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The population increased and exceeded ten million inhabitants in the 18th century, but changes in the territorial distribution took place. The inland areas, except for Madrid, suffered continuous negative rates for more than a century (''[[:File:XXX|The Urban World and Population Density at the late 18th Century]]'' map and ''[[:File:XXX|Population and Population Density in the First Third of the 19th Century]]'' mapmaps) while the outskirts were thriving: Gijón, Ferrol, Vigo, Cartagena, Jerez de la Frontera, San Fernando, etc. This was possible thanks to the progress in medicine, hygiene, increased agricultural production, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocr_Qflmjps new towns] founded by the State, the arrival of technicians and foreign residents, the creation of industries, among other reasons.<br>
The Spanish War of Independence, the Carlist War and the continuous guerrillas, absolutist or liberal, reinforced the demographic blow, either due to deaths (500,000? 1808-1814) or to those exiled; some for their Francophile progressivism (the ''afrancesados'', like [https://historia-arte.com/artistas/francisco-de-goya Goya]), others for their liberal activism. Also due to the plagues from 1800, 1814, 1833. In 1833, the country reached 12,162,000 inhabitants, which still meant a very weak density: just 1,636 inhabitants per square mile, as opposed to 4,659 inhabitants in the Netherlands, 3,875 in the United Kingdom, 3,085 in France or 1,815 in Portugal. With the provincial reorganisation by Javier de Burgos (1833), the new provincial capitals grew, as well as the mining areas, such as Asturias and Ciudad Real. The inland rural exodus expanded towards the industrial areas, which developed on the outskirts, and to the cities of the Basque Country (Biscay), Catalonia (Barcelona) and Madrid. Thus, a bourgeoisie of civil servants, industrialists and merchants emerged, who supported great urban projects: districts such as ''Ensanche'' in Barcelona (Cerdà Plan, imposed by the central government) and Salamanca district, in Madrid.<br>
Alfonso XIII assumed full authority as king on his 16th birthday, among a general historical pessimism provoked by the ''Desastre del 98'' (98 Disaster), that marked the Generation of 1898.<br>
Foreign colonial companies owned the raw materials (''[[:File:XXX|Large Foreign Corporations]]'' map). Germans, Belgians and French had the mining concessions and the English controlled more than 50% of the foreign capital in many industries: forestry (cork), food (Suchard), and, of course, mining ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j7FwTxt3NA Riotinto]). From 1868 onwards (Mining Law), the State had improved its commitment with them. Zinc, copper, mercury and lead were extracted.<br>
The Spanish capital, with exceptions, such as the Marquis of Salamanca years before, settled for its agricultural ''latifundia '' (''[[:File:XXX|The Large Rural Property ]]'' map). Despite that, the agri-food industry sector was emerging timidly. The unresolved agricultural issue (66% of the active population) with a high number of ''jornaleros '' (landless day [http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_xVhVGnvnJ0/Uwpp9au6SWI/AAAAAAAAIPI/nGTFuflAUrE/s1600/detalle+de+la+siega+la+recolección.jpg labourers]), temporary unemployed and mostly illiterate, caused the appearance of the revolutionary agricultural labour unions.<br>
The social issues also remained unresolved. In 1916 there were 237 strikes; in 1920 more than 1,000. The repression of the 1917 Spanish general strike (''[[:File:XXX|Strikes and Social Conflicts ]]'' map) left dozens of deaths and thousands arrested.<br>
Under the Primo de Rivera dictatorship there was a decrease in conflict due to the big public works and the collaboration of the General Union of Workers (Unión General de Trabajadores, UGT). But the situation blew up again in 1929. The National Confederation of Labour (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, CNT) reached 700,000 affiliates during that year, and in the first years of the Republic, the UGT doubled that number. In Andalusia the peasants alliances exceeded 100,000 affiliates on the strike of 1934, wich anticipated the general revolutionary strike (''[[:File:XXX|Affiliation to National Confederation of Labour ]]'' and ''[[:File:XXX|Affiliation to the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party ]]'' maps).<br>
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