The region is with approximately six million inhabitants in the greater area among the largest metropolises of Europe. The city Madrid (without suburbs) is with approximately 3.3 million inhabitants to London and Berlin the third largest in the European Union.

Madrid is a both national and internationally important trade center and finance center. The city forms furthermore the geographic, political and cultural midpoint of Spain. Madrid is the seat of the Spanish government. In the city, the king, a Catholic Archbishop as well as important administration authorities and military authorities reside moreover. In Madrid, six public universities as well as different other universities, theater, museums and cultural institutions are available.

Names the inhabitants of Madrid are “Madrilenen” (chip. madrileños) or “Madrider”.

Geography

Geographic situation

Madrid is in the center of Spain 667 m ü. NN. The city flowed through by the small river Manzanares belongs to the historic landscape Kastilien. Northwesternly the city the mountains of the Sierra raise themselves de Guadarrama that highly tower 2,429 ms in the Peñalara. To East, the valley of the Henares, in which railroads and freeways pass to Saragossa and Barcelona, opens itself. About 50 km south, at the Tajo, lies Madrid “mother city”, the old kastilische capital Toledo.

Climate

Through its level on 667 meters over the sea mirror and the continental climate, the summers in Madrid are hot and drier, the winters however clearly more coldly than about in the cities at the Mediterranean Sea. The average temperature in January is about about 4.9 °C, in July in about 24.2 °C. At the same time it is then usually quite dry.

Story

in the years 852 to 886 was erected a maurische castle (alcázar) at the place of the current Madrider king palace. The surrounding plant became stomach advised named, and from 939 Madschrít. Madrid kastilisch became 1083. The city became 1109 through the Almoraviden Jusuf unsuccessful belagert. A small part of the city wall coming out of the Arabic domination time over Spain is still available next to the cathedral. 1309 the first meeting of the Cortes found here de Castilla (Kastillischen city parliament) under Fernando IV. instead of (other statement: 1239).

With the placing of the Corte (parliament) in 1561 and the residence out of the nearly lain and substantially older Toledo through Felipe II. in 1588 the ascent of the city began. It became factual the official capital of Spain, what is seen it by a small interruption of 1601 to 1606 to the current day. The part of Madrid, that was erected under the Spanish Habsburgern, “el Madrid names itself until today de loosely Austrias” (the Madrid of the Austrian). In this time, the Puerta del Sol became, that Descalzas real, Palacio de Uceda, that Plaza de la villa, that builds exhibit Habsburgischer architecture the Plaza Mayor as well as the cathedral of San Isidro.

Between 1701 and 1713, succession war took place followed the Spanish, 1706 the English and Portuguese occupation. Of 1808 to 1813, Madrid of the Frenchmen was occupied whereby Napoleon brother Joseph king became. The Besatzer let tear down cloisters and entire quarters in order to create new place. With the uprising of the 2nd of May 1808, further elevations in the total country were evoked, is in Madrid the 2nd of May city holiday work free therefore today.

Of 1833 to 1876, the Karlistenkriege took place. At the same time also a cholera epidemic in Madrid raged. The first republic was exclaimed 1873 through the liberal politician and author Emilio Castelar, and the military dictatorship followed 1923 under general Miguel Primo de Rivera. On the 14th of April 1931, the second republic was exclaimed in Madrid. In the Spanish, civil war of 1936 to 1939 was Madrid until finally, and to be sure to the 28th of March, republican and suffered through German and Italian bombardments heavy destructions (siege of Madrid). After the nationalists had prevailed around the general Francisco Franco, its dictatorship stamped the city until 1975. 1965 to 1973 took place numerous strike and student protests.

After death Francos in 1975, there was a culture movement, the Movida madrileña in Madrid. Juan Carlos 1ST king became and led endangers became the democratization (Transición) on, that however on the 23rd of February 1981 (23-F) through a coup attempt of some officers of the Guardia Civil and the military once again. Some of them had joined in also already in the Operación Galaxia 1978. Madrid was 1992 “culture capital of Europe”. On the 11th of March 2004, 191 persons were killed in the terrorist attacks on four fully occupied local traffic trains.

In 2005, Madrid failed tightly in the application around the Olympic summer games 2012.

Administration units of Madrid

City districts

Madrid is subdivided into 21 city districts, that are organized on their part again into different quarters (barrios) :

Centro: Palacio, Embajadores, Cortes, Justicia, Universidad, Sol. Arganzuela: Paseo imperially, Acacias, Chopera, Legazpi, Delicias, Palos de Moguer, Atocha. Retiro: Pacífico, Adelfas, Estrella, Ibiza, Jerónimos, Niño Jesús. Salamanca: Recoletos, Goya, Fuente del Berro, Guindalera, Lista, Castellana. Chamartín: El Viso, Prosperidad, Ciudad Jardín, Hispanoamérica, Nueva España, Pza. Castilla. Tetuán: Bellas Vistas, Cuatro Caminos, Castillejos, Almenara, Valdeacederas, Berruguete. Chamberí: Gaztambide, Arapiles, Trafalgar, Almagro, Vallehermoso, Ríos Rosas. Fuencarral el Pardo: El Pardo, Fuentelarreina, Peñagrande, bar Rio del Pilar, La Paz, Valverde, Mirasierra, el Goloso. Moncloa Aravaca: Casa de Campo, Argüelles, Ciudad Universitaria, Valdezarza, Valdemarín, el Plantío, Aravaca. Latina (Madrid) : Lot Cármenes, Puerta del Ángel, Lucero, Aluche, read Águilas, Campamento, Cuatro Vientos. Carabanchel: Comillas, Opañel, San Isidro, Vista Alegre, Puerta Bonita, Buenavista, Abrantes. Usera: Orcasitas, Orcasur, San Fermín, Almendrales, Moscardó, Zofio, Pradolongo. Puente de Vallecas: Entrevías, San Diego, Palomeras Bajas, Palomeras Sureste, Portazgo, Numancia. Moratalaz: Pavones, Horcajo, Marroquina, media Legua, Fontarrón, Vinateros. Ciudad ruler: Ventas, Pueblo Nuevo, Quintana, La Concepción, San Pascual, San Juan Bautista, Colina, Atalaya, Costillares. Hortaleza: Palomas, Valdefuentes, Canillejas, Pinar del Rey, Apóstol Santiago, La Piovera. Villaverde: San Andrés, San Cristóbal, Butarque, lot pink harvest, lot Ángeles (Villaverde). Villa de Vallecas: Casco Histórico de Vallecas, Santa Eugenia. Vicálvaro: Casco Histórico de Vicálvaro, Ambroz. San bubble: Simancas, Hellín, Amposta, Arcos, Rosas, Rejas, Canillejas, Salvador. Barajas: Alameda de Osuna, Aeropuerto, Casco Histórico de Barajas, Timón, Corralejos.

Crest

The crest of the city Madrid appears stretches a brown bear (oso pardo), that against an Erdbeerbaum. A possible interpretation of this symbolism is the unity and significance of the clergy (represented through the tree) and the nobility (the bear), that in the Middle Ages the country in and around Madrid between itself divided have. It regains itself also in the crest of the soccer society Atlético Madrid.

Culture and sights

Palacio actually, the king palace cathedral La Almudena churches San Isidro el actually and San Francisco el
Grande Parque del Buen Retiro Plaza Mayor Plaza de la Puerta del Sol Plaza orient Plaza España Puerta de
Alcalá Kybelebrunnen on the Plaza de Cibeles Palacio de Comunicaciones, the city hall Banco de España
Vicente-Calderón-stadium Santiago-Bernabéu-stadium Moncloa tower Torre España Torres Puerta de Europe
Metrópolis house the railway station Atocha Templo de Torre Picasso

Places
the Plaza Mayor was designed in the 15th century as a market place and is until today the most living place of the city. He is in the center of the old town and is a rectangular place uniformly closed, car free (similarly the of the same name place in Salamanca). Here concerts are arranged frequently. Plaza de la Puerta del Sol (40° 25′1″N, 3° 42′13″W40.416944444444-3.70352777777787), the midpoint of the city and entirely Spain: here the Kilómetro Cero, the traditional starting point of the six radial national streets is. The park-like, half round Plaza orients between the opera and the Palacio actually. Plaza de Cibeles: here three of the largest sights of Madrid are on a place: the Kybelebrunnen, the Palacio de Comunicaciones and the Banco read de España. Of the followers and the team of the soccer society actually Madrid this place is used to the celebration of championship. Plaza de España at the western end of the Gran Vía, a large place in the style of the ’1920′s with early high-rise architecture. Plaza de Colón: centrally lain, start of the Paseo de la Castellana. Plaza de Lavapiés, central point of the of the same name quarter Lavapiés, is grasped permanently in reconstruction works, would be it to the application for the Olympic games o. ä. Plaza de Castilla: is in the north of Madrid in the quarter Chamartín. Here the famous Torres KIO are.

Museums
at the Paseo del Prado are in the so-called museum triangle in go expanse of few hundred meters three of the most important museums of the world: Museo del Prado, Museo Nacional Centro de type Reina Sofia and Museo de type Thyssen Bornemisza

Museo del Prado: The museum at the Paseo del Prado belongs to the most important painting museums of the world and offers a unique spectrum More spanish (for example Goya, el Greco) and European art (Toulouse Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh, Tiziano Vecellio and v. a. m). Museo de Cera: In the wax figure of cabinet Madrid, support, sport, art, sciences, literature or story with focal point are reproduced over 450 famous persons out of the areas on the country Spain in wax. In addition there is yet the fright chamber, and the Multivisionssaal in which Carlos tells 1ST the story of Spain. Museo Arqueológico Nacional: The 1867 established museum shows historic findings of the Iberian peninsula. Under that the famous Dama is de mooses. Moreover there is an Egyptian and Greek collection. Museo Reina Sofía: Named after the Spanish queen Sofía, the museum supplemented be the collection of the Prados with that many of the most important paintings and sculptures of notable artist the modern from the 20th century, so for example Pablo Picasso, above all painting Guernica, Salvador Dalí, Juan Gris and v. a. m. Museo Thyssen Bornemisza: One of the most important private collections of the world with paintings out of the time from the 14th century. Museo Taurino de la Plaza de Toros de Ventas read: Large bullfight museum of Ventas Museo Nacional read de Ciencias Naturales

The crest of the city Madrid appears stretches a brown bear (oso pardo), that against an Erdbeerbaum. A possible interpretation of this symbolism is the unity and significance of the clergy (represented through the tree) and the nobility (the bear), that in the Middle Ages the country in and around Madrid between itself divided have. It regains itself also in the crest of the soccer society Atlético Madrid.

Culture and sights

Palacio actually, the king palace cathedral La Almudena churches San Isidro el actually and San Francisco el
Grande Parque del Buen Retiro Plaza Mayor Plaza de la Puerta del Sol Plaza orient Plaza España Puerta de
Alcalá Kybelebrunnen on the Plaza de Cibeles Palacio de Comunicaciones, the city hall Banco de España
Vicente-Calderón-stadium Santiago-Bernabéu-stadium Moncloa tower Torre España Torres Puerta de Europe
Metrópolis house the railway station Atocha Templo de Torre Picasso

Places

the Plaza Mayor was designed in the 15th century as a market place and is until today the most living place of the city. He is in the center of the old town and is a rectangular place uniformly closed, car free (similarly the of the same name place in Salamanca). Here concerts are arranged frequently. Plaza de la Puerta del Sol (40° 25′1″N, 3° 42′13″W40.416944444444-3.70352777777787), the midpoint of the city and entirely Spain: here the Kilómetro Cero, the traditional starting point of the six radial national streets is. The park-like, half round Plaza orients between the opera and the Palacio actually. Plaza de Cibeles: here three of the largest sights of Madrid are on a place: the Kybelebrunnen, the Palacio de Comunicaciones and the Banco read de España. Of the followers and the team of the soccer society actually Madrid this place is used to the celebration of championship. Plaza de España at the western end of the Gran Vía, a large place in the style of the ’1920′s with early high-rise architecture. Plaza de Colón: centrally lain, start of the Paseo de la Castellana. Plaza de Lavapiés, central point of the of the same name quarter Lavapiés, is grasped permanently in reconstruction works, would be it to the application for the Olympic games o. ä. Plaza de Castilla: is in the north of Madrid in the quarter Chamartín. Here the famous Torres KIO are.

Museums

at the Paseo del Prado are in the so-called museum triangle in go expanse of few hundred meters three of the most important museums of the world: Museo del Prado, Museo Nacional Centro de type Reina Sofia and Museo de type Thyssen Bornemisza

Museo del Prado: The museum at the Paseo del Prado belongs to the most important painting museums of the world and offers a unique spectrum More spanish (for example Goya, el Greco) and European art (Toulouse Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh, Tiziano Vecellio and v. a. m). Museo de Cera: In the wax figure of cabinet Madrid, support, sport, art, sciences, literature or story with focal point are reproduced over 450 famous persons out of the areas on the country Spain in wax. In addition there is yet the fright chamber, and the Multivisionssaal in which Carlos tells 1ST the story of Spain. Museo Arqueológico Nacional: The 1867 established museum shows historic findings of the Iberian peninsula. Under that the famous Dama is de mooses. Moreover there is an Egyptian and Greek collection. Museo Reina Sofía: Named after the Spanish queen Sofía, the museum supplemented be the collection of the Prados with that many of the most important paintings and sculptures of notable artist the modern from the 20th century, so for example Pablo Picasso, above all painting Guernica, Salvador Dalí, Juan Gris and v. a. m. Museo Thyssen Bornemisza: One of the most important private collections of the world with paintings out of the time from the 14th century. Museo Taurino de la Plaza de Toros de Ventas read: Large bullfight museum of Ventas Museo Nacional read de Ciencias Naturales

Calle de Alcalá. This boulevard begins at the Puerta del Sol and leads Henares toward Alcalá de. Between Sol and Plaza de Cibeles numerous representative Gründerzeitbauten are, and a. group seat of large banks. Paseo del Prado. This very wide street leads Cibeles of the railway station Atocha to the Plaza de. Here large hotels and the Prado museum are. Paseo de la Castellana. The most important street axis of Madrid begins Colón at the Plaza de and leads into northern direction to the internal freeway ring. The street is subdivided large part avenues good by park. At many places, one can in the middle of of 10 strongly traveled on car traces cozily a cafe con leche enjoy. Gran Vía. Here Telefónica and fashion stores are a row of large movie theater, the headquarters of the Spanish telephone company. Calle Goya Calle Huertas. After it, the “author is named quarter” in the center, in which the most important authors (and a. Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Quevedo, Góngora) the Spanish literature on narrow room and z. T. in same periods (“the golden century”) lived and worked. As one of the few pedestrians zones of the city, the street functions nowadays as an outgoing center.

Airport the airport Madrid Barajas (MAD) is with approximately 52 million passengers (state 2007) one of the largest in Europe. The airport Madrid possesses 4 starts-/runways (4,400/4,100. The latter both railroads are is “new construction railroads”, the first train the longest in Europe. The (T4 new terminal) was opened 2006 and received quite an own Metrostation in 2007 based on the distance to the remaining airport. All terminals (T1, T2, T3, T4) are to be reached with the Metro line 8.

Sport

with actually Madrid and Atlético Madrid possesses the city two soccer societies in the Primera División, the first Spanish league. With actually Madrid and club Baloncesto Estudiantes, the city possesses also two basketball societies in the Asociación de clubs de Baloncesto, the first Spanish league. Since 2002 the Madrid Masters is expedited in the city, the eighth ATP series of Masters tennis tournament of the year. From the 18th of September to 24th of September 2006, backwardation took place la Comunidad in the Palacio de de de Madrid the badmintons Individual World Cup. From the 27th of September to 8th of October 2006, the field hockey world championship of the ladies 2006 was aligned in Madrid on the terrain of the club de Campo. With the Madrids Snowzone, the largest ski hall of Europe in the direct vicinity of Madrid stands.

Olympic summer games 2016 Madrid had applied itself already for the Olympic summer games 2012, damaged however London in an extremely tight choice against Paris and the later victor from. On the 6th of June 2006, Madrid applied itself for the games 2016, and on the 30th of May 2007, Olympic committee confirmed the Spanish the candidacy. on the 4th of June 2008 declared the Executive Board of the IOC Madrid, next to Tokyo, Chicago and Rio de Janeiro, to the official candidate. The decision on the venue of the Olympic summer games 2016 takes place on the 2nd of October 2009 in Copenhagen.

Surrounding countryside

actually Sitio de San Lorenzo de el Escorial Palacio actually (Aranjuez)
Alcalá de Henares Toledo Ávila valley of the fallen Segovia

Economy and infrastructure

In Madrid are airplane industry, vehicle industry, textile industry, chemical and food industry. The alliance SE is represented there with the Fénix Directo.

Madrid is Spain traffic junction and railroad junction largest with the person railway stations Atocha and Chamartín as well as the switching yard Vicálvaro. The network of the Madrider SUBWAY belongs to the largest of the world. In less thickly populated quarters, the city train Metro Ligero associates. The suburbs are opened with the Cercanías suburb train system.

The international airport of Madrid, Barajas, lies in the northeast of the city and is to be reached with the Metro quickly.

Development

to the numerous development arrangements belong the university Complutense Madrid (UCM, 1508 in Alcalá de Henares opens, 1836 to Madrid transfers) as well as the Universidad Comillas (1892), the Polytechnische University of Madrid (UPM, 1971), Universidad Autónoma (UAM, 1968), the university Carlos III (UC3M, 1989) and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (1996). The Spanish open university UNED (Universidad Nacional Educación a Distancia) has its headquarters in Madrid. Just as are here and a. that royally Spanish academy as well as the academies of the beautiful arts, the science and the languages.