aphic coordinates: 40 00 N, 4 00 W

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 504,782 sq km

land: 499,542 sq km

water: 5,240 sq km

note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of
sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco -
Ceuta, Melilla, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de
Velez de la Gomera

Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Oregon

Land boundaries: total: 1,917.8 km

border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km,
Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km

Coastline: 4,964 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate
and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly
cloudy and cool along coast

Terrain: large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged
hills; Pyrenees in north

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m

Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury,
pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin,
potash, hydropower, arable land

Land use: arable land: 30%

permanent crops: 9%

permanent pastures: 21%

forests and woodland: 32%

other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 34,530 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea
from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil
and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution;
deforestation; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification

Geography - note: strategic location along approaches to St