324- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
From rags to riches
Go back 60 years and the Spanish economy was in a
pitiful state.The few regions to cash in on Europe’s
19 thcentury industrial boom – Madrid, Catalonia and the
Basque Country – had been wrecked by civil war.
The rest of Spain, also war ravaged, was undeveloped.
The World Bank’s current listing of Spain as the ninth
largest economy in the world can therefore be seen as
somewhat miraculous. In fact, the country’s growth in the
1960s is often referred to as the Spanish Miracle (or the
años de desarrolloin Spain). Franco and his technocrats
invested in infrastructure and manufacturing and groomed
Spain for mass tourism.They created a growth rate
second only to Japan’s. People poured off the land as
Spanish cities turned to industry. Growth slowed with the
global oil crisis of the 1970s and the open market wasn’t
plain sailing after Franco’s death, but initiation into the
EU in 1986, with its attendant funding, reinvigorated
progress.Today, Spain makes most of its money from
the service industry, with one in ten Spaniards working
in tourism.Traditional sectors of the economy like
agriculture and fishing have been pushed out to the
margins, although certain areas like olive production and
fruit and veg still make a significant contribution.8.4 On the money: the economy,
social security and healthcare
In 2006 Spain got
through half of all the
cement used in the
European Union.Cold comforts:
thedesarrolloyears
The lot of the average
Spaniard improved
significantly in the
1960s. Suddenly they
could afford fridges and
decent plumbing. Many
even bought the ultimate
luxury item, a car. It was
possible because Franco
stabilised the economy.
He built and protected
Spanish manufacturing,
nurturing foreign
investment while
reducing the reliance on
imported goods.