Madrid

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Madrid
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Fui sobre agua edificada, mis muros de fuego son. Esta es mi insignia y blasón" (On water I was built, my walls are made of fire. This is my ensign and escutcheon) [1][2]
Location of Madrid
Madrid Location of Madrid
Coordinates: 40°23′N 3°43′W / 40.383°N 3.717°W / 40.383; -3.717
Country	Spain
Region	Community of Madrid
Founded	9th century
Government
- Mayor	Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón (PP)
Area
- Land	607 km2 (234.4 sq mi)
- Metro	10,506 km2 (4,057 sq mi)
Elevation	667 m (2,188 ft)
Population (2008)
- City	3,213,271
- Density	5,293.69/km2 (13,708/sq mi)
- Metro	7,061,748
	population-ranking: 1st
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	28001-28080
Area code(s)	34 (Spain) + 91 (Madrid)
Website	www.munimadrid.es

Madrid (English pronunciation: /məˈdrɪd/; Spanish: [maˈðɾið], colloquially [maˈðɾi]) is the capital and largest city of Spain.^[3] It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous in the European Union after Paris and London.^[4][5][6][7]

The city is located on the river Manzanares in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid (which comprises the city of Madrid, its conurbation and extended suburbs and villages); this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political centre of Spain.^[8] The current mayor is Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón from the People's Party (PP). He has been in office since 2003, when he left the Presidency of the Autonomous Community of Madrid and stood as the candidate to replace outgoing mayor José María Álvarez del Manzano, also from the PP. In the last local elections of 2007, Ruiz-Gallardón increased the PP majority in the City Council to 34 seats out of 57, taking 55.5% of the popular vote and winning in all but two districts.

Due to its economic output, standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre of the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Spanish companies, as well as the headquarters of three of the world's 100 largest companies (Telefónica, Repsol-YPF, Banco Santander).^[9]

While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the huge Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre) with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro park, founded in 1631; the imposing 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; an archaeological museum; and three superb art museums: Prado Museum, which hosts one of the finest art collections in the world, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace.^[10]

The population of the city is roughly 3.2 million (as of December 2005), while the estimated urban area population is 5.1 million. The entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area (urban area and suburbs) is calculated to be 5.84 million. The city spans a total of 698 km² (234 sq mi).^[11]

Contents 1 Names of the city 2 History 2.1 Middle Ages 2.2 Renaissance 2.3 From 19th century to present day 3 Geography 3.1 Climate 4 Water supply 5 Districts 6 Metropolitan Area 6.1 Submetropolitan areas 7 Architecture 8 Environment 9 Economy 10 Demographics 11 Government 12 Culture 12.1 Galleries 12.2 Museums 12.3 Nightlife 12.4 Classical music and opera 12.5 Bullfighting 12.6 Local festivities 13 Sport 14 Education 14.1 Universities 14.2 Business Schools 15 Transport 15.1 Air 15.2 National rail 15.3 Metro 16 International relations 16.1 Twin towns 16.2 Partner cities 17 Other historic buildings 18 Notes 19 See also 20 External links

[edit] Names of the city

There are several theories regarding the origin of the name "Madrid". According to legend Madrid was founded by Ocno Bianor (son of King Tyrrhenius of Tuscany and Mantua) and was named "Metragirta" or "Mantua Carpetana". Others contend that the original name of the city was "Ursaria" ("land of bears" in Latin), due to the high number of these animals that were found in the adjacent forests, which, together with the strawberry tree ("madroño" in Spanish), have been the emblem of the city from the Middle Ages.^[12] The ancient name of the city "Magerit" comes from the name of a fortress built on the Manzanares River in 9AD, and means "Place of abundant water.".^[13]

Nevertheless, it is now commonly believed that the origin of the current name of the city comes from the 2nd century B.C. The Roman Empire established a settlement on the banks of the Manzanares river. The name of this first village was "Matrice" (a reference to the river that crossed the settlement). Following the invasions of the Germanic Sueves, Vandals and Alans during the fifth century A.D., the Roman Empire could not defend its territories on the Iberian Peninsula, and were therefore overrun by the Visigoths. The barbarian tribes subsequently took control of "Matrice". In the 7th century the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula saw the name changed to "Mayrit", from the Arabic term ميرا "Mayra" (referencing water as a "trees" or "giver of life") and the Ibero-Roman suffix "it" that means "place". The modern "Madrid" evolved from the Mozarabic "Matrit", which is still in the Madrilenian gentilic.^[14]

[edit] History

[edit] Middle Ages

Although the site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since pre-historic times,^[15] in the Roman era this territory belonged to the diocese of Complutum (present-day Alcalá de Henares). There are archeological remains of a small village during the visigoth epoch, whose name might have been adopted later by Arabs.^[12] The origins of the modern city come from the 9th century, when Muhammad I ordered the construction of a small palace in the same place that is today occupied by the Palacio Real. Around this palace a small citadel, al-Mudaina, was built. Near that palace was the Manzanares, which the Muslims called al-Majrīṭ (Arabic: المجريط, "source of water"). From this came the naming of the site as Majerit, which later evolved into the modern-day spelling of Madrid. The citadel was conquered in 1085 by Christian king Alfonso VI of Castile in his advance towards Toledo. He reconsecrated the mosque as the church of the Virgin of Almudena (almudin, the garrison's granary). In 1329, the Cortes Generales first assembled in the city to advise Alfonso XI of Castile. Sephardi Jews and Moors continued to live in the city until they were expelled at the end of the 15th century.^[12] After troubles and a large fire, Henry III of Castile (1379–1406) rebuilt the city and established himself safely fortified outside its walls in El Pardo. The grand entry of Ferdinand and Isabella to Madrid heralded the end of strife between Castile and Aragon.^[12]

[edit] Renaissance

The Kingdom of Castile, with its capital at Toledo, and the Crown of Aragon, with its capital at Barcelona, were welded into modern Spain by the Catholic Monarchs (Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon).^[12]

Though their grandson Charles I of Spain (also known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) favoured Seville, it was Charles' son, Philip II (1527–1598) who moved the court to Madrid in 1561. Although he made no official declaration, the seat of the court was the de facto capital. Seville continued to control commerce with Spain's colonies, but Madrid controlled Seville.^[16]

Aside from a brief period, 1601–1606, when Felipe III installed his court in Valladolid, Madrid's fortunes have closely mirrored those of Spain.

During the Siglo de Oro (Golden Century), in the 16th/17th century, Madrid bore little resemblance to other European capitals, as the population of the city was economically dependent on the business of the court itself, and there was no other significant activity.^[16]

[edit] From 19th century to present day

In the late 1800s, Isabel II could not suppress the political tension that would lead to yet another revolt, the First Spanish Republic. This was later followed by the return of the monarchy to Madrid, then the creation of the Second Spanish Republic, preceding the Spanish Civil War.^[16]

Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities of Spain by the Civil War (1936–1939). The city was a stronghold of the Republicans from July 1936. Its western suburbs were the scene of an all-out battle in November 1936 and it was during the Civil War that Madrid became the first city to be bombed by airplanes specifically targeting civilians in the history of warfare. (See Siege of Madrid (1936-39)).^[16]

During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, especially during the 1960s, the south of Madrid became very industrialized, and there were massive migrations from rural areas of Spain into the city. Madrid's south-eastern periphery became an extensive working class settlement, which was the base for an active cultural and political reform.^[16]

After the death of Franco, emerging democratic parties (including those of left-wing and republican ideology) accepted King Juan Carlos I as both Franco's successor and as the heir of the historic dynasty - in order to secure stability and democracy. This led Spain to its current position as a constitutional monarchy, with Madrid as capital.^[16]

Benefiting from increasing prosperity in the 1980s and 1990s, the capital city of Spain has consolidated its position as an important economic, cultural, industrial, educational, and technological center on the European continent.^[16]

[edit] Geography

[edit] Climate

The region of Madrid features the rare Continental Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa)^[17][18] with cool winters due to altitude, including sporadic snowfalls and minimum temperatures often below 0 °C (32 °F). Summer tends to be hot with temperatures that consistently surpass 30 °C (86 °F) in July and that can rarely reach 40 °C (104 °F). Due to Madrid's altitude and dry climate, nightly temperatures tend to be cooler, leading to a lower average in the summer months. Precipitation levels are low, but precipitation can be observed throughout the year. Summer and winter are the driest seasons, with most rainfall occurring in the autumn and spring.^[19]

Weather data for Madrid
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	9.7 (49)	12.0 (54)	15.7 (60)	17.5 (64)	21.4 (71)	26.9 (80)	31.2 (88)	30.7 (87)	26.0 (79)	19.0 (66)	13.4 (56)	10.1 (50)	19.4 (67)
Average low °C (°F)	2.6 (37)	3.7 (39)	5.6 (42)	7.2 (45)	10.7 (51)	15.1 (59)	18.4 (65)	18.2 (65)	15.0 (59)	10.2 (50)	6 (43)	3.8 (39)	9.7 (49)
Precipitation cm (inches)	3.7 (1.5)	3.5 (1.4)	2.6 (1)	4.7 (1.9)	5.2 (2)	2.5 (1)	1.5 (0.6)	1.0 (0.4)	2.8 (1.1)	4.9 (1.9)	5.6 (2.2)	5.6 (2.2)	43.6 (17.2)
Avg. precipitation days	9	9	7	11	12	7	3	3	5	9	9	11	95
Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN)[20]

[edit] Water supply

Madrid derives almost 50 percent of its water supply from dams and reservoirs built on the Lozoya River, such as the El Atazar Dam.

[edit] Districts

Madrid is administratively divided into 21 districts, which are further subdivided into 128 wards (barrios)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Madrid districts. The numbers correspond with the list in the left

1. Centro: Palacio, Embajadores, Cortes, Justicia, Universidad, Sol.
2. Arganzuela: Imperial, Acacias, La Chopera, Legazpi, Delicias, Palos de Moguer, Atocha.
3. Retiro: Pacífico, Adelfas, Estrella, Ibiza, Jerónimos, Niño Jesús.
4. Salamanca: Recoletos, Goya, Parque de las Avenidas, Fuente del Berro, Guindalera, Lista, Castellana.
5. Chamartín: El Viso, Prosperidad, Ciudad Jardín, Hispanoamérica, Nueva España, Castilla.
6. Tetuán: Bellas Vistas, Cuatro Caminos, Castillejos, Almenara, Valdeacederas, Berruguete.
7. Chamberí: Gaztambide, Arapiles, Trafalgar, Almagro, Vallehermoso, Ríos Rosas.
8. Fuencarral-El Pardo: El Pardo, Fuentelarreina, Peñagrande, Barrio del Pilar, La Paz, Valverde, Mirasierra, El Goloso.
9. Moncloa-Aravaca: Casa de Campo, Argüelles, Ciudad Universitaria, Valdezarza, Valdemarín, El Plantío, Aravaca.
10. Latina: Los Cármenes, Puerta del Ángel, Lucero, Aluche, Las Águilas, Campamento, Cuatro Vientos.
11. Carabanchel: Comillas, Opañel, San Isidro, Vista Alegre, Puerta Bonita, Buenavista, Abrantes.
12. Usera: Orcasitas, Orcasur, San Fermín, Almendrales, Moscardó, Zofío, Pradolongo.
13. Puente de Vallecas: Entrevías, San Diego, Palomeras Bajas, Palomeras Sureste, Portazgo, Numancia.
14. Moratalaz: Pavones, Horcajo, Marroquina, Media Legua, Fontarrón, Vinateros.
15. Ciudad Lineal: Ventas, Pueblo Nuevo, Quintana, La Concepción, San Pascual, San Juan Bautista, Colina, Atalaya, Costillares.
16. Hortaleza: Palomas, Valdefuentes, Canillas, Pinar del Rey, Apóstol Santiago, Piovera.
17. Villaverde: San Andrés, San Cristóbal, Butarque, Los Rosales, Los Ángeles.
18. Villa de Vallecas: Casco Histórico de Vallecas, Santa Eugenia.
19. Vicálvaro: Casco Histórico de Vicálvaro, Ambroz.
20. San Blas: Simancas, Hellín, Amposta, Arcos, Rosas, Rejas, Canillejas, Salvador.
21. Barajas: Alameda de Osuna, Aeropuerto, Casco Histórico de Barajas, Timón, Corralejos.

[edit] Metropolitan Area

The Madrid Metropolitan Area (Spanish: Área metropolitana de Madrid) comprises the city of Madrid and forty surrounding municipalities. It has a population of slightly more than 5.8 million people and covers an area of 4.609,7 km². It is the largest metropolitan area in Spain and by one measure the fourth largest in European Union and the 45th largest in the world.

As with many metropolitan areas of similar size, two distinct zones of urbanisation can be distinguished:

• Inner ring (primera corona): Alcorcón, Leganés, Getafe, Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Coslada, Alcobendas, Pozuelo de Alarcón, San Fernando de Henares
• Outer ring (segunda corona): Villaviciosa de Odón, Parla, Pinto, Valdemoro, Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Torrejón de Ardoz, Alcalá de Henares, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Tres Cantos, Las Rozas de Madrid, Majadahonda, Boadilla del Monte

The largest suburbs are to the South, and in general along the main routes leading out of Madrid.

[edit] Submetropolitan areas

A new project, has stated there are more submetropolitan areas inside Madrid metropolitan area:

Submetropolitan area	Area (km²)	Population (pop.)	Density (pop./km²)
Madrid - Majadahonda	996.1	3,580,828	3,595.0
Móstoles	315.1	430,349	1,365.6
Fuenlabrada - Leganés - Getafe - Parla - Pinto - Valdemoro	931.7	822,806	883.1
Alcobendas	266.4	205,905	772.9
Arganda del Rey - Rivas-Vaciamadrid	343.6	115,344	335.7
Alcalá de Henares - Torrejón de Ardoz	514.6	360,380	700.3
Colmenar Viejo - Tres Cantos	419.1	104,650	249.7
Collado Villalba	823.1	222,769	270.6
Madrid metropolitan area	4,609.7	5,843,031	1,267.6

[edit] Architecture

Although the site of Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times, the first historical data that concerns the city dates from the middle of the ninth Century, when Mohammad I ordered the construction of a small palace (site occupied now by the Palacio Real). Around this palace there was built a small citadel (al-Mudaina). The palace was built overlooking the River Manzanares, which the Muslims called Mayrit meaning source of water (which in turn became Magerit, and then eventually Madrid). The citadel was conquered in 1085 by Alfonso VI in his advance towards Toledo. He reconsecrated the mosque as the church of the Virgin of Almudena (almudin, the garrison's granary), now the Catedral de la Almudena. In 1329 the Cortes first assembled in Madrid to advise Fernando IV. Jews and Moors continued to live in the city in their quarter, still known today as the "Moreria", until they were expelled. The Royal Palace of Madrid and the buildings and monuments of the Paseo del Prado (Salón del Prado and Alcalá Gate) deserve special mention. They were constructed in a sober Baroque international style, often mistaken for neoclassical, by the Bourbon kings. Plans for the construction of a new cathedral for Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena began in the 16th century, but the slow construction did not begin until 1879. Francisco de Cubas, the Marquis of Cubas, was the architect who designed and directed the construction in a Gothic revival style. Construction ceased completely during the Spanish Civil War. The project was abandoned until 1950, when Fernando Chueca Goitia adapted the plans of de Cubas to a neoclassical style exterior to match the grey and white façade of the Palacio Real, which stands directly opposite. and was not completed until 1993, when the cathedral was consecrated by Pope John Paul II. On Calle Princesa, in the heart of the district of Moncloa, lies el Ejército del Aire, the headquarters of the Spanish Air Force. A scaled-down replica of the famous Monastery San Lorenzo del Escorial which lies about 50 kilometers northeast of Madrid, el Ejército del Aire is a classic example of Fascist Neoclassicism in Madrid.

The financial district in downtown Madrid between the streets Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, Orense, General Perón and Paseo de la Castellana, its original conception (and its name) to the "Plan General de Ordenación Urbana de Madrid", approved in 1946. The purpose of this plan was to create a huge block of modern office buildings with metro and railway connections in the expansion area of northern Madrid, just in front of Real Madrid stadium (currently named the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium) and beside the brand new government complex of Nuevos Ministerios. A botanical garden, a library and an opera house were also included in the plans, but these were never built. Cuatro Torres Business Area is a business park that was completed in 2008. The contains the tallest skyscrapers in Madrid and Spain (Torre Espacio, Torre de Cristal, Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso and Torre Caja Madrid).

Madrid Barajas International Airport Terminal 4, designed by Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers (winning them the 2006 Stirling Prize), and TPS Engineers, (winning them the 2006 IStructE Award for Commercial Structures) was inaugurated on February 5, 2006. Terminal 4 is one of the world's largest terminal areas, with an area of 760,000 square meters (8,180,572 square feet) in two separate terminals. Consisting of a main building, T4 (470,000 square meter), and satellite building, T4S (290,000 square meter), which are separated by approximately 2.5 km. Hong Kong International Airport still holds the title for the world's largest single terminal building (Terminal 1) at 570,000 square meter. The new Terminal 4 is meant to give passengers a stress-free start to their journey. This is managed through careful use of illumination, available by glass panes instead of walls and numerous domes in the roof which allow natural light to pass through. With the new addition, Barajas is designed to handle 70 million passengers annually.

[edit] Environment

Madrid is full of green spaces and parkland; in central Madrid the largest park is Parque del Retiro, spreading out to the north-east of Atocha Railway station. The station is the core center for high-speed AVE trains, with current lines to Valladolid (North-West), Barcelona (North-East) and Seville (South).

Madrid has many trees, both in parks and on the streets, with about 500,000. In 2005, the city had 300,000 and only Tokyo had more trees (100,000 more), but also had three times more population than Madrid.

Parque del Retiro, formerly the grounds of the palace built for Felipe IV, is Madrid’s most popular park. Its large lake in the middle once staged mini naval sham battles to amuse royalty; these days the more tranquil pastime of pleasure boating is popular. Inspired by London’s crystal palace, the palacio de cristal can be found at the south-eastern end of the park.

In the Retiro Park is also the Forest of the Departed (Spanish Bosque de los Ausentes), a memorial monument to commemorate the 191 victims of the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks.

Atocha Railway Station is not only the city’s first and most central station but also home to a distinctive indoor garden with 4,000 square meters of tropical plants. Atocha station has become a hothouse destination in itself for plant lovers, with more than 500 species of plant life and ponds with turtle and goldfish in, as well as shops and cafes. It's a nice place to visit on a cold or wet day with its even temperature of 24 degrees Celsius, or even on a scorching summer day as a retreat from the heat.

Casa de Campo is an enormous rural parkland to the west of the city, the largest of all Madrid’s green areas. It is home to a fairground, the Madrid Zoo and an outdoor municipal pool, to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the park and city take a cable car trip above the tree tops.

The Royal Botanic Garden or Real Jardin Botanico was an 18th century creation by Carlos III, it was used as a base for the plant species being collected across the globe. There is an important research facility that started life as a base to develop herbal remedies and to house the species collected from the new-world trips, today it is dedicated to maintaining Europe’s ecosystem.

The pioneering ecological theme park Faunia,^[21] is a natural history museum and zoo combined, aimed at being fun and educational for children. It comprises eight eco-systems from tropical rain forests to polar regions, and contains over 1,500 animals, some of which roam freely.

[edit] Economy

Over the last 15 years until 2009, the cost of living increased in Madrid. The city has grown to become the 22nd most expensive city in the world in 2008, the highest any Spanish city has ever featured. Although Madrid is still at 80.7% of New York, dramatic rises since 2005 show that Madrid could easily be challenging the cities higher above the ranks very soon.^[22]

[edit] Demographics

Year	Municipality	Community	%
1897	542,739	730,807	74.27
1900	575,675	773,011	74.47
1910	614,322	831,254	73.90
1920	823,711	1,048,908	78.53
1930	1,041,767	1,290,445	80.73
1940	1,322,835	1,574,134	84.04
1950	1,553,338	1,823,418	85.19
1960	2,177,123	2,510,217	86.73
1970	3,120,941	3,761,348	82.97
1981	3,158,818	4,686,895	67.40
1991	3,010,492	4,647,555	64.78
2001	2,938,723	5,423,384	54.19
2005	3,155,359	5,964,143	52.90
2006	3,128,600	6,008,183	52.07
2007	3,132,463	6,081,689	51.51
2008	3,213,271	6,271,638	51.23
Source: INE

The population of Madrid generally increased from when the city became the national capital in the mid-16th century and stabilised at about 3 million from the 1970s.

From around 1970 until the mid 1990s, the city's population dropped. This phenomenon, which also affected other European cities, was caused in part by the growth of satellite suburbs at the expense of the downtown. Another reason might have been the slowdown in the rate of growth of the European economy.

The demographic boom accelerated in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to international immigration, in response to a surge in Spanish economic growth. According to census data, the population of the city grew by 271,856 between 2001 and 2005.

As the capital city of Spain, the city has attracted many immigrants from around the world. About 83.8% of the inhabitants are Spaniards, while people of other origins, including immigrants from Latin America, Europe, Asia, North Africa and West Africa, represented 16.2% of the population in 2007.^[23]

The ten largest immigrant groups include: Ecuadorian: 104,184, Romanian: 52,875, Bolivian: 44,044, Colombian: 35,971, Peruvian: 35,083, Chinese: 34,666, Moroccan: 32,498, Dominican: 19,602, Brazilian: 14,583, and Paraguayan: 14,308. There are also important communities of Filipinos, Equatorial Guineans, Bulgarians, Indians, Italians, Argentines, Nicaraguans, French, Senegalese and Poles.^[23]

[edit] Government

See also: List of mayors of Madrid

The new democracy heralded a successful movement towards increased autonomy for the regions of Spain, considered as autonomous regions, under the umbrella of Spain.

The City Council consists of 57 members, one of them being the Mayor, currently Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón Jiménez. The Mayor presides over the Council. In the 2007 regional and local elections, the conservative Popular Party obtained 34 seats, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) obtained 18, and United Left obtained 5.

The Plenary of the Council, is the body of political representation ( of the citizens in the municipal government. Some of its attributions are: fiscal matters, the election and deposition of the Mayor, the approval and modification of decrees and regulations, the approval of budgets, the agreements related to the limits and alteration of the municipal term, the services management, the participation in supramunicipal organizations, etc.^[24] Nowadays, mayoral team consists of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and 8 Delegates; all of them form The Board of Delegates (the Municipal Executive Committee).^[25]

Madrid has tended to be a stronghold of the People's Party, which has controlled the city's mayoralty since 1989.

[edit] Culture

This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this article to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (November 2007)

Madrid is one of Spain's most popular destinations and is renowned for its large quantity of cultural attractions.

[edit] Galleries

Madrid is considered one of the top European destinations concerning art museums. Best known is the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three museums. The most famous one is the Prado Museum, the most popular Golden Triangle of Art member known for such highlights as Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas and Francisco de Goya's La maja vestida and La maja desnuda. The other two museums are the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum, established from a mixed private collection, and the Reina Sofia Museum. This is where Pablo Picasso's Guernica hangs, returning to Spain from New York after more than two decades.

[edit] Museums

• Museo del Prado (El Prado Museum)
• National Archaeological Museum of Spain
• Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
• Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
• Museum of the Americas
• Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando
• Naval Museum *
• Casa-Museo José Padilla *
• Casa-Museo Manuel Benedito *
• Museo de Antropologia Médica *
• Museo De La Farmacia Hispana *
• Museo Del Reloj Grassy *
• Museo Lazaro Galdiano *

[edit] Nightlife

Madrid is notable for its nightlife and night clubs. On weekends, Madrilenian youth are known for dancing all night long, stopping only to go home, take a shower, shave, and go to work.

What is also popular is the practice of meeting in parks or streets with friends and drinking alcohol together (this is called 'botellón', from 'botella', bottle), but in recent years, drinking in the street is punished with a fine and now young madrileños drink together all around the city instead of in better-known places. Many places host bands (concerts in Madrid^[26]). Nightlife and young cultural awakening flourished after the death of Franco, especially during the 80s while Madrid's mayor Enrique Tierno Galván (PSOE) was in office, at this time is well-known the cultural movement called la movida and it initially gathered around Plaza del Dos de Mayo. Nowadays, the Malasaña area is known for its alternative scene. Some of the most popular night destinations include the neighbourhoods of: Bilbao, Tribunal, Alonso Martinez or Moncloa, together with Puerta del Sol area (including Opera and Gran Via, both adjacent to the popular square) and Huertas (barrio de Las Letras), destinations which are also filled with tourists day and night. The district of Chueca has also become a hot spot in the Madrilenian night life specially for gay population. Chueca is popularly known as the gay quarter, comparable to The Castro district in San Francisco.

[edit] Classical music and opera

The Auditorio Nacional de Música ^[27] is the main venue for classical music concerts in Madrid, is home to the Spanish National Orchestra, the Chamartín Symphony Orchestra ^[28] and the venue for the symphonic concerts of the Community of Madrid Orchestra and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra. It is also the principal venue for orchestras on tour playing in Madrid. The performs RTVE Symphony Orchestra at the Teatro Monumental.^[29]

The Teatro Real is the main opera house in Madrid and its resident orchestra is the Madrid Symphony Orchestra.^[30] The Teatro de la Zarzuela is mainly devoted to Zarzuela (the Spanish traditional musical theatre genre), as well as operetta and recitals.^[31][32] The resident orchestra of the theatre is the Community of Madrid Orchestra.

Other concert venues for classical music are the Fundación Joan March and the Auditorio 400, devoted to contemporary music.

[edit] Bullfighting

Madrid hosts the largest Plaza de Toros (bullring) in Spain, Las Ventas, established in 1929. Las Ventas is considered by many to be the world center of bullfighting and has a seating capacity of almost 25,000. Madrid's bullfighting season begins in March and ends in October. Bullfights are held every day during the festivities of San Isidro (Madrid's patron saint) from the middle of March to the middle of June, and every Sunday, and public holiday, the rest of the season. The style of the plaza is Neomudéjar. Las Ventas also hosts music concerts and other events outside of the bullfighting season.

[edit] Local festivities

• May 15, San Isidro Labrador (Madrid's patron saint).
• June 13, San Antonio de la Florida.
• July 16–25, Virgen del Carmen festivities (Patron saint of the sea).
• August 6–14, Virgen de la Paloma festivities (Madrid's patron saint)
• August 7, San Cayetano (Cascorro neighbourhood's patron saint).
• August 10, San Lorenzo (Lavapiés neighbourhood's patron saint).
• November 9, Virgen de la Almudena festivities (Madrid's patron saint).

[edit] Sport

Madrid is home to Real Madrid, who play in the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. Their supporters are referred to as vikingos, Vikings, or, more commonly, merengues, meringues. Real Madrid is one of the most prestigious football clubs in the world, having won a record 9 European Cups. Their hometown rivals, Atlético Madrid, are also well supported in the city, and their supporters are called indios, Indians, because they have the stadium near the River Manzanares. The players are referred to as colchoneros, mattresses, in reference to the teams red & white jerseys having been determined by mattress material being the cheapest at the time of the club's formation. Madrid's contribution to the sport is further noticed by the fact that it hosted the 1982 FIFA World Cup final. Along with Barcelona, Glasgow and Lisbon Madrid is one of four cities in Europe to contain two UEFA 5-star stadia: Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu and Atlético Madrid's Vicente Calderón both meet the criteria.

Some of Spain's top footballers are Madrileños, including Real Madrid legend Emilio Butragueño and co (La Quinta del Buitre, "The Vulture's Cohort"), Liverpool's Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres and Real Madrid veterans Raúl González, Guti Hernandez, and Iker Casillas.

Madrid also boasts a prominent place in Spanish basketball, with two clubs in the country's top-level Liga ACB. Real's basketball section has won the European championship more times than any other club, and is also a fixture in the modern version of that competition, the Euroleague.

The city is also host to the Circuito Permanente Del Jarama, a motorsport race circuit which formerly hosted the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix. Historically, the city serves as the last stage of the Vuelta a España cyclist classic in the same way as Paris does in the Tour de France.

Skiing is possible in the nearby mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama, where the ski resorts of Valdesqui and Navacerrada are located.

The city bid for hosting the 1972 Summer Olympics, the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the 2016 Summer Olympics, which were lost to Munich, London, and Rio de Janeiro respectively.

[edit] Education

State Education in Spain is free, and compulsory from 6 to 16 years. The current education system is called LOGSE (Ley de Ordenación General del Sistema Educativo).^[33]

[edit] Universities

Madrid is home to a large number of public and private universities. The Autonomous University of Madrid is the number one ranked public university in Spain^{[by whom?]}, and was instituted under the leadership of the physicist, Nicolás Cabrera. Known simply as la Autónoma in Madrid, its main site is the Cantoblanco Campus, situated 10 miles (16 km) to the northeast of the capital (M-607) and close to the municipal areas of Madrid, namely Alcobendas, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Tres Cantos and Colmenar Viejo.

Another university is the Complutense University of Madrid founded in 1293, which is one of the oldest universities in the world. It has 10,000 staff members and a student population of 117,000. It is located on two campuses, in the university quarter Ciudad Universitaria at Moncloa in Madrid, and in Somosaguas.^[34]

Other universities in Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (public), Technical University of Madrid (public), Universidad Pontificia Comillas (private), Rey Juan Carlos University (public), Universidad Alfonso X, Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca Campus de Madrid, Saint Louis University Madrid Campus and Universidad San Pablo CEU (all of them private).

Madrid is also home to the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid and many other private educational institutions.

[edit] Business Schools

IE Business School (formerly Instituto de Empresa) has its main campus on the border of the Chamartín and Salamanca districts of Madrid. IE Business School recently ranked #1 in WSJ's 2009 rankings for Best MBA Programs under 2 years. It scored ahead of usual stalwarts, INSEAD and IMD, giving it top billing amongst International MBA programs. Although based in Barcelona, both IESE Business School and ESADE Business School also have Madrid campuses. These three schools are the top-ranked business schools in Spain, consistently rank among the top 20 business schools globally, and offer MBA programs (in English or Spanish) as well as other business degrees. Other Madrid universities that have MBA programs include:

• Universidad Carlos III de Madrid through the Centro de Ampliación Estudios (in English or Spanish).
• Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid (in Spanish only).
• Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (in Spanish only).

[edit] Transport

[edit] Air

Madrid is served by Barajas Airport. Barajas is the main hub of Iberia Airlines. It consequently serves as the main gateway to the Iberian peninsula from Europe, America and the rest of the world. Current passenger volumes range upwards of 52 million passengers per year, putting it in the top 20 busiest airports in the world.^[35] Given annual increases close to 10%, a new fourth terminal has been constructed. It has significantly reduced delays and doubled the capacity of the airport to more than 70 million passengers per year. Two additional runways have also been constructed, making Barajas a fully operational four-runway airport.

The Councillor of Transports of the Community of Madrid, Manuel Lamela, announced in 2007 that the city will also be served by two new airports which are expected to be fully operative in 2016, the first of which will be located in Campo Real, it will be initially be used for cargo flights, but also as hub for low-cost carriers, and the second one, expected to be built between the two municipalities of El Álamo and Navalcarnero, which will only take over the routes operating in Cuatro Vientos Airport

[edit] National rail

Spain's railway system, the Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles (Renfe) operates the vast majority of Spain's railways. In Madrid, the main rail terminals are Atocha in the south and Chamartín in the north.

The most important project in the next decade is the Spanish high speed rail network, Alta Velocidad Española AVE. Currently, an ambitious plan includes the construction of a 7,000 kilometre (4,350 mi) network, centered on Madrid. The overall goal is to have all important provincial cities be no more than 4 hours away from Madrid, and no more than 6 hours away from Barcelona. As of 2008, AVE high-speed trains link Atocha station to Seville, Málaga and Toledo in the south and to Zaragoza, Lleida, Tarragona and Barcelona in the east. AVE trains also arrive from Valladolid and Segovia.

RENFE offers:

• AVE
• Alaris
• Altaria
• Talgo

[edit] Metro

Serving a population of some four million, the Madrid Metro is one of the most extensive and fastest-growing metro networks in the world.^[36] With the addition of a loop serving suburbs to Madrid's south-west "Metrosur", it is now the second largest metro system in Western Europe, second only to London's Underground. In 2007 Madrid's metro system was expanded and it currently runs over 283 kilometers (176 miles) of line. The province of Madrid is also served by an extensive commuter rail network of 370 kilometers (230 miles) called Cercanías.

[edit] International relations

[edit] Twin towns

Madrid is twinned with:^[37]

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates [37] Asunción, Paraguay [37] Beijing, China (since 1985) [37] [38] Belgrade, Serbia[citation needed] Berlin, Germany [37][39] Brussels, Belgium [37] Bogotá, Colombia [37] Bordeaux, France Buenos Aires, Argentina [37] Caracas, Venezuela [37] Guatemala City, Guatemala [37]

Havana, Cuba [37] La Paz, Bolivia [37] Lima, Peru [37] Lisbon, Portugal [37] Managua, Nicaragua [37] Manila, Philippines [37][40] Mexico City, Mexico Montevideo, Uruguay [37] Moscow, Russia [37] New York City, USA [37][41] Nouakchott, Mauritania [37]

Quito, Ecuador [37] Rabat, Morocco [37] Rio De Janeiro, Brazil [37] San Salvador, El Salvador [37] Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic [37] Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina [37] Sofia, Bulgaria [37] Tegucigalpa, Honduras [37] Tirana, Albania[42] Tripoli, Libya [37] Warsaw, Poland [37]

[edit] Partner cities

• Paris, France ^[37][43]
• Rome, Italy ^[37]

[edit] Other historic buildings

St. Michael's Basilica.	Convent of the Salesas Reales.	Almudena Cathedral.	Principal facade of the Prado Museum.
San Francisco el Grande Basilica, Madrid.	Casa de la Villa.	Monarchs´s statues in the Plaza de Oriente.	Puerta de Alcalá.
Royal Palace of El Pardo.	Casa Gallardo.	San Ginés Church.	San Jerónimo el Real.
Las Calatravas Church.	Spanish Air Force Headquarters.	View of the (now) Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food headquarters.	Hospital de Maudes.
San Manuel y San Benito Church.	Collegate Church of Santa Bárbara.	Arco de la Victoria.	Plaza de España.

[edit] Notes

Madrid in the European Union v • d • e Capitals of European states and territories Capitals of non-sovereign territories or constituent nations shown in bold italics Western Northern Central Southern Eastern Amsterdam, Netherlands Andorra la Vella, Andorra Brussels, Belgium 5 Douglas, Isle of Man4 Dublin, Ireland Lisbon, Portugal London, United Kingdom Luxembourg, Luxembourg Madrid, Spain Monaco, Monaco Paris, France 1 Saint Helier, Jersey4 Saint Peter Port, Guernsey4 Copenhagen, Denmark Helsinki, Finland Longyearbyen, Svalbard Mariehamn, Åland Islands Oslo, Norway Reykjavík, Iceland Riga, Latvia Stockholm, Sweden Tallinn, Estonia Tórshavn, Faroe Islands Vilnius, Lithuania Belgrade, Serbia Berlin, Germany Bern, Switzerland Bratislava, Slovakia Budapest, Hungary Ljubljana, Slovenia Prague, Czech Republic Vienna, Austria Warsaw, Poland Vaduz, Liechtenstein Zagreb, Croatia Ankara, Turkey 1 Athens, Greece Gibraltar, Gibraltar4 Nicosia, Cyprus 2, Northern Cyprus 2, 3 Podgorica, Montenegro Pristina, Kosovo 3 Rome, Italy San Marino, San Marino Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Skopje, Macedonia Tirana, Albania Valletta, Malta Vatican City, Vatican City Astana, Kazakhstan 1 Baku, Azerbaijan 1 Bucharest, Romania Chişinău, Moldova Kiev, Ukraine Minsk, Belarus Moscow, Russia 1 Sofia, Bulgaria Sukhumi, Abkhazia 3 Tbilisi, Georgia 1 Tskhinvali, South Ossetia 3 Yerevan, Armenia 2 1 Transcontinental country.  2 Entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe.  3 Partially recognised country.  4 Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.  5 Also the seat of the European Union, see Location of European Union institutions and Brussels and the European Union. v • d • e Capital cities of the Member States of the European Union Amsterdam · Athens · Berlin · Bratislava · Brussels · Bucharest · Budapest · Copenhagen · Dublin · Helsinki · Lisbon · Ljubljana · London · Luxembourg City · Madrid · Nicosia · Paris · Prague · Riga · Rome · Sofia · Stockholm · Tallinn · Valletta · Vienna · Vilnius · Warsaw v • d • e European Capitals of Culture 1985 Athens · 1986 Florence · 1987 Amsterdam · 1988 West Berlin · 1989 Paris · 1990 Glasgow · 1991 Dublin · 1992 Madrid · 1993 Antwerp · 1994 Lisbon · 1995 Luxembourg City · 1996 Copenhagen · 1997 Thessaloniki · 1998 Stockholm · 1999 Weimar · 2000 Reykjavík · Bergen · Helsinki · Brussels · Prague · Kraków · Santiago de Compostela · Avignon · Bologna · 2001 Rotterdam · Porto · 2002 Bruges · Salamanca · 2003 Graz · 2004 Genoa · Lille · 2005 Cork · 2006 Patras · 2007 Luxembourg City and Greater Region · Sibiu · 2008 Liverpool · Stavanger · 2009 Linz · Vilnius · 2010 Essen · Istanbul · Pécs · 2011 Turku · Tallinn · 2012 Maribor · Guimarães · 2013 Košice  · Marseille

v • d • e World Book Capitals 2001: Madrid · 2002: Alexandria · 2003: New Delhi · 2004: Antwerp · 2005: Montreal · 2006: Turin · 2007: Bogotá · 2008: Amsterdam · 2009: Beirut · 2010: Ljubljana  · 2011: Buenos Aires

v • d • e Municipalities of the Madrid Metropolitan Area Ajalvir · Alcalá de Henares · Alcobendas · Alcorcón · Algete · Aranjuez · Arganda del Rey · Boadilla del Monte · Brunete · Ciempozuelos · Cobeña · Collado Villalba · Colmenar Viejo · Coslada · Fuenlabrada · Galapagar · Getafe · Hoyo de Manzanares · Humanes de Madrid · Las Rozas de Madrid · Leganés · Madrid · Majadahonda · Mejorada del Campo · Móstoles · Paracuellos de Jarama · Parla · Pinto · Pozuelo de Alarcón · Rivas-Vaciamadrid · San Agustín de Guadalix · San Fernando de Henares · San Martín de la Vega · San Sebastián de los Reyes · Torrejón de Ardoz · Torrelodones · Tres Cantos · Valdemoro · Velilla de San Antonio · Villanueva de la Cañada · Villaviciosa de Odón

v • d • e Municipalities of the Comunidad de Madrid La Acebeda  · Ajalvir · Alameda del Valle · El Álamo  · Alcalá de Henares · Alcobendas · Alcorcón · Aldea del Fresno · Algete · Alpedrete · Ambite · Anchuelo · Aranjuez · Arganda del Rey · Arroyomolinos · El Atazar  · Batres · Becerril de la Sierra · Belmonte de Tajo · El Berrueco  · Berzosa del Lozoya · Boadilla del Monte · El Boalo · Braojos · Brea de Tajo · Brunete · Buitrago del Lozoya · Bustarviejo · Cabanillas de la Sierra · La Cabrera  · Cadalso de los Vidrios · Camarma de Esteruelas · Campo Real · Canencia · Carabaña · Casarrubuelos · Cenicientos · Cercedilla · Cervera de Buitrago · Chapinería · Chinchón · Ciempozuelos · Collado Mediano · Collado Villalba · Colmenar de Oreja · Colmenar del Arroyo · Colmenar Viejo · Colmenarejo · Corpa · Coslada · Cubas de la Sagra · El Escorial · Estremera · Fresnedillas de la Oliva · Fresno de Torote · Fuenlabrada · Fuente el Saz de Jarama · Fuentidueña de Tajo · Galapagar · Garganta de los Montes · Gargantilla del Lozoya y Pinilla de Buitrago · Gascones · Getafe · Griñón · Guadalix de la Sierra · Guadarrama · La Hiruela  · Horcajo de la Sierra · Horcajuelo de la Sierra · Hoyo de Manzanares · Leganés · Loeches · Lozoya · Lozoyuela-Navas-Sieteiglesias · Madarcos · Madrid · Majadahonda · Manzanares el Real · Meco · Miraflores de la Sierra · El Molar · Los Molinos · Montejo de la Sierra · Moraleja de Enmedio · Moralzarzal · Morata de Tajuña · Móstoles · Navacerrada · Navalafuente · Navalagamella · Navalcarnero · Navarredonda y San Mamés · Navas del Rey · Nuevo Baztán · Olmeda de las Fuentes · Orusco de Tajuña · Paracuellos de Jarama · Parla · Pedrezuela · Pelayos de la Presa · Perales de Tajuña · Pezuela de las Torres · Pinilla del Valle · Pinto · Piñuécar-Gandullas · Pozuelo de Alarcón · Pozuelo del Rey · Puebla de la Sierra · Puentes Viejas · Quijorna · Rascafría · Redueña · Ribatejada · Rivas-Vaciamadrid · Robledillo de la Jara · Robledo de Chavela · Robregordo · Las Rozas de Madrid  · Rozas de Puerto Real · San Agustín del Guadalix · San Fernando de Henares · San Lorenzo de El Escorial · San Martín de la Vega · San Martín de Valdeiglesias · San Sebastián de los Reyes · Santa María de la Alameda · Santorcaz · Los Santos de la Humosa  · La Serna del Monte  · Serranillos del Valle · Sevilla la Nueva · Somosierra · Soto del Real · Talamanca de Jarama · Tielmes · Titulcia · Torrejón de la Calzada · Torrejón de Velasco · Torrelaguna · Torrelodones · Torremocha de Jarama · Torres de la Alameda · Tres Cantos · Valdaracete · Valdeavero · Valdelaguna · Valdemanco · Valdemaqueda · Valdemorillo · Valdemoro · Valdeolmos-Alalpardo · Valdepiélagos · Valdetorres de Jarama · Valdilecha · Valverde de Alcalá · El Vellón  · Venturada · Villa del Prado · Villaconejos · Villalbilla · Villamanrique de Tajo · Villamanta · Villamantilla · Villanueva de la Cañada · Villanueva del Pardillo · Villanueva de Perales · Villar del Olmo · Villarejo de Salvanés · Villaviciosa de Odón · Villavieja del Lozoya · Zarzalejo

v • d • e Orchestras based in Madrid, Spain Community of Madrid Orchestra · Madrid Academic Orchestra · Madrid Symphony Orchestra · Queen Sofía Chamber Orchestra · RTVE Symphony Orchestra · Spanish National Orchestra · Chamartín Symphony Orchestra · Sociedad de Conciertos de Madrid (disbanded orchestra) ·

Coordinates: 40°24′N 3°41′W / 40.4°N 3.683°W / 40.4; -3.683

[edit] See also

• 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
• Forest of the Departed
• Large Cities Climate Leadership Group
• List of mayors of Madrid
• Madrid Conference of 1991

[edit] External links

• Madrid travel guide from Wikitravel
• The Official Website for Madrid on Tourism and Business
• WikiSatellite view of Madrid at WikiMapia
• Photos of Madrid
• (French) Madrid : à la découverte des plus beaux musées de la capitale de l'Espagne^{[dead link]}
• History of Madrid
• Development and History of the city of Madrid
• "Renta en los Distritos de Madrid 1996"PDF, 1996, retrieved January 7, 2006
• " En algunos barrios de Madrid el 40% de la poblacion ya son inmigrantes " retrieved on January 7, 2006
• A guide to the natural history of Madrid