Spain - History
Archaeological research at Atapuerca indicates the Iberian Peninsula was inhabited 1.2 million years ago. Cro-Magnons began arriving in the Iberian Peninsula through the Pyrenees some 35,000 years ago.
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The two main historical peoples of the peninsula were the Iberians and the Celts, the former inhabiting the Mediterranean side from the northeast to the southwest, the latter inhabiting the Atlantic side, in the north and northwest part of the peninsula. Basques occupied the western area of the Pyrenees mountains. Other ethnic groups existed along the southern coastal areas of present-day Andalusia. Between about 500 BC and 300 BC, the seafaring Phoenicians and Greeks founded trading colonies all along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Carthaginians briefly took control of much of the Mediterranean coast during the Punic Wars, until they were eventually defeated and replaced by the Romans.
During the Second Punic War, an expanding Roman Empire captured Carthaginian trading colonies along the Mediterranean coast from roughly 210 BC to 205 BC, leading to eventual Roman control of nearly the entire Iberian Peninsula. This rule lasted over 500 years.
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Hispania served as a granary for the Roman market, and its harbors exported gold, wool, olive oil, and wine. Rome's loss of control in Hispania began in 409, when the Germanic Suevi and Vandals, together with the Sarmatian Alans crossed the Rhine and ravaged Gaul until the Visigoths drove them into Iberia that same year.
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The Muslim community in the Iberian Peninsula was itself diverse and beset by social tensions. The Berber people of North Africa, who had provided the bulk of the invading armies, clashed with the Arab leadership from the Middle East. Over time, large Moorish populations became established
by 739 Muslim forces were driven from Galicia, which was to host one of medieval Europe's holiest sites, Santiago de Compostela. A little later Frankish forces established Christian counties south of the Pyrenees; these areas were to grow into kingdoms, in the north-east and the western part of the Pyrenees. These territories included Navarre, Aragon, and Catalonia.
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The capture of Toledo in 1085 was soon followed by the completion of the Christian power’s reconquest of Spain's northern half. After a Muslim resurgence in the 12th century, the great Moorish strongholds in the south fell to Christian Spain in the 13th century.
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The Black Death of 1348 and 1349 devastated Spain.
As Renaissance New Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand centralized royal power at the expense of local nobility, and the word España began to be commonly used to designate the whole of the two kingdoms. With wide-ranging political, legal, religious, and military reforms, Spain emerged as the first world power.
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The unification of the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile laid the basis for modern Spain and the Spanish Empire. Spain was Europe's leading power throughout the 16th century and most of the 17th century This period also saw the Italian Wars, the revolt of the comuneros, the Dutch revolt, the Morisco revolt, clashes with the Ottomans, the Anglo-Spanish war and wars with France.
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The Spanish Empire expanded to include most parts of South and Central America, Mexico, southern and western portions of today's United States, the Philippines, Guam and the Mariana Islands in Eastern Asia, parts of northern Italy, southern Italy, Sicily, cities in Northern Africa, as well as parts of France, modern Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
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It was the first empire about which it was said that the sun never set. This was an age of discovery, with daring explorations by sea and by land, the opening-up of new trade routes across oceans, conquests, and the beginnings of European colonialism.
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In the latter half of the 17th century, Spain went into a gradual relative decline, during which it surrendered several small territories to France. However, Spain maintained and enlarged its vast overseas empire, which remained intact until the beginning of the 19th century.
The decline culminated in a controversy over succession to the throne which consumed the first years of the 18th century. The War of Spanish Succession, a wide-ranging international conflict combined with a civil war, cost Spain its European possessions and its position as one of the leading powers on the Continent.
The 18th century saw a gradual recovery and an increase in prosperity through much of the empire. Towards the end of the century trade finally began growing strongly. Military assistance for the rebellious British colonies in the American War of Independence improved Spain's international standing.
In 1793, Spain went to war against the new French Republic the war polarised the country in an apparent reaction against the Gallicised elites. Defeated in the field, Spain made peace with France in 1795 and effectively became a client state of that country; the following year, it declared war against Britain and Portugal. A disastrous economic situation, along with other factors, led to the abdication of the Spanish king in favour of Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte.
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Amid the instability and economic crisis that afflicted Spain in the 19th century the wars of independence ensued with eventually the United States becoming involved. The military units were so mismanaged by the highest levels of command that the Spanish American War, fought in the Spring of 1898, did not last long. "El Desastre" (The Disaster), as the war became known in Spain
20th century.
The 20th century brought little peace; Spain participated in the carving up by the colonial powers of Africa with the colonisation of Western Sahara, Spanish Morocco, and Equatorial Guinea.
The bitterly fought Spanish Civil War (1936-39) ensued. Three years later the Nationalist forces, led by General Francisco Franco, emerged victorious with the support of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The conflict had claimed the lives of over 500,000 people.
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After World War II, Spain was politically and economically isolated, and was kept out of the United Nations until 1955. In the 1960s, Spain enjoyed unprecedented economic growth in what was called the Spanish miracle.
Upon the death of General Franco in November 1975, Prince Juan Carlos assumed the position of king and head of state. With the approval of the new Spanish Constitution of 1978 heralded the arrival of democracy.
On 30 May 1982, NATO gained a new member when, following a referendum, the newly democratic Spain joined the alliance.
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Spain issued the single European currency, the euro, in 2002, together with 15 other EU member states it forms the Eurozone.
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