SPAIN: A REVIEW OF FACTORS AFFECTING CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT BY AMERICAN MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES
Spain occupies approximately five sixths (84.7 Percent) of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. Most of the remainder of the peninsula is occupied by Portugal, with a minuscule 6.5 square kilometers being occupied by Gibraltar. Spain is bounded on the north by the Bay of Biscay and the Pyrenees Mountains. The Pyrenees, for the most part, constitute the boundary between Spain and France, with a tiny interruption for Andorra, which lies between the two countries, and the sovereignty of which is exercised jointly by France and the Bishop of Urgel in Andorra (Paxton, 1991, p. 1116). On the west, Spain is bounded by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. The Straits of Gibraltar, Gibraltar, and the Mediterranean Sea bound Spain on the south, and the Mediterranean also provides the country's eastern boundary.
In addition to its core on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain also includes the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, and five North African towns (Paxton, 1991, p. 1117). The Balearic Islands are politically the Province of Baleares, while two provinces Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife occupy the Canary Islands. The five North African towns under Spanish sovereignty are located in Morocco, and are governed by two autonomous municipalities, Ceuta and Medilla.
The climate in Spain is predominantly continental, with hot, dry summers and harsh, cold winters (Solsten and Meditz, 1990, p. xvi). A vast highland plateau constitutes most of the peninsula land 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 Astu...