“PIGS." Their economic situation was so bad that they were expected to consume mass

bailouts from the European Union. But in the past 4 years, Spain has seen a lightening

fast recovery, and the highest economic growth in the EU as of 2015. So what is it about

Spain that helped them turn things around? Just how powerful is Spain?

Well, Spain is a relatively large country by European standards, coming in at roughly

200,000 square miles, or three quarters the size of Texas. This makes them the second

largest country in the EU, after France. But, Spain is only the 5th most populous with a

bit more than 45 million residents. Despite it’s smaller size, Spain’s historical

legacy is vast. As one of the first and largest colonial empires EVER, at their height they

controlled nearly 8 million square miles, covering 12% of the world’s population.

This mass influence has led to Spanish being the second most spoken first language in the

world.

But Spain has since lost its hold over much of the world, and become a peaceful EU member.

Today their GDP is around $1.4 trillion dollars, and ranks 14th globally. However, despite

their recent economic success, they’re still not quite in the clear. Spain’s unemployment

figures have exploded from about 8% in 2007 to 26% in 2013. Spain has also suffered from

high inflation, and one of the worst education systems among OECD nations. But, despite all

of this, Spain continues to rake in enormous amounts of revenue from tourism, and is one

of the most prolific tourist industries in the world. In 2006, tourism brought in 40

billion euros, comprising 5% of the entire country’s GDP. Spain is also one of the

largest renewable energy countries, with more solar power energy produced than even the

United States.

But how strong is their military? Well, their armed forces are comprised of an Army, Navy,

and Air Force, boasting roughly 140,000 total personnel. In 2015 they allocated about 6.3

billion dollars to defense, making up only about half a percent of their GDP. As NATO

members they are expected to contribute closer to 2%, and the US spends about 3.5%. Spain’s

military also contributes peacekeeping troops to the United Nations. Luckily, as an EU and

NATO member, Spain has mutual assurance pacts with the rest of Europe and the United States,

meaning they have little to fear in case of foreign belligerence.

Spain is a beautiful, large, inviting country with a formidable economy, sufficient military,

and storied history. But just how powerful is Spain? Well, with a weak education system,

high unemployment, and a dropping standard of living, Spain has many problems to tackle

before reaffirming their former global power.

Sure, Spain has a while to go to become a leading nation. France, on the other hand,

is among the top five most powerful countries in the WORLD. So how did France get so strong?

To find out, be sure to watch this video. Thanks for watching TestTube News! Please

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