Spain’s Economy: Tourism, Industry, and Construction
Tourism in Spain
Tourism is one of the main drivers of the Spanish economy. It provides high income, helps offset the trade deficit, and employs abundant labor. Spain is the second country in the world that receives the most tourists, after France. In 2004, Spain received 53.6 million tourists (compared to 16 million in the UK, with a significant portion visiting Catalonia).
The tourist resources of Spain began to be exploited in the 1950s, when improving living standards of the European middle classes
Read MoreIndustrial Sectors in Spain: Key Areas and Activities
Item 16: Areas of Industrial Activity in Spain
1. Key Sectors: Basic Industries and Consumer Goods
Traditionally, industries have been classified into three groups:
- Basic industry takes the first step in the industrial chain, transforming raw materials into intermediate products, which are used as feedstock for other industries.
- Equipment goods industries produce machinery or tools used by other industries in their manufacturing processes.
- Use and consumption industries transform materials with different
Economic Globalization: Causes, Consequences, and Global Impact
Economic Globalization
Globalization of the economy is involved in the operation of global production, consumption, and exchanges.
Causes of Economic Globalization
- The progress of telecommunications allows receiving real-time information, reducing the distance factor. Businesses can expand their areas of production and market.
- Improving transport facilitates the transfer of goods and people worldwide.
- Generalization of the capitalist system, based on private property, free competition between companies,
Agricultural and Fisheries Policy Analysis in Spain Since 1986
Agricultural Policy Since 1986
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was created in 1962 with the following objectives:
- Increase productivity
- Ensure farmers a good standard of living
- Stabilize markets
- Set reasonable prices
To achieve these goals, two initiatives were established: a pricing policy based on markets and common market organizations (CMOs). A policy of agricultural structures and adaptation promoted the improvement and development of rural areas.
Results: Achieving food self-sufficiency, improved
Read MoreKey Terms in Business and Industry
Holding Companies
A holding company is a financial entity that controls various companies, owning all or a significant part of their actions.
Research, Development, and Innovation (R&D&I)
R&D&I encompasses investments in the industry, including:
- Basic Research: Work to develop new knowledge.
- Applied Research: Work to apply new knowledge to a practical purpose.
- Systems and Services.
- Innovation: Improving competitiveness.
Endogenous Industrialization
Endogenous industrialization is the process
Read MorePolitical Organization and Institutions in Medieval Spain
Political Organization and Institutions
Royal Power and the Rise of the Courts
The power of kings was limited to the royal lands. In 1188, Leon summoned the bourgeois to the Curia on behalf of the cities, giving rise to the Courts. Originally, it consisted of three branches, attending to the king’s queries and voting on subsidies, fulfilling the basic obligations of the vassal: auxilium and consilium. This polity evolved differently in Castile and Aragon.
Castile: Centralization and Royal Authority
Castile
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