  We describe a finite inhomogeneous three dimensional system of classical
particles which interact through short and (or) long range interactions by
means of a simple analytic spin model. The thermodynamic properties of the
system are worked out in the framework of the grand canonical ensemble. It is
shown that the system experiences a phase transition at fixed average density
in the thermodynamic limit. The phase diagram and the caloric curve are
constructed and compared with numerical simulations. The implications of our
results concerning the caloric curve are discussed in connection with the
interpretation of corresponding experimental data.
