Spain, a country in the Western part of Europe is a nation that I have been interested in for many years. Looking into the characteristics and statistical figures for the country, Spain proves to be a country in the process of growing and is a leading country in various ways. First, looking at the Human Development Index and Rank, Spain has an HDI of .876 and a rank of 26 in the world out of 176 countries. Looking into the economics of the country, Spain experienced an estimated real GDP growth percentage of 3.1% in the year 2016. Furthermore, Spain has an adolescent fertility rate 8.311/1000 ages 15-19, which has been declining due to increases in birth control advances and education. Although Spain is a member of the European Union, there are currently no official armed forces besides NATO working on behalf of the member states. As such, national militaries are still important parts of European countries. In the year 2014, Military expenditure totaled 5.72% of central government expenditure. Spain, which has been considered a developed nation for many years, has 100% drinking water access for the population in both rural and urban environments. In terms of the labor differences within the country, the labor force participation rate of women 15 years or older is 52.5% of population, whereas men 15 years or older make up 65.8% of the working population. Another economic and developmental indicator is the Corruption Perceptions Index Rank and Score. For Spain, the perception number is 58 with an accompanying ranking of 41/176 countries. Spain is most known for its verbal language of Castilian Spanish, which is the official language of the country. However, other languages include Catalan, which is spoken in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community. Further, Galician, Basque and Aranese are common native languages throughout the country. French and English are not native to the country, but are common second languages for many citizens. The dress code in Spain is very similar to that of the United States of America. For less formal jobs, smart casual clothing including jeans are often acceptable in the workplace. However, for more professional industries such as law, business, and medicine, suits and ties are common more men while suits and dresses are commonplace for females.  Spanish formality is much like that of many nations around the world. Handshakes are commonplace for business transactions. Spain’s working conditions are very safe and are regulated by the European Union to ensure safety regulations and good working conditions are available to workers. In all, Spain is a country that is very industrialized and has health and safety for its citizens. While the 2008 global recession had huge effects on the country, Spain has been rebounding and is once again on and upwards path towards economic and competitiveness.