Part 773

Airports - with paved runways: total: 82 over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m : 15 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 28 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 14 1,524 to 2,437 m : 2 914 to 1,523 m: 12 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil Guard

Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 10,387,353 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 8,381,141 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 333,758 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $6.3 billion (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (1995)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Gibraltar question with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas

Illicit drugs: key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin ______________________________________________________________________

SPRATLY ISLANDS

@Spratly Islands:Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, group of reefs in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines

Geographic coordinates: 8 38 N, 111 55 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area: total : less than 5 sq km land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over the South China Sea

Area - comparative: NA

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 926 km

Maritime claims: NA

Climate: tropical

Terrain: flat

Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point : unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m

Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential