Cities: Madrid « Dream Homes

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DATE : 2010-07-14

Cities: Madrid

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The vibrant and historic city of Madrid 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.

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Due to its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre of Southern Europe and 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).[12] Furthermore, Madrid was ranked 10th place with Hong Kong for the world’s most powerful cities, featuring in the top 20 cities for 5 out of the 6 categories considered in the Global Power Cities Index

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.

Fast Facts

· DOB: AD 854

· The largest city of Spain

· The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population is nearly 6 million.

· The third-most populous in the European Union after Paris and London.

· Madrid is the 10th most livable city in the world according to Monocle magazine.10th most-visited city in Europe with about 3.4 million tourists in 2007

· Home of Real Madrid Football team.