Spain is a sovereign country in Southern Europe, in the wider region of Europe. The long form of the name is Kingdom of Spain. The capital is Madrid.
Some 48.8 million people call it home, placing it 32nd of 250 by population — between Uganda above it and Algeria below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 1st of 10 in size and 2nd in population.
Its territory runs to 505,992 km², which ranks it 53rd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Thailand and just ahead of Turkmenistan. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is almost exactly the same size as Thailand.
Location, borders and position
Its reference point sits at 40.0° north and 4.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 4,453 km from the equator, in what geographers would call temperate latitudes.
The prime meridian also passes close to it, so it straddles the line that divides east from west. Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include the United States, Türkiye and Turkmenistan.
5 countries share a land border with it: Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Portugal and Morocco. The largest of them by area is France, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 117.4 million people.
It has both a coastline and land borders, which is the most common arrangement of all.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
People, population and language
Population divided by land area gives roughly 97 people per square kilometre, which makes it more crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
Spanish is the only official language. Spanish is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 23 other entries including Argentina, Belize, Bolivia and Chile.
Someone from Spain is a Spanish.
Inside Europe it places 6th of 53 by population, and it accounts for 37% of everyone living in Southern Europe.
Currency and codes
The currency is the Euro (€, EUR). That is a shared currency: 37 other entries use it, including Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria and Croatia.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Spain, the answer is Madrid.
Its internet country code is .es. The international dialling code is +34. Standard country codes: es and ESP.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Spain shares borders with 5 countries:
Fun facts about Spain
- It lies about 4,453 km from the equator, in temperate latitudes.
- Its full official name is Kingdom of Spain.
- Spanish is official here and in 23 other entries worldwide.
- Its capital city is Madrid.
- Websites based there use the .es domain.
- It shares land borders with 5 countries: Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Portugal and Morocco.
- The United States and Türkiye sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- Its currency, the Euro, is shared with 37 other entries.
Spain — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Spain?
- The capital of Spain is Madrid.
- What is the population of Spain?
- Spain has a population of about 48.8 million, which makes it the 32nd most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Uganda sits just above it and Algeria just below.
- Which countries border Spain?
- Spain borders 5 countries: Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Portugal and Morocco. France is the largest of them by area.
- Where is Spain located?
- Spain is in Southern Europe, part of Europe. Its reference coordinates are 40.0° north and 4.0° west, roughly 4,453 km from the equator in temperate latitudes.
- What language is spoken in Spain?
- The official language of Spain is Spanish. It is also official in 23 other entries on this list.
- Is Spain a country?
- Yes. Spain is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- How big is Spain?
- Spain covers 505,992 km², ranking 53rd of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as Thailand.
- What currency does Spain use?
- Spain uses the Euro, written € (currency code EUR). It is shared with 37 other entries.
