Key Aspects of Retail, Transportation, and Demographics

Retail Trade and Distribution

Retail Trade

Retail Trade: This business sells directly to consumers (small shops). It contrasts with traditional and modern trade.

Wholesale

Wholesale: This type of trade concentrates production and distributes to retail trade, often in central locations for production and consumption (Catalonia, Andalusia, Valencia).

Supermarkets

Supermarket: These are marketing outlet centers located in city centers and urban neighborhoods, typically exceeding 2500 m².

Transportation Infrastructure

Highways

Highway: These are high-capacity routes with separate roadways for each direction of traffic and no level crossings. They usually have two lanes per direction and are designed with broad geometric features to allow for high-speed, high-volume, and safe vehicle movement.

Accessibility

Accessibility: Regional imbalances are most pronounced in industrial and tourist zones, creating a need for quality transport infrastructure. Accessibility is particularly high at key points where multiple high-capacity routes converge (Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona).

Trains

Train: Narrow gauge railways (LVEF) cover 2000 km, mainly in the Cantabrian region. The main challenge is industrializing the network, which is being addressed by improving infrastructure and assuming the role of suburban locomotion.

High-Speed Rail (AVE)

AVE: The high-speed network, reaching speeds over 250 km/h, began with the Madrid-Seville line in 1992. New lines, such as Madrid-Barcelona, are currently under construction.

Tourism Types

Ecotourism

Ecotourism: This is an alternative form of tourism that values natural conditions, particularly in parks.

Rural Tourism

Rural Tourism: This alternative form of tourism is supported by promotion within the European Union.

Sun and Beach Tourism

Sun and Beach Tourism: The main destinations for this type of tourism are the Balearic and Canary Islands and the Mediterranean coast of the peninsula. These areas receive a major influx of tourists due to their climate and beaches.

Population Census and Demographics

Census of Population

Census of Population: This is an individual count of the population at a given time, collecting demographic, economic, and social data. In Spain, it is conducted every 10 years.

Population Fact

Population Fact: This is the sum of present residents and passersby.

Population Law

Population Law: This is the sum of residents present and absent at the time of the census.

Birth Rate

Birth Rate: Regions with higher birth rates than the average tend to have younger populations due to traditionally higher birth rates (Andalusia, Murcia, Balearic Islands). Lower birth rates are found in regions with older populations (Galicia and inland communities).

Infant Mortality

Infant Mortality: In the old demographic regime, infant mortality rates were high due to congenital defects, neonatal problems at birth, post-neonatal infections, and malnutrition.