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Spain is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula and is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, France, Atlantic Ocean, and Portugal.

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Spain is separated from France by the Pyrenees, a protective mountain barrier between the two countries.

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The Strait of Gibraltar divides Spain from Africa, which at its narrowest is about 15 kilometers, or 9 miles, wide.

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This eased the invasion of the Moors in the 8th century during the rise of the Islamic Caliphate.

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The Arab presence lasted until the end of the 15th century, when Christian Spanish kingdoms unified modern Spain.

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This unification helped Spain compete with other maritime powers, such as the United Kingdom, and continental powers like France.

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Spain's access to the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic, along with its need for natural

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resources, promoted its consolidation into one of the greatest naval and colonial powers

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of Europe.

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While Spain has had external challenges, its main geographic challenge comes from within.

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Spain's core is Madrid, the country's capital, most populated city, and political center.

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Madrid sits on Spain's Meseta Central and was chosen as the capital in the 16th century

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to allow more centralized control of the country.

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But Spain's mountainous terrain has historically determined its political life

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by hindering communication between different regions within the country.

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This geography has led to the emergence of regionalist and separatist movements,

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especially in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

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Spain's challenge, then, is to bring about a truly united nation

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with a balance of power between the central government in Madrid

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and the autonomous regions, especially as the European crisis is threatening its stability.