Changes

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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]]'' maps) 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>

In 1853 the prohibition of emigrating to America was lifted (''[[:File:XXX|Emigration in the 19th Century]]'' map). Cuba, still Spanish, attracted the Catalan emigration. Later on, the emigration was directed to Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. Between 1853 and 1882, there was a high Galician emigration rate (325,000, 60% of the total), and afterwards of Canarians, Asturians and Basques. The population of the Mediterranean and Balearic coastline headed for Morocco or Algeria (about 114,000, most of all, to Oran) and of the Northeast Peninsula to Europe.<br>

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The objective of the ecclesiastical confiscations, known as ''desamortizaciones'', was the nationalisation of all the assets (buildings, land, works of art, books, etc.) from the so-called ''manos muertas'', most of which were property of the religious communities, except for the educational and health care ones. There were precedents: assets belonging to the expelled Jesuits, some attempts by Godoy, the assets confiscation to the liberals and the Francophiles, or the nationalisation of the Inquisition property and of the military orders, decreed by the ''Cortes de Cádiz''.<br>

The iron exploitation was important for the [https://www.lavanguardia.com/historiayvida/historia-contemporanea/20180920/47312534370/el-ferrocarril-en-espana.html railway expansion]. The benefits from the Madoz confiscation decrees and a series of laws that promoted its financing, such as the ''Ley General de Ferrocarriles de 1855'' (General Railway Act), which attracted foreign capital, contributed to it (French capital in the Northern rails and British in the Sourthern ones). The first railway in the Iberian Peninsula was the Barcelona-Mataró line in 1848, followed by the Madrid-Aranjuez one in 1851. In 10 years (1856-1866) 460 km were built per year, reaching 5,000 km. In a second 23-year-stage, (1873-1896) it reached 12,000 km. The 20th century started with 15,000-km-railway lines, some of which were international: Madrid-Lisbon (1881) and Lisbon-Madrid-Paris (1887).<br>

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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>

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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The republican parties had sworn allegiance to bring the republic through the Pact of San Sebastián (1930), as a consequence of the disrepute of the Monarchy. And they took advantage of the municipal elections in 1931 because, although the monarchists got more municipal councillors, the vote in the big cities was republican. Many people took to the streets and Alfonso XIII, abandoned by everybody, stopped his royal functions and left «Spain…the sole lady of its own destiny».<br>

In [https://lacorrientedelgolfo.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/fachada-sec3b1ora-maravillas-bravo-murillo.jpg May 1931], more than 100 convents were set on fire. The following year there was an anarchist revolutionary attempt, a monarchist uprising and even a failed coup d’état by General Sanjurjo. And while the Agrarian Reform, the army reorganisation, the generalisation of the education and the regional planning was faced by the Republican Courts, the strikes and revolts continued, resulting in a tough response with 25 deaths in the anarchist Casas Viejas uprising. The society was not ready for with some decisions: the divorce law, the recognition of the Soviet Union; others, like the expulsion of the Jesuits, seemed exaggerated. And some raised powerful enemies against the Republic, such as the agrarian reform or the one of the army.<br>

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From 1959 onwards, (the isolation had already stopped due to the ''cold war''), technocratic programs were implemented (the Development Plans) with industrial parks and estates throughout the country. Undoubtedly there was economic progress, urban middle classes were created in large numbers and the active agrarian population decreased by 10% due to emigration to industrial areas. Spain was considered the tenth world economic power for a few years. But in 1975 nobody wanted to continue with a dictatorship and the country returned to a democratic system.<br>

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Once the dictator had died, the process known as “transition” began, which paved the way to a Western parliamentary democracy in Spain. The rulers he had appointed, trusting that the Francoist militarism would be perpetuated, understood that it was a senseless anachronism and the anti-Francoist rulers (from the exile or in captivity) coincided in the need to lead the country towards its identification with Europe; it was necessary to assume waivers from [https://static.eldiario.es/clip/9a5ac512-4520-49de-a868-f1d945303adc_16-9-aspect-ratio_default_0.jpg both sides].<br>

<p>Spain today, a European democracy (1981-2022)</p>

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