Introduction
Spain's economic development process in the 1960s, interrupted in the following decade by the energy crisis, left Spain with a need of infrastructures, especially in its qualitative aspect. During the 1980s, the strong economic reactivation showed just how urgent the need was to close this gap which separated the country from the EC, in order for Spain's economy to successfully overcome the challenge of integration into a borderless market. As of 1985, different transportation and communication infrastructure plans were put into practice to show the entire effort put forth to make the basic infrastructures of a modern society equal to its needs.

In 1992 a process of global planification was undertaken for all the different modes of transportation, which has crystallised in the Directive Plan of Infrastructures (PDI), presented to Parliament for its approval. By 2007, the existing provisions aim at a road network of an additional 10,600 kms. long regarding railroads, 1,200 kms of high speed lines and 3,000 more for big capacity (speed between 160 and 220 kms./h.). In ports and airports, many improvements are planned to ensure the efficiency of the service in conditions of economic-financial equilibrium.

Important Urban Actions, such as interurban transportation, for which directive schemes based on the criteria of satisfying demand, territorial balance, an overall efficient system, and environmental impact, are also under consideration.

Spain's rapid pace of development, launched in the 1960's, was not accompanied by any type of strategy to combat problems of pollution and destruction. This inevitably produced a progressive imbalance leading to the deterioration of the environment.

The situation which needed to be remedied and prevented as rapidly as possible so it would not lead to worse problems, has been undergoing corrective measures since Spain began to adopt the EC's environmental policies with its accession to the Common market in 1986. Although it is only recently that one has been able to speak of a protectionist and even regenerationist policy for the environment in Spain, there are interesting precedents to such. Most of them date back to the end of the 19th century, a period of reflection caused by regenerationist implied the establishment of the first national park in the "Picos de Europa" and the "Centraq Pyrenees" in the 1920's. These actions, both concrete and restricted, came to be added to a fairly diffuse concept that the physical environment -the coasts, the inland waters and the seas, the subsoil- was public property, the heritage of all Spaniards. In the 1960's, in the favour of the development and planning preoccupations for a general policy in defence of nature began to crop up, which were more theoretical and rhetorical than real and legal. However, the rapid economic expansion which had been initiated in this period aggravated the destruction which the environment had always suffered. Indiscriminate industrial development and urban speculation became the order of the day.

As a result of this process, the historic deforestation of the country increased, and desertification worsened in certain south eastern areas of the Peninsula and in the river Ebro valley. This deterioration was neither controlled nor detained by the intense reforestation policy which was carried out in the 1940's for purely economic motivations, that did not succeed in impeding the ecological destruction nor in restoring the traditional ecological equilibrium, nor its old picturesque panoramas.

Over the years, in contrast to the progressive destruction of nature, a higher level of social sensitivity has fomented an increase in demand of environmental wealth

The National Highway Network
Roadways have been together with maritime navigation, the oldest means of transportation in Spain. However, the present national highway system has been formed and developed this century in proportion to the increase in automobile traffic. Significant precedents can be found in the extensive Roman road network, the stone roadways made by the Arabs, much less developed, and the royal through fares, begun in the 18th century by the Bourbons. All of these networks have left their imprint on today's system.

The entire Spanish road system has a total length of 325,333 km., of which 20,701 kms. are State roads, and 71,502 kms. are Autonomous Communities roads. The latter were really State roads until 1983 (national county and local roadways) when they were turned over to the Autonomous Communities. The rest of the network is made up of 64,660 kms. which are maintained by the Provincial and Island Councils, and 168,470 kms. belonging to the City Councils and different governmental agencies such as ICONA, the Ministry of Defence, Hydro graphic Confederation, etc. The big lane highways (motorways with tolls, freeways and motorways) make up 5,103 kms.

The use of the Spanish motorways with tolls requires paying a toll, which can be calculated on the basis of the type of vehicle in question and the distance to be travelled. There are numerous petrol stations along the way and bars, restaurants and shopping centres.
The main social policy issue still to be dealt in Spain is housing. A combination of economic, territorial, historical and demographic factors, plus a housing policy aimed at liberalising the sector since 1985, have thrown housing into a deep crisis which in the early nineties has become a prime source of criticism of the Socialist Government's policy, a criticism supported by certain indisputable facts.
 

Housing
The real estate sector and the building industry have grown, but the housing situation has worsened, mainly in large cities and at the expense of the younger generation and of newly-formed families which have had to look for homes in a rigid real estate market subject to strong speculative pressure. The current housing crisis in Spain has basically resulted in newly-formed families being kept out of the real estate market because they are unable to pay the prices for homes. Housing costs throughout Spain are estimated to have risen 67% between 1987 and 1990, while family incomes during the period, according to the Survey of Family Budgets, rose less than 28%. The differential between housing costs and family incomes widened much more sharply in the large cities. The crisis led to youths becoming economically emancipated from their parents at a later age during the eighties. By 1991, they were becoming emancipated after they turned 27. The average age at which youths get married also rose in Spain over the 1980-87 period, from 24.9 to 26.3. The tragicomedy of securing a "little flat" in order to be able to marry is still a feature of courtship in Spain in the nineties. The paradoxical fact, which shows the basically speculative nature of investment in housing in recent years, is that despite the housing crisis the number of unoccupied dwellings in Spain has increased to 15.8% of the total in 1991. Added to the number of second homes, which are 15.4% of the total, this brings the total number of homes in the country which are not used as main homes to 31% in 1991.

The Socialist Party and the Government responded to the criticism during the period before the municipal elections of 1991, undertaking to embark on a new housing policy aimed at providing homes within a term of four years (1991 to 1995) for 460,000 families at prices or rents that they could afford, and to revise the Rental Act in order to improve the comparatively insecure situation in which lessees have been placed. To be able to fulfill these promises, the Government has to revise the existing financial arrangements and tax benefits, and must substantially step up public-sector spending on housing, which currently stands at between 0.7 and 0.9 of GDP (according to various estimated), the lowest level in the European Community.

The Railroad Network
The Spanish state-operated railway network consists of a total of 14,582 kilometres of tracks, covering the entire country.

The state-run company RENFE (RED NACIONAL DE FERROCARRILES ESPANOLES) covers an ample number of domestic lines that connect all the regions on the Iberian Peninsula.

Spanish trains (the most inexpensive in Europe) have two classes. RENFE has established a series of special prices and discounts that make travelling by rail in Spain much more convenient. The most interesting offers are the following: the so-called "Dias Azules" (Blue Days) are dates that do not generally coincide with holidays, the eves of holidays or the most common holiday periods. There are many such dates throughout the year on which it is possible to travel by rail with a 50% discount.

The "Tarjeta Joven" (Youth Card) allows the bearer, whose age must be between 12 and 25, to travel with a 50% discount on all tickets providing that travelling dates coincide with the "Blue Days". The "Tarjeta Turistica" (Tourist Card), reserved for non-residents of Spain, independent of their nationality, allows unrestricted circulation, without any kilometre limitation, on any RENFE line, without having to pay supplements. This card may be for first or second class travel and its price varies depending on the duration of travel time requested, which may be 8, 15 or 22 days. The "Euro-rail pass" (Eurail Pass) is also a discount ticket reserved for visiting guests. It can be purchased in the country of origin and provides unlimited travel rights on any date, on any line, without supplements. Its price also varies according to duration, which can be 15, 25, 30, 60 or 90 days.

Besides the regular trains and sleeper cars, RENFE inaugurated in 1992, the AVE train (ALTA VELOCIDAD ESPANOLA), a high speed train linking Madrid and Seville in a time of three hours, as well as a series of special trains, including the high speed TALGO trains, of particular interest to the tourists.

Outstanding tourist trains are the "Expreso Al-Andalus" (Al-Andalus Express) and the "Transcantabrico". The former departs from Seville each week and for 5 days tours the beautiful cities of Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga and Jerez de la Frontera; the prices of the ticket includes the visits to these cities, meals at the finest restaurants in each one, fiestas and typical shows, plus dinner and lodging on a truly special train that includes a discotheque, video room, bars and the luxury and comfort of the finest hotel. The latter, with similar characteristics, tours the north of Spain.

Telecommunications
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport, through its General Secretary, is responsible for the State's postal and telecommunications services.

The management and operation of these distinct public services and the telecommunications' infrastructures are handled by different entities which are specialised in each of the diverse communication sectors.

The most important of all of those operators in the sector of telecommunications is TESA (TELEFONICA DE ESPANA, SOCIEDAD ANONIMA) which is responsible for the management and operation of the telecommunications services through its Telephone Exchange Network, data networks and other services. Telefonica de Espana, S.A. is one of the country's leading companies.

The Spanish Postal and Telegraph Service has over 12,000 offices all over the country, including small villages, railway stations, ports and airports. They provide a wide range of modern and efficient services. The principal offices in Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao, as well as those located in the international airports, are open 24 hours a day.

The services carried out by the Postal Service are of two fundamental types: those that are purely postal in nature such as those relating to different kinds of correspondence, and those that are known as postal banking services, dealing with money, such as postal and telegraphic money orders. In each office, there is a service called the "Postal List" where one can register to receive all types of correspondence, packages or money orders which, in turn, can be forwarded to hotels or any other address.

The stamps required for mailing correspondence are sold at Post Offices and outlets known as "estancos" which are establishments authorised to sell tobacco, stamps and envelopes, and which form an extensive network covering practically the entire country.

Concerning Telegraph Services, most postal branch offices offer telegram, telex and telegraph services, for both national and international communications. It is also possible to find this type of service in large hotels.

Maritime Traffic
Spain has 5,880 kilometres of coastline, 24% of which is made up of beaches and state land of approximately 13,560 hectares.

Maritime traffic is the most heavily used transportation system for import-export commercial operations to and from Spain. In 1991, the ports handling the greatest amount of total traffic were:

Bilbao (32.7 million tons)
Algeciras-La Linea (29.6)
Tarragona (24.3)
Barcelona (18.7)
The maritime company TRANSMEDITERRANEA, specialises in passengers, is state-operated and links the peninsula with the Balearic Isles, the Canary Islands and Northern Africa. There are also private companies based at specific points along the coast that are specialised in short routes.

TRANSMEDITERRANEA operates year-round, with a daily service to the Balearic Isles and Northern Africa.  Service to the Canary Islands is weekly.

The most important ports in Spain for passengers are those of Barcelona, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Cadiz, Las Palmas in Gran Canaria and Tenerife.