About Spain Officially, Kingdom of Spain, constitutional monarchy (1995 est. pop. 39,404,000), 194,884 sq mi (504,750 sq km), including the Balearic and Canary islands, SW Europe. It consists of the Spanish mainland (190,190 sq mi/492,592 sq km), which occupies the major part of the Iberian Peninsula; of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea; and of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.  Madrid is the nation's capital and largest city. People  The Spanish people display great regional diversity. Separatist tendencies remain particularly strong among the Catalans and the Basques. Castilian is the standard Spanish language, but Catalan (akin to Provençal), Galician (akin to Portuguese), and Basque, unrelated to any other language, are still spoken and written extensively in their respective districts. Roman Catholicism was the official religion until 1978, but its role in Spanish public and private life has declined. Spain had 49 universities in 1998, including those of Navarre, Salamanca, Madrid, and Barcelona. Resources  The major industries produce textiles, iron and steel, and chemicals. Motor vehicles, diesel and electric motors, and machinery are also manufactured, in addition to a variety of consumer goods such as shoes, toys, radios, televisions, and home appliances. There are also beverage and tobacco industries, although the principle Industry of Spain is still probably Tourism. Traditionally an agricultural country, Spain produces large crops of wheat, sugar beets, barley, tomatoes, olives, citrus fruit, grapes, and cork. Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil and Europe's largest producer of lemons, oranges, and strawberries. Government Spain has had a constitutional monarchy since 1975. King Juan Carlos I, who became the head of state after Francisco Franco's death, has the ability to ratify laws, dissolve the legislature, and propose candidates for the office of prime minister; he is also head of the armed forces. Spain's bicameral legislature, the Cortes , consists of the chamber of deputies and the senate, both of whose representatives are elected every four years in provincial elections. The legislature's powers include the ability to ratify, repeal, or reform laws and to approve international treaties. Spain's executive branch consists of the president (prime minister), vice presidents, and heads of ministries.  *Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Copyright (c) 2003.