mass, which is surrounded and dissected by mountain ranges. Lowlands are found along the coasts and in both the southwest and northeast.
The country has a population approximating 40 million, with a population growth rate slightly higher than that for most western European countries. Major ethnic groups include Spanish (Castillian, Valencians, Andalusians, and Asturians) 72.8 percent of the population, Catalans 16.4 percent, Galacians 8.2 percent, Basques 2.3 percent, and Navarrese, Aragonese, and Gypsies, which together constitute 0.3 percent of the population.
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