| p>With an area of 504,030 square kilometers, Spain | | | | a number of thriving ancient Romance minority |
| or Reino de España, is a southwestern | | | | languages like the Astur-Leonese group, which |
| European country located on the Iberian Peninsula. It | | | | includes the Asturian and Leonese languages. Asturia, |
| has a population of around 46 million, and has the city | | | | officially referred to as "Bable", is used primarily in |
| of Madrid as its capital. Its other large urban centers | | | | Asturias, while Leonese is commonly used in Castile |
| include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Malaga, | | | | and León. The people in Aragon province also |
| Murcia, Palma de Mallorca and Bilbao. | | | | speak Aragonese. However, unlike Basque, Catalan |
| Spain has a constitutional monarchy, along with a | | | | Valencian and Galician, these minority languages or |
| hereditary monarchy and a bicameral parliament | | | | dialects are not conferred by any official status |
| system, called the Cortes Generales. The country's | | | | because of the very small number of speakers, along |
| executive branch comprises a Council of Ministers | | | | with having a less-significant written tradition when |
| that is headed by the President of Government, | | | | compared to Galician or Catalan. Aside from these, |
| which acts much like a prime minister, is endorsed by | | | | most residents who speak the minority languages do |
| the monarch and elected after a legislative election | | | | not strongly demand for recognition of their regional |
| by the National Assembly. Its economy, according to | | | | or provincial dialects. |
| figures from the Worlds Bank, is considered the | | | | The Spanish language is generally considered an |
| eighth largest in the world as well as being the fifth | | | | inflected language, as it has a two-gender system |
| largest in Europe. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | | | | along with having around fifty conjugated forms per |
| as of 2007 was pegged and valued at $1,439,000 | | | | verb. It however, has a limited inflection of |
| trillion. The country's economy in 2007 rose by | | | | adjectives, nouns, and determiners. This major |
| around 3.8%, and was ahead of all G7 members and | | | | European language is closely associated with other |
| other major European Union economies for three | | | | West Iberian Romance languages, namely Asturian, |
| consecutive years. It is also rated as the 3rd largest | | | | Galician, Ladino, Leonese and Portuguese. Spain and |
| global investor. | | | | its close neighbor Portugal are known to share similar |
| Spain's official language is Spanish. It's also referred to | | | | vocabulary and grammar patterns, as well as a heavy |
| as español or castellano or Castilian. It is the | | | | injection of Arabic influence, especially when it came |
| only language that has a nationwide official status, | | | | under Islamic rule in the Middle Ages. |
| although other languages and regional dialects also | | | | According to linguistics experts and historians, the |
| have co-official status. The major dialects are spoken | | | | Spanish language was believed to have evolved from |
| in some towns, communities, territories and special | | | | Vulgar Latin. It is also filled with major vocabulary |
| enclaves in Africa. Among the major regional dialects | | | | influences from Arabic, especially during the |
| is Basque or euskera, which is primarily spoken in | | | | Andalusian period. It started out as a variety of Latin |
| Navarre and the Basque Country. Catalan, or | | | | along the remote Northern Spanish provinces of |
| català is widely spoken in Catalonia and the | | | | Cantabria, Burgos and La Rioja. This early language |
| Balearic Islands, while Valencian, which is referred to | | | | form then gradually spread to eventually became the |
| as a unique variant of Catalan, is also widely spoken | | | | official language of government and trade. This |
| in the Valencian Community. Galician or galego is also | | | | language form was then exported to the America |
| the main dialect spoken in the province of Galicia. | | | | and other colonies by the legions of Spanish explorers |
| Apart from these major regional dialects, there is also | | | | and colonists. |