Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, governed by a democratic constitution that was settled in 1978; this system has led to major political and administrative decentralisation of the various "autonomous communities" (seventeen in total), which coincide with the country's historical regions. The capital of Spain is Madrid, home to the Government and the Parliament. Spain forms part of the European Union and in 2002 it was one of the countries that took on the euro as the common single currency.

This feature of Spain, as a bridge between Africa and Europe, has always linked it to the two continents. The strip of sea separating them is in fact no more than thirteen kilometres across at its narrowest point. From Africa, Europe has been a recipient of a mixture of cultures and invasions, from Iberians to Muslims. Historians have confirmed the relationship between Spanish Christianity and its equivalent that existed in North Africa prior to the Islamic invasion..