Home > Mission > The Region > Spain

Spain

Print-ready fact-sheet
EUCOM image

Related Topics (7)

More related topics

Capital: Madrid
Area: 505,370 sq km
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Population (July 2011 estimate): 46,754,784
Official language: Castillian Spanish, and Basque regionally
International Organizations and Agreements: European Union, NATO, United Nations, and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

Spain and the United States have a long history of official relations and are closely associated in many fields including being strong allies in the fight against terrorism.

Spain authorizes the United States to use certain facilities at Spanish military installations including Rota Naval Station and Moron Air Base with more than 1,500 U.S. military and civilian personnel serving at those and other locations. An Agreement on Defense Cooperation and an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing agreement are among many other agreements in place between the U.S. and Spain.  The U.S. and Spain share a long-standing and robust military to military relationship which includes exchange programs and numerous military exercises such as Phoenix Express, Combined Endeavor, Noble Titan, Phiblex, and others.

Spain is a major participant in multilateral international security activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy. Spain has maintained its special identification with Latin America and its policy emphasizes the concept of Hispanidad, a mixture of linguistic, religious, ethnic, cultural, and historical ties binding Spanish-speaking America to Spain.

Media: Spain RSS

PhotosRSS

Articles RSS

Blog Posts RSS

  • July 25, 2011

    Libya Update

    NATO is conducting operations over Libya to support UN resolutions 1970 and 1973, which call for establishing an arms embargo, instituting a "no-fly" zone, and protecting the civilian population of Libya. These missions are going reasonably well, particularly the no-fly zone and arms embargo which are both clear mission successes.
  • July 6, 2011

    The Importance of Collaboration and Cooperation in 1648 and Today

    The Treaty of Westphalia, signed in 1648 in the Rathaus of Muenster, Germany, ended one of Europe’s bloodiest periods: the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) fought mostly on German soil, and 80 years of war between Spain and the Dutch Republic. Today two nations that benefitted from that peace treaty, Germany and the Netherlands (it achieved its independence as a result), are the framework nations for a multinational NATO High Readiness Corps headquartered in Muenster.
  • March 1, 2010

    Visiting our Allies in Western Europe

    If you read this blog regularly, you know I am committed to engaging actively and personally around the region to futher our shared security objectives. Last week was yet another busy week of travel in Europe.
  • July 20, 2009

    Back to sea!

    The NATO Sea Day – held only once every two years – was an unqualified success. The object is to bring to sea the key decision makers in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization: the Secretary General and his Deputy; the entire Permanent Representatives from NATO’s decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council (all 28 nations of course have an ambassador-rank official assigned to Brussels); the Military Committee (each Chief of Defense – those of us from the U.S. would say Chairman of the Joint Chiefs – is a member, and each has a full-time, very senior representative in Brussels); and key personnel from the operational staff, i.e. Allied Command Operations / Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

Videos RSS

  • September 17, 2012

    Honoring fallen crew members

    Naval Station Rota held a memorial ceremony for seven Navy Airmen who perished in 1987.
  • August 16, 2012

    Communication in a joint environment

    U.S. and Spanish Marines at Naval Station Rota ended a week-long anti-terrorism exercise meant to strengthen communication skills in a combat environment. Petty Officer Johnny Suits shows us how Marines improved foreign relations with their host nation allies.
  • July 11, 2012

    Raising Old Glory

    Once a year, the Spanish government allows U.S. forces to fly the American flag on Naval Station Rota, Spain...the 4th of July. We bring you this report from the ceremony.
  • May 18, 2012

    USS Cole drops anchor in Rota, Spain

    It’s been almost a dozen years since the USS Cole bombing. The destroyer recently pulled into Rota, Spain, to showcase its advanced weapons systems and visitors to the ship are finding out she’s more powerful than ever. Petty Officer Ryan Seelbach has the story.
  • August 12, 2010

    Rota Spain sailors hold safety awareness

    Service members at Naval Station Rota, Spain, take part in a national night out for safety awareness.
  • July 13, 2010

    Rota Diversity Celebration

    NSA ROta Spain hosts a multicultural extravaganza.
  • July 7, 2010

    Rota Sailors Compete

    NSA Rota sailors comete in a triathlon.
  • June 21, 2010

    Hospital Corpsman run in Rota, Spain

    Hospital Corpsman participate in a marathon run in Naval Station Rota, Spain.
  • December 11, 2009

    IED Academy

    Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, are one of the biggest threats to service members downrange. To combat this problem the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany provides the most in-depth IED training in Europe.