Madrid, the euro and Schengen: Spain's place in the European Union
Background
The European Union's own country page for Spain gives Madrid as the capital. Spain has been an EU member since 1 January 1986, has been in the euro area since 1 January 1999 and in the Schengen area since 26 March 1995. Its currency is the euro. Spanish is listed as its official EU language. Spain holds 61 seats in the European Parliament. Its area is 505,983 square kilometres and its population 49,590,099, both Eurostat figures for 2026. Spain accounts for 9.0 per cent of the European Union's total gross domestic product, and its GDP per capita of 38,100 euros is below the EU average of 41,600 euros.
In plain words
Schengen area Schengen area — A group of European states that have abolished checks at their common borders.
Euro area Euro area — The group of European Union states that use the euro as their currency.