Spain

Flag of Spain.

Spain is a country in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.

History

In 1898, Spain at that time was almost losing its status as an empire and had been quelling revolutionaries in Cuba, who were calling for their independence. However, their actions in Cuba caused American newspapers to report of Spanish atrocities against Cuban revolutionaries and catches public outcry towards Spain. When the USS Maine was sunk in Havana Harbor, American sentiments shifted strongly towards military intervention. However, President William McKinley was reluctant to have his country to wage war against Spain, but eager to save face, he sent an ultimatum to the Spanish government: grant Cuba's independence or face U.S. military intervention. The Spanish government reluctantly accepted the former, allowing Cuba's independence in exchange to keep its remaining territories.

During the Great War, Spain remained neutral throughout the war. It was also notably the "first" country for reporting the emergence of the 1918 influenza pandemic or known as the "Spanish flu".

Spain later fell to Chimeran occupation during the Chimeran War. Following the success of Operation Overstrike in mid-1951, Southern Spain became one of the major fronts in the Chimeran War, along with Poland and Northern France.