The exuberance of the Spaniards and the glorious predictability of the summer weather have been attracting refugees from northern Europe's damp and clammy lands for decades, but Spain is much more than the Costa del Sol and warm English beer. It is drenched in the historical pageantry of empire and conquistadors, the artistic legacy of Goya, Velázquez, Picasso and Dalí, and the romance of Don Quijote, Papa Hemingway and the International Brigades.

Full name : Kingdom of Spain
Capital : Madrid (pop 3 million)
Area : 505,990 sq km
Population : 40.3 million
People : Spaniards (though Catalans and Basques display a fierce independent spirit)
Language : Castilian Spanish (also Catalan, Galician & Basque)
Religion : 90% Roman Catholic
Government : Parliamentary monarchy
King : Juan Carlos
Prime Minister : José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

GDP : $1033 billion
GDP per head : $25,600
Growth rate : 3.5%
Inflation rate : 3.1%
Major industries : textiles & apparel, food & beverages, metals, chemicals, shipbuilding, tourism
Trading partners : EU (esp. France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, UK, Benelux), US
EU member : yes
Euro-zone member : yes