| Hoofdstad | name: Madrid geographic coordinates: 40 24 N, 3 41 W time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: Spain has two time zones, including the Canary Islands (UTC 0) |
| Onafhankelijkheid dag | 1492; the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain |
| Nationale feestdag | National Day (Hispanic Day), 12 Oktober (1492); note - commemorates the arrival of COLUMBUS in the Americas |
| Grondwet | history: previous 1812; latest approved by the General Courts 31 Oktober 1978, passed by referendum 6 December 1978, signed by the king 27 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 amendments: proposed by the government, by the General Courts (the Congress or the Senate), or by the self-governing communities submitted through the government; passage requires three-fifths majority vote by both houses and passage by referendum if requested by one tenth of the members of either house; proposals disapproved by both houses are submitted to a joint committee, which submits an agreed upon text for another vote; passage requires two-thirds majority vote in Congress and simple majority vote in the Senate; amended 1992, 2007, 2011 (2016) |
| Stemmen | 18 jaar; universal |
| uitvoerende macht | chief of state: King FELIPE VI (since 19 June 2014); Heir Apparent Princess LEONOR, Princess of Asturias (daughter of the monarch, born 31 October 2005) head of government: President of the Government (Prime Minister-equivalent) Pedro SANCHEZ Perez-Castejon (since 2 June 2018); Vice President (and Minister of the President's Office) Maria del Carmen CALVO Poyato (since 7 June 2018) cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually proposes as president the leader of the party or coalition with the largest majority of seats, who is then indirectly elected by the Congress of Deputies; election last held on 28 April 2019 (next to be held on April 2022); vice president and Council of Ministers appointed by the president election results: percent of National Assembly vote - NA note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are non-binding |
Referenties: CIA World Factbook - Tenzij anders vermeld, voor informatie op deze pagina correct is met ingang van 31 december 2019
