Spain

From WikiPOBia

Spain or The Kingdom of Spain is a country in southwest Europe comprising the majority of the Iberian Peninsula which it shares with Portugal. In addition the Spanish Empire consisted of a number of colonies in South, Central and North America. Closer to Spain and considered parts of Spain itself are the archipelagos of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands including Majorca and Minorca.

Spain in the time of the Canon

From 1793 to 1795, the Spanish were at war with Revolutionary France but the defeat of their armies led to them suing for peace and becoming an ally instead. This explains why, during Master and Commander, the Spanish were an enemy nation. The Spanish navy fought with the French at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. This caused the Spanish king, Charles IV, to reconsider the French alliance and he was subsequently deposed by Napoleon who placed his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the throne. This caused a general uprising and Spain became a battleground between the French, Spanish irregular forces and the British army under the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War.

Spanish naval geography

Spain has ports on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Notable among the former are Corunna, Ferrol and further south, Cadiz. The principal naval port on the Mediterranean coast was Cartagena but this does not feature in the Canon. Port Mahon on Minorca was another large, safe and secure harbour, though in British hands during the early books of the Canon.