Peninsular Spain is the part of the territory of Spain located within the Iberian Peninsula, excluding other parts of Spain: the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, and several islets and crags off the coast of Africa known collectively as plazas de soberanía (places of sovereignty). In Spain, it is mostly known simply as la Península. It has land frontiers with France and Andorra to the north, Portugal to the west, and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar to the south.
Characteristics Peninsular Spain has an area of 492,175 km2.INE (National Statistical Institute) Annual Statistical Report 2006, Part 1: physical and environmental context In 2013, the population was 43,731,572.INE, 1 January 2013 It contains 15 of the autonomous communities of Spain.
Occupying the central part of Spain, it possesses much greater resources and better interior and exterior communications than other parts of the country. To redress this imbalance, Spanish residents outside the peninsula receive a state subsidy for transport to and from the peninsula.El PP "garantiza" la subvención al transporte extrapeninsular pero tumba el blindaje de las ayudas, RTVE, 19 February 2013
These are the municipalities with the highest population: Madrid 3,207,247 Barcelona 1,611,822 Valencia 792,303 Seville 700,169 Zaragoza 682,004 Málaga 568,479 Murcia 438,246 Bilbao 349,356 Alicante 335,052 Córdoba 328,704
See also País Vasco peninsular, the portion of the historic Basque Country located in peninsular Spain Peninsulares, inhabitants of Spanish colonies born in peninsular Spain Peninsular Spanish Topographical relief of Spain
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