Vegetation

Nearly half of Spain is covered by spontaneous vegetation of some sort, but only a small proportion (largely confined to the mountains) is classified as dense woodland. Northern Spain has heath and deciduous woodland (oak, beech). The mountains of the northern Meseta and the Iberian and Baetic cordilleras carry deciduous Portuguese oak; those of the central Pyrenees, the Iberian ranges, and the Central Sierras havediverse pine species. The rest, more than half of Spain, has aMediterranean vegetation characterized byevergreen oak (Quercus ilex) and other drought-resistant plants commonly reduced to scrub status (matorral). Anesparto grass (Lygeum spartum) is found in the steppes ofLa Mancha and the southeast; the esparto products of Spain (paper, rope, basketry), however, come from an associated alfa grass (Stipa tenacissima). Poplar and eucalyptus have become widespread since the 19th century.

Wildlife

The proximity of Africa has given Spain more African species of wildlife than are found in the other Mediterranean peninsulas, while the Pyrenean barrier and the general extent of thecountry explain the number ofindigenous species. The European wolf and thebrown bear survive in the scarce wild areas of the northeast. TheBarbary ape is possibly indigenous but is more likely an import from North Africa. It survives only under protection, atGibraltar. The wild boar, ibex (wild goat), and red andfallow deer are more common. More than half of the bird species ofEurope are found inCoto Doñana National Park, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir; the Spanish imperial eagle and other large species such as theeagle owl, the buzzard, and several varieties of pheasant are native to the high Pyrenees. Desert locusts have been known to invade southern Spain from North Africa.

Fish

The country’s waters contain adiversity of fish and shellfish, especially in the southeast where Atlantic and Mediterranean waters mix (the Alborán Sea). Species include red mullet, mackerel, tuna, octopus, swordfish, pilchard (Sardinia pilchardus), andanchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus). Demersal (bottom-dwelling) species include hake and whiting. Striped dolphin and the long-finned whale inhabit the waters off southeastern Spain, and thebottlenose dolphin is found off the Ebro delta. Overfishing has tended to alter the balance of species.

TheRomans

The Phoenician and Greek presence was limited to small coastal regions. The Carthaginians were the first to move inland; late in the 3rd centurybce they set out to conquer as much of the peninsula as they could.Yet their success led to intervention inIberia from the Romans, who quickly drove out the Carthaginians and conquered much of the peninsula. The Romans, however, had to deal with a number of revolts, and it was only in 19bce, after almost 200 years of warfare, that they secured their rule over all of Iberia. The Romans brought Iberia under a single political authority for the first time but did not try to impose a single culture on the inhabitants. Nevertheless, much of the indigenous elite adopted Roman culture and became Roman citizens, particularly in the south and east, where the Roman presence was strongest.

TheVisigoths

Roman power in Spain collapsed during the 5th centuryce when a number of Germanic peoples—theSuebi, theAlani, theVandals, and finally theVisigoths—invaded the peninsula. At the end of the 6th century, KingLeovigild brought all of Spain under Visigothic rule, and his son Reccaredimposed a single religion, CatholicChristianity, on the country.

TheMuslims

Visigothic rule did not last long. In 711 Muslim Arabs invaded Spain from North Africa and defeated the Visigothic ruler, KingRoderick. They quickly conquered almost the entire peninsula and established Muslim states in Spain that were to last until 1492.

Recent arrivals

The Muslims were the last new peoples to arrive in Spain in large numbers for many centuries. Indeed, from the 16th century on and especially during the 100 years after 1860, Spain was a country of emigration rather than immigration. This began to change in the 1980s when Spain’s new position as a highly industrialized and relatively prosperous country made it attractive to people from the developing world. For the first time since the Middle Ages, Spain received large numbers of immigrants. By the early 21st century there were several million legal foreign residents and illegal immigrants in Spain, the latter concentrated mainly inAndalusia (Andalucía), in metropolitan Madrid andBarcelona, and in the Balearic and Canary islands. Most foreign residents came from other countries of theEuropean Union (EU) and from Latin America. Many also arrived fromMorocco, often crossing theStrait of Gibraltar in small boats, and fromsub-Saharan Africa, arriving often at the Canary Islands; there also are significant numbers of Asians and Europeans from non-EU countries. Since 1985 Spanish governments have passed severallaws on foreigners, which have made it more difficult for people to enter Spain and easier for the authorities to deport them.Promulgated in 2000 (and subsequently modified), the Law on the Rights and Freedoms of Foreigners in Spain and Their SocialIntegration sought to end the restrictive policies of the previous 15 years, terminating the practice of repatriating illegal immigrants and giving legal status to any employed illegal immigrant who resided in Spain for at least two years. In 2005 legislation legalized the status of many immigrant workers. The law also gave immigrants most of the same rights as Spanish citizens (except the right to vote).

TheGitano minority

The one ethnic minority of long standing in Spain is theRoma (Gypsies), who are known in Spain asGitanos. Their traditional language is Caló. Many of them haveassimilated into the mainstream of Spanish society, but others continue to lead their traditional nomadic way of life. The Gitanos were at one time most numerous in southern Spain, and, while there continue to be large populations in Andalusian cities such asAlmería,Granada, andMurcia, largecommunities now exist in Madrid and Barcelona as well.Flamenco, an expressive song-dance form, has long been associated with the Gitanos.

Considerableprejudice anddiscrimination have existed against the Gitanos in Spain and are still prevalent today. But Gitanos have begun to create their own political organizations, such as the Union of the Gitano People (Unión del Pueblo Gitano; also known as the Unión Romaní), and some have been elected to parliament. There also are government programs that promote Gitano culture.