Global Iberia locates Spain and Portugal in the contemporary globalizingworld. Through synoptic chapters on the peninsulas geography regionalhistories and longs... » 

Global Iberia locates Spain and Portugal in the contemporary globalizingworld. Through synoptic chapters on the peninsulas geography regionalhistories and longstanding role as the bridge between the Arab North Africanworld and Europe McDonogh uses Spain an to a lesser extent Portugal toaddress the key issues generated by contemporary globalizationidentitymigration hybridity and the new forms of social life that are emerging as aconsequence. As well he considers suprastate structures like the EU.After centuries as a major empire Spain degenerated into a cloisteredbackwater. With the death of Franco in the mid70s it underwent an epochaltransformation. Since then Spain has experienced dramatic social and politicaltransformations becoming a vibrant democracy and a major tourist destination.Barcelona has become a world city and the nations cultural output is now onpar with other major European countries. Spain and Portugal have long historiesat the cutting edge of world relations managing farflung empires andMcDonogh stresses this historical perspective. But he also foregrounds the vastpresent world fostered by the Iberian project Latin America SouthernEurope parts of Asia and Africa in which Spain and Portugal possess enormouspower. «