The economy

Spain is the industrially-agrarian country. The most developed industries are mining, ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, motor industry, electrotechnical, chemical and the oldest branch — textile.

Extraction of mercury (1 place in the world), pirits (2 place in the world), iron ore, lead, zinc, uranium, coal are conducted. Ferrous metallurgy sucelts steel and pig-iron. The majority of the enterprises of ferrous metallurgy is concentrated to the north of Spain (in ports Gijon, Aviles and in Bilbao), near to the largest coal fields of the country — Аsturias and Leon, on which 9/10 of all stocks of coals and anthracites are took. Nonferrous metallurgy makes pig iron, zinc, copper, aluminium. The aluminium factories working on import raw material, are in the north of Spain in ports Avmles, Corunna, nearby from the cascades of HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION, that is the largest in Spain on the rivers Mino and Duero.

The mechanical engineering lets out sea vessels, cars, tractors, agricultural machines, motorcycles, bicycles, machine tools, the industrial equipment, electronics, refrigerators, washing machines, electrotechnical products, devices. The petrochemistry and manufacture of building materials are developed. There are many modern enterprises of textile and the food-processing industry in the country. Two thirds of enterprises of the textile industry are concentrated in Catalonia, their majority is placed in Barcelona, Terrace, Sabadell. New to Spain as export branch manufacture of footwear develops in a southeast — in provinces of Alicante.

Agricultural takes 70% of territory of the country. 2,5 million hectares of the ground (1 place in Europe) is irrigated. The main culture is wheat (50% of areas under crops), barley is grown up, oats, corn, rye, rice, bean, potato, sugar beet, clap, tobacco, sugar cane, vegetables. Greater areas are took by vineyards (1 place in Europe), the well-known grades of Spanish wines (3 place in the world on manufacture of wine) are made. Wine growing is traditionally developed at the Mediterranean coast. On gathering olives and almonds the country takes 1 place in the world, on gathering citrus — 2 place in the world. Northern Spain specializes on cultivation of fruit crops of the moderate belt, southern — a fig, pomegranates, almonds. In southern provinces there are small plantations of a sugar cane and date palm trees.

In the moderate «damp» north and near to cities of the Mediterranean there are intensive branches of animal industries — a dairy and pig farming, while in the central areas: Aragon and both Castilleja — sheep breeding prevails. The special livestock of bulls for bullfight is grown up. The significant place belongs to poultry farming. Sea fishing is conducted.

In sphere of services tourism has the basic importance, its value is especially great for Spain. A chain of world famous Mediterranean resorts are: Costa Brava, Costa Blanka, Costa Calida and costa del Sol was stretched along all coast from Catalonia up to Andalusia.