Spain’s Role in the 21st Century Global Landscape
Spain’s Rise in the Global System
Spain, once a leading world power in the 16th and 17th centuries, entered the 20th century as a struggling European nation. Following the Civil War and the Franco regime, Spain gradually reintegrated into international bodies and began modernizing its economy. However, its true global resurgence occurred after the democratic transition, the 1978 Constitution, and its entry into the European Communities, leading to full integration into global institutions, partnerships, and markets.
Spain’s Global Standing
- Size and Demographics: Spain is a medium-sized state with a demographic weight exceeding its size.
- Socioeconomic Structure: Spain is a developed country.
- Geostrategic Position: Spain enjoys a privileged location between Europe and Africa, with a strong Mediterranean presence and serving as a bridge to Latin America.
- Cultural Influence: Spain holds significant cultural weight, particularly through its language, shared with most of Central and South America.
Spain in the World Economy
Since Spain was no longer a country in process of development has been increasingly integrated into the global economy especially through its connection with the countries of the EU and U.S. Hispanic. UU.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
The Spanish spectacular economic development in the last quarter of the twentieth century and the first years of XXI has joined the international trade liberalization and the belonging of the EU, to contribute to the growth of foreign trade. It should be that trade ucenta preferably Spanish is Europe, where almost 70% of trade is conducted within the EU.
One of the endemic problems of the Spanish economy is the imbalance of payments, since the trade deficit in goods trade. The spectacular rise of export of services, especially tourism, has made in recent years the balance has tended to level off at all. Must therefore rtecurrien public or private borrowing.
The problem of the trade balance and balance of payments is exacerbated by the large Spanish energy dependence, especially oil and natural gas, which makes makes these fuels increases further unbalance the scales. This is joined by the purchase of electricity from nuclear power in France and the purchase of CO2 allowances by the inadequacy of the Spanish industry to the emission limits imposed on the Kyoto Protocol.
Geopolitical situation SPAIN / / / FOREIGN INSTITUTIONAL
Since admission to the UN, the country’s institutional amplification has increased, especially since the transition to democracy. Such involvement includes areas such as development aid and spreading peace and democracy. The main institutional supranational belonging to Spain are:
• The UN. Institiciones UN: FAO / / IMF / / World Bank / WTO / / ILO / WHO / / / · UNESCO / / peacekeepers / / OECD / / NATO
MEDIUM SIZE POWER
Spain is a medium-sized power approaches in economic and social indicators to the latest Granddad size. The eighth world power by GDP, however, GDP per capita plunges to 28 º.
Human Development Index calculated by the UN, places Spain among the countries in human development in the 13th position.
In addition to the GDP and GDP per capita, life expectancy at birth, literacy rate and levels of education and schooling in primary, secondary and university states.
EUROPEAN FIELD
Spain is a European country, therefore, relations with the rest of Europe has been steady and smooth throughout the entire history despite the imposing barrier of the Pyrenees today.
The European level is where the biggest flows develop economic, cultural and human.
AMERICAN FIELD
The Spanish presence in America is marked in principle by the Atlantic expansion of the kingdom of Castile, after the conquest of the Canary Islands and the discovery, conquest and colonization of America. After the emancipation of the American colonies not only the relationship but did not break even increased with the massive emigration of the last third of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, which was added after the war in the 40s and 50s. 1998 – 2000, the flow is the opposite.
Today, Spain has excellent relations with Latin American countries, including Brazil.
· Collaboration in the creation of an Ibero-American Community that revolves around the Iberoamerican summits, bringing together heads of state and government of Spain, Prtugal and Latin American countries.
· Establishment of institutional relations at the highest level: personal relationships between heads of State and members of the Spanish Royal Family.
• Development and social economic, promoting trade, development aid and trade and economic integration in institutions such as Mercosur.
· To encourage the democratization of the Americas.
· Setting a bridge between the EU and Spanish America.
MEDITERRANEAN AREA
Spain, while Europe is a landlocked country and across the sea have come from prehistory and ancient cultural influences, commercial and religious.
Today, Spain continues to have commercial and political interests in the Mediterranean basin, especially in North Africa, of which only 14 km separate us and we received constant population and influence.
The Spanish policy in North Africa is largely consistent to the EU and is based on the EuroMed summit that seek:
· Stability and social policy.
· Democratic regimes.
· Closer political cooperation, trade, social and cultural.
• Development economy.
To relieve the pressure of migration and development aid.
Avoids the implementation of radical Islam.