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Rudolph Valentino

2010-08-07T20:27:05Z

RobertoCuestion:

[[Image:Valentino.jpg|left|Valentino]]
'''Rudolph Valentino''' (born May 6, 1895 - died August 23, 1926) was a [[silent film]] actor. Born in [[Italy]], Valentino immigrated to the United States in 1913, where he settled in New York and became a professional dancer. In September 1916 Valentino was arrested in connection with a blackmail and extortion scheme. Although the police records of that arrest have since disappeared, some biographers have alleged that Valentino was a participant in a "badger game", which is a [[confidence game]]. Other biographers suggest that he was an unwitting dupe who had no criminal intent but was picked up on the scene of a crime committed by others.

At about the same time, Valentino gave court testimony in the divorce case of a prominent socialite, Bianca De Saulles. When Bianca De Saulles was later arrested and charged with murdering her husband, Valentino moved to Hollywood. Some biographers have suggested that among the reasons for the move was to avoid any [[guilt by association]] or bad publicity from the De Saulles murder case.

In Hollywood Valentino initially had small roles as an [[extra]], and then was able to land a few leading man roles in poorly budgeted movies. Valentino's breakthrough to star status came when he landed the lead in [[The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]], a [[World War I]] film based on the popular novel by Vicente Blasco-Ibanez.

[[The Sheik]], released in 1921, would become Valentino's signature role, the role for which he is still remembered today. Along with the discovery of [[King Tut]]'s tomb, and the promotion of the Arab campaigns of World War I by [[T. E. Lawrence]] (also known as "Lawrence of Arabia"), ''The Sheik'' helped foster the Arabic [[craze]] of the 1920s, and for years to come "hip" young men of the time would be known as "sheiks", and their girlfriends as "shebas" (referring to the [[Queen of Sheba]]).<ref> [http://home.earthlink.net/~dlarkins/slang-pg.htm Jazz Age Slang] </ref> ''The Sheik'' was tremendously popular despite a fairly absurd story line, and Valentino would eventually reprise the role in ''Son of the Sheik''.

Valentino went on to star in many more films, notably including the [[bullfighting]] epic ''Blood and Sand'', and ''The Eagle''.

Valentino married actress Jean Acker in 1919, but the marriage was a failure, and they were divorced two years later. Lurid speculation at the time and since has suggested that the reason for the marriage's failure was a relationship between Acker and the notorious [[lesbian]] dancer [[Alla Nazimova]]. Valentino went on to have a strong professional relationship with Nazimova (appearing opposite Nazimova in the film ''Camille''), and his second wife [[Natacha Rambova]], was also a protégé of Nazimova's. Nazimova herself was a fixture in the Hollywood community, and among other things would be the godmother of Nancy Davis, the film actress and future Republican First Lady (as [[Nancy Reagan]]<ref> Colacello, Bob (2004) Ronnie & Nancy: Their path to the White House - 1911 to 1980, Warner Books, p. 38 </ref>).

Valentino's death, probably from peritonitis, at the youthful age of thirty-one, led to one of the most elaborate and riotous funerals in New York City history, with hourly radio bulletins and huge crowds. In a typical Hollywood touch, Valentino's burial crypt (in Los Angeles) was for decades visited each year on the anniversary of his death by a mysterious "Lady in Black", whose identity has never been revealed.

==references==
<references/>

==further reading==

Walker, Alexander (1976) ''Rudolph Valentino'', Penguin Books

{{DEFAULTSORT: Valentino, Rudolph}}

[[Category:Actors]]

Venezuela

2010-08-07T20:25:34Z

RobertoCuestion: /* Sports */ link

{{Country
|name=''República Bolivariana de Venezuela''
|map=Venezuela rel93.jpg
|map2=Venezuela1.png
|flag=Flag of Venezuela.jpg
|arms=Venezuela coat of arms.jpg
|capital=Caracas
|government=Constitutional Republic
|language=Spanish
|president=Hugo Chavez
|area=916, 445 sq mi
|pop=27,730,469
|pop-basis=July 2007 estimate
|gdp=$176.4 billion
|gdp-year=2006
|gdp-pc=$8,900
|currency=Bolívar
|idd=+58
|tld=.ve}}
'''Venezuela''' is located in [[South America]]. The country is located to the east of [[Colombia]], south of the [[Caribbean]], west of the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and [[Guayana Esequiba]] and north of [[Brazil]]. Discovered by [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]], the sight of the marsh huts built by the native people would result in the country being referred to as "little Venice", for [[Venice]], Italy.

Venezuela is divided in 23 states, a capital district and 72 federal dependencies. The capital city of Venezuela is [[Caracas]].

The country rose to prominence after 1999, when the [[leftist]] [[dictator]] [[Hugo Chavez]] assumed power and started imposing what he calls "[[socialism]] of the 21st century", aligning himself with terrorist regimes like [[Iran]], and using his petrodollars to influence other countries in the region.

==National symbols==
The national flag was created by the Venezuelan hero [[Francisco de Miranda]] in 1806. It has three stripes with these colors: red, blue and red. Through the years the flag suffered variations in relation to the position and number of the stars. Actually there are eight stars on the flag and they are located in its center. The white stars symbolize eight former Venezuelan provinces (Caracas, Valencia, Barinas, Cumaná, Barcelona, Margarita, Mérida and Guayana) which became independent of Spain.

''Gloria al bravo pueblo'' ("glory to the brave people") is the national anthem. It was an old patriotic song from the independence years written by Vicente Salias. Its music was composed by Juan José Landaeta. On 25th May 1881 Gloria al bravo pueblo was decreed as the anthem of Venezuela by the president Antonio Guzmán Blanco.

El Turpial (''Icterus icterus'') is the national bird, el Araguaney (''Tabebuia chrysanta'') the national tree and la Orquídea (''Cattleya mossiae'') the national flower.

==People==
[[File:Girasoles - Marcos Castillo.jpg|thumb|Girasoles by Marcos Castillo.]]
Venezuela is the sixth-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Peru. About 85% of the population lives in urban areas in the northern portion of the country. While almost half of Venezuela's land area lies south of the Orinoco River in the states of Bolivar and Amazonas, this region contains only 5% of the population. The population of Venezuela is comprised of a combination of European, indigenous, and African heritages.

===Religion===
The majority of Venezuelan people are Christians. Catholic Church has the greater portion of followers. Other Christian churches in Venezuela are Lutherans, Anglicans, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some Muslims and Jews live in Venezuela. A synagogue and a mosque are situated in Caracas.

===Languages===
Spanish and American Indian tongues are the official languages of Venezuela, according to the Venezuelan Constitution. Spanish is the most spoken language in Venezuela. Indian languages are spoken by American Indian tribes.

==Government==
[[Image:chavez.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Hugo Chavez]]
The president is elected by a plurality vote with direct and universal suffrage. The term of office is 6 years, and a president may be re-elected to a single consecutive term. The president appoints the vice president. He decides the size and composition of the cabinet and makes appointments to it with the involvement of the National Assembly. Legislation can be initiated by the executive branch, the legislative branch (either a committee of the National Assembly or three members of the latter), the judicial branch, the citizen branch (ombudsman, public prosecutor, and controller general) or a public petition signed by no fewer than 0.1% of registered voters. The president can ask the National Assembly to reconsider portions of laws he finds objectionable, but a simple majority of the Assembly can override these objections.

The National Assembly is unicameral, consisting solely of the Chamber of Deputies. Deputies serve 5-year terms, and may be re-elected for a maximum of two additional terms. These legislative agents are elected by a combination of party list and single member constituencies. When the Congress is not in session, a delegated committee acts on matters relating to the executive and in oversight functions. In December 2005 pro-government parties took all 167 seats in the National Assembly after opposition parties boycotted the election over concerns with electoral conditions.

The Constitution designates three additional branches of the federal government--the judicial, citizen, and electoral branches.

The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), which may meet either in specialized chambers (of which there are six) or in plenary session. The justices are appointed by the National Assembly and serve 12-year terms. Under the 1999 Constitution, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice is composed of 20 justices. The 1999 Constitution was amended in 2004, and the total number of justices was expanded by 12 to a total of 32. In December 2004, the National Assembly selected new judges to fill the expansion. The judicial branch also consists of lower courts, including district courts, municipal courts, and courts of first instance.

The citizens branch consists of three components--the attorney general ("fiscal general"), the "defender of the people" or ombudsman, and the comptroller general. The holders of these offices, in addition to fulfilling their specific functions, also act collectively as the "Republican Moral Council" to challenge before the Supreme Tribunal of Justice actions they believe are illegal, particularly those which violate the Constitution. The holders of the "citizen power" offices are selected for terms of 7 years by the National Assembly.

The "Electoral Power," otherwise known as the National Electoral Council (Consejo Nacional Electoral or CNE), is responsible for organizing elections at all levels. Its five members are also elected to 7-year terms by the National Assembly. In the event of a hung vote in the National Assembly, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice can be called on to appoint the members.

===Principal Government Officials===
*President--Hugo Chavez Frias
*Vice President--Jorge Rodriguez Gómez
*Minister of Foreign Affairs--Nicolas Maduro Moro
*Minister of Defense-General Gustavo Reyes Rangel Briceño
*Ambassador to the United States--Bernardo Alvarez Herrera
*Ambassador to the Organization of American States--Jorge Valero Briceño
*Ambassador to the United Nations--Francisco Arias Cardenas

===Political parties===
Chavez’s government has been supported by political parties such as: Movimiento Quinta República/Fith Republic Movement (MVR), Patria para Todos/Homeland for All (PPT), PODEMOS, Partido Comunista de Venezuela/Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) and other minor parties.

In 2006 President Chávez has announced the building of the Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela/United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), a new political group which will merge all pro-Chávez parties into a big one. The first members of the PSUV have been enrolled in 2007.

Un Nuevo Tiempo/A New Era (UNT), Primero Justicia/Justice First (PJ), Acción Democratica/Democratic Action (AD), COPEI, Movimiento al Socialismo/Movement for Socialism (MAS) are some of the political parties of opposition.

===Membership of International Organizations===
Venezuela is member of the [[United Nations|UN]], the [[Organization of American States|OAS]] and the OPEC. Recently the country has applied to the “Mercado Común del Sur/Southern Common Market” (MERCOSUR) for the admission to the group. MERCOSUR is a South American organisation which promotes free trade among [[Argentina]], Brazil, [[Uruguay]] and [[Paraguay]] in a similar way to the [[European Union|EU]] and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Venezuela had belonged to the Andean Community of Nations since 1973. In 2006 the Venezuelan government withdrew the country from the bloc when two of its members (Colombia and [[Peru]]) signed free trade agreements with the United States.

Additionally President Chávez has proposed the creation of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), another international organization which would promote the cooperation between the Latin American and Caribbean republics. This bloc pretends to be the opposite to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), the organization proposed by the United States. At the moment Venezuela, [[Cuba]], [[Nicaragua]] and [[Bolivia]] are trying to apply the principles of the ALBA among themselves through an agreement called “Tratado de Comercio de los Pueblos/Peoples’ Trade Agreement” (TCP). [[Ecuador]] is considering joining the group.

===Foreign Relations===
President Chávez has promoted his "Bolivarian Revolution" as a model for other countries to follow. The policy calls for the establishment of a "multi-polar" world devoid of U.S. influence and for greater integration among developing countries. Venezuela is currently advocating regional integration through its PetroCaribe and PetroSur petroleum initiatives, the creation of a South American Community of Nations, and the establishment of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (a social integration project proposed by President Chavez as an alternative to the Free Trade Area of the Americas). In April 2006, President Chávez announced he was withdrawing Venezuela from the Andean Community trade bloc. In July 2006, Venezuela officially joined the Southern Common Market, MERCOSUR. Before it can become a full member of MERCOSUR, Venezuela must conform to the trade bloc's economic regulations. Congressional approval by Brazil and Paraguay is also still outstanding. The Venezuelan Government maintains very close relations with Cuba and advocates an end to Cuba's isolation.

Since 2005, President Chávez has deepened relations with Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism, by signing multiple economic and social accords and publicly supporting Iran's controversial nuclear program. President Chávez has also reached out to North Korea, Belarus, and Syria. The Venezuelans have also embarked on a worldwide effort to increase their presence in embassies overseas in Africa and Asia.

President Chávez has also launched a major renovation of the Venezuelan Armed Forces by purchasing new advanced weaponry. In 2005-06, Venezuela purchased 100,000 AK-103 rifles from Russia and signed an agreement to construct a rifle and ammunition complex . Venezuela has also purchased dozens of Russian attack and transport helicopters, and has begun receiving 24 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MK 2-seat fighters. Venezuela has longstanding border disputes with Colombia-aggravated most recently by the capture of a Colombian insurgent leader inside Venezuela--and Guyana, but seeks in general to resolve them peacefully. Bilateral commissions have been established by Venezuela and Colombia to address a range of pending issues, including resolution of the maritime boundary in the Gulf of Venezuela. Relations with Guyana are complicated by Venezuela's claim to roughly three-quarters of Guyana's territory. Since 1987, the two countries have held exchanges on the boundary under the "good offices" of the United Nations.

===Relations with the United States===
[[File:Hugo Chávez on USS Yorktown 2002.jpg|thumb|Hugo Chávez on USS Yorktown, 2002.]]
U.S.-Venezuelan relations have been tense in recent years. President Hugo Chávez has continuously defined himself in opposition to the United States, using incendiary rhetoric to insult President Bush and senior administration officials. For example, in his September 2006 speech to the UN General Assembly, President Chávez called President Bush "the Devil" and other offensive names. The United States continues to seek constructive engagement with the Venezuelan Government, focusing on areas of technical cooperation. Major U.S. interests in Venezuela include promotion of U.S. exports and protection of U.S. investment, preservation of Venezuela's constitutional democracy, closer counter-narcotics cooperation, more vigorous efforts on counterterrorism, and continued access to petroleum.

U.S.-Venezuelan commercial ties are deep. The United States is Venezuela's most important trading partner, representing about a third of imports and approximately 60 percent of Venezuelan exports. In turn, Venezuela is the United States' third-largest export market in Latin America, purchasing U.S. machinery, transportation equipment, agricultural commodities, and auto parts. Venezuela's opening of its petroleum sector to foreign investment in 1996 created extensive trade and investment opportunities for U.S. companies. As a result, Venezuela is one of the top four suppliers of foreign oil to the United States. The Department of State is committed to promoting the interests of U.S. companies in overseas markets. For contact information and a list of government publications, please go to the end of this document.

Venezuela is a minor source country for opium poppy and coca but a major transit country for cocaine and heroin. Money laundering and judicial corruption are major concerns. In 2004 and early 2005, counternarcotics cooperation between the U.S. and Venezuela deteriorated significantly. In March 2005, the Venezuelan National Guard removed its highly experienced members from the U.S.-supported Prosecutor's Drug Task Force. In August 2005, the Government of Venezuela accused the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of espionage and terminated cooperation with the DEA pending negotiation of a new cooperation agreement, which has gone unsigned as of October 2006. President Bush decertified Venezuela on counternarcotics cooperation in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

In June 2006, Venezuela was listed at Tier 3 status in the State Department's Report on Trafficking in Persons. Tier 3 status indicates a perceived lack of effort to combat human trafficking.

In May 2006, the Secretary of State certified that Venezuela was not fully cooperating with U.S. counter-terrorism efforts. As of October 1, 2006, the United States Government has prohibited arms sales and services to Venezuela.

Approximately 23,000 U.S. citizens living in Venezuela have registered with the U.S. embassy, an estimated three-quarters of them residing in the Caracas area. An estimated 12,000 U.S. tourists visit Venezuela annually. About 500 U.S. companies are represented in the country.

==Human Rights issues==
'''Current president of Venezuela'''
[[Image:Venezuela372.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Venezuelans under Chavez have suffered a loss of basic human rights.]]
Chavez has shown a marked intolerance for fundamental [[human rights]] <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276356,00.html Venezuelan Opposition Leader Demands Hugo Chavez Free Jailed Protesters], ''Associated Press'', May 30, 2007.</ref> and is accused of funding insurgent activity outside of Venezuela's borders. Chavez has much control of oil revenues from Venezuela's state owned, state run oil monopoly. While Chavez in public criticizes [[capitalism]], he has sought to manipulate oil prices above $60 per barrel for Venezuela's largest customer, the [[United States]].

The U.S. State Department's Report on Global [[Antisemitism]] also recently cited Venezuela for statements by "senior government officials supporting Iraq's [[Saddam Hussein]] and Islamic [[extremist]] movements" which "raised tensions and intimidated the country's Jewish community. There were several reports of anti-Semitic [[graffiti]] at [[synagogues]] in Caracas and two reported threatening phone calls made to Jewish community centers. In August, President Chavez cautioned citizens against following the lead of Jewish citizens in the effort to overturn his referendum victory. Anti-Semitic leaflets also were available to the public in an Interior and Justice Ministry office waiting room." <ref>[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/40258.htm Report on Global Anti-Semitism] U. S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, January 5, 2005. </ref>

==Economy==
Real GDP increased by 10.3% in 2006. The economy recovered strongly in 2004 (17.9%) and 2005 (9.3%) after two consecutive years of deep economic recession (in 2003, Venezuelan GDP contracted 7.7%, after contracting 8.9% in 2002). The economic recovery has been driven by a large increase in government expenditures, based on an oil windfall, which in turn generated higher consumption levels.

The Consumer Price Index increase was approximately 17% at the end of 2006, following increases of 14.4% in 2006 and 19.2% in 2004.

As of January 23, 2003, all foreign exchange requests must be approved by the National Exchange Control Administration (CADIVI) and the Central Bank (BCV) completes all legal purchase and sale of foreign currency. The current exchange control regime rates for U.S. dollar exchange rate are: Bs. 2,144.60=U.S. $1.00 for purchase operations, and Bs. 2,150=U.S. $1.00 for sale operations. The national budget for 2007 assumes that the government will not devalue this year. Nontheless, some local economists expect devaluation in late 2007 due to the increasing disparity between official and parallel market rates.
[[Image:Canaima Venezuela.jpg|thumb|250px|Canaima]]
Central Bank-held international reserves increased to over U.S. $36 billion at the end of 2006. The reserves would have been higher, but the BCV transferred $6 billion to the National Development Fund (FONDEN) during the last quarter 2005, as directed by the Central Bank Law (July 2005) and an additional $4.3 billion in 2006. The level of international reserves is expected to decrease during 2007 after additional transfers of foreign reserves to FONDEN and because the Central Bank Law established that state-owned oil company PDVSA will only transfer the foreign exchange earnings needed for its domestic expenses, taxes, royalties, and dividends to the BCV, and would transfer the rest to FONDEN.

Venezuelan sovereign debt, both domestic and foreign, has decreased in recent years in both absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP. Venezuela's external debt/GDP ratio of approximately 16% is low by Latin American standards. Venezuela's Emerging Markets Bond Index investment risk rating, at 202 basis points, dropped somewhat over 2005, but remained higher than many in the region.

There is considerable income inequality. The Gini coefficient was 0.45 during 2006. According to government statistics, the percentages of poor and extremely poor among Venezuelan population were 33.9% and 23.2%, respectively, in 2006. These high ratios are due primarily to lower real wages earned by employees, and high rates of un- and underemployment. On the other hand, the government of [[Hugo Chavez]] increased social spending and subsidised food and education. Under Chavez, the poverty rate also decreased from 55.1 percent in 2003 to 30.4 percent in 2006.<ref>[http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/venezuela_2007_07.pdf The Venezuelan Economy in the Chávez Years]</ref>

Starting January 1st 2008 Venezuela will adopt the "Bolívar Fuerte" as its new currency. The new Bolívar eliminates the three zeros of the older currency. For example, 50.000 Bolívars are equal to 50 Bolívar Fuertes.

Although economic growth has been impressive, as a result of the oil windfall, many in the Venezuelan business community remain very concerned about President Chavez' vision for 21st Century Socialism and what it portends for the private sector.

===Petroleum And Other Resources===
Economic prospects remain highly dependent on oil prices and the export of petroleum. In 2005, the oil sector accounted for roughly 15% of GDP, 90% of export earnings, and about half of the central government's ordinary revenues. Venezuela remains the fourth-leading supplier of imported crude and refined petroleum products to the United States. The Venezuelan government has sought more income from the petroleum sector. The first example was a unilateral decision in late 2004 to increase the royalty rate on production from the Orinoco heavy crude "strategic associations" with international oil companies from 1% to 16.67%.

In the 1990’s, the Government of Venezuela opened up much of the hydrocarbon sector to foreign investment, promoting multi-billion dollar investment in heavy oil production, reactivation of old fields, and investment in several petrochemical joint ventures. By the late 1990s almost 60 foreign companies representing 14 different countries participated in one or more aspects of Venezuela's oil sector. On November 13, 2001, under an enabling law authorized by the National Assembly, President Chavez enacted a new Hydrocarbons Law, which came into effect in January 2002. This law replaced the Hydrocarbons Law of 1943 and the Nationalization Law of 1975. Among other things, the new law provided that all oil production and distribution activities would be the domain of the Venezuelan state, with the exception of the joint ventures targeting extra-heavy crude oil production. Under the new law, private investors cannot own 50% or more of the capital stock in joint ventures involved in upstream activities. The new law also provided that private investors could own up to 100% of the capital stock in downstream ventures. A Gaseous Hydrocarbons law promulgated earlier by the Chávez government also allowed substantial participation by private investors with respect to gas production ventures.

During the December 2002-February 2003 general strike, petroleum production and refining by PDVSA, the state-owned oil company, almost ceased. Despite the strike, these activities eventually were substantially restarted. Out of a total workforce of 45,000, over 20,000 PDVSA management and workers were subsequently dismissed because the government asserted they had abandoned their jobs during the strike. Current levels of production remain a subject of debate, with considerable difference between the levels cited by the Venezuelan government and those cited by private sector and international observers.

In early 2005, the government informed companies with operating service contracts for mature fields that they must migrate the contracts to joint ventures that conform to the 2001 Hydrocarbons Law. The government threatened to seize fields operating under the services contracts on December 31, 2005 if oil companies did not sign transition agreements to migrate their contracts. All but three companies ultimately signed joint venture agreements with the government. One company was bought out by its partner while the fields operated by two other companies were ultimately taken over by the government. One of these disputes was handled by negotiation while another company decided to take its case to international arbitration. In early 2007, President Chávez announced that the Venezuelan government would take a majority government share in the remaining foreign investments in the oil sector, including the four heavy-oil "strategic associations." Several international oil companies agreed to migrate their interests to joint ventures with majority government ownership. Two U.S. companies decided to pull out of Venezuela — one is still in negotiations over compensation while the other has announced that it will seek international arbitration.

===Trade, Manufacturing and Agriculture===
[[Image:AMAZONAS Venezuela.png|thumb|left|Jungle Region]]
Thanks to petroleum exports, Venezuela usually posts a trade surplus. The United States is Venezuela's leading trade partner. In 2006, the United States exported over $9 billion in goods to Venezuela, making it the 22nd largest market for the U.S. Including petroleum products, Venezuela exported about $36 billion in goods to the U.S., over the same period, making it our 9th largest source of goods.

The government of Venezuela has taken a vocal role against the proposed Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA). Its stated goal is to expand its Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) project and develop a South American bloc (see Foreign Relations).

Manufacturing contributed an estimated 17% of GDP in 2006. The manufacturing sector continued its recovery started in 2004, but remained hindered by a marked lack of private investment. Venezuela manufactures and exports steel, aluminum, textiles, apparel, beverages, and foodstuffs. It produces cement, tires, paper, fertilizer, and assembles cars both for domestic and export markets.

Agriculture accounts for approximately 3% of GDP, 10% of the labor force, and at least one-fourth of Venezuela's land area. Venezuela exports rice, cigarettes, fish, tropical fruits, coffee, cocoa, and manufactured products. The country is not self-sufficient in most areas of agriculture. Venezuela imports about two-thirds of its food needs. Through November 2006, U.S. firms exported $412 million worth of agricultural products, including wheat, corn, soybeans, soybean meal, cotton, animal fats, vegetable oils, and other items to make Venezuela one of the top two U.S. markets in South America. The United States supplies roughly one-quarter of Venezuela's food imports.

===Labor and Infrastructure===
Official unemployment statistics registered 8.9% unemployment in December 2006. Unofficial estimates are significantly higher. The public sector employs about 13% of the work force, while less than 1% work in the capital-intensive oil industry. About 18% of the labor force is unionized, and unions are particularly strong in the petroleum and public sectors. The "informal" sector accounts for some 45% of the work force, or 5.5 million people.

Labor unions allege the government repeatedly violates International Labor Organization (ILO) agreements on freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively. Specifically, the Constitution and laws permit undue influence in the internal elections of unions. The government has told the ILO it will correct the problem; draft legislation remains pending in the National Assembly.

Venezuela has an extensive road system. With the exception of air service, transportation has failed to keep pace with the country's needs. Much of the infrastructure suffers from inadequate maintenance. Caracas has a modern subway but only one functioning rail line serves the rest of the country.

==National holidays==
===Official Holidays===
* Rebellion of Caracas, 19th April.
* Battle of Carabobo, 24th June.
* Declaration of Independence, 5th July.
* Simón Bolívar’s Birthday, 24th July.
* Discovery of the American continent (similar to the Columbus’ Day), 12th October.
* Simón Bolívar’s Death, 17th December.

===Popular and Religious Holidays===
* New Year’s Day, 1st January.
* Carnivals, between February and March.
* Holy Week (Easter), between March and April.
* Worker’s Day (similar to the Labour Day), 1st May.
* Christmas’ Eve, 24th December.
* Christmas’ Day, 25th December.
* New Year’s Eve, 31st December.

==Sports==
Baseball is considered the most popular sport in Venezuela. There are many Venezuelan baseball players who play in the American Big Leagues. Basketball is another sport which has many supporters.

Recently football soccer has attracted great attention from the Venezuelan media because of the good performance of the Venezuelan football Team in international matches. In 2007 the Cup America, the oldest football soccer competition of South America, is held in Venezuela. Other sports like rugby and American football are mainly practiced at universities. In some Venezuelan towns [[bullfighting]] and cockfighting are practiced.

==Media==
Venezuela has many newspapers, radio stations and TV channels, but the most important ones are located in Caracas.

Some newspapers of Caracas are: ''El Universal'' (founded in 1909, conservative); ''El Nacional'' (founded in 1945, leftist, but no pro-government); ''Últimas Noticias'' (founded in 1943, leftist and pro-government); ''The Daily Journal'' (founded in 1945, an English language newspaper); ''El Mundo'' (founded in 1958); 2001 (founded in 1973); ''Meridiano'' (founded in 1969, a sports newspaper); ''El Nuevo País'' (founded in 1988) and ''Tal Cual''.

RCTV, Venevisión, Televén and Globovisión and Meridiano TV are private TV channels from Caracas. Venezolana de Televisión, VIVE, and TEVES are state-run TV stations.

Telesur is an international TV channel funded by the governments of Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil and Argentina. Its headquarters is located in Caracas. Its missions are to offer a new vision of Latin America (according to the viewpoint of those governments) to the rest of the world and to counteract the influence of US media in the American continent.

In 2004 the Venezuelan National Assembly passed the Law of Social Responsibility in Radio and Television. This law establishes ambiguous guidelines regulating broadcasting content. It further requires the stations to transmit the government’s educational, informative, or public safety broadcasts for up to 60 minutes a week. Finally, the law requires stations to transmit in full Chavez’s speeches and other political messages, some of which last up to five hours. <ref>[http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/jul/07/guest_commentary_we_must_help_venezuela_because_fr/ Because Freedom Matters], By U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV and Blanquita Cullm, ''Naples Daily News'', July 7, 2007.</ref>

In today’s Venezuela, independent journalists are sometimes arrested and frequently fined and harassed in an effort to intimidate those who speak against the Chavez regime.

The Chavez government has bullied the remaining independent media into self-censorship, and does not want the press to reveal the inefficiencies of his government. He has gone to great lengths to bar journalists of privately-owned, independent media from covering government hearings, and he now requires stations to use government producers for documentaries and programs.

==History==
[[Image:Trujillo Venezuela.jpg|thumb|240px|Trujillo]]
At the time of Spanish discovery, the indigenous in Venezuela were mainly agriculturists and hunters living in groups along the coast, the Andean mountain range, and the Orinoco River. The first permanent Spanish settlement in South America--Nuevo Toledo--was established in Venezuela in 1522. Venezuela was a relatively neglected colony in the 1500s and 1600s as the Spaniards focused on extracting gold and silver from other areas of the Americas.

Toward the end of the 18th century, the Venezuelans began to grow restive under colonial control. In 1821, after several unsuccessful uprisings, the country succeeded in achieving independence from Spain, under the leadership of its most famous son, Simon Bolivar. Venezuela, along with what are now Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador, was part of the Republic of Gran Colombia until 1830, when Venezuela separated and became a separate sovereign country.

Much of Venezuela's 19th-century history was characterized by periods of political instability, dictatorial rule, and revolutionary turbulence. The first half of the 20th century was marked by periods of authoritarianism--including dictatorships from 1908-35 and from 1950-58. In addition, the Venezuelan economy shifted after the first World War from a primarily agricultural orientation to an economy centered on petroleum production and export.

Since the overthrow of Gen. Marcos Perez Jimenez in 1958 and the military's withdrawal from direct involvement in national politics, Venezuela has enjoyed an unbroken tradition of civilian democratic rule. This earned Venezuela a reputation as one of the more stable democracies in Latin America. Until the 1998 elections, the Democratic Action (AD) and the Christian Democratic (COPEI) parties dominated the political environment at both the state and federal level.

===The Caracazo And Popular Dissatisfaction===
Venezuela's prevailing political calm came to an end in 1989, when Venezuela experienced riots in which more than 200 people were killed in Caracas. The so-called Caracazo was a response to an economic austerity program launched by then-President Carlos Andres Perez. Three years later, in February 1992, a group of army lieutenant colonels led by future President Hugo Chavez mounted an unsuccessful coup attempt, claiming that the events of 1989 showed that the political system no longer served the interests of the people. A second, equally unsuccessful coup attempt by other officers followed in November 1992. A year later, Congress impeached Perez on corruption charges.

Deep popular dissatisfaction with the traditional political parties, income disparities, and economic difficulties were some of the major frustrations expressed by Venezuelans following Perez's impeachment. In December 1998, Hugo Chavez Frias won the presidency on a campaign for broad reform, constitutional change, and a crackdown on corruption.

===Constitutional Reforms===
Current President Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998 on a platform that called for the creation of a National Constituent Assembly in order to write a new constitution for Venezuela. Chavez's argument that the existing political system had become isolated from the people won broad acceptance, particularly among Venezuela's poorest classes, who had seen a significant decline in their living standards over the previous decade and a half. The National Constituent Assembly (ANC), consisting of 131 elected individuals, convened in August 1999 to begin rewriting the Constitution. In free elections, voters gave all but six seats to persons associated with the Chavez movement. Venezuelans approved the ANC's draft in a national referendum on December 15, 1999.

===Political Turmoil===
In July 2000, following a long and controversial process, voters re-elected President Hugo Chavez of the Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) in generally free and fair national and local elections. The MVR and pro-Chavez Movimiento a Socialismo (MAS) party won 92 seats in the 165-member legislature. Subsequent party splits reduced the pro-Chavez members to 84 seats. In April 2002, the country experienced a temporary alteration of constitutional order. When an estimated 400,000 to 600,000 persons participated in a march in downtown Caracas to demand President Chavez' resignation, gunfire broke out, resulting in as many as 18 deaths and more than 100 injuries on both sides. Military officers took President Chavez into custody, and business leader Pedro Carmona swore himself in as interim President. On April 14, military troops loyal to Chavez returned him to power. A national reconciliation process, with participation by the Organization of American States, the UN Development Program, and the Carter Center, was unsuccessful in stopping further conflict. Opposition leaders called a national work stoppage on December 2, 2002. Strikers protested the government and called for the resignation of President Chavez. The oil sector joined other sectors of the economy and effectively shut down all economic activity for a month. The OAS Permanent Council passed Resolution 833 on December 16, 2002, calling for a "constitutional, democratic, peaceful, and electoral solution" to the crisis in Venezuela. The strike formally ended in February 2003 as political opponents of Chavez sought a recall referendum to revoke the mandate of the president.

===The Referendum Process===
In September 2003, after an impasse in the National Assembly, the Supreme Court named a new board of directors for the National Electoral Council (CNE). After months of intense deliberations that included two conflictive signature drives overseen by the CNE, political riots over the government's disqualification of questionable signatures, and the intervention of international electoral observers, the CNE certified the opposition's results and set the date of the recall referendum for August 15, 2004. According to the CNE, President Chavez won 59% of the vote. His opponents immediately contested that the results of the referendum were marked by electoral fraud. However, international electoral observation missions carried out by the Organization of American States and the Carter Center found no indication of systemic fraud.

===From Referendum To Elections===
In the wake of the referendum victory, Pro-Chávez candidates continued to sweep other electoral contests. Chávez supporters won 20 out of the total 22 state governor positions up for election in October 2004 (there are currently two opposition governors). Chavez supporters also won a majority of the seats in the August 2005 municipal council (parroquias) elections. Pro-Chávez parties won all 167 seats in the December 2005 National Assembly elections, after most opposition candidates withdrew one week before the elections over voter secrecy concerns. The final reports of the EU and OAS observer missions to the 2005 legislative elections, which were marked by record-high abstention, noted high levels of distrust in electoral institutions. The reports made specific recommendations to increase transparency and help voters regain the confidence necessary for participation. Most of the recommendations were not implemented. As a signatory of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, Venezuela has an obligation to hold "periodic, free, and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage."

===A New Term and New Administration===
President Chávez was re-elected by an overwhelming majority (63%) in the December 3, 2006, presidential elections. He defeated Zulia Governor Manuel Rosales, whose Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) party formed an alliance with several key opposition parties. Though international observers found no evidence of fraud on election day, they did note concerns over abuse of government resources used to support the Chávez campaign, voter intimidation tactics, and manipulation of the electoral registry.

In January 2007, President Chávez named a new Vice President (the former head of the CNE) and cabinet, drawing largely from deputies of the National Assembly. Chávez announced a renewed effort to implement his vision of "21st Century Socialism" in Venezuela. He asked the National Assembly to grant him special constitutional powers via an "enabling law" to rule by decree over a broad range of society and subsequently received those powers for a term of 18 months. He also took major steps to nationalize the telecommunications and electricity sectors, as well as to finalize a majority government share in many oil projects, all sectors with significant foreign investments.
=== Constitutional referendum 2007 ===
On August 15, President Chávez proposed a package of 33 articles to reform the 1999 Constitution. On 11th September the National Assembly enlarged the amount of amendments with other 36 articles, increasing in 69 the number of articles to be voted in the referendum. Finally the National Assembly passed the reform on 2nd November.
<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7076076.stm Venezuela assembly passes reforms], ''BBC News'', 2nd November 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>.

The proposals were divided into two blocks: block “A” and block “B”. Some of the amendments are:

* Indefinite presidential re-election.
* The presidential term will be increased from six to seven years.
* Five types of property are proposed: public, social, collective, mixed, and private property. The Venezuelan State is to govern four of these new five types of property, as it intends to play a role as owner, partner, and financer.
<ref>[http://buscador.eluniversal.com/2007/10/01/en_eco_art_venezuelan-state-to_01A1086237.shtml Venezuelan state to govern four types of property], ''El Universal'', 1st October 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>.
* Creation of federal territories ruled by vice presidents. The heads of federal territories will be appointed by the President of Venezuela.
* Autonomy of the central bank will be concluded.
* The international reserves will be managed by the president.
* Reduction of maximum working week from 44 to 36 hours.
* Reduction of voting age from 18 to 16 years.
* Benefits of social security will be expanded to workers of informal economy.

The constitutional reform was rejected by the opposition to considered it as an attempt of President Chávez to rule the country indefinitely and to create a socialist economy. Marches against the reform were done in many parts of Venezuela. A major role in the protests was played by university students.
<ref>[http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10136480 Challenging Chávez-for-life, A new kind of opposition], ''The Economist'', 15th November 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>. Some supporters of Mr. Chávez such as the allied party ''PODEMOS'', ''Raúl Baduel'' (his ex- Defense Minister) and ''Marisabel Rodríguez'' (his ex-wife) rejected the reform and called the electors to vote against the reform.
<ref>[http://buscador.eluniversal.com/2007/11/05/en_refco_art_former-defense-minis_05A1174277.shtml Former Defense Minister rejects constitutional reform], ''El Universal'', 5th November 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>.
<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2983752.ece Ex-wife damns Hugo Chavez ‘coup’], ''The Sunday Times'', 2nd December 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>.

On 2nd December 50 % of electors voted against the constitutional reform while 49 % of electors voted in favor. <ref>[http://buscador.eluniversal.com/2007/12/03/en_refco_art_venezuelans-said-no_03A1240957.shtml Venezuelans said “no” to Chávez’s planned reform], ''El Universal'', 3rd December 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>. The reform was rejected in seven important Venezuelan states, based on the number of voters, namely Zulia, Miranda, Carabobo, Lara, Anzoátegui, and the Capital District (Caracas).
<ref>[http://buscador.eluniversal.com/2007/12/04/en_refco_art_states-of-zulia,-mir_04A1243797.shtml States of Zulia, Miranda and Táchira played a decisive role], ''El Universal'', 4th December 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>. It is the first time since Mr. Chávez won power in 1998 that the current government loses at the polls.

Abstention, which was more than 44 %, is considered an important factor of the government defeat. It is thought many supporters of Chávez refrained from voting, because they were not in agreement with the reform.
<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1690507,00.html?imw=Y Why Venezuelans Turned on Chavez], By Gould, Jens Erik, ''Time'', 3rd December 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>.

President Chávez recognized the results, but he announced to the nation that another referendum to modify the constitution will be proposed again in the future. The previous statement was said by the Venezuelan president again on 5th December.
<ref>[http://english.eluniversal.com/2007/12/05/en_refco_art_chavez-announces-sec_05A1247117.shtml Chávez launches second offensive to pass reform to the Constitution], ''El Universal'', 6th December 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>. The National Assembly decided to join the presidential efforts to keep the proposal alive. <ref>[http://english.eluniversal.com/2007/12/05/en_refco_art_parliament-insists-o_05A1245643.shtml Parliament insists on advancing Chávez’s defeated reform], ''El Universal'', 5th December 2007. Retrieved on 13th December 2007.</ref>.

==Famous Venezuelans==
* [[Andres Bello|Andrés Bello]] (1781-1865); poet, grammarian, teacher, and vice-chancellor of the university of Chile.
* [[Simon Bolivar|Simón Bolívar]] (1783-1830); military hero and politician. Liberator of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
* [[Francisco de Miranda]] (1750-1816); military hero, politician and creator of the Venezuelan flag.
* [[Antonio Jose de Sucre|Antonio José de Sucre]] (1795-1830); military hero and president of Bolivia.
== See also ==
*[[Gallery of South-American painting]]

== External links ==
*[http://english.eluniversal.com/ El Universal] English language site of the conservative Venezuelan newspaper.
*[http://www.dj.com.ve/ News-The Daily Journal] Site of the English written newspaper.
*[http://www1.lanic.utexas.edu/la/venezuela/ Venezuela - Useful links] University of Texas at Austin.
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1229345.stm] Information about Venezuela in the BBC Country Profile.
*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ve.html] Information about Venezuela in the CIA World Factbook.

==References==
<references/>

{{Copyright Details (US Government)}}

Source = [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2091.htm]

{{Nb countries south america}}
[[Category:Venezuela]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[Category:Spanish Empire]]

Spain

2010-08-05T19:17:44Z

RobertoCuestion: /* Economy */

{{Country
|name =''Reino de España''
|map =Spain rel82.jpg
|map2 =Spain location.png
|flag =Flag of Spain.png
|arms =Spanish arms.png
|capital =Madrid
|capital-raw =
|government =Constitutional Monarchy
|government-raw =
|language =Spanish
|king =Juan Carlos I
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =José L. Rodríguez Zapatero
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =
|pm-raw =
|area =195,364 sq mi
|pop =45,116,894
|pop-basis =2007
|gdp =$1.261 trillion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$27,767
|currency =Euro
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''Spain''' is a country located on the [[Iberian Peninsula]], bordered by [[Portugal]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the [[west]], [[Gibraltar]] to the [[south]], the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the east, [[France]] and [[Andorra]] to the [[north]]. [[Portugal]] is located on the same peninsula.

Spain is the winner of the 2010 [[World Cup]].

 
[[File:Spain World Cup.jpg|left|340px]]

 
==People==
[[Image:Sorolla The Jota (Aragon ).jpg|thumb|left|The Jota (Aragon) by [[Joaquín Sorolla]]]]
Spain's population density, lower than that of most European countries, is roughly equivalent to New England's. In recent years, following a longstanding pattern in the rest of Europe, rural populations are moving to cities. Urban areas are also experiencing a significant increase in immigrant populations, chiefly from North Africa, [[America (continent)|America]], and Eastern Europe. Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians. They compromise 91% of the population, 8% are Eastern European immigrants and North Africans number roughly 1%.

Spain has no official religion. The constitution of 1978 disestablished the [[Roman Catholic Church]] as the official state [[religion]], while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. More than 90% of the population is at least nominally Catholic. Among the remaining population, there are about 1.2 million evangelical Christians and other Protestants (2006 est.), 1 million Muslims (2006 est.) and 48,000 Jews (2006 est.).

====Educational System====
About 70% of Spain's student population attends public schools or universities. The remainder attend private schools or universities, the great majority of which are operated by the Catholic Church. Compulsory education begins with primary school or general basic education for ages 6-14. It is free in public schools and in many private schools, most of which receive government subsidies. Following graduation, students attend either a secondary school offering a general high school diploma or a school of professional education (corresponding to grades 9-12 in the United States) offering a vocational training program. The Spanish university system offers degree and post-graduate programs in all fields--law, sciences, humanities, and medicine--and the superior technical schools offer programs in engineering and architecture.

==Government and Political Conditions==
[[Image:Cantabria Santoña.jpg|thumb|240px|Santoña, Cantabria.]]
Parliamentary democracy was restored following the death of General [[Francisco Franco]] in 1975, who had ruled since the end of the civil war in 1939. The 1978 constitution established Spain as a parliamentary monarchy, with the prime minister responsible to the bicameral Cortes (Congress of Deputies and Senate) elected every 4 years. On February 23, 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes and tried to impose a military-backed government. However, the great majority of the military forces remained loyal to King Juan Carlos, who used his personal authority to put down the bloodless coup attempt.

In October 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), led by [[Felipe Gonzalez]], swept both the Congress of Deputies and Senate, winning an absolute majority. Gonzalez and the PSOE ruled for the next 13 years. During that period, Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Community.

In March 1996, [[Jose Maria Aznar]]'s Popular Party (PP) won a plurality of votes. Aznar moved to decentralize powers to the regions and liberalize the economy, with a program of privatization, labor market reform, and measures designed to increase competition in selected markets. During Aznar's first term, Spain fully integrated into European institutions, qualifying for the European Monetary Union. During this period, Spain participated, along with the United States and other NATO allies, in military operations in the former Yugoslavia. President Aznar and the PP won reelection in March 2000, obtaining absolute majorities in both houses of parliament.

After the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001, President Aznar became a key ally in the fight against terrorism. Spain backed the military action against the Taliban in [[Afghanistan]] and took a leadership role within the European Union (EU) in pushing for increased international cooperation on terrorism. The Aznar government, with a rotating seat on the UN Security Council, supported the intervention in [[Iraq]].

Spanish parliamentary elections on March 14, 2004 came only three days after a devastating terrorist attack on Madrid commuter rail lines that killed 191 and wounded over 1,400. With large voter turnout, PSOE won the election and its leader, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, took office on April 17, 2004. Carrying out campaign promises, the Zapatero government immediately withdrew Spanish forces from Iraq but has continued to support Iraq reconstruction efforts. The Zapatero government has supported coalition efforts in Afghanistan, including maintaining troop support for 2004 and 2005 elections, supported reconstruction efforts in Haiti, sent troops to UNIFIL in Lebanon, and cooperated on counterterrorism issues and many other issues of importance to the U.S.

In 2005, the Spanish Parliament approved a same-sex marriage bill.

===Local Government===
The 1978 constitution authorized the creation of regional autonomous governments. By 1985, 17 regions covering all of peninsular Spain, the Canaries, and the Balearic Islands had negotiated autonomy statutes with the central government. In 1979, the first autonomous elections were held in the Basque and Catalan regions, which have the strongest regional traditions by virtue of their history and separate languages. Since then, autonomous governments have been created in the remainder of the 17 regions. The central government continues to devolve powers to the regional governments, which will eventually have full responsibility for health care and education, as well as other social programs.

Spain is divided into [[political subdivisions of Spain|seventeen autonomous communities]] and two autonomous cities ([[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]], which are in [[Morocco]]). The seventeen autonomous communities are further divided into fifty provinces.

===Terrorism===
[[File:ETA.jpg|thumb|Mural with the anagram of Batasuna.]]
The Government of Spain is involved in a long-running campaign against Basque Fatherland and Liberty ([[ETA]]), a [[terrorist]] organization founded in 1959 and dedicated to promoting [[Basque]] independence. ETA targets Spanish security forces, military personnel, Spanish Government officials, and politicians of the Popular Party and the Socialist Party (PSOE.) The group has carried out numerous bombings against Spanish Government facilities and economic targets, including a car bomb assassination attempt on then-opposition leader Aznar in 1995, in which his armored car was destroyed but he was unhurt. The Spanish Government attributes over 800 deaths to ETA terrorism since its campaign of violence began. In recent years, the government has had more success in controlling ETA, due in part to increased security cooperation with [[French]] authorities.

In November 1999, ETA ended a cease-fire it declared in September 1998. Following the end of that ceasefire, ETA conducted a campaign of violence and has been blamed for the deaths of some 46 Spanish citizens and officials. Each attack has been followed by massive anti-ETA demonstrations around the country, clearly demonstrating that the majority of Spaniards, including the majority of Spain's Basque populace, have no tolerance for continued ETA violence. In March 2006, ETA declared another ceasefire, which it ended in June 2007. The government continues to pursue vigorous counterterrorist policy and has worked closely with its international allies to foil several suspected ETA attacks.

Spain also contends with a resistance group, commonly known as GRAPO. GRAPO is an urban left-wing terrorist group that seeks to overthrow the Spanish Government and establish a Marxist state. It opposes Spanish participation in NATO and U.S. military presence in Spain and has a long history of assassinations, bombings, and kidnappings mostly against Spanish interests during the 1970s and 1980s.

In a June 2000 communique following the explosions of two small devices in Barcelona, GRAPO claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks throughout Spain during the past year. These attacks included two failed armored car robberies, one in which two security officers died, and four bombings of political party offices during the 1999/2000 election campaign. In 2002 and 2003, Spanish and French authorities were successful in hampering the organization's activities through sweeping arrests, including some of the group's leadership.

Al Qaeda is known to operate cells in Spain. On March 11, 2004, only three days before national elections, 10 bombs were detonated on crowded commuter trains during rush hour. Three were deactivated by security forces and one was found unexploded. Evidence quickly surfaced that jihadist terrorists with possible ties to the al Qaeda network were responsible for the attack that killed 191 people. Spanish investigative services and the judicial system have aggressively sought to arrest and prosecute suspected al Qaeda members and actively cooperate with foreign governments to diminish the transnational terrorist threat. A Spanish court convicted 18 individuals in September 2005 for their role in supporting al Qaeda, and Spanish police disrupted numerous Islamist extremist cells operating in the country. The trial against 29 people for their alleged participation in the Madrid March 11, 2004 terrorist attack started in February 2007, and was declared ready for judgment at the end of June. One of the 29 was absolved during the trial. The prosecutor asked for sentences as high as 30,000 years of jail for some of them. The court is expected to issue the sentence sometime in October 2007.

===Principal Government Officials===
*Chief of State, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces--King Juan Carlos I
*President of the Government (Prime Minister)-- [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]]
*Minister of Foreign Affairs--Miguel Angel Moratinos
*Ambassador to the United States--Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza

===Foreign Relations===
After the return of democracy following the death of General Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years and expand diplomatic relations, enter the European Community, and define security relations with the West.
[[File:Monumento a Alfonso XII parque del Buen Retiro.jpg|thumb|Monument to Alfonso XII, Madrid.]]
As a member of NATO since 1982, Spain has established itself as a major participant in multilateral international security activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy. Even on many international issues beyond Western Europe, Spain prefers to coordinate its efforts with its EU partners through the European political cooperation mechanism.

With the normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel and Albania in 1986, Spain virtually completed the process of universalizing its diplomatic relations. The only country with which it now does not have diplomatic relations is North Korea.

Spain has maintained its special identification with Latin America. Its policy emphasizes the concept of Hispanidad, a mixture of linguistic, religious, ethnic, cultural, and historical ties binding Spanish-speaking America to Spain. Spain has been an effective example of transition from authoritarianism to democracy, as shown in the many trips that Spain's King and Prime Ministers have made to the region. Spain maintains economic and technical cooperation programs and cultural exchanges with Latin America, both bilaterally and within the EU.

Spain also continues to focus attention on North [[Africa]], especially on Morocco. This concern is dictated by geographic proximity and long historical contacts, as well as by the two Spanish enclave cities of [[Ceuta]] and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa. While Spain's departure from its former colony of Western Sahara ended direct Spanish participation in Morocco, it maintains an interest in the peaceful resolution of the conflict brought about there by decolonization. These issues were highlighted by a crisis in 2002, when Spanish forces evicted a small contingent of Moroccans from a tiny islet off Morocco's coast following that nation's attempt to assert sovereignty over the island.

Meanwhile, Spain has gradually begun to broaden its contacts with Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a particular interest in its former colony of Equatorial Guinea, where it maintains a large aid program.

In relations with the Arab world, Spain has sought to promote European-Mediterranean dialog. Spain strongly supports the EU's "Barcelona Process" which seeks to expand dialog and trade between Europe and the nations of North Africa and the Middle East, including Israel. It is seen by some as too greatly favoring the European Union. Other proposals are on the table, including one put forward by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007. The latest meeting on the Barcelona initiative was held on November 29, 2005.

Spain has been successful in managing its relations with its two European neighbors, France and Portugal. The accession of Spain and Portugal to the EU has helped ease some of their periodic trade frictions by putting these into an EU context. Franco-Spanish bilateral cooperation is enhanced by joint action against Basque ETA terrorism. Ties with the United Kingdom are generally good, although the question of [[Gibraltar]] remains a sensitive issue.

==Economy==
Spain's accession to the European Community--now European Union (EU)--in January 1986 required the country to open its economy to trade and investment, modernize its industrial base, improve infrastructure, and revise economic legislation to conform to EU guidelines. In doing so, Spain increased gross domestic product (GDP) growth, reduced the public debt to GDP ratio, reduced unemployment from 23% in 1986 to 8.47% in first quarter 2007, and reduced [[inflation]] to under 3%. The fundamental challenges remaining for Spain include decreasing unemployment further, reforming labor laws lowering inflation, and raising per capita GDP.

Following peak growth years in the late 1980s, the Spanish economy entered into recession in mid-1992. The economy recovered during the first Aznar administration (1996-2000), driven by a return of consumer confidence and increased private consumption, although growth has slowed in recent years. Unemployment remains a problem at 8.47% (2007, first quarter), but this still represents a significant improvement from previous levels. Devaluations of the peseta during the 1990s made Spanish exports more competitive, but the strength of the euro since its adoption has raised recent concerns that Spanish exports are being priced out of the range of foreign buyers.

Following the financial problems starting in the [[USA]] the economy of Spain had serious problems. These were handled very badly by the socialist government then in power.

==History==
see [[History of Spain]]

==The leisure activities==

The national activity of Spain is the [[bullfighting]].

[[File:Goya Jovellanos 1798.jpg|200px|center|Melchor de Jovellanos by [[Francisco de Goya]], 1798.]]

== External links ==

*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.html Spain] CIA - The World Factbook.
*[http://www.okspain.org/ The Tourist Office of Spain]

==References==
<references/>

{{Copyright Details (US Government)}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[[Category:Spain]]
[[Category:Spanish Empire]]
[[Category:Spanish History]]

Spain

2010-08-05T19:15:17Z

RobertoCuestion: /* Terrorism */

{{Country
|name =''Reino de España''
|map =Spain rel82.jpg
|map2 =Spain location.png
|flag =Flag of Spain.png
|arms =Spanish arms.png
|capital =Madrid
|capital-raw =
|government =Constitutional Monarchy
|government-raw =
|language =Spanish
|king =Juan Carlos I
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =José L. Rodríguez Zapatero
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =
|pm-raw =
|area =195,364 sq mi
|pop =45,116,894
|pop-basis =2007
|gdp =$1.261 trillion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$27,767
|currency =Euro
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''Spain''' is a country located on the [[Iberian Peninsula]], bordered by [[Portugal]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the [[west]], [[Gibraltar]] to the [[south]], the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the east, [[France]] and [[Andorra]] to the [[north]]. [[Portugal]] is located on the same peninsula.

Spain is the winner of the 2010 [[World Cup]].

 
[[File:Spain World Cup.jpg|left|340px]]

 
==People==
[[Image:Sorolla The Jota (Aragon ).jpg|thumb|left|The Jota (Aragon) by [[Joaquín Sorolla]]]]
Spain's population density, lower than that of most European countries, is roughly equivalent to New England's. In recent years, following a longstanding pattern in the rest of Europe, rural populations are moving to cities. Urban areas are also experiencing a significant increase in immigrant populations, chiefly from North Africa, [[America (continent)|America]], and Eastern Europe. Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians. They compromise 91% of the population, 8% are Eastern European immigrants and North Africans number roughly 1%.

Spain has no official religion. The constitution of 1978 disestablished the [[Roman Catholic Church]] as the official state [[religion]], while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. More than 90% of the population is at least nominally Catholic. Among the remaining population, there are about 1.2 million evangelical Christians and other Protestants (2006 est.), 1 million Muslims (2006 est.) and 48,000 Jews (2006 est.).

====Educational System====
About 70% of Spain's student population attends public schools or universities. The remainder attend private schools or universities, the great majority of which are operated by the Catholic Church. Compulsory education begins with primary school or general basic education for ages 6-14. It is free in public schools and in many private schools, most of which receive government subsidies. Following graduation, students attend either a secondary school offering a general high school diploma or a school of professional education (corresponding to grades 9-12 in the United States) offering a vocational training program. The Spanish university system offers degree and post-graduate programs in all fields--law, sciences, humanities, and medicine--and the superior technical schools offer programs in engineering and architecture.

==Government and Political Conditions==
[[Image:Cantabria Santoña.jpg|thumb|240px|Santoña, Cantabria.]]
Parliamentary democracy was restored following the death of General [[Francisco Franco]] in 1975, who had ruled since the end of the civil war in 1939. The 1978 constitution established Spain as a parliamentary monarchy, with the prime minister responsible to the bicameral Cortes (Congress of Deputies and Senate) elected every 4 years. On February 23, 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes and tried to impose a military-backed government. However, the great majority of the military forces remained loyal to King Juan Carlos, who used his personal authority to put down the bloodless coup attempt.

In October 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), led by [[Felipe Gonzalez]], swept both the Congress of Deputies and Senate, winning an absolute majority. Gonzalez and the PSOE ruled for the next 13 years. During that period, Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Community.

In March 1996, [[Jose Maria Aznar]]'s Popular Party (PP) won a plurality of votes. Aznar moved to decentralize powers to the regions and liberalize the economy, with a program of privatization, labor market reform, and measures designed to increase competition in selected markets. During Aznar's first term, Spain fully integrated into European institutions, qualifying for the European Monetary Union. During this period, Spain participated, along with the United States and other NATO allies, in military operations in the former Yugoslavia. President Aznar and the PP won reelection in March 2000, obtaining absolute majorities in both houses of parliament.

After the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001, President Aznar became a key ally in the fight against terrorism. Spain backed the military action against the Taliban in [[Afghanistan]] and took a leadership role within the European Union (EU) in pushing for increased international cooperation on terrorism. The Aznar government, with a rotating seat on the UN Security Council, supported the intervention in [[Iraq]].

Spanish parliamentary elections on March 14, 2004 came only three days after a devastating terrorist attack on Madrid commuter rail lines that killed 191 and wounded over 1,400. With large voter turnout, PSOE won the election and its leader, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, took office on April 17, 2004. Carrying out campaign promises, the Zapatero government immediately withdrew Spanish forces from Iraq but has continued to support Iraq reconstruction efforts. The Zapatero government has supported coalition efforts in Afghanistan, including maintaining troop support for 2004 and 2005 elections, supported reconstruction efforts in Haiti, sent troops to UNIFIL in Lebanon, and cooperated on counterterrorism issues and many other issues of importance to the U.S.

In 2005, the Spanish Parliament approved a same-sex marriage bill.

===Local Government===
The 1978 constitution authorized the creation of regional autonomous governments. By 1985, 17 regions covering all of peninsular Spain, the Canaries, and the Balearic Islands had negotiated autonomy statutes with the central government. In 1979, the first autonomous elections were held in the Basque and Catalan regions, which have the strongest regional traditions by virtue of their history and separate languages. Since then, autonomous governments have been created in the remainder of the 17 regions. The central government continues to devolve powers to the regional governments, which will eventually have full responsibility for health care and education, as well as other social programs.

Spain is divided into [[political subdivisions of Spain|seventeen autonomous communities]] and two autonomous cities ([[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]], which are in [[Morocco]]). The seventeen autonomous communities are further divided into fifty provinces.

===Terrorism===
[[File:ETA.jpg|thumb|Mural with the anagram of Batasuna.]]
The Government of Spain is involved in a long-running campaign against Basque Fatherland and Liberty ([[ETA]]), a [[terrorist]] organization founded in 1959 and dedicated to promoting [[Basque]] independence. ETA targets Spanish security forces, military personnel, Spanish Government officials, and politicians of the Popular Party and the Socialist Party (PSOE.) The group has carried out numerous bombings against Spanish Government facilities and economic targets, including a car bomb assassination attempt on then-opposition leader Aznar in 1995, in which his armored car was destroyed but he was unhurt. The Spanish Government attributes over 800 deaths to ETA terrorism since its campaign of violence began. In recent years, the government has had more success in controlling ETA, due in part to increased security cooperation with [[French]] authorities.

In November 1999, ETA ended a cease-fire it declared in September 1998. Following the end of that ceasefire, ETA conducted a campaign of violence and has been blamed for the deaths of some 46 Spanish citizens and officials. Each attack has been followed by massive anti-ETA demonstrations around the country, clearly demonstrating that the majority of Spaniards, including the majority of Spain's Basque populace, have no tolerance for continued ETA violence. In March 2006, ETA declared another ceasefire, which it ended in June 2007. The government continues to pursue vigorous counterterrorist policy and has worked closely with its international allies to foil several suspected ETA attacks.

Spain also contends with a resistance group, commonly known as GRAPO. GRAPO is an urban left-wing terrorist group that seeks to overthrow the Spanish Government and establish a Marxist state. It opposes Spanish participation in NATO and U.S. military presence in Spain and has a long history of assassinations, bombings, and kidnappings mostly against Spanish interests during the 1970s and 1980s.

In a June 2000 communique following the explosions of two small devices in Barcelona, GRAPO claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks throughout Spain during the past year. These attacks included two failed armored car robberies, one in which two security officers died, and four bombings of political party offices during the 1999/2000 election campaign. In 2002 and 2003, Spanish and French authorities were successful in hampering the organization's activities through sweeping arrests, including some of the group's leadership.

Al Qaeda is known to operate cells in Spain. On March 11, 2004, only three days before national elections, 10 bombs were detonated on crowded commuter trains during rush hour. Three were deactivated by security forces and one was found unexploded. Evidence quickly surfaced that jihadist terrorists with possible ties to the al Qaeda network were responsible for the attack that killed 191 people. Spanish investigative services and the judicial system have aggressively sought to arrest and prosecute suspected al Qaeda members and actively cooperate with foreign governments to diminish the transnational terrorist threat. A Spanish court convicted 18 individuals in September 2005 for their role in supporting al Qaeda, and Spanish police disrupted numerous Islamist extremist cells operating in the country. The trial against 29 people for their alleged participation in the Madrid March 11, 2004 terrorist attack started in February 2007, and was declared ready for judgment at the end of June. One of the 29 was absolved during the trial. The prosecutor asked for sentences as high as 30,000 years of jail for some of them. The court is expected to issue the sentence sometime in October 2007.

===Principal Government Officials===
*Chief of State, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces--King Juan Carlos I
*President of the Government (Prime Minister)-- [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]]
*Minister of Foreign Affairs--Miguel Angel Moratinos
*Ambassador to the United States--Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza

===Foreign Relations===
After the return of democracy following the death of General Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years and expand diplomatic relations, enter the European Community, and define security relations with the West.
[[File:Monumento a Alfonso XII parque del Buen Retiro.jpg|thumb|Monument to Alfonso XII, Madrid.]]
As a member of NATO since 1982, Spain has established itself as a major participant in multilateral international security activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy. Even on many international issues beyond Western Europe, Spain prefers to coordinate its efforts with its EU partners through the European political cooperation mechanism.

With the normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel and Albania in 1986, Spain virtually completed the process of universalizing its diplomatic relations. The only country with which it now does not have diplomatic relations is North Korea.

Spain has maintained its special identification with Latin America. Its policy emphasizes the concept of Hispanidad, a mixture of linguistic, religious, ethnic, cultural, and historical ties binding Spanish-speaking America to Spain. Spain has been an effective example of transition from authoritarianism to democracy, as shown in the many trips that Spain's King and Prime Ministers have made to the region. Spain maintains economic and technical cooperation programs and cultural exchanges with Latin America, both bilaterally and within the EU.

Spain also continues to focus attention on North [[Africa]], especially on Morocco. This concern is dictated by geographic proximity and long historical contacts, as well as by the two Spanish enclave cities of [[Ceuta]] and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa. While Spain's departure from its former colony of Western Sahara ended direct Spanish participation in Morocco, it maintains an interest in the peaceful resolution of the conflict brought about there by decolonization. These issues were highlighted by a crisis in 2002, when Spanish forces evicted a small contingent of Moroccans from a tiny islet off Morocco's coast following that nation's attempt to assert sovereignty over the island.

Meanwhile, Spain has gradually begun to broaden its contacts with Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a particular interest in its former colony of Equatorial Guinea, where it maintains a large aid program.

In relations with the Arab world, Spain has sought to promote European-Mediterranean dialog. Spain strongly supports the EU's "Barcelona Process" which seeks to expand dialog and trade between Europe and the nations of North Africa and the Middle East, including Israel. It is seen by some as too greatly favoring the European Union. Other proposals are on the table, including one put forward by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007. The latest meeting on the Barcelona initiative was held on November 29, 2005.

Spain has been successful in managing its relations with its two European neighbors, France and Portugal. The accession of Spain and Portugal to the EU has helped ease some of their periodic trade frictions by putting these into an EU context. Franco-Spanish bilateral cooperation is enhanced by joint action against Basque ETA terrorism. Ties with the United Kingdom are generally good, although the question of [[Gibraltar]] remains a sensitive issue.

==Economy==
Spain's accession to the European Community--now European Union (EU)--in January 1986 required the country to open its economy to trade and investment, modernize its industrial base, improve infrastructure, and revise economic legislation to conform to EU guidelines. In doing so, Spain increased gross domestic product (GDP) growth, reduced the public debt to GDP ratio, reduced unemployment from 23% in 1986 to 8.47% in first quarter 2007, and reduced [[inflation]] to under 3%. The fundamental challenges remaining for Spain include decreasing unemployment further, reforming labor laws lowering inflation, and raising per capita GDP.

Following peak growth years in the late 1980s, the Spanish economy entered into recession in mid-1992. The economy recovered during the first Aznar administration (1996-2000), driven by a return of consumer confidence and increased private consumption, although growth has slowed in recent years. Unemployment remains a problem at 8.47% (2007, first quarter), but this still represents a significant improvement from previous levels. Devaluations of the peseta during the 1990s made Spanish exports more competitive, but the strength of the euro since its adoption has raised recent concerns that Spanish exports are being priced out of the range of foreign buyers.

==History==
see [[History of Spain]]

==The leisure activities==

The national activity of Spain is the [[bullfighting]].

[[File:Goya Jovellanos 1798.jpg|200px|center|Melchor de Jovellanos by [[Francisco de Goya]], 1798.]]

== External links ==

*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.html Spain] CIA - The World Factbook.
*[http://www.okspain.org/ The Tourist Office of Spain]

==References==
<references/>

{{Copyright Details (US Government)}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[[Category:Spain]]
[[Category:Spanish Empire]]
[[Category:Spanish History]]

ETA

2010-08-05T19:13:05Z

RobertoCuestion:

'''ETA''' is a [[terrorist]] group which aims to create an independent [[Basque country]] in northern [[Spain]]. It was founded in 1959, during the [[Franco]] dictatorship, and is responsible for approximately 900 killings, including a number of political and law enforcement figures.

Now the ETA is much more weaker than before. For this we must mostly thank the previous [[Conservative]] government of [[José María Aznar]]

[[File:ETA.jpg]]

[[Category:Political Organizations]]
[[category:terrorists]]

Talk:Essay: Does Richard Dawkins have machismo?

2010-08-04T11:18:49Z

RobertoCuestion:

Should we not attack his view point than attack the person? This essay does not appear to be in a very good taste. --[[User:Johntalbot|Johntalbot]] 22:28, 22 May 2010 (EDT)
::::Are you saying that an essay cannot comment on a person's behavior or use satire? If so, please justify. [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 01:51, 23 May 2010 (EDT)
:::::No I am not saying that. But I do not have any special knowledge about Richard Dawkin's manhood or machismo. I don't think any information is publicly available about his manhood related behaviour as well, So how do you comment on that? Satire is great if used well. For example Catch 22 is a great satire, but unfortunately your essay is not. It would be rude if I really express what I think about it. --[[User:Johntalbot|Johntalbot]] 15:41, 23 May 2010 (EDT)
::::Perhaps, you should read the essay and the linked resources a few times more and see if you can spot a pattern of cowardice by Richard Dawkins. Anyways, I wrote the essay when I was rather tired and I am made some revisions to it. By the way, the Google algorithm loves the essay. It ranks #1 for Richard Dawkins and Machismo and ranks #1 for Dawkins and machismo. However, I am guessing given Dawkins' behavior that many people don't associate the Richard Dawkins with machismo so there is probably not too many searches for this term. There are a 11,900 Google search results for Richard Dawkins and cowardice, just in case you are looking for further evidence concerning the subject of Richard Dawkins and cowardice. By the way, could you define "special knowledge". Also, do all Conservapedia essays need to pass a "special knowledge" litmus test? [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 20:12, 23 May 2010 (EDT)
::::::I wouldn't use the number of google results to prove a point, it's not a very accurate indicator.[[User:RaymondP|RaymondP]] 21:22, 28 May 2010 (EDT)

so.. are you writing this for google algorithm. Sorry to burst your bubble, but no one is going to search for Dawkins and Machismo. May be you should clear your cache and search it, because when I do that, your page is not even in the top 10. I don't understand what you aim to say by 11900 results for Dawkins and cowardice. conservative and cowardice brings up 287000 results. does that mean anything? I am not sure why you are so much obsessed about Richard Dawkins' manhood. Shouldn't you be trying to refute his arguments in that precious time? --[[User:Johntalbot|Johntalbot]] 20:24, 23 May 2010 (EDT)
::::I guess you need to take some reading comprehension classes. I did indicate that I didn't believe there were going to be many searches for the term Dawkins and machismo. I also noticed you also didn't answer my questions. I will return the favor and not answer yours. [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 20:57, 23 May 2010 (EDT)

I was given a link to this essay on youtube, and I can say that it certainly hits the target! Dawkins is well know for being a coward with regards to avoid all debate with those who don't agree with his worldview, so this kind of hard-hitting satire suits him perfectly! Keep up the good work Mr Conservative, sadly it's no surprise that the the liberal 'Dawkins Defenders' do nothing but criticize anything that exposes their evolutionist leaders for the frauds that they are. - Andrew.
::::Thanks for the positive review. Here is something I just put at the bottom of the essay: '''QUICK NOTE:''' The above essay was produced as part of the [[Conservapedia:Richard Dawkins Project]]. If you like this essay, please feel free to give it three "oles!" by creating a [[YouTube ]] video on it. Also, feel free to mention it on your blog or [[Facebook]] page. There are also some tips [[Conservapedia:Richard Dawkins Project - Spreading the News|HERE]] on spreading the word about this essay. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCZYpGzu7rA&feature=related Ole!][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAYSQXSMnss&feature=related Ole!][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQwWvw3uTJM&feature=related Ole!] [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 17:31, 24 May 2010 (EDT)

== Unconservapedia? ==

What's the point of all those essays about Richard Dawkinds? Is this the embryo of an ''unconservapedia'', parody of ''uncyclopedia'', the ''official'' parody of ''wikipedia''? That would be fun, a parody of a parody. Might as well be called ''liberopedia'', and have articles with the Khaddaffi Peace Prize or the Stalin Human Rights awards. [[User:Sunda62|Sunda62]] 10:01, 27 May 2010 (EDT)
::::All those essays? Two essays have been written. Did Richard Dawkins teach you how to count? :) [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 00:57, 7 June 2010 (EDT)
:: Yes! There are three kinds of people: those that can count, and those that can't! [[User:Sunda62|Sunda62]] 16:49, 18 June 2010 (EDT)
:::::The collection of articles has expanded since my June 7, 2010 post. I thought liberals like the concept of "[[Evolution|change over time]]" - especially when they engage in equivocation. [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 17:07, 18 June 2010 (EDT)

== Messed up ==

Purposefully creating provocative pages and then limiting the editing for such pages is ridiculous. I can't even fix the spelling errors.
: First prove yourself by fixing up or writing other articles. We're not here just to talk, talk, talk. --[[User:ReligiousRight|ReligiousRight]] 22:39, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
::Obviously this user needs to open his mind. He probably doesn't support school prayer and I'm 96% certain he also believes in gun control. [[User:KevinO|KevinO]] 22:46, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
::::If there are typos and/or spelling errors, please list them on the talk page. Unless, of course, you lack the machismo to do so! :) [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 00:53, 7 June 2010 (EDT)

== Grammar/Spelling problems: ==

Senor ---> Señor

Ole ---> Olé

Polling in 2006 indicates that less than half of the US and British populace accept the evolutionary paradigm as the best description for the development of life.

In addition.

polling indicates that the evolutionary paradigm is losing public support in the United States.[8]

So the key question stirring around the much discussed U.S Religious Landscape Survey released in late February by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life is what tale does it state about the state of the union.

But atheist make up only 1.6% of respondents to this survey....

Within the evolutionaryscience community and the creation science community, Richard Dawkins has faced charges of engaging in pseudoscience and has also faced charges of committing elementary errors.[10]

Of course, if Senor Dawkins published fine works in the field of Christian apologetics, Senor Dawkins would have great confidence his work could withstand scrutiny and he wouldn't have to spend so much time in his "intellectual bunnyhole" hiding from strong debaters of the opposition.

And there's more. This article needs many, many corrections. {{Unsigned|AnnaO}}

:And you're unable to work on other articles, why? [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 10:10, 7 June 2010 (EDT)

::This article is in the forefront right now. There are many errors on it. Keeping this article in the condition its in paints the entire Conservapedia in a bad light. The deflection "work on something else" is weak and garners no enthusiasm for effort elsewhere. {{Unsigned|AnnaO}}
:::Then why are you so desperate to fix the "errors" in just this article? Is there something about you you're not telling us? [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 10:30, 7 June 2010 (EDT)

*AnaO, you should be aware this is not an encyclopedic article, but a personal essay by the editor. As such changes are at the whim of the editor. --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big>/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 14:41, 7 June 2010 (EDT)
:::::Something just occurred that I thought was entirely impossible, but is absolutely and unequivocally true. With the adding of the words Señor and Olé, this essay now superpasses all essays at Conservapedia in terms of its unadulterated machismo and it now has entered the realm of über-machismo! :) So unfortunately for Señor Dawkins, the hispanic ladies might become even more troublesome given his extreme reluctance to debate strong debate opponents (see: [[Instances of Richard Dawkins ducking debates]] ). [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 02:50, 8 June 2010 (EDT)

== Spanish ==

I think it's supposed to be mucho machismo, not mu machismo (in one of the captions.) [[User:RaymondP|RaymondP]] 17:34, 30 June 2010 (EDT)
:::Gracias,Señor. [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 03:10, 6 July 2010 (EDT)

== Over 5,000 views for the essay: Does Richard Dawkins have machismo? Olé! Olé! Olé! ==

Over 5,000 views for the essay: Does Richard Dawkins have machismo? [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCZYpGzu7rA&feature=related Olé!][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAYSQXSMnss&feature=related Olé!][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQwWvw3uTJM&feature=related Olé!] Will efforts be made to get this essay much more web traffic? Please stay tuned for further developments! [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 00:06, 7 July 2010 (EDT)

==You are having an effect==

During the time before his lecture at the UAF Davis concert hall yesterday I heard a group of students in a [[three syllable chant]] of "much-is-Mo! much-is-Mo! much-is-Mo!" and I didn't know what it was about (I thought they were saying "much is more") until I saw this essay. Keep it up Conservative! Maybe you can shame him into growing a backbone and becoming a man finally in his late 60's. I regret that I couldn't ask a question of my own but there were some real zingers asked, and he cut a few people short before the could hit him hard, I suspect it wont be too long before his untenable positions catch up with him and he is forced to silence everyone in an attempt to silence his critics! --[[User:AbbieM|AbbieM]] 20:35, 16 July 2010 (EDT)
:::Were the students Spanish ladies? Seriously, the article has not been distributed widely (yet). :) [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 22:48, 16 July 2010 (EDT)
::::AbbieM, are you a commuter student? The reason I ask is that you appear to be editing from Alaska. [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 00:24, 17 July 2010 (EDT)
:::::Not anymore, Conservative. I decided it was best that she conserve fuel. ;-) --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big>/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 00:29, 17 July 2010 (EDT)
:::::::It does appear as if the UAF Davis concert hall is in Alaska. At the same time, being a Christian and [http://www.conservapedia.com/Atheism#Reasonable_Explanations_for_Atheism not a gullible atheist], I do need good evidence before believing historical claims. [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 08:45, 19 July 2010 (EDT)

== Clarification ==

So...is Dawkins supposed to be the bull or the matador?
Also, Dawkins fans are...bunny rabbits? I'm not trying to be facetious here; I just don't get it. [[User:JoeFerguson|JoeFerguson]] 09:48, 17 July 2010 (EDT)
::::I added some footnotes for the bunny rabbits for you so you could more clearly see that birds of a feather do flock together. :) In addition, despite the fact that Dawkins spreads plenty of unpleasant verbal and written bull manure in the public square, Dawkins was never represented as a bull in the satirical essay ''Does Richard Dawkins have machismo?''. On the other hand, Dawkins' courage is shown as a dead bull. [[User:Conservative|conservative]] 13:36, 18 July 2010 (EDT)
:::::Welll that makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up; I feel like a big dummy now for not getting it in the first place. :) [[User:JoeFerguson|JoeFerguson]] 23:02, 19 July 2010 (EDT)

== Bad Debate ==

In the spirit of Christianity and good debate, shouldn't Dawkins be treated with more respect? I do understand that this is satire, but shouldn't we generally be concise, factual and exclude gossip? There are plenty of Dawkins' views to attack without hurling insults about his masculinity.

Also, sweeping generalizations about Hispanic and Asian women (not to mention the line "more yang than yin") can be offensive. [[User:Emba|Emba]] 10:08, 31 July 2010 (EDT)

==This is strange to me==

¿Is good to have machismo? If Mr Dawkins no is machist then is good. You say he respects women.--[[User:RobertoCuestion|RobertoCuestion]] 07:18, 4 August 2010 (EDT)

User:RobertoCuestion

2010-08-04T11:14:40Z

RobertoCuestion:

Hello. I am thinking that I will to edit this Wiki.

I study business.

==Spain==

Spain is a beautiful country with much variety and many traditions especials. Not only the bulls but also many local parties.

==The Spanish Government==

The now government is socialist. They are doing bad things to the economy and the people. They want to make the abortion more legal; they let the homosexuals be married and they do not stop that the bullfighting is illegal.

Bullfighting

2010-08-04T10:15:09Z

RobertoCuestion: artistic

[[Bullfighting]] is the national sport of [[Spain]], but it is also performed in such other countries as [[Mexico]] and [[France]]. A weaker from is held in [[Portugal]].

The spectacle moves a lot of money and employs much people in the fields and in the cities. In addition it gives pleasure to many people who like to watching the artistic dance between then man and the animal.

In July 2010 the local [[socialist]] separatist government in [[Catalonia]] passed a law making the bullfighting illegal.<ref>[http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/07/25/barcelona/1280081754.html Cataluña prohíbe los toros (Catalonia prohibits the bulls)]</ref>.

The present national socialist is not expected to tell them that they don't have the right.

==International acceptance==

[[Ernest Hemingway]] was the responsible for making the bulls popular in the [[USA]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Sports]]

Bullfighting

2010-08-04T10:10:40Z

RobertoCuestion: Ernest Hemingway

[[Bullfighting]] is the national sport of [[Spain]], but it is also performed in such other countries as [[Mexico]] and [[France]]. A weaker from is held in [[Portugal]].

The spectacle moves a lot of money and employs much people in the fields and in the cities. In addition it gives pleasure to many people.

In July 2010 the local [[socialist]] separatist government in [[Catalonia]] passed a law making the bullfighting illegal.<ref>[http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/07/25/barcelona/1280081754.html Cataluña prohíbe los toros (Catalonia prohibits the bulls)]</ref>.

The present national socialist is not expected to tell them that they don't have the right.

==International acceptance==

[[Ernest Hemingway]] was the responsible for making the bulls popular in the [[USA]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Sports]]

Ernest Hemingway

2010-08-04T10:08:52Z

RobertoCuestion: bulls

[[Image:Ernest_Hemingway.jpg|300px|right|thumb‎]]
'''Ernest Hemingway''' (1899-1961) was a famous [[United States|American]] [[author]], born in 1899 in Oak Park, [[Illinois]]. His works include<ref>http://books.google.com/books?as_auth=Ernest+Hemingway&ots=9t62iMRTai&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title</ref>:

*''The Old Man and the Sea''
*''A Farewell to Arms''
*''In Our Time''
*''The Sun Also Rises''
*''For Whom the Bell Tolls''
*"Hills Like White Elephants"
*"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place"
*''The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories''
*''Dear Papa, Dear Hotch: The Correspondence of Ernest Hemingway and A.E. Hotchner''
*''A Moveable Feast''

He was the main responsible for the making of the Pamplona Bull run popular in an international way.<ref>[http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/spanish-festivals/pamplona-bull-running-san-fermin.htm Pamplona bull run]</ref> He was also a fan of the [[bullfighting]].

He won a [[Nobel Prize]] for literature in 1954<ref>http://www.lostgeneration.com/</ref>. In 1961 he committed [[suicide]], but was allowed a [[Roman Catholic]] burial, as they ruled he was not fully responsible for his actions due to a mental decline in the last months of his life<ref>http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/hemingwa.htm</ref>.

Hemingway influenced [[American]] literature<ref>http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/books/1999/hemingway/stories/nagel/</ref>. He helped popularize a style of writing that featured plain language, short sentences, and clean, sparse prose. His writing frequently focused on American expatriates living in [[Europe]] or [[Africa]]. Leading characters are often very masculine, somewhat alcoholic, and suffering from mental scars, but they are always in control of themselves. These characters are believed to be based on Hemingway himself.

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hemingway, Ernest}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Literature]]

ETA

2010-08-03T18:52:01Z

RobertoCuestion:

'''ETA''' is a [[terrorist]] group which aims to create an independent [[Basque country]] in northern [[Spain]]. It was founded in 1959, during the [[Franco]] dictatorship, and is responsible for approximately 900 killings, including a number of political and law enforcement figures.

Now the ETA is much more weaker than before.

[[File:ETA.jpg]]

[[Category:Political Organizations]]
[[category:terrorists]]

Bullfighting

2010-08-03T18:50:03Z

RobertoCuestion:

[[Bullfighting]] is the national sport of [[Spain]], but it is also performed in such other countries as [[Mexico]] and [[France]]. A weaker from is held in [[Portugal]].

The spectacle moves a lot of money and employs much people in the fields and in the cities. In addition it gives pleasure to many people.

In July 2010 the local [[socialist]] separatist government in [[Catalonia]] passed a law making the bullfighting illegal.<ref>[http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/07/25/barcelona/1280081754.html Cataluña prohíbe los toros (Catalonia prohibits the bulls)]</ref>.

The present national socialist is not expected to tell them that they don't have the right.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Sports]]

Bullfighting

2010-08-03T18:49:16Z

RobertoCuestion:

[[Bullfighting]] is the national sport of [[Spain]], but it is also performed in such other countries as [[Mexico]] and [[France]]. A weaker from is held in [[Portugal]].

The spectacle moves a lot of money and employs much people in the fields and in the cities.

In July 2010 the local [[socialist]] separatist government in [[Catalonia]] passed a law making the bullfighting illegal.<ref>[http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/07/25/barcelona/1280081754.html Cataluña prohíbe los toros (Catalonia prohibits the bulls)]</ref>.

The present national socialist is not expected to tell them that they don't have the right.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Sports]]

Bullfighting

2010-07-29T14:29:53Z

RobertoCuestion: Created page with 'The Bullfighting is the national sport of Spain In July 2010 the local socialist separatist government in Catalonia passed a law making the bullfighting illegal.…'

The [[Bullfighting]] is the national sport of [[Spain]]

In July 2010 the local [[socialist]] separatist government in [[Catalonia]] passed a law making the bullfighting illegal.<ref>[http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2010/07/25/barcelona/1280081754.html Cataluña prohíbe los toros (Catalonia prohibits the bulls]</ref>.

The present national socialist is not expected to tell them that they don't have the right.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Sports]]

Spain

2010-07-29T14:16:55Z

RobertoCuestion:

{{Country
|name =''Reino de España''
|map =Spain rel82.jpg
|map2 =Spain location.png
|flag =Flag of Spain.png
|arms =Spanish arms.png
|capital =Madrid
|capital-raw =
|government =Constitutional Monarchy
|government-raw =
|language =Spanish
|king =Juan Carlos I
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =José L. Rodríguez Zapatero
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =
|pm-raw =
|area =195,364 sq mi
|pop =45,116,894
|pop-basis =2007
|gdp =$1.261 trillion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$27,767
|currency =Euro
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''Spain''' is a country located on the [[Iberian Peninsula]], bordered by [[Portugal]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the [[west]], [[Gibraltar]] to the [[south]], the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the east, [[France]] and [[Andorra]] to the [[north]]. [[Portugal]] is located on the same peninsula.

Spain is the winner of the 2010 [[World Cup]].

 
[[File:Spain World Cup.jpg|left|340px]]

 
==People==
[[Image:Sorolla The Jota (Aragon ).jpg|thumb|left|The Jota (Aragon) by [[Joaquín Sorolla]]]]
Spain's population density, lower than that of most European countries, is roughly equivalent to New England's. In recent years, following a longstanding pattern in the rest of Europe, rural populations are moving to cities. Urban areas are also experiencing a significant increase in immigrant populations, chiefly from North Africa, [[America (continent)|America]], and Eastern Europe. Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians. They compromise 91% of the population, 8% are Eastern European immigrants and North Africans number roughly 1%.

Spain has no official religion. The constitution of 1978 disestablished the [[Roman Catholic Church]] as the official state [[religion]], while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. More than 90% of the population is at least nominally Catholic. Among the remaining population, there are about 1.2 million evangelical Christians and other Protestants (2006 est.), 1 million Muslims (2006 est.) and 48,000 Jews (2006 est.).

====Educational System====
About 70% of Spain's student population attends public schools or universities. The remainder attend private schools or universities, the great majority of which are operated by the Catholic Church. Compulsory education begins with primary school or general basic education for ages 6-14. It is free in public schools and in many private schools, most of which receive government subsidies. Following graduation, students attend either a secondary school offering a general high school diploma or a school of professional education (corresponding to grades 9-12 in the United States) offering a vocational training program. The Spanish university system offers degree and post-graduate programs in all fields--law, sciences, humanities, and medicine--and the superior technical schools offer programs in engineering and architecture.

==Government and Political Conditions==
[[Image:Cantabria Santoña.jpg|thumb|240px|Santoña, Cantabria.]]
Parliamentary democracy was restored following the death of General [[Francisco Franco]] in 1975, who had ruled since the end of the civil war in 1939. The 1978 constitution established Spain as a parliamentary monarchy, with the prime minister responsible to the bicameral Cortes (Congress of Deputies and Senate) elected every 4 years. On February 23, 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes and tried to impose a military-backed government. However, the great majority of the military forces remained loyal to King Juan Carlos, who used his personal authority to put down the bloodless coup attempt.

In October 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), led by [[Felipe Gonzalez]], swept both the Congress of Deputies and Senate, winning an absolute majority. Gonzalez and the PSOE ruled for the next 13 years. During that period, Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Community.

In March 1996, [[Jose Maria Aznar]]'s Popular Party (PP) won a plurality of votes. Aznar moved to decentralize powers to the regions and liberalize the economy, with a program of privatization, labor market reform, and measures designed to increase competition in selected markets. During Aznar's first term, Spain fully integrated into European institutions, qualifying for the European Monetary Union. During this period, Spain participated, along with the United States and other NATO allies, in military operations in the former Yugoslavia. President Aznar and the PP won reelection in March 2000, obtaining absolute majorities in both houses of parliament.

After the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001, President Aznar became a key ally in the fight against terrorism. Spain backed the military action against the Taliban in [[Afghanistan]] and took a leadership role within the European Union (EU) in pushing for increased international cooperation on terrorism. The Aznar government, with a rotating seat on the UN Security Council, supported the intervention in [[Iraq]].

Spanish parliamentary elections on March 14, 2004 came only three days after a devastating terrorist attack on Madrid commuter rail lines that killed 191 and wounded over 1,400. With large voter turnout, PSOE won the election and its leader, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, took office on April 17, 2004. Carrying out campaign promises, the Zapatero government immediately withdrew Spanish forces from Iraq but has continued to support Iraq reconstruction efforts. The Zapatero government has supported coalition efforts in Afghanistan, including maintaining troop support for 2004 and 2005 elections, supported reconstruction efforts in Haiti, sent troops to UNIFIL in Lebanon, and cooperated on counterterrorism issues and many other issues of importance to the U.S.

In 2005, the Spanish Parliament approved a same-sex marriage bill.

===Local Government===
The 1978 constitution authorized the creation of regional autonomous governments. By 1985, 17 regions covering all of peninsular Spain, the Canaries, and the Balearic Islands had negotiated autonomy statutes with the central government. In 1979, the first autonomous elections were held in the Basque and Catalan regions, which have the strongest regional traditions by virtue of their history and separate languages. Since then, autonomous governments have been created in the remainder of the 17 regions. The central government continues to devolve powers to the regional governments, which will eventually have full responsibility for health care and education, as well as other social programs.

Spain is divided into [[political subdivisions of Spain|seventeen autonomous communities]] and two autonomous cities ([[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]], which are in [[Morocco]]). The seventeen autonomous communities are further divided into fifty provinces.

===Terrorism===
[[File:ETA.jpg|thumb|Mural with the anagram of Batasuna.]]
The Government of Spain is involved in a long-running campaign against Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), a terrorist organization founded in 1959 and dedicated to promoting Basque independence. ETA targets Spanish security forces, military personnel, Spanish Government officials, and politicians of the Popular Party and the Socialist Party (PSOE.) The group has carried out numerous bombings against Spanish Government facilities and economic targets, including a car bomb assassination attempt on then-opposition leader Aznar in 1995, in which his armored car was destroyed but he was unhurt. The Spanish Government attributes over 800 deaths to ETA terrorism since its campaign of violence began. In recent years, the government has had more success in controlling ETA, due in part to increased security cooperation with [[French]] authorities.

In November 1999, ETA ended a cease-fire it declared in September 1998. Following the end of that ceasefire, ETA conducted a campaign of violence and has been blamed for the deaths of some 46 Spanish citizens and officials. Each attack has been followed by massive anti-ETA demonstrations around the country, clearly demonstrating that the majority of Spaniards, including the majority of Spain's Basque populace, have no tolerance for continued ETA violence. In March 2006, ETA declared another ceasefire, which it ended in June 2007. The government continues to pursue vigorous counterterrorist policy and has worked closely with its international allies to foil several suspected ETA attacks.

Spain also contends with a resistance group, commonly known as GRAPO. GRAPO is an urban left-wing terrorist group that seeks to overthrow the Spanish Government and establish a Marxist state. It opposes Spanish participation in NATO and U.S. military presence in Spain and has a long history of assassinations, bombings, and kidnappings mostly against Spanish interests during the 1970s and 1980s.

In a June 2000 communique following the explosions of two small devices in Barcelona, GRAPO claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks throughout Spain during the past year. These attacks included two failed armored car robberies, one in which two security officers died, and four bombings of political party offices during the 1999/2000 election campaign. In 2002 and 2003, Spanish and French authorities were successful in hampering the organization's activities through sweeping arrests, including some of the group's leadership.

Al Qaeda is known to operate cells in Spain. On March 11, 2004, only three days before national elections, 10 bombs were detonated on crowded commuter trains during rush hour. Three were deactivated by security forces and one was found unexploded. Evidence quickly surfaced that jihadist terrorists with possible ties to the al Qaeda network were responsible for the attack that killed 191 people. Spanish investigative services and the judicial system have aggressively sought to arrest and prosecute suspected al Qaeda members and actively cooperate with foreign governments to diminish the transnational terrorist threat. A Spanish court convicted 18 individuals in September 2005 for their role in supporting al Qaeda, and Spanish police disrupted numerous Islamist extremist cells operating in the country. The trial against 29 people for their alleged participation in the Madrid March 11, 2004 terrorist attack started in February 2007, and was declared ready for judgment at the end of June. One of the 29 was absolved during the trial. The prosecutor asked for sentences as high as 30,000 years of jail for some of them. The court is expected to issue the sentence sometime in October 2007.

===Principal Government Officials===
*Chief of State, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces--King Juan Carlos I
*President of the Government (Prime Minister)-- [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]]
*Minister of Foreign Affairs--Miguel Angel Moratinos
*Ambassador to the United States--Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza

===Foreign Relations===
After the return of democracy following the death of General Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years and expand diplomatic relations, enter the European Community, and define security relations with the West.
[[File:Monumento a Alfonso XII parque del Buen Retiro.jpg|thumb|Monument to Alfonso XII, Madrid.]]
As a member of NATO since 1982, Spain has established itself as a major participant in multilateral international security activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy. Even on many international issues beyond Western Europe, Spain prefers to coordinate its efforts with its EU partners through the European political cooperation mechanism.

With the normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel and Albania in 1986, Spain virtually completed the process of universalizing its diplomatic relations. The only country with which it now does not have diplomatic relations is North Korea.

Spain has maintained its special identification with Latin America. Its policy emphasizes the concept of Hispanidad, a mixture of linguistic, religious, ethnic, cultural, and historical ties binding Spanish-speaking America to Spain. Spain has been an effective example of transition from authoritarianism to democracy, as shown in the many trips that Spain's King and Prime Ministers have made to the region. Spain maintains economic and technical cooperation programs and cultural exchanges with Latin America, both bilaterally and within the EU.

Spain also continues to focus attention on North [[Africa]], especially on Morocco. This concern is dictated by geographic proximity and long historical contacts, as well as by the two Spanish enclave cities of [[Ceuta]] and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa. While Spain's departure from its former colony of Western Sahara ended direct Spanish participation in Morocco, it maintains an interest in the peaceful resolution of the conflict brought about there by decolonization. These issues were highlighted by a crisis in 2002, when Spanish forces evicted a small contingent of Moroccans from a tiny islet off Morocco's coast following that nation's attempt to assert sovereignty over the island.

Meanwhile, Spain has gradually begun to broaden its contacts with Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a particular interest in its former colony of Equatorial Guinea, where it maintains a large aid program.

In relations with the Arab world, Spain has sought to promote European-Mediterranean dialog. Spain strongly supports the EU's "Barcelona Process" which seeks to expand dialog and trade between Europe and the nations of North Africa and the Middle East, including Israel. It is seen by some as too greatly favoring the European Union. Other proposals are on the table, including one put forward by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007. The latest meeting on the Barcelona initiative was held on November 29, 2005.

Spain has been successful in managing its relations with its two European neighbors, France and Portugal. The accession of Spain and Portugal to the EU has helped ease some of their periodic trade frictions by putting these into an EU context. Franco-Spanish bilateral cooperation is enhanced by joint action against Basque ETA terrorism. Ties with the United Kingdom are generally good, although the question of [[Gibraltar]] remains a sensitive issue.

==Economy==
Spain's accession to the European Community--now European Union (EU)--in January 1986 required the country to open its economy to trade and investment, modernize its industrial base, improve infrastructure, and revise economic legislation to conform to EU guidelines. In doing so, Spain increased gross domestic product (GDP) growth, reduced the public debt to GDP ratio, reduced unemployment from 23% in 1986 to 8.47% in first quarter 2007, and reduced [[inflation]] to under 3%. The fundamental challenges remaining for Spain include decreasing unemployment further, reforming labor laws lowering inflation, and raising per capita GDP.

Following peak growth years in the late 1980s, the Spanish economy entered into recession in mid-1992. The economy recovered during the first Aznar administration (1996-2000), driven by a return of consumer confidence and increased private consumption, although growth has slowed in recent years. Unemployment remains a problem at 8.47% (2007, first quarter), but this still represents a significant improvement from previous levels. Devaluations of the peseta during the 1990s made Spanish exports more competitive, but the strength of the euro since its adoption has raised recent concerns that Spanish exports are being priced out of the range of foreign buyers.

==History==
see [[History of Spain]]

==The leisure activities==

The national activity of Spain is the [[bullfighting]].

[[File:Goya Jovellanos 1798.jpg|200px|center|Melchor de Jovellanos by [[Francisco de Goya]], 1798.]]

== External links ==

*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.html Spain] CIA - The World Factbook.
*[http://www.okspain.org/ The Tourist Office of Spain]

==References==
<references/>

{{Copyright Details (US Government)}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[[Category:Spain]]
[[Category:Spanish Empire]]
[[Category:Spanish History]]

Spanish language

2010-07-02T15:32:53Z

RobertoCuestion:

The '''Spanish language''' is a member of the [[Romance language]] family, the group of languages descending from [[Vulgar Latin]], the dialect spoken by the soldiers and provincial officials of the [[Roman Empire]]. Originally spoken in the northern regions of what is now [[Spain]], Spanish also draws some influence from the regional languages of its area. Spanish also draws heavy influence from [[Arabic]], due to the [[Moorish]] [[Umayyad|occupation]] of Spain lasting from 711 to 1492.

Today, the majority of its speakers live outside of Spain, with large numbers in [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]]. It is one of the most-spoken languages in the [[world]]. It is spoken as a first language by about 350,000,000 people, or by 417,000,000 if non-native speakers are included. The Spanish language is the second-most common language in the [[United States]], as well as the second-most natively spoken language in the world, after [[Mandarin Chinese]].

It is more difficult for native Spanish speakers to learn [[English]] than it is for native English speakers to learn Spanish{{fact}}, due to the complexity and inconsistency of English [[grammar]] and pronunciation compared to Spanish.

The Spanish is being contaminated by many words loaned from the English, but there usually are many good Spanish words which the people can use instead of them.

==Distribution==
*[[Spain]]
*Former Spanish colonies in the [[Caribbean]] - ([[Dominican Republic]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[Cuba]])
*[[Latin America]] (with the exceptions of [[Portuguese]]-speaking [[Brazil]], [[French]]-speaking [[French Guiana]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]]-speaking [[Suriname]], and English-speaking [[Guyana]])
*[[Hispanic]] populations in the [[United States]]
*former Spanish colonies in [[Africa]], eg Equatorial Guinea
*a distinct dialect is spoken in the [[Philippines]]

[[Category:Romance languages]]

Basque language

2010-07-02T15:27:33Z

RobertoCuestion:

'''Basque''' is a [[language]] spoken by approximately 1 million people the [[Basque country]] in [[France]] and [[Spain]].
It is unusual in being a language isolate not related to the surrounding [[Indo-European language]]s.
In Basque, the subject of an intransitive [[verb]] is in the absolutive case, while the subject of a transitive verb is marked with the ergative case. In [[Spanish]], the language is often called el euskera.

[[Category:Languages]]
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Spain]]
[[Category:Linguistics]]

Basque country

2010-07-02T15:26:10Z

RobertoCuestion:

The '''Basque country''' ([[Basque]]: Euskal Herria; [[Spanish]]: País Vasco; [[French]]: Pays Basque), is a region in northern [[Spain]], and southern [[France]]. The areas of [[Álava]], [[Vizcaya]], [[Guipúzcoa]] and [[Navarra]] are Spanish while the self-identified areas of [[Lapurdi]], [[Basse Navarra]] and [[Soule]] are in France. The term "Euskadi" is used to refer to the Basque Autonomous region, one of the semi-autonomous regions which make up the country of [[Spain]]. The Basques speak a unique language called [[Basque language | Euskara]], which is not related to any other language in the world.

[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Spain]]

Francisco Franco

2010-07-02T15:21:46Z

RobertoCuestion:

[[Image:Francisco Franco.jpg|right|200px]]
Generalissimo '''Francisco Franco Bahamonde''' ("El Caudillo") was a soldier and statesman who served as the [[fascist]] leader of [[Spain]] from April 1, 1939 until his death on November 20, 1975. He had previously been a General in the Spanish army.

Franco gained power through an attempted military [[coup d'etat]] in 1936 that developed quickly into the [[Spanish Civil War]]. Franco's forces fought the democratically elected Popular Front government - including [[Communist]]s - government for three years before finally defeating them outside Madrid on April 1, 1939. Franco then assumed control of Spain. His regime rested on the support of a number of stalwart elements in Spanish society - the army, the [[Roman Catholic Church]], rural landowners, and the [[Falange]] political party.

Franco ruled Spain as a [[dictator]] until his death in 1975. His successor, King [[Juan Carlos]], reversed most of Franco's policies after a period of transition that led to the approval of a democratic constitution in 1978.

== External links ==

*[http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWfranco.htm Francisco Franco]
*[http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/franco.html Francisco Franco Bahamonde]

==References==

<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Franco, Francisco}}

[[Category:Dictators]]
[[Category:Fascists]]
[[Category:Spanish History]]
[[Category:Catholic Politicians]]

Felipe Gonzalez

2010-07-02T11:16:05Z

RobertoCuestion: Created page with ''''Felipe Gonzalez''' was a socialist president of Spain. He made many crimes and killed people in a war that was dirty against the criminals in ETA. He was involve…'

'''Felipe Gonzalez''' was a [[socialist]] president of [[Spain]]. He made many crimes and killed people in a war that was dirty against the criminals in [[ETA]]. He was involved in much scandalous corruption.

[[category:politicians]]

User talk:RobertoCuestion

2010-07-01T19:40:41Z

RobertoCuestion:

{{welcome|sig=[[User:Tzoran|'''Tyler Zoran''']][[User_Talk:Tzoran|Talk]] 00:04, 29 June 2010 (EDT)}}
I am very happy.--[[User:RobertoCuestion|RobertoCuestion]] 15:40, 1 July 2010 (EDT)

User:RobertoCuestion

2010-07-01T19:17:17Z

RobertoCuestion: jello

Hello. I am thinking that I will be to edit this Wiki.