Spain

World Press Encyclopedia, (2003) by Rafael Chabran

S PAIN

B ASIC D ATA

Official Country Name: Kingdom of Spain Region (Map name): Europe Population: 40,037,995 Language(s): Castilian Spanish (official), Catalán, Galician, Basque Literacy rate: 97.0% Area: 504,782 sq km GDP: 558,558 (US$ millions) Number of Daily Newspapers: 136

Total Circulation: 4,300,000 Circulation per 1,000: 129 Number of Nondaily Newspapers: 10 Total Circulation: 5,827,000 Circulation per 1,000: 175 Newspaper Consumption (minutes per day): 18 Total Newspaper Ad Receipts: 1,692 (Euro millions) As % of All Ad Expenditures: 30.20 Magazine Consumption (minutes per day): 5 Number of Television Stations: 224 Number of Television Sets: 16,200,000 Television Sets per 1,000: 404.6 Television Consumption (minutes per day): 222 Number of Cable Subscribers: 466,100 Cable Subscribers per 1,000: 11.8 Number of Satellite Subscribers: 1,840,000 Satellite Subscribers per 1,000: 46.0 Number of Radio Stations: 924 Number of Radio Receivers: 13,100,000 Radio Receivers per 1,000: 327.2 Radio Consumption (minutes per day): 95 Number of Individuals with Computers: 5,800,000 Computers per 1,000: 144.9 Number of Individuals with Internet Access: 5,388,000 Internet Access per 1,000: 134.6 Internet Consumption (minutes per day): 6

B ACKGROUND & G ENERAL C HARACTERISTICS

As of the early 2000s, the press of Spain, like its contemporary culture and politics, is coming out of a period of transition. Salient characteristics of this press are low circulation and equally low per capita readership, at least in comparison to presses in other modern European countries. During the twentieth century the press became decentralized, and newspapers were established that focus more on the concerns of Spain's regions and autonomous communities often publishing in regional languages such as Catalán, Basque and Galician. In addition, newspapers have evolved from traditional print media to electronic versions published on the Internet. Another significant feature is the fact that most Spaniards rely on television rather than newspapers as their primary source of news. Only since the death of Francisco Franco in 1975 has political and cultural expression been unfettered. And only with the coming of the so-called transition to democracy in the 1980s has there been anything that approaches a critique of the government and prominent Spanish cultural institutions.

Located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, the Kingdom of Spain is made up of 504,782 square kilometers. It borders Portugal to the west and France to the north. It borders the Bay of Biscay and the North Atlantic, the Pyrenees Mountains, the southwest of France, and the Mediterranean Sea. Spain is made up of a high central plateau, which is broken up by many mountains and rivers. In addition to the landmass of the peninsula, Spain also includes the Balearic Islands (Majorca, Minorca, Cabrera, Ibiza, and Fomentra), the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Palma, Gomera, Hierro, Grand Canary, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote) and five territories of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco (Ceuta, Melilla, the Chafarinas Islands, the Peñón of Alhucemas, and the Peñón of Vélez de Gomora.

Transportation improved a great deal in the twentieth century. With public or private transportation methods, travel is available to all parts of Spain. Spain has many harbors and ports along with an extensive train network. Spain has over 100 airports that accommodate both national and international flights. In addition, Spain has many bus companies, which reach all parts of the country. This wide and diverse transportation network is important for the distribution of the press.

Population Distribution

As of the early 2000s, the population of Spain is estimated to be approximately 40 million, with a 0.11 percent population growth. There are three major cities: Madrid (4 million), Barcelona (2 million), and Valencia (754,000). Since the 1980s there has been a rise in immigration to Spain from northern Africa, Asia, and Latin America. During the 1990s, in fact, Spain has become a country of immigration, although the number of legal resident foreigners is still low by comparison to other European countries. Frequently these immigrants are the targets of discrimination. In terms of religion, Spain is known to be 66.7 percent Roman Catholic, 1.2 percent Muslim, 0.8 percent Protestant, and 31.3 percent other.

Language Distribution

There are four recognized languages: Castilian Spanish, the official language, spoken by 74 percent of the population, as well as three regional languages: Catalán, (17 percent), Galician (7 percent) and Basque (2 percent). Spanish ( Castellano, Castilian) is spoken throughout all of Spain and was, during the Franco period, the only Spanish language permitted.