuna, ETA's political wing), Juan Cruz IDIGORAS; Canarian Coalition (CC), a coalition of five parties

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); Workers Confederation (CC.OO); the Socialist General Union of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO); business and landowning interests; the Catholic Church; Opus Dei; university students

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 8, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime De OJEDA Eiseley chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: (202) 452-0100, 728-2340 FAX: (202) 833-5670 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard N. GARDNER embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid mailing address: APO AE 09642 telephone: (1) 577-4000, 577-2301 FAX: (1) 577-5735 consulate(s) general: Barcelona