Carme Chacon was sworn in Monday as Spain's first woman defense minister, with 16 other ministers headed by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Spain's Defence Minister Carme Chacon, who is pregnant and is Spain's first female defence minister, reviews an honour guard during a ceremony at the Defence Ministry in Madrid April 14, 2008.

Chacon, 37, with a seven-month pregnancy, had served as housing minister in Zapatero's first government, and was described by the prime minister as "one of the major new stars of the Socialist Party."

The Socialist Party won 169 seats in the 350-seat lower house of parliament in last month's elections. Chacon succeeds Jose Antonio Alonso, who has been named speaker of the lower house.

With Chacon included, the new cabinet led by Zapatero has nine female ministers. "It is the first government in which a woman has the defense portfolio and the first government in which there are more women than men," said Zapatero.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (C) poses with all the female ministers of his cabinet on the step of the Moncloa Palace before their first cabinet meeting April 14, 2008. (L-R) Science and Innovation Minister Cristina Garmendia, Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez, Education Minister Mercedes Cabrera, Defence Minister Carme Chacon, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Public Administration Minister Elena Salgado, Equality Minister Bibiana Aido, Housing Minister Beatriz Corredor and Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries minister Elena Espinosa.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (C) poses with all the ministers of his new cabinet on the steps of the Moncloa Palace before their first cabinet meeting April 14, 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2008)