Spain history guide

In the 8th century BC the first Greek colonies were founded along the Mediterranean coast on the East, leaving the south coast to the Phoenicians. The Romans arrived in the Iberian Peninsula during the Second Punic war in the 2nd century BC, and annexed it under Augustus after two centuries of war with the Celtic and Iberian tribes and the Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian colonies becoming the province of Hispania. From the 8th to the 15th centuries, parts of the Iberian Peninsula were ruled by Muslims (the Moors).

In the 17th century began the slow decline of Spanish power in Europe due to a series of wars. Spain was occupied by Napoleon in the early 1800s. After the War of Independence (1808–1814), a series of revolts between Liberals and supporters of the ancient regime led to the reinstallment of monarchy. After the Spanish-American war of 1898, Spain lost all of its colonies in the Caribbean region and Asia-Pacific region during the 19th century. A period of dictatorial rule (1923–1931) ended with the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic. The Republic offered political autonomy to the Basque Country and Catalonia and gave voting rights to women.

The Republic ended with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936. Following the victory in 1939, General Francisco Franco ruled Spain which was politically and economically isolated. The nation was kept out of the United Nations until 1955. In the 1960s, Spain began to enjoy economic growth and gradually transformed into a modern industrial economy with a thriving tourism sector. Upon the death of the dictator General Franco in November 1975, Prince Juan Carlos assumed the position of king and head of state.