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The major part of the Iberian peninsula in southwest Europe, Spain has both an Atlantic and a Mediterranean coast, and is dominated by a central plateau. After the death of Gen. Franco in 1975, the country managed a rapid and relatively peaceful transition to democracy under the supervision of King Juan Carlos I. Since EU membership in 1986, there has been an increasing devolution of power to the regions. The socialists were returned to power in 2004 when the public turned against the two-term center-right regime following the Madrid train bombings.