The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2021 to 2025 Europe

Military - note Spain, in 5 editions.

The entry for Spain published Military - note in 5 editions of 36, from 2021 to 2025. The text changed in 4 editions. Each is shown as published. Military - note in every entry.

editions changed the text
4
the first edition with it
2021
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Military - note” (2021 to 2025).

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.

2025 edition

Changed since 2024

Open the 2025 entry

  • the Spanish military has a wide range of responsibilities, including protecting the country’s national interests, sovereignty, and territory, providing support during natural disasters, and fulfilling Spain’s responsibilities to European and international security;
  • it maintains garrisons in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla, conducts operations worldwide, and participates in a variety of EU-, NATO-, and UN-led missions;
  • Spain joined NATO in 1982 and is fully integrated into the NATO structure;
  • it routinely conducts exercises with NATO (and EU) partners, and hosts one of NATO’s two combined air operations centers
  • the Spanish military's history goes back to the 13th century;
  • the Army has an infantry regiment, formed in the 13th century, that is considered the oldest still active military unit in the Western world;
  • the Marine Corps, which traces its roots back to 1537, is the oldest naval infantry force in the world;
  • Spain created a Spanish Legion for foreigners in 1920, but early on the Legion was primarily filled by native Spaniards due to difficulties in recruiting foreigners, and most of its foreign members were from the Republic of Cuba;
  • it was modeled after the French Foreign Legion and its purpose was to provide a corps of professional troops to fight in Spain's colonial campaigns in North Africa;
  • in more recent years, it has been used in NATO peacekeeping deployments;
  • today’s Legion includes a mix of native Spaniards and foreigners with Spanish residency (2025)

the Spanish Armed Forces have military has a wide variety range of responsibilities, including protecting the country’s national interests, sovereignty, and territory, providing support during natural disasters, and fulfilling Spain’s responsibilities to European and international security; it maintains garrisons in the military Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla, conducts operations worldwide, and its air, ground, and naval forces participate participates in a variety of EU-, NATO-, and UN-led missions; Spain joined NATO in 1982 and is fully integrated into the NATO structure; it routinely conducts exercises with EU and NATO (and EU) partners, and hosts one of NATO’s two combined air operations centers
the military is organized into commands for air, cyberspace, joint, land, maritime, and space operations; it maintains garrisons in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla
the
Spanish military has a rich military's history that goes back to the 13th century; the Army has an infantry regiment, formed in the 13th century, that is considered the oldest still active military unit in the Western world; the Marine Corps, which traces its roots back to 1537, is the oldest naval infantry force in the World; world; Spain created a Spanish Legion for foreigners in 1920, but early on the Legion was primarily filled by native Spaniards due to difficulties in recruiting foreigners, and most of its foreign members were from the Republic of Cuba; it was modeled after the French Foreign Legion and its purpose was to provide a corps of professional troops to fight in Spain's colonial campaigns in North Africa; in more recent years, it has been used in NATO peacekeeping deployments; today’s Legion includes a mix of native Spaniards and foreigners with Spanish residency (2024) (2025)

Cite this page

Central Intelligence Agency. “Spain: Military - note.” The World Factbook, 2021–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/spain/military-note.

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