Bogotá, Distrito Capital, from 1991 to 2000 called Santafé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent capital district and no longer belongs administratively to that department(SONY PCG-5G2L battery). Bogotá is the most populous city in the country, with 7,363,782 inhabitants as of 2005.[5] Bogotá and its metropolitan area, which includes municipalities such as Chía, Cota, Soacha, Cajicá and La Calera, had a population of 7,881,156 in 2005.[3]

In terms of land area, Bogotá is the largest city in Colombia, and one of the biggest in Latin America. It figures amongst the 30 largest cities of the world and it is the third-highest capital city in South America at 2,625 metres (8,612 ft) above sea level, after Quito and La Paz. (SONY PCG-5G3L battery) With its many universities and libraries, Bogotá has become known as "The Athens of South America".[6] Bogotá owns the largest moorland of the world, which is located in the Sumapaz Locality.[7] The city ranked 54th in the 2010 Global Cities Index,[8] and is listed as global city of the Beta+ kind by the GaWC(SONY PCG-F305 battery).

The area of modern Bogotá was first populated by groups of indigenous people who migrated from Mesoamerica.[citation needed] Among these groups were the Muiscas, who settled in what is now mainly Cundinamarca and Boyacá. With the arrival of the Spanish colonizers, the area became a major settlement, founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada and later capital of the Spanish provinces and the seat of the Viceroyalty of New Granada(SONY PCG-5J1L battery). With independence, Bogotá became capital of the Gran Colombia and later the capital of the Republic of Colombia.

The first populations inhabiting Bogotá were the Muiscas, members of the Chibcha language family. At the arrival of the conquerors, the population was estimated to be half a million indigenous people(SONY PCG-5J2L battery). They occupied the highland and mild climate flanks between the Sumapaz Mountains to the southwest and Cocuy's snowy peak to the northeast, covering an approximate area of 25,000 km², comprising Bogotá's high plain, the current Boyacá department portion and a small Santander region. Most fertile lands were ancient Pleistocene lake beds and regions irrigated by high Bogotá, Suárez, Chicamocha and some Meta affluent river beds(SONY PCG-5K2L battery).

In this area, the population was organised in two large federations, each commanded by a chief. The southwest area was dominated by the Zipa with the center located in Bacatá, currently Bogotá. He was the strongest leader, occupying two-fifths of the territory. The northeast zone was the Zaque domain and the center was Hunza region, currently Tunja(SONY PCG-5L1L battery). Muisca population however, contrasting with Tayrona population, did not develop large cities. Muisca, eminently farmers, formed a disperse population occupying numerous small villages and hut settlements. In addition, some free isolated tribes also existed: Iraca or Sugamuxi, Tundama, and Guanentá(SONY PCG-6S2L battery).

From 1533, a belief persisted in the sense that Río Grande de la Magdalena was the trail to the South Sea, to Peru, legendary Dorado. Such was the target Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, the Spaniard conqueror who left Santa Marta on 6 April 1536 with 500 soldiers, heading towards the interior of current Colombia. The expedition divided into two groups(SONY PCG-6S3L battery), one under Quesada command to move on land, and the other commanded by Diego de Urbino would go up river in four brigantine ships to later on meet Quesada troops at the site named Tora de las Barrancas Bermejas. When they arrived, they heard news about Indians inhabiting the south and making large salt cakes used to trade for wild cotton and fish. Jiménez decided to abandon the route to Peru and cross the mountain in search for salt villages(SONY PCG-6V1L battery). They saw crops, trails, white salt cakes and then huts where they found corn, yucca and beans. From Tora, the expedition went up the Opón River and found Indians covered with very finely painted cotton mats. When they arrived to Grita Valley, of the expedition leaving Santa Marta, only 70 men were left(SONY PCG-6W1L battery).

Along their trip, they took a large amount of gold and emeralds. In Hunza, they captured the Zaque Quemuenchatocha and headed towards Sogamoso, where they plundered and set the Sun temple on fire and obtaining immense prize.

On 22 March 1537, they arrived from the north crossing Nemocón and Zipaquirá salt villages to a place they named Valle de los Alcázarea (Valley of the Fortress) (SONY PCG-7111L battery). Already in Chibcha territory they found goods roads and moved southwest. In the next few days, they came across several villages, among them Lenguazaque and Suesca. They continued through Cajicá, Chía and Suba, the start of Bogotá Kingdom, where they fought Bogotá Chief Indians, who tried to prevent them from entering their town, and saw Muequetá or Bacatá fenced ranch village(SONY PCG-71511M battery), built on a swampy ravine, and Tisquesusa Zipa capital on the right margin of the Tisquesusa River.

The fountain of Quevedo, one of the possible foundation sites of Bogotá

Following the conquerors motto to found and to populate, Quesada decided to build an urban settlement to live in good order and under stable government. To the east on the foothills, they found an Indian village named Teusaquillo near the Zipa's recreation residence(SONY PCG-6W3L battery), supplied with water, wood and planting land and protected from winds by Monserrate and Guadalupe hills.

In 1553, the Main Plaza —now Plaza de Bolívar— was moved to its current site and the first cathedral construction on the eastern side began.[citation needed] On the other sides, the Chapter and the Royal Audience were located. The street joining the Major Plaza and Herbs Plaza —currently Santander Park(SONY PCG-7113L battery)— was named Calle Real(Royal Street), now Seventh Carrera.

Formed by Whites, Mestizos, Indians, and slaves, from the second half of the 16th century, the population began rapidly growing. The 1789 census recorded 18,161 inhabitants, and by 1819, the city population amounted to 30,000 inhabitants distributed in 195 blocks. Importance grew when the diocese was created. Up to 1585, the only parish was the Cathedral(SONY PCG-7133L battery), later on Las Nieves to the north and Santa Bárbara south of the Main Plaza were created.

The city mayor and the chapter formed by two councilmen, assisted by the constable and the police chief, governed the city. For better administering these domains, in April 1550, the Audience of Santafé de Bogotá was organized. At that time, the city became the capital and the home of New Kingdom of Granada government(SONY PCG-7Z1L battery). Fourteen years later in 1564, the Spanish Crown designated the first Royal Audience Chairman, Andrés Díaz Venero de Leyva. The New Granada became a viceroyship in 1739 and kept that condition until Liberator Simón Bolívar achieved independence in 1819.

Nineteenth century

Political uneasiness felt all over Spanish colonies in America was expressed in New Granada in many different ways, accelerating the movement to independence. One of the most transcendent was the Revolution of Comuneros(SONY PCG-7Z2L battery)  , a riot of the inhabitants started in Villa del Socorro —current Department of Santander—in March 1781. Spanish authorities suppressed the riot, and José Antonio Galán, the leader was executed. He left an imprint, though. He was followed in 1794 by Antonio Nariño, precursor of independence by translating and publishing in Santa Fe, the Rights of Men and the Citizen, and by the 20 July movement leaders in 1810(SONY PCG-8Y1L battery). Independence outcry originated in an apparently slight dispute between Creole and Spaniards over the loan of a flowerpot, but became a popular uprising.

The period between 1810 and 1815 is known as "La Patria Boba" (The Foolish Fatherland), because during those years Creoles fought among themselves seeking ideal government forms, initial ideological struggles began and the first two republican political parties —federalists and centralists—were formed(SONY PCG-8Y2L battery).

The Royal Street, today known as the Seventh Avenue (Carrera Séptima).

Between 1819 and 1849, there were no fundamental structural changes from the colonial period. By the mid-19th century, a series of fundamental reforms were enacted, some of the most important being slavery abolition and religious, teaching, print and speech industry and trade freedom, among others. During the decade of the 70s(SONY PCG-8Z2L battery), radicalism accelerated reforms and state and social institutions were substantially modified. However, during the second half of the century, the country faced permanent pronouncements, declarations of rebellions between states, and factions which resulted in civil wars: the last and bloodiest was the One Thousand Days War from 1899 to 1902. After independence, Bogotá continued to enjoy the privilege of being the main educational and cultural center of the new nation(SONY PCG-8Z1L battery).

In 1823, a few years after the formation of Gran Colombia, the Public Library, now the National Library, was enlarged and modernized with new volumes and better facilities. The National Museum was founded. Those institutions were of great importance to new republic's cultural development. The Central University was the first State school, precursor of the current National University, founded in 1867 and domiciled in Bogotá(SONY PCG-7112L battery).

Bogotá's Railroad Central Station

On 25 December 1884, the first tramway pulled by mules was inaugurated, and covered the route from Plaza de Bolívar to Chapinero,[10] and in 1892, the line linking Plaza de Bolívar and La Sabana Station started operating. The tramway ran over wood rails, but since it easily derailed, steel rails imported from England were installed. In 1894, a tramway car ran the Bogotá-Chapinero line every 20 minutes(SONY PCG-6W2L battery). The tramway provided services until 1948, and was then replaced by buses.

President Rafael Núñez declared the end of Federalism, and in 1886 the country became a centralist republic ruled by the constitution in force – save some amendments – up to 1991. In the middle of political and administration avatars, Bogotá continued as the capital and principal political center of the country(SONY PCG-5K1L battery).

From a base of only 20,000 people in 1793, the city grew to 117,000 in 1912. Population growth was rapid after 1870, largely because of immigration from the eastern highlands.

Early in the 20th century, Colombia had to face devastating consequences from the One Thousand Days War, which lasted from 1899 to 1902, and the loss of Panama. Between 1904 and 1909, the lawfulness of the liberal party was re-established and(SONY VGP-BPS8 battery) President Rafael Reyes endeavored to implement a national government. Peace and state reorganization generated the increase of economic activities. Bogotá started deep architectural and urban transformation with significant industrial and artisan production increases. In 1910, the Industrial Exposition of the Century took place at Park of Independence(SONY VGP-BPS8A battery). Stands built evidenced industrial, artisan work, beaux arts, electricity and machinery progress achieved. The period from 1910 to 1930 is designated conservative hegemony. Between 1924 and 1928, hard union struggles began, with oil fields and banana zone workers' strikes, leaving numerous people killed.

Bogotá had practically no industry. Production was basically artisan work grouped in specific places, similar to commercial sectors(SONY VGP-BPL8 battery). Plaza de Bolívar and surroundings lodged hat stores, at Calle del Comercio –current Carrera Seventh– and Calle Florián –now Carrera Eight– luxurious stores selling imported products opened their doors; at Pasaje Hernández, tailor's shops provided their services, and between 1870 and 1883, four main banks opened their doors: Bogotá, Colombia, Popular and Mortgage Credit banks(SONY VGP-BPS9 battery).

Bogotazo

See also: Bogotazo and La Violencia

Following the banana zone killings and conservative party division, Enrique Olaya Herrera took office in 1930. The liberal party reformed during 16 years of the so-called Liberal Republic, agricultural, social, political, labor, educational, economic and administrative sectors. Unionism strengthened and education coverage expanded(SONY VGP-BPS9/S battery). In 1938, the fourth centenary of Bogotá foundation, the population had reached 333,312 inhabitants, a celebrated event.

The celebration produced a large number of infrastructure works, new construction and work sources. Following the 1946 liberal party division, a conservative candidate took presidential office again in 1948, after the killing of liberal leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, Bogotá's downtown was virtually destroyed as violence reigned. From then, Bogotá's urban(SONY VGP-BPS9A battery), architectural and population sectors were substantially reorganized.

[edit]Modern Bogotá

In January 2012, Gustavo Petro became Mayor with a pledge to ban carrying weapons on the city's streets.[12]

Astronaut view of Bogota

Bogotá is located on the west of the Savannah of Bogotá (Sabana de Bogotá), 2640 metres (8661 ft) above sea level. (SONY VGP-BPS9A/B battery) Although it is located in what is popularly called "savannah" (sabana), the geographical site is actually a high plateau in the Andes mountains. The extended region is also known as "Altiplano Cundiboyacense" which literally means "high plateau of Cundinamarca and Boyacá".

The Bogotá River crosses the sabana, forming Tequendama Falls (Salto de Tequendama) to the south. Tributary rivers form valleys with flourishing villages, whose economy is based on agriculture, livestock raising and artisanal production. (SONY VGP-BPS9/B battery)

The sabana is bordered to the east by the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes mountain range. Surrounding hills, which limit city growth, run from south to north, parallel to the Guadalupe and Monserrate mountains. The western city limit is the Bogotá River. The Sumapaz Paramo (moorland) borders the south and to the north Bogotá extends over the plateau up to the towns of Chía and Sopó(SONY VGP-BPS9A/S battery).

Bogotá has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature on is 14.0 °C (57 °F),[13] varying from 3 to 20 °C (37 to 68 °F) during the course of the day. Dry and rainy seasons alternate throughout the year. The driest months are December, January, July and August. The warmest month is March, bringing a maximum of 19.7 °C (67.5 °F). The coolest nights occur in January, with an average of 5.4 °C (41.7 °F) in the city(SONY VGP-BPL9 battery); temperatures can fall below freezing in the nearby towns, causing frosts and fog in early morning, with the lowest recorded temperature within the city being −7.2 °C (19.0 °F).[14] in February 2007.

The official highest recorded temperature is 24.9 °C (77 °F) reached in January 1992 and March 1995(SONY VGP-BPS10 battery).

Hailstorm in Bogotá

The rainiest months are April, May, September, October and November, in which typical days are mostly overcast, with low clouds and some winds, bringing maximum temperatures of 18 °C (64 °F) and lows of 7 °C (45 °F). Hailstorms are very common during the rainy season, and can be very strong, especially in October(SONY VGP-BPL10 battery). Days are mild or cool and nights can get moderately cold due to the city having mild winds at night all year round, though frequent fog from sinking of cold mountain air in the enclosed valley of the city means sunshine totals are much lower than would be expected for a relatively dry location in such a low latitude.

While temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the year(SONY VGP-BPS11 battery), weather conditions can change dramatically during the course of a single day. Climatic conditions are irregular and variable due to the El Niño and La Niña climatic phenomena which occur in and around the Pacific basin and are responsible for pronounced climatic changes. This makes the city's weather unpredictable; sunny mornings can turn into a severe-storm afternoon (SONY VGP-BPL11 battery) (something commonly referred as sol de lluvia (literally, "rainy sun"). Similar to Quito, precipitation amounts possess irregular patterns throughout the year.

Urban layout and nomenclature

Carrera Séptima (Seventh Avenue)

Bogotá has 20 localities, or districts, forming an extensive network of neighborhoods. Areas of higher economic status tend to be located to the north and northeast, close to the foothills of the Eastern Cordillera. Poorer neighborhoods are located to the south and southeast, many of them squatter areas. The middle classes usually inhabit the central(SONY VGP-BPL12 battery), western and northwestern sections of the city.[citation needed]

Street arrangement of Bogotá based on the Cartesian coordinate system: North is to the right.

The urban layout in the center of the city is based on the focal point of a square or plaza, typical of Spanish-founded settlements, but the layout gradually becomes more modern in outlying neighborhoods. The current types of roads are classified as calles (streets) (SONY VGP-BPS12 battery), which run perpendicular to the Cordillera, with street numbers increasing towards the north, and also towards the south (with the suffix "Sur") from Calle 0. Carreras run parallel to the hills, with numbering increasing as one travels east or west of Carrera 1 (with the suffix "Este" for roads east of Carrera 0). At the southeast of the city, the addresses are logically sur-este(SONY VGP-BPS13 battery). Other types of roads more common in newer parts of the city may be termed Eje (Axis), Diagonal or Transversal. The numbering system for street addresses recently changed, and numbers are assigned according to street rank from main avenues to smaller avenues and local streets. Some of Bogotá's main roads, which also go by a proper name in addition to a number, are(SONY VGP-BPS13Q battery):

Norte-Quito-Sur or NQS (North Quito South Avenue, from 9th road at north following railway to 30th road Avenue, or Quito City Avenue, and Southern Highway)

Autopista Norte-Avenida Caracas (Northern Highway, or 45th road, joined to Caracas Avenue, or 14th road)

Avenida Circunvalar (from downtown following hillside on eastern hills going to La Calera, mostly the 1-este (1st-east))

Avenida Suba (60th transversal from 100th street to the Suba Hills; 145th street from Suba Hills westward) (SONY VGP-BPS13A/Q battery)

Avenida El Dorado (El Dorado Avenue, or 26th street)

The largest and most populous city in Colombia, Bogotá had 7,363,782 inhabitants in its metropolitan area (2005 census),[3] with a population density of approximately 4,310 inhabitants per square kilometer. Only 15,810 people are located in rural areas of Capital District. 47.5% of the population are male and 52.5% women(SONY VGP-BPS13B/Q battery).

View of Bogotá at dusk from Monserrate.

British architectural style in Bogotá

99.5% of households have electricity service, while 98.7% have water service and 87.9% have telephone service. However, 32.6% of citizens were living in poverty (living on less than US$2 a day) in 2005.

In Bogotá, as in the rest of the country, the acceleration of the urbanization process is not only due to industrialization(SONY VGP-BPS13/B battery), since there are complex political and social reasons such as poverty and violence which led to migration from rural to urban areas throughout the twentieth century and beyond. This has led to an exponential growth of population in urban areas creating misery belts in their surroundings. A dramatic example of this is the number of displaced people who have arrived in Bogotá(SONY VGP-BPS13B/B battery). According to the Consultancy for Human Rights, Codhes, in the period from 1999 to 2005 more than 260,000 people arrived in Bogotá as a result of displacement, about 3.8% of the total population of Bogotá.[citation needed]

The majority of the displaced population lives in the Ciudad Bolívar, Kennedy, Usme, and Bosa sections(SONY VGP-BPS13A/S battery).

The racial composition of the city's population includes people of Mestizo origin (those of mixed Amerindian and European descent), in addition to Europeans, mostly Spaniards, and other European ethnic groups. It has a large Middle Eastern population, made up mostly of Lebanese and Syrian immigrants. (SONY VGP-BPS21A/B battery)The Afro-Colombian population in Bogotá is smaller than cities along the coast such as Cartagena, where Colombians of African descent have historically resided.

Bogotá has gone to great lengths to change its crime rate and its image with increasing success after being considered in the mid-90s to be one of the most violent cities in the world.[18] In 1993 there were 4,352 intentional homicides at a rate of 81 per 100,000 people; (SONY VGP-BPS21B battery) in 2007, Bogotá suffered 1,401 murders at a rate of 19 per 100,000 inhabitants.[20] This success was the result of a participatory and integrated security policy, "Comunidad Segura", that was first adopted in 1995 and continues to be enforced.[21]

Bogotá is the capital of the Republic of Colombia, and houses the national legislature, the Supreme Court of Justice(SONY VGP-BPS21 battery), and the center of the executive administration as well as the residence of the President of the Republic (Casa de Nariño).[22] These buildings, along with the Principal Mayor's office, the Lievano Palace (Palacio de Liévano), are located within few meters from each other on the Bolívar Square (Plaza de Bolívar). The square is located in the city's historical center, La Candelaria, which features architecture in Spanish Colonial and Spanish Baroque styles(SONY VGP-BPS21/S battery).

The Principal Mayor and District Council – both elected by popular vote – are responsible for city administration. In 2011 Gustavo Petro was elected Mayor; his term runs from 2012 to 2015. Previous recent mayors of Bogotá include Luis Eduardo Garzón, Antanas Mockus Sivickas and Enrique Peñalosa Londoño(SONY VGP-BPS13AS battery).

The city is divided into 20 localities: Usaquén, Chapinero, Santa Fe, San Cristóbal, Usme, Tunjuelito, Bosa, Kennedy, Fontibón, Engativá, Suba, Barrios Unidos, Teusaquillo, Los Mártires, Antonio Nariño, Puente Aranda, La Candelaria, Rafael Uribe Uribe, Ciudad Bolívar, Sumapaz.

Each of the 20 localities is governed by an administrative board elected by popular vote, made up of no fewer than seven members(SONY VGP-BPS13S battery). The Principal Mayor designates local mayors from candidates nominated by the respective administrative board.

Bogotá is the main economic and industrial center of Colombia. In the period 2003–2006, its commercial GDP grew by 10.3% annually, accounting for 25.3% of GDP national trade. However, the unemployment rate reached 11.3% and a 31.6 percent underemployment. (SONY VGP-BPS13B/S battery) The city is one of the largest industrial centers in Latin America. The Colombian government fosters the import of capital goods, Bogotá being one of the main destinations of these imports (the size of Bogota's industry accounted for 24.4% of Colombia's total in 2003). This is due in part to its geographical location, which makes the city a strategic point in terms of logistics(SONY VGP-BPS13B/G battery), since transportation of goods to other parts of the country is relatively fast. This also facilitates the supply of raw materials for industry in the city, by its proximity to agricultural regions like the Eastern Plains. Several multinational companies have established their regional operations here during the last decades. However, the distance from the ports reduces the competitive advantages for exporting industrial products(SONY VGP-BPS14 battery). Thus services (including telecommunications and trade) are gaining share versus industry.

In 2005, consumer goods led industrial production, followed by intermediate and capital goods. Of the 248,000 companies available to Bogotá, 78% are linked to service activities, contributing to 76% employment and 79% of GDP. The highest concentrations of industrial establishments are in Puente Aranda, Fontibón(SONY VGP-BPL14 battery), Kennedy, Los Mártires, and Barrios Unidos, and Engativá (in that order). Important business include the food industries, chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, publishing and metalworking. Also in 2005, the town with the highest labor productivity was Tunjuelito, followed by Teusaquillo and Chapinero.

The main international trading partner in Bogotá in 2003 was the United States, followed by the European Union(SONY VGP-BPS14/B battery). The city exports mainly agricultural products (30%), chemicals (10%) and textiles (7%), and imports transportation materials (17%), machinery except electrical (17%) and electrical machinery (14%).

In 2008, the World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) from the United Kingdom ranked Bogotá as a beta level city, one of their highest rankings. Beta level cities are important world cities that are instrumental in linking their region or state into the world economy. (SONY VGP-BPS14/S battery)

Colombia bore in the 1980s and early 1990s, tourism in Bogotá has increased since the 2000s due to aggressive publicity campaigns and improvements in both infrastructure and safety. In 2007 the Instituto Distrital de Turismo (District Institute of Tourism) was created with the goal of making Bogotá a sustainable tourist destination(SONY VGP-BPS14B battery).

The hotels in the historical center of La Candelaria and its surrounding areas cater to lovers of culture and the arts. This area also has the bulk of hostels in the city as well. The hotels located near Ciudad Salitre are intended for visitors who make short stops in Bogotá or need proximity to El Dorado International Airport(SONY VGP-BPS22 battery).

Important landmarks and tourist stops in Bogotá include the botanical garden José Celestino Mutis, La Quinta de Bolivar, the national observatory, the planetarium, Maloka, the Colpatria observation point, the observation point of La Calera, the monument of the American flags, and La Candelaria (the historical district of the city) (SONY VGP-BPS22 battery). There is also Usaquen, a colonial landmark where brunch and flea market on Sundays is a traditional activity. The city has numerous green parks and amusement parks like Salitre Magico or Mundo Aventura. Just outside the city you can find the salt cathedral and very near candelaria you can find the Cerro Monserrate. (SONY VGP-BPS18 battery) .

There are also several areas of the city where fine restaurants can be found. The G Zone, the T Zone and La Macarena are well known for their gastronomic offerings.

Since the 2000s huge hotel chains have been arriving to the city giving one of the most exclusive hotel services around the world. Some of the most important hotel chains that have arrived to Bogotá are: Marriott, Radisson, JW Marriott, Hilton, NH Hoteles, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, among others(SONY VGP-BPS22/A battery).

Gran Estacion mall in western Bogota

Bogotá's economy has significantly been boosted due to new shopping malls built within the last few years. As of December 2011, over 160 new malls are planned to be built on top of the existing 100 malls.[24] Notable malls include:

Centro Andino

Centro Mayor (the largest mall in the country)

Santafé (the second largest mall in the country)

The city has several television stations: Canal Capital and Citytv are local stations, Canal 13 is a regional station(SONY VGP-BPS22A battery), and is home to the national channels Caracol TV, RCN TV, Canal Uno, Canal Institucional, and Señal Colombia. It has multiple satellite television services like DirecTV and Telefonica; cable TV is mostly provided by the Mexican company Telmex (formerly TV Cable Bogotá, Superview, and Cablecentro) and the Venezuelan company Super Cable, and satellite dishes which offer hundreds of international channels, plus several exclusive channels for Bogotá(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ battery).

In the capital all the major radio networks in the country are available, in both AM and FM; 70% of the FM stations offer RDS service.

There are several newspapers, including El Tiempo, El Espectador, El Periódico, and El Nuevo Siglo, plus economical dailies La República and Portafolio, tabloids El Espacio, Q'Hubo, and Extra, and Communist Party's Voz Proletaria. Bogotá also offers a free newspaper called aDn(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11S battery).

A house in the Chapinero locality, near downtown Bogotá. (Estrato 4)

Energy and sewer bills are stratified based on the location of owner's residence and income,[25] with the intended purpose that wealthier branches of society subsidize the energy bills of the poorer. Bogotá is divided into six socio-economic "estratos" (strata):

A biarticulated TransMilenio bus.

Bogotá's growth has placed a strain on its roads and highways, but within the past decade significant efforts to upgrade the infrastructure have been undertaken(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15T battery). Private car ownership, despite being under 27%[citation needed], forms a major part of the congestion, in addition to taxis, buses and commercial vehicles. Buses remain the main means of mass transit. There are two bus systems: the traditional system and the TransMilenio. The traditional system runs a variety of bus types, operated by several companies on normal streets and avenues(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15G battery): Bus (large buses), Buseta (medium size buses) and Colectivo (vans or minivans). The bigger buses were divided into two categories: Ejecutivo, which was originally to be a deluxe service and was not to carry standing passengers, and corriente or normal service. Since May 2008, all buses run as corriente services. Bogotá is a hub for domestic and international bus routes(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ4000 battery). The Bogotá terminal serves routes to most cities and towns in Colombia[26] and is the largest in the country. There is international service to Ecuador, Perú and Venezuela.

TransMilenio Museo del Oro Station

The TransMilenio 'rapid transit system' was created during Enrique Peñalosa's mayoral term,[27] and is a form of bus rapid transit that has been deployed as a measure to compensate for the lack of a subway or rail system(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ460E battery). TransMilenio combines articulated buses that operate on dedicated bus roads (busways) and smaller buses (feeders) that operate in residential areas, bringing passengers to the main grid. TransMilenio's main routes are: Caracas Avenue, Northern Highway (Autopista Norte), 80th Street, Americas Avenue, Jiménez Avenue, and 30th Avenue (also referred to as Norte Quito Sur or N.Q.S. for short) (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ440N battery). Routes for Suba Avenue and Southern Highway (Autopista Sur), the southern leg of the 30th Avenue, were opened in April 2006. The third phase of the system will cover 7th Avenue, 10th Avenue, and 26th Street (or Avenida El Dorado). The system is planned to cover the entire city by 2030. Although the Transmilenio carries commuters to numerous corners of the city(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11L battery), it is more expensive than any public transport except taxis, and fares increase with petroleum fuel prices. As of 2011 the price of a ticket was C$1700 (about US$0.85); however, a single ticket allows unlimited transfers until the passenger leaves the system, and passengers travel on feeder routes for free. Transmilenio does not yet cover some main routes, and buses are overcrowded(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11Z battery).

100 Street north to Highway

Despite the city's chronic congestion, many of the ideas enacted during the Peñalosa years are regarded worldwide to be cost-effective, efficient and unique solutions. In addition to TransMilenio, the Peñalosa administration and voter-approved referenda helped to establish travel restrictions on cars with certain licence plate numbers during peak hours called Pico y placa(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11M battery); "Car Free Days" on Sundays; a massive system of bicycle paths and segregated lanes called ciclorrutas; and the removal of thousands of parking spots in an attempt to make roads more pedestrian-friendly. Ciclorrutas is one of the most extensive dedicated bike path networks of any city in the world, with a total extension of 303 km. It extends from the north of the city(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18M battery), 170th Street, to the south, 27th Street, and from Monserrate on the east to the Bogotá River on the west. The ciclorruta was started by the 1995–1998 Antanas Mockus administration, and considerably extended during the administration of Mayor Peñalosa.[28] Since the construction of the ciclorruta bicycle use in the city has increased(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18 battery).

Bogotá's principal airport is El Dorado International Airport, west of the city's downtown, at the end of Avenue El Dorado. Due to its central location in Colombia and in Latin America, it is a hub for domestic and international airlines. Currently the national airport has begun to take more responsibility due to the congestion at the international airport(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31S battery).

El Dorado is heavily congested, as it handles more passengers than its optimal capacity. Work on a major expansion of El Dorado airport started in September 2007. When completed, this will expand capacity from the current 8 million passengers a year to 25 million.[29]

A secondary airport, Catam, serves as a base for Military and Police Aviation; there is also Guaymaral Airport, for private aviation activities(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31Z battery).

Building of Science and Technology Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo, National University of Colombia.

Centro Ático at Pontifical Xavierian University

Often known as the Athens of South America,[30] Bogotá has an extensive educational system of both primary and secondary schools and colleges. Due to the constant migration of people into the nation's capital, the availability of quotas for access to education offered by the State free of charge is often insufficient. The city also has a diverse system of colleges and private schools(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31E battery).

Mario Laserna Building. University of the Andes.

There are a number of universities, both public and private. In 2002, there were a total of 106 higher education institutions; in Bogotá there are several universities, most partially or fully accredited by the NAC (National Accreditation Council): National University of Colombia, University of the Andes, Colombia, District University of Bogotá(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31J battery), La Sabana University, Pontifical Xavierian University, Our Lady of the Rosary University, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Military University Nueva Granada, Sergio Arboleda University, Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, Catholic University of Colombia Santo Tomás de Aquino University and La Salle University(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31M battery).

The city has a University City at the National University of Colombia campus located in the traditional sector Teusaquillo. It is the largest campus in Colombia and one of the largest in Latin America. The town of La Candelaria is home to the largest concentration of private universities in Latin America(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31B battery).

Additionally, Bogota is becoming increasingly popular among foreigners and tourists wishing to learn Spanish while discovering the Latin American culture. Schools such as the Meboc Institute have been set up to offer flexible courses to international students at competitive prices.

In Colombia, the primary and secondary schools educational system goes from pre-kindergarten to eleventh grade, that being the high school senior year(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ32 battery). Education in Colombia is not obligatory(only until 8th grade) as in other countries, but the government has implemented a promotional campaign nationwide to influence families with low economic levels to get their children enrolled in school.

Profamilia Transmilenio station near downtown Bogotá

Bogotá has many cultural venues including 58 museums, 62 art galleries, 33 library networks, 45 stage theatres, 75 sports and attraction parks, and over 150 national monuments.[31] Many of these are renowned globally such as(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21 battery):

The Luis Angel Arango Library, the most important in the region which receives well over 6 million visitors a year;[32]

The Colombian National Museum, one of the oldest in the Americas, dating back to 1823;[33]

The Ibero-American Theater Festival, largest of its kind in the world, receives 2 million attendees enjoying over 450 performances across theaters and off the street;[34]

The Bogotá Philharmonic is the most important symphony orchestra in Colombia, with over 100 musicians and 140 performances a year(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21S battery);

The Cristobal Colon Theater, the Country's oldest Opera House, opened in 1892, is home to the National Symphony Association's major act, the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia;[36]

Rock al Parque or Rock at the Park, the most important open air rock music festival in Latin America. Recurring annually, it gathers over 320,000 music fans who can enjoy over 60 band performances for free during three days a year. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21M battery) The series have been so successful during its 15 years of operation that the city has replicated the initiative for other music genres, resulting in other recent festivals like Salsa at the Park, Hip Hop at the Park, Ballet at the Park, Opera at the Park, and Jazz at the Park.

Bogotá has worked heavily in recent years to position itself as leader in cultural offerings in South America, and it is increasingly being recognized worldwide as a hub in the region for the development of the arts(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ38M battery). In 2007 Bogotá was awarded the title of Cultural Capital of Ibero-America by the UCCI (Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities), and it became the only city to have received the recognition twice, after being awarded for the first time in 1991.

Cultural history

Bogotá was a city quite isolated, since communication media were scarce. Only by the end of the century did such isolation decline thanks to the railroad and to some roads linking the city and the Magdalena river and down the river up to the Caribbean coast(Sony VGN-NR11S/S Battery).

During the decade of the 70s, writers of varied trends grouped around Mosaico magazine, founded and directed by José María Vergara y Vergara, to make one of the first efforts to record Colombian literature history and to consolidate the cultural identity of the country.

Cultural life in the city concentrated in literary gatherings, which during the Nineteenth century allowed Bogotanians to share their literary and political concerns (Sony VGN-NR11M/S Battery)and to attend musical and drama presentations. Maldonado Theater featured theatrical and opera presentations and by the end of the Nineteenth century Bogotá had two important theatres: the Theater Colón, inaugurated in 1892, and the Municipal Theatre, inaugurated in 1895, which featured zarzuela (operetta) and musical shows. Also the scenario for important Colombian history events during the decades of the 30s and 40s(Sony VGN-NR11Z/S Battery).

During the nineteenth century, despite constant riots and civil wars altering normal new republic development, Bogotá preserved traditions and uses dating back to colonial times, combined with some European influence.

In 1886 the National School of Beaux Arts was founded and definitely drove artistic development in the city. Alberto Urdaneta was the first director(Sony VGN-NR11Z/T Battery). Painters Epifanio Garay and Ricardo Acevedo Bernal, School professors, were important portraitists, but the most outstanding person at that time was painter Andrés de Santamaría (1860–1945), greatly renowned painting in Colombia. He was Beaux Arts School director twice and his work, associated to impressionism, is the most important of that time. Landscaping trend most famous representatives were Roberto Páramo(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21E battery), Jesús María Zamora, Eugenio Peña, Luis Núñez Borda and Ricardo Gómez Campuzano, painters whose work is preserved in the permanent National Museum collection.

Bogotá gave the Spanish speaking world José Asunción Silva (1865–1896), Modernism pioneer. His poetic work in the novel De sobremesa position him in an outstanding American literature place. Rafael Pombo (1833–1912) was outstanding American romanticism poet who left a collection of fables essential part of children imagination and Colombian tradition(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z battery).

The urban morphology and typology of colonial buildings in Bogotá have been maintained since the late nineteenth century, long after the independence of Colombia (1810). This persistence of the colonial setting is still visible, particularly in La Candelaria, the historical center of Bogotá. Also kept up are the colonial houses of two stories, with courtyards(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21J battery), gabled roofs, ceramic tiles and balconies. In some cases, these balconies were filled with glass during the Republican period, a distinguishing feature of the architecture of the sector (for example, the House of Rafael Pombo).

"Republican Architecture" was the style that prevailed between 1830 and 1930. Although there were attempts to consolidate a modern architectural language, the only examples seen are University City and White City at the National University of Colombia (Sony VAIO VGN-FW11 battery) (constructed 1936 to 1939). This work was developed by German architect James Daly, although architects of rationalist trends participated in the design of campus buildings. We also see in Bogotan architecture trends such as art deco, expressionism and organic architecture. This last trend was typified by Bogotan architects in the second half of the twentieth century such as Rogelio Salmona(Sony VAIO VGN-FW11M battery).

In 2006 Bogotá won The Golden Lion Award at the Tenth International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale of Architecture, in recognition of "their efforts towards social inclusion, education, housing and public space, particularly through innovations in transportation."

Although renowned for its beautiful preservation of colonial architecture, there are also significant contemporary architecture examples found in the downtown and at the north of the city(Sony VAIO VGN-FW11S battery).

In 2014 BD Bacatá will be inaugurated, taking the place from Colpatria tower to become the tallest building of the city. The building its expected to be the beginning of the city's downtown renovation.

In 2007 Bogotá was named World Book Capital by UNESCO. Bogotá is the first Latin American city to receive this recognition, and the second one in the Americas after Montreal(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21E battery). It stood out in programs, the library network and the presence of organizations that, in a coordinated manner, are working to promote books and reading in the city. Several specific initiatives for the World Book Capital program have been undertaken with the commitment of groups, both public and private, engaged in the book sector(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21J battery).

The city is home to the Biblored, an institution which administers 16 small and four large public libraries (Biblioteca Virgilio Barco, Biblioteca El Tintal, Biblioteca El Tunal and Biblioteca Julio Mario Santodomingo). It also has six branches of the Library Network of the Family Compensation Fund Colsubsidio and libraries and documentation centers attached to institutions like the Museo Nacional de Colombia (Sony VAIO VGN-FW21L battery) (specializing in old books, catalogs and art), Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá, the Alliance Française, and the Centro Colombo Americano.

Another set of libraries are the new collaborative initiatives between the state, city and international agencies. Examples are the Cultural Center Gabriel García Marquez, custom designed by the Fondo de Cultura Economica in Mexico, and the Spanish Cultural Center, which will begin construction with public funds and of the Spanish Government in downtown Bogotá(Sony VAIO VGN-FW41M battery).

The National Library of Colombia (1777) under the Ministry of Culture and the Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango (1958) under the Bank of the Republic are the two largest public libraries in the city. The first is the repository of more than two million volumes, with an important collection of ancient books. The latter has almost two million volumes(Sony VAIO VGN-FW41M/H battery). 45 thousand square meters in size, it hosts 10 thousand visitors a day. Bank of the Republic depends also on the Library Alfonso Palacio Rudas, north of the city, with about 50 thousand volumes. Other large public libraries are the Library of Congress in Colombia (with 100 thousand volumes), of the Instituto Caro y Cuervo (with nearly 200 thousand volumes, the largest Latin American library in Philology and Linguistics) (Sony VAIO VGN-FW21M battery), the Library of the Academy of History The Library of the Academy of Language, the Library of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History ICANH, and many university libraries.

Bogotá is home to historical records housed the General National Archive, a collection of about 60 million documents, one of the largest repositories of primary historical sources in Latin America. Bogotá is also home to the Musical Archive of the Cathedral of Bogotá(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21Z battery) (with thousands of books and choral song-colonial period), the Archdiocesan Archive, the Archive of the Conciliar Seminary of Bogotá, the Archive History National University of Colombia and the Archive of the Mint in Bogotá, under the Bank of the Republic.

National Museum of Colombia

The city offers 58 museums and over 70 art galleries. The National Museum of Colombia has acquisitions divided into four collections: art, history, archeology and ethnography. The Gold Museum, with 35 thousand pieces of tumbaga gold(Sony VAIO VGN-FW32J battery), along with 30 thousand objects in ceramic, stone and textiles, represents the largest collection of pre-Columbian gold in the world.

The Botero Museum has 123 works of Fernando Botero and 87 works by international artists. The Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá has a collection of graphic arts, industrial design and photography(Sony VAIO VGN-FW17W battery). The Museum of Colonial Art is home to an important collection of colonial art from Colombia. Fundación Gilberto Alzate Avendaño hosts activities related to the performing arts and shows temporary exhibits of art in its halls and galleries.

Among the scientific museums are the Archeological Museum – Casa del Marqués de San Jorge, which has about 30 thousand pieces of pre-Columbian art, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales (UN), one of the four largest museums of natural sciences in Latin America(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31E battery), and the Geological Museum, which has a collection specializing in Geology and Paleontology.

Bogotá has historical museums like the Casa Museo Jorge Eliecer Gaitan, the Museum of Independence (Museo de la Independencia), the Quinta de Bolivar and the Casa Museo Francisco José de Caldas, as well as the headquarters of Maloka and the Children's Museum of Bogotá. New museums include the Art Deco and the Museum of Bogotá(Sony VAIO VGN-FW139E battery).

Teatro de Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Colombus Theater)

Besides the Ibero-American Theater Festival, the city has forty-five theaters; the principal ones are the Colon Theater, the National Theater with its two venues, the traditional TPB Hall, the Theater of La Candelaria, the Carmarin Theater of Carmen (over 400 years old, formerly a convent), the Colsubsidio, and a symbol of the city(Sony VAIO VGN-FW139E/H battery), the renovated Teatro Jorge Eliecer Gaitan (the highest capacity currently in South America), León de Greiff Auditorium (home of the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra), and the Open Air Theater "La Media Torta", where musical events are also held.

Bogotá has its own film festival, the Bogotá Film Festival, and many theatres, showing both contemporary films and art cinema(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31M battery).

The main cultural center of the city is the La Candelaria, historic center of the city, with a concentration of universities and museums. In 2007 Bogotá was designated the Ibero-American cultural Capital of Iberoamerica.

The "Nemesio Camacho el Campín" Stadium.

The District Institute for Recreation and Sport promotes recreation, sports and use of the parks in Bogotá(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31J battery).

Football has been declared a symbol of Bogotá, and is widely played in the city. Colombian professional Football is popular. There are three professional clubs in the city, Millonarios, La Equidad, and Santa Fe. The twenty titles won by two of these teams (Millonarios have 13 and Santa Fe have 7) makes Bogotá second only to Cali in number of championships won(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31Z battery). The main football stadium is the Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campín (known as the Campín Stadium), which is the headquarters of the Colombia national Football team, where they won the Copa América in 2001.

Other major sporting venues are the covered Coliseum El Campín, the aquatic complex of Parque Simón Bolívar, the Sports Palace(Sony VGN-NR11Z Battery), and the El Salitre Sports venue which includes the Velódromo Luis Carlos Galán (which hosted the 1995 UCI Track Cycling World Championships) and Diamond El Salitre ballpark.

Bogotá hosted the first Bolivarian Games held in 1938. The city hosted the National Games in 2004, winning the championship. It was a sub-venue Bolivarian Pan American Games. In addition, the city on the route of the Tour of Colombia(Sony VGN-NR11S Battery).

Bogotá is currently bidding to host the 2019 Pan American Games. [44]

As in the rest of Colombia, the value of family unity is quite important in Bogotan society, which is especially prominent in religious celebrations and special times of the year.

Historically the city has been predominantly Roman Catholic. Proof of this religious tradition is the number of churches built in the historic city center(Sony VGN-CR11Z Battery). The city has been seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bogotá since 22 March 1564. The seat of the Archbishop is the Primary Cathedral of Bogota; the archdiocese itself is located in new buildings in the north of the city.

The 1991 Constitution facilitated the presence of Protestant movements and other religious groups in the population. The city has a Muslim mosque located in the area of Chapinero. The main Ashkenazi Jewish synagogue (there are a total of 4 synagogues in Bogotá) (Sony VGN-CR11S Battery) is located on 94th street (also called State of Israel avenue). An Eastern Orthodox church and the San Pablo Anglican Cathedral, the mother church of the Episcopal Church in Colombia, are both located in Chapinero. The Mormon Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in the Niza neighborhood. There are four Buddhist centers located in the north of the city(Sony VGN-CR11M Battery). There are also a wide variety of numerous Protestant churches in different parts of the city including the Bogotá Baptist Chapel, the non-denominational Union Church, and the St. Matthaus Evangelical Lutheran Church which holds services in German as well as Spanish for the German-Colombian community.

A broad array of restaurants can be visited in Bogotá where typical and international food can be enjoyed. Parque de la 93, The G Zone(Sony VGN-CR11E Battery), La Candelaria and the International Centre are some of the main sectors where a number of international restaurants are found. Typical dishes of Bogotá include the Ajiaco,[45] a delightful soup prepared with chicken, a variety of potatoes, corn on the cob, and guascas (an herb), usually served with sour cream and capers(Sony VGN-CR21E Battery).

Tamale is a very traditional dish here. Colombian tamal is a paste made with rice, meat or chicken, chickpea, carrot, and spices, wrapped in plantain leaves and steam cooked.

Figs with arequipe, strawberries with cream, postre de natas and cuajada con melao are some of the main desserts offered in the city. Canelazo is a hot drink from the Altiplano prepared with aguapanela, cinnamon and aguardiente(Sony VGN-CR21S Battery).

There are many parks, many with facilities for concerts, plays, movies, storytellers and other activities.

"Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park" is a large park regularly used to stage free concerts (such as the annual Rock al Parque, a festival in which popular and/or recently formed international, latinamerican, and Colombian rock bands play free of charge) (Sony VGN-CR21Z Battery).

The public Parque Nacional (National Park) has many trees and green spaces, ponds, games for children, foot and bicycle paths, and venues for entertainment such as public screenings of movies and concerts and events organized by the Council of Bogotá. It is located between two main streets, the Circunvalar Avenue and the 7th Avenue.

The Bogotá Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico de Bogotá) (Sony VGN-CR31S Battery).

The Children's Museum of Bogotá (Museo de los Niños) is a science, technology and art interactive museum specializing in children and youngsters ages 2 to 19.

"Parque de la 93" is located between 93rd and 93Ath street, and 12th and 13th avenue, and has day-time leisure activities and nightlife. Several of the top restaurants and bars in the city are in this park(Sony VGN-CR31E Battery).

Mundo Aventura is an amusement park, with an entry charge and charges for the different attractions. It has rides for adults and children, a petting zoo, and the "cerdodromo", where pigs race.

"Salitre Mágico" is another amusement park with rides and attractions. The park is near the Simón Bolívar park, where concerts are held throughout the year(Sony VGN-CR31Z Battery).

Parque del Chicó has trees, gardens, artificial creeks and ponds, and a colonial style house converted into a museum.

To the north Parque Jaime Duque has rides, a giant map of Colombia, popular exhibits, a zoo, and a big hand holding the world symbolizing God. There is a reproduction of the Taj Mahal in the park with a collection of reproductions of famous paintings. The park is also used for large concerts, mainly electronic music ones(Sony VGN-CR41Z Battery).

Maloka is an interactive museum of sciences.

Tourist train is a sightseeing train, popular with Bogotá residents, which runs to outlying towns Zipaquirá, Cajicá and Nemocón along the lines of the former Bogotá Savannah Railway on weekends. The route to Zipaquirá (famous for its salt cathedral) is 53 km long. Another line goes towards the north for 47 km and ends at Briceño(Sony VGN-CR41S Battery).

The flag originated with the insurgency movement against the colonial authorities which began on 20 July 1810, during which the rebels wore armbands with yellow and red bands, as these colours were those of the Spanish flag used as the flag for the New Kingdom of Granada. On 9 October 1952, exactly 142 years after these events, decree 555 of 1952 officially adopted the patriotic armband as the flag of Bogotá. (Sony VGN-CR41E Battery) The flag of Cundinamarca follows the same pattern, plus a light blue tile which represents the Virgin Mary's cape.

The flag itself is a yellow band above a red one. The yellow denotes the gold from the earth, as well as the virtues of justice, clemency, benevolence, the so-called "mundane qualities" (defined as nobility, excellence, richness, generosity, splendour, health, steadfastness, joy and prosperity), long life, eternity, power and constancy(Sony VGN-CR42Z Battery). The red denotes the virtue of charity, as well as the qualities of bravery, nobility, values, audacity, victory, honour and furor, Colombians call it the blood of their people.[citation needed]

The coat of arms of the city was granted by emperor Charles V (Charles I of Spain) to the New Kingdom of Granada, by royal decree given in Valladolid, Spain on 3 December 1548. It contains a black eagle in the center, which symbolises steadfastness(Sony VGN-CR42S Battery). The eagle is also a symbol of the Habsburgs, which was the ruling family of the Spanish empire at the time. The eagle is crowned with gold and holds a red pomegranate inside a golden background. The border contains olive branches with nine golden pomegranates on a blue background. The two red pomegranates symbolize audacity(Sony VGN-CR42E Battery), and the nine golden ones represent the nine states which constituted the New Kingdom of Granada at the time. In 1932 the coat of arms was officially recognized and adopted as the symbol of Bogotá.[citation needed]

Bogotá's anthem lyrics were written by Pedro Medina Avendaño; the melody was composed by Roberto Pineda Duque. The song was officially declared the anthem by decree 1000 July 31, 1974, by then Mayor of Bogotá, Aníbal Fernandez de Soto(Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S/L Battery).

Wellington ( /ˈwɛlɪŋtən/) is the capital city and second most populous urban area of New Zealand after Auckland. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It is home to 393,400 residents.

The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island, and is the seat of the Wellington Region – which in addition to the urban area covers the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa(Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S/P Battery). The urban area includes four cities: Wellington, on the peninsula between Cook Strait and Wellington Harbour, contains the central business district and about half of Wellington's population; Porirua on Porirua Harbour to the north is notable for its large Māori and Pacific Island communities; Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt are largely suburban areas to the northeast, together known as the Hutt Valley. Wellington also holds the distinction of being the world's southernmost capital city(Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S/W Battery).

In 2008, Wellington was classified as a Gamma World City in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University.[4] The 2010 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Wellington 12th in the world.[5] In 2011 Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2011 named Wellington as fourth in its Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2011, referring to the New Zealand capital as the "coolest little capital in the world"(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/B Battery).

Wellington was named after Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo. The Duke's title comes from the town of Wellington in the English county of Somerset.

In Māori, Wellington goes by three names. Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara refers to Wellington Harbour and means "the great harbour of Tara".(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/L Battery) Pōneke is a transliteration of Port Nick, short for Port Nicholson (the city's central marae, the community supporting it and its kapa haka have the pseudo-tribal name of Ngāti Pōneke).[8] Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui, meaning The Head of the Fish of Māui (often shortened to Te Upoko-o-te-Ika), a traditional name for the southernmost part of the North Island, derives from the legend of the fishing up of the island by the demi-god Māui(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/P Battery).

Wellington is New Zealand's political centre, housing Parliament, the head offices of all Government Ministries and Departments and the bulk of the foreign diplomatic missions in New Zealand.

Wellington's compact city centre supports an arts scene, café culture and nightlife much larger than many cities of a similar size(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/R Battery). It is an important centre of New Zealand's film and theatre industry, and second to Auckland in terms of numbers of screen industry businesses.[9] Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Museum of Wellington City & Sea and the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival are all sited there(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G Battery).

Wellington had the 12th best quality of living in the world in 2009,[10] a ranking holding steady from 2007, according to a 2007 study by consulting company Mercer. Of cities with English as the primary language, Wellington ranked fourth in 2007.[11] Of cities in the Asia Pacific region, Wellington ranked third (2009) behind Auckland and Sydney, Australia.[10] Wellington became much more affordable(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/B Battery), in terms of cost of living relative to cities worldwide, with its ranking moving from 93rd (more expensive) to 139th (less expensive) in 2009, probably as a result of currency fluctuations during the global economic downturn from March 2008 to March 2009.[12] "Foreigners get more bang for their buck in Wellington, which is among the cheapest cities in the world to live", according to a 2009 article(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/L Battery), which reported that currency fluctuations make New Zealand cities affordable for multi-national firms to do business, and elaborated that "New Zealand cities were now more affordable for expatriates and were competitive places for overseas companies to develop business links and send employees".[13] Lonely Planet named Wellington 'the coolest little capital in the world' in its 'Best In Travel 2011' guide book(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/P Battery).

Legends recount that Kupe discovered and explored the district in about the tenth century.

"The Old Shebang" on Cuba Street, c. 1883

European settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the New Zealand Company on the ship Tory, on 20 September 1839, followed by 150 settlers on the Aurora on 22 January 1840. The settlers constructed their first homes at Petone (which they called Britannia for a time) on the flat area at the mouth of the Hutt River. When that proved swampy and flood-prone they transplanted the plans, which had been drawn without regard for the hilly terrain(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13T/L Battery).

360° panorama of the old Government Buildings

In 1865, Wellington became the capital city of New Zealand, replacing Auckland, where William Hobson had placed the capital in 1841. The Parliament of New Zealand had first met in Wellington on 7 July 1862, on a temporary basis, but Wellington did not become the official capital city for three more years. In November 1863(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13T/P Battery), the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Alfred Domett, places a resolution before Parliament (meeting in Auckland) that "... it has become necessary that the seat of government ... should be transferred to some suitable locality in Cook Strait [region]." Apparently, there had been some concerns that the more highly populated South Island (where the goldfields were located) (Sony Vaio VGN-CR21/B Battery) would choose to form a separate colony in the British Empire. Several Commissioners invited from Australia (chosen for their neutral status to help resolve the question) declared that Wellington was a suitable location because of its central location in New Zealand and good harbour. Parliament officially met in Wellington for the first time on 26 July 1865. At that time, the population of Wellington was just 4,900. (Sony Vaio VGN-CR21E/L Battery)

As the national capital, Wellington is the location of the highest court of New Zealand, the Supreme Court. The historic former High Court building has been enlarged and restored for the use of the Supreme Court.

Government House, the official residence of the Governor-General, is in Newtown, opposite the Basin Reserve. Premier House, the official residence of the Prime Minister, is in Pipitea on Tinakori Road(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21E/P Battery).

The Wellington Urban Area (pink) is administered by four city councils

Wellington is at the south-western tip of the North Island on Cook Strait, the passage that separates the North and South Islands. On a clear day the snowcapped Kaikoura Ranges are visible to the south across the strait. To the north stretch the golden beaches of the Kapiti Coast. On the east the Rimutaka Range divides Wellington from the broad plains of the Wairarapa, a wine region of national notability(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21S/L Battery).

With a latitude of 41° 17' South, Wellington is the southernmost capital city in the world.[15] Wellington is also the most remote capital city in the world, the farthest away from any other capital city. Wellington is more densely populated than most other cities in New Zealand due to the restricted amount of land that is available between its harbour and the surrounding ranges of hills(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21S/P Battery). Wellington has very few open areas in which to expand, and this has brought about the development of the suburban towns in the greater urban area. Because of its location in the latitudes of the Roaring Forties, and also its exposure to the winds blowing through the Cook Strait, Wellington is known to New Zealanders as "Windy Wellington"(Sony Vaio VGN-CR23/B Battery).

More than most cities, life in Wellington is dominated by its central business district (CBD). Approximately 62,000 people work in the CBD, only 4,000 fewer than work in Auckland's CBD, despite that city having three times Wellington's population. Wellington's cultural and nightlife venues concentrate in Courtenay Place and surroundings located in the southern part of the CBD(Sony Vaio VGN-CR23/P Battery), making the nearby suburb of Te Aro the largest entertainment destination in New Zealand.

Wellington has a median income well above the average in New Zealand,[16] with Wellington having the highest median income of all New Zealand cities.[17] Wellington additionally has a much higher proportion of people with tertiary qualifications than the national average.[18] Wellington has a reputation for its picturesque natural harbour and green hillsides adorned with tiered suburbs of colonial villas(Sony VAIO VGN-NW21EF/S battery). The CBD is sited close to Lambton Harbour, an arm of Wellington Harbour. Wellington Harbour lies along an active geological fault, which is clearly evident on its straight western shore. The land to the west of this rises abruptly, meaning that many of Wellington's suburbs sit high above the centre of the city.

There is a network of bush walks and reserves maintained by the Wellington City Council and local volunteers(Sony VAIO VGN-NW21JF battery). These include Otari-Wilton's Bush dedicated solely to the protection and propagation of New Zealand native plants. The Wellington region has 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi) of regional parks and forests.

In the east is the Miramar Peninsula, connected to the rest of the city by a low-lying isthmus at Rongotai, the site of Wellington International Airport. The narrow entrance to Wellington is directly to the east of the Miramar Peninsula(Sony VAIO VGN-NW21MF battery), and contains the dangerous shallows of Barrett Reef, where many ships have been wrecked (most famously the inter-island ferry Wahine in 1968).

On the hill west of the city centre are Victoria University and the Wellington Botanic Garden. Both of these can be reached by a funicular railway, the Wellington Cable Car.

Wellington Harbour has three islands: Matiu/Somes Island, Makaro/Ward Island and Mokopuna Island. Only Matiu/Somes Island is large enough for habitation(Sony VAIO VGN-NW21MF/W battery). It has been used as a quarantine station for people and animals, and as an internment camp during World War I and World War II. This island is now a conservation island, providing refuge for endangered species, much like Kapiti Island farther up the coast. There is access during daylight hours by the Dominion Post Ferry.

The urban area of Wellington stretches across the areas administered by Wellington, Hutt (covering Lower Hutt) (Sony VAIO VGN-NW31EF/W battery), Upper Hutt and Porirua City Councils. See Wellington City for a list of suburbs. See Hutt City for a list of Lower Hutt suburbs. See Porirua City for a list of suburbs. See Kapiti Coast (district), New Zealand for a list of suburbs.

The four cities have a total population of 397,300 (June 2011 estimate),[3] and the Wellington urban area contains 99% of that population. The remaining areas are largely mountainous and sparsely farmed or parkland and are outside the urban area boundary(Sony VAIO VGN-NW21ZF battery).

Another major population area is the Kapiti Coast area, north of Porirua City and including the towns of Paraparaumu, Waikanae and Otaki. The population of the Kapiti Coast is 49800. The beach and garden zones of these townships attract life-stylers and retired people: 24.6% are aged 65+ as at June 2011 estimates: See Waikanae River and Otaki Beach(Sony VAIO VGN-NW31JF battery).

The 2011 Census was cancelled as it was due to take place just after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake . The next census is expected to take place in 2013

Counts from the 2006 census gave totals by area, sex, and age. Wellington had the largest population of the four city council areas with 179,466 people, followed by Lower Hutt, Porirua and Upper Hutt. Women outnumber men in all four areas, according to data from Statistics New Zealand, particularly in the Wellington City area. (Sony VAIO VGN-NW320F/B battery)

Age distribution

Age distributions for the four cities are given (see table below). Overall, Wellington's age structure closely matches the national distribution. The relative lack of older people in Wellington is less marked when the neighbouring Kapiti Coast District is included. Nearly 7% of Kapiti Coast residents are over 80(Sony VAIO VGN-NW35e battery).

The city averages 2025 hours (or about 169 days) of sunshine per year.[22] The climate is a temperate marine one, is generally moderate all year round, and rarely sees temperatures rise above 25 °C (77 °F), or fall below 4 °C (39 °F). The hottest recorded temperature in the city is 31.1 °C (88 °F), while −1.9 °C (28 °F) is the coldest. The city is notorious however for its southerly blasts in winter(Sony VAIO VGN-NW11S/S battery), which may make the temperature feel much colder. The city is generally very windy all year round with high rainfall; average annual rainfall is 1249 mm, June and July being the wettest months. Frosts are quite common in the hill suburbs and the Hutt Valley between May and September. Snow is very rare, although snow fell on the city and many other parts of the Wellington region in July and August 2011(Sony VAIO VGN-NW11Z/S battery).

Earthquakes

See also: Earthquakes in New Zealand

New Zealand government "Beehive" and the Parliament Buildings

Wellington suffered serious damage in a series of earthquakes in 1848[26] and from another earthquake in 1855. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on a fault to the north and east of Wellington. It ranks as probably the most powerful earthquake in recorded New Zealand history, (Sony VAIO VGN-NW11S/T battery) with an estimated magnitude of at least 8.2 on the Moment magnitude scale. It caused vertical movements of two to three metres over a large area, including raising an area of land out of the harbour and turning it into a tidal swamp. Much of this land was subsequently reclaimed and is now part of Wellington's central business district. For this reason the street named Lambton Quay is now 100 to 200 metres (325 to 650 ft) (Sony VAIO VGN-NW11Z/T battery) from the harbour. Plaques set into the footpath along Lambton Quay mark the shoreline in 1840 and indicate the extent of the uplift and reclamation.

The area has high seismic activity even by New Zealand standards, with a major fault line running through the centre of the city, and several others nearby. Several hundred more minor fault lines have been identified within the urban area. The inhabitants, particularly those in high-rise buildings(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15 battery), typically notice several earthquakes every year. For many years after the 1855 earthquake, the majority of buildings constructed in Wellington were made entirely from wood. The 1996-restored Government Buildings,[28] near Parliament is the largest wooden office building in the Southern Hemisphere. While masonry and structural steel have subsequently been used in building construction(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15L battery), especially for office buildings, timber framing remains the primary structural component of almost all residential construction. Residents also place their hopes of survival in good building regulations, which gradually became more stringent in the course of the twentieth century.

Te Aro Park in downtown Wellington

Wellington showcases a variety of architectural styles from the past 150 years – 19th century wooden cottages, such as the Italianate Katherine Mansfield Birthplace in Thorndon(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15M battery), some streamlined Art Deco structures such as the old Wellington Free Ambulance headquarters, the Central Fire Station, Fountain Court Apartments, the City Gallery, and the former Post and Telegraph Building, as well as the curves and vibrant colours of post-modern architecture in the CBD.

The oldest building in Wellington is the 1858 Colonial Cottage in Mount Cook.[29] The tallest building in the city is the Majestic Centre on Willis Street at 116 metres high, (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15S battery) the second tallest being the structural expressionist State Insurance Building at 103 metres.[31] Futuna Chapel in Karori was the first bicultural building in New Zealand, and is thus considered one of the most significant New Zealand buildings of the twentieth century.

The Bucket Fountain, Cuba Street; erected in 1969

Old St Paul's is an example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture adapted to colonial conditions and materials, as is St Mary of the Angels(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ17G battery). The Museum of Wellington City & Sea building, the Bond Store, is in the Second French Empire style, and the Wellington Harbour Board Wharf Office Building is in a late English Classical style. There are several restored theatre buildings: the St James Theatre, the Opera House and the Embassy Theatre(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ17L battery).

Civic Square is surrounded by the Town Hall and council offices, the Michael Fowler Centre, the Wellington Central Library, Capital E (home of the National Theatre for Children), the City-to-Sea Bridge, and the City Gallery.

As it is the capital city, there are many notable government buildings in Wellington. The circular-conical Executive Wing of New Zealand Parliament Buildings(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18E battery), on the corner of Lambton Quay and Molesworth Street, was constructed between 1969 and 1981 and is commonly referred to as the Beehive. Across the road from the Beehive is the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere,[32] part of the old Government Buildings which now houses part of Victoria University of Wellington's Law Faculty(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18G battery).

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is on the waterfront.

Other notable buildings include Wellington Town Hall, Wellington Railway Station, Dominion Museum (now Massey University), State Insurance Building, Westpac Stadium, and Wellington Airport at Rongotai. Leading Wellington architects include Frederick Thatcher, Frederick de Jersey Clere, W. Gray Young, Bill Alington, Ian Athfield, Roger Walker and Pynenburg and Collins(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18S battery).

Wellington contains many iconic sculptures and structures such as the Bucket Fountain in Cuba Street and Invisible City by Anton Parsons on Lambton Quay. Recently a number of new kinetic sculptures have been commissioned, such as the Zephyrometer.[33] This giant 26-metre orange spike built for movement by artist Phil Price has been described as "tall(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18T battery), soaring and elegantly simple" and which "reflects the swaying of the yacht masts in the Evans Bay Marina behind it" and "moves like the needle on the dial of a nautical instrument, measuring the speed of the sea or wind or vessel."[34]

Apartments at Oriental Bay

Wellington experienced a real estate boom in the early 2000s and the effects of the international property bust at the start of 2007(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ19L battery). In 2005, the market was described as "robust".[35] But by 2008, property values had declined by about 9.3% over a 12-month period, according to one estimate. More expensive properties declined more steeply in price, sometimes by as much as 20%.[36] "From 2004 to early 2007, rental yields were eroded and positive cash flow property investments disappeared as house values climbed faster than rents(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ19VN battery). Then that trend reversed and yields slowly began improving," according to two New Zealand Herald reporters writing in May 2009.[37] In the middle of 2009, house prices had dropped, interest rates were low, and buy-to-let property investment was again looking attractive, particularly in the Lambton precinct, according to these two reporters(SONY Vaio VGN-SR11M Battery).

A Wellington City Council survey conducted in March 2009 found the typical central city apartment dweller was a New Zealand native aged 24 to 35 with a professional job in the downtown area, with household income higher than surrounding areas. Three quarters (73%) walked to work or university, 13% travelled by car, 6% by bus, 2% bicycled (although 31% own bicycles), and did not travel very that far since most (73%) worked or studied in the central city(SONY Vaio VGN-SR12G/B Battery). The large majority (88%) did not have children in their apartments; 39% were couples without children; 32% were single-person households; 15% were groups of people flatting together. Most (56%) owned their apartment; 42% rented (of renters, 16% paid $351 to $450 per week, 13% paid less and 15% paid more – only 3% paid more than $651 per week). The report continued: "The four most important reasons for living in an apartment were given as lifestyle and city living (23%),(SONY Vaio VGN-SR12G/P Battery) close to work (20%), close to shops and cafes (11%) and low maintenance (11%) ... City noise and noise from neighbours were the main turnoffs for apartment dwellers (27%), followed by a lack of outdoor space (17%), living close to neighbours (9%) and apartment size and a lack of storage space (8%)(SONY Vaio VGN-SR12G/S Battery)."

Wellington households are primarily one-family, making up two thirds (67%) of households, followed by single-person households (25%); there were fewer multiperson households and even fewer households containing two or more families. These counts are from the 2006 census and pertain to the Wellington region (which includes the surrounding area in addition to the four cities). (Sony VAIO VGN-SR25G/B battery)

Wellington is marketed as the 'coolest little capital in the world' by Positively Wellington Tourism, an award-winning regional tourism organisation[40] set up as a council controlled organisation by Wellington City Council in 1997. The organisation’s council funding comes through the Downtown Levy commercial rate(Sony VAIO VGN-SR25G/P battery).

In the decade to 2010, the city saw growth of over 60% in commercial guest nights. It has been promoted through a variety of campaigns and taglines, starting with the iconic Absolutely Positively Wellington advertisements.[43] The city’s long-term domestic marketing strategy was a finalist in the 2011 CAANZ Media Awards. (Sony VAIO VGN-SR25G/S battery)

Tourism is a major contributor to Wellington’s economy, injecting approximately $1.3 million into the region annually and accounting for 9% of total FTE employment.[45] The city is consistently named as New Zealanders’ favourite destination in the quarterly FlyBuys Colmar Brunton Mood of the Traveller survey[46] and it was fourth in Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2011’s Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2011. (Sony VAIO VGN-SR25M/B battery)

New Zealanders make up the city’s largest visitor market, with 3.6 million visits being made to Wellington each year. Kiwi visitors spend on average $2.4 million a day in the city.[47] The capital has approximately 540,000 international visitors each year, who spend 3.7 million nights and $436 million in the city each year. Wellington's largest international visitor market is Australia, with over 210,000 making the trip across the Tasman and spending a total of approximately $334 million annually(Sony VAIO VGN-SR25S/B battery).

Cruise tourism to the capital is experiencing a major boom, in line with nationwide development. The 2010/11 season saw 125,000 passengers and crew visit the city on 60 liners. There are 80 vessels booked for stopovers in the 2011/12 season – estimated to inject more than $31 million into the region’s economy and representing a 74% increase in the space of two years. (Sony VAIO VGN-SR25T/P battery)

Wellington is a popular conference tourism destination due to its compact nature, cultural attractions, award-winning restaurants and access to government agencies. In the year ending March 2011, the city hosted 6495 conference events involving nearly 800,000 delegate days; this injected approximately $100 million into the economy.[50]

Popular tourist attractions include Museum of Wellington City & Sea Wellington Zoo and Zealandia (Karori Wildlife Sanctuary) (Sony VAIO VGN-SR25T/S battery).

You can explore Wellington with this online visitor experience.

The maximum electricity demand for the Wellington region is forecast to grow on average by 1.4% annually over the next 15 years, from 756 MW in 2012 to 934 MW by 2027. (This is slightly lower than the national average demand growth of 1.7% per annum). The largest source of generation in the region is Meridian Energy's West Wind wind farm, with a maximum output of 143 MW. (Sony VAIO VGN-SR26/B battery) The West Wind wind farm is a few kilometres west of Wellington's central business district, on Quartz Hill and Terawhiti Station. There are some other small generators in the region, but the total peak generation is only 165 MW.

The peak demand in the region greatly exceeds the local generation, and power supply is therefore highly dependent on the National Grid transmission network operated by Transpower. Four 220 kV transmission circuits from Bunnythorpe(Sony VAIO VGN-SR26/P battery), near Palmerston North, provide the main connections with the rest of the national grid. The region is also supplied by the North Island terminal of the HVDC link (the Cook Strait cable), located at Haywards substation, on State Highway 58 above the Hutt Valley. A major upgrade of the HVDC link to be commissioned in 2013 will increase the overall capacity of the link from 700 MW to 1,000 MW from 2012, and 1,200 MW from 2014(Sony VAIO VGN-SR26/S battery).

Further information: HVDC Inter-Island

Wellington's local power distribution network is owned and managed by Wellington Electricity. The main power supplies to the Wellington central business district come from Transpower grid exit point substations at Central Park and Wilton. The Central Park substation is the largest grid exit point in the Wellington region, with a peak demand of over 170 MW (Sony VAIO VGN-SR28/J battery) (forecast to grow to 200 MW by 2020). There are a range of constraints and limitations with this substation, and alternative investment solutions are being developed to improve future security of supply.[54]

The strong winds of the Wellington area, while advantageous for wind farms, sometimes damage power lines. In May 2009, one windstorm left about 2500 residents without electric power for a several hours. (Sony VAIO VGN-SR28/Q battery)In addition, lightning strikes and occasional faults in the electric power system sometimes cause power outages.[56]

Te Papa ("Our Place"), the Museum of New Zealand.

Wellington is home to Te Papa (the Museum of New Zealand), the National Library of New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, the Museum of Wellington City & Sea, the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Museum, Colonial Cottage, the New Zealand Cricket Museum, the Cable Car Museum, Old St Paul's, and the Wellington City Art Gallery(Sony VAIO VGN-SR29VN/S battery).

Wellington has become home to myriad high-profile events and cultural celebrations, including the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival, biennial Wellington Jazz Festival, biennial Capital E National Arts Festival for Children and major events such as Brancott Estate World of Wearable Art, Cuba Street Carnival, Visa Wellington On a Plate, New Zealand Fringe Festival(Sony VAIO VGN-SR29XN/S battery), New Zealand International Comedy Festival (also hosted in Auckland), Summer City, The Wellington Folk Festival (in Wainuiomata), New Zealand Affordable Art Show, the New Zealand Sevens Weekend and Parade, Out in the Square, Vodafone Homegrown, the Couch Soup theatre festival, and numerous film festivals.

The annual children's Artsplash Festival brings together hundreds of students from across the Wellington region(Sony VAIO VGN-SR31M/S battery). The week-long festival includes music and dance performances and the presentation of visual arts.

Filmmakers Sir Peter Jackson, Sir Richard Taylor and a growing team of creative professionals have turned the eastern suburb of Miramar into a film-making, post-production and special effects infrastructure, giving rise to the moniker 'Wellywood'. Jackson's companies include Weta Workshop, Weta Digital, Camperdown Studios(Sony VAIO VGN-SR33H/B battery), post-production house Park Road Post, and Stone Street Studios near Wellington Airport.[57] Recent films shot partly or wholly in Wellington include the Lord of The Rings trilogy, King Kong and Avatar. Jackson described Wellington in this way: "Well, it's windy. But it's actually a lovely place, where you're pretty much surrounded by water and the bay. The city itself is quite small, but the surrounding areas are very reminiscent of the hills up in northern California(Sony VAIO VGN-SR33H/P battery), like Marin County near San Francisco and the Bay Area climate and some of the architecture. Kind of a cross between that and Hawaii."[58]

Sometime Wellington directors Jane Campion and Geoff Murphy have reached the world's screens with their independent spirit. Emerging Kiwi film-makers, like Robert Sarkies, Taika Waititi, Costa Botes and Jennifer Bush-Daumec,[59] are extending the Wellington-based lineage and cinematic scope(Sony VAIO VGN-SR33H/S battery). There are agencies to assist film-makers with such tasks as securing permits and scouting locations.[60]

Wellington has a large number of independent cinemas, including The Embassy, Paramount, The Empire, Penthouse, the Roxy and Light House, which participate in film festivals throughout the year. Wellington also has one of the country's highest turn-outs for the annual New Zealand International Film Festival(Sony VAIO VGN-SR33H battery).

The local music scene has produced bands such as The Warratahs, The Phoenix Foundation, Shihad, Beastwars, Fly My Pretties, Rhian Sheehan, Birchville Cat Motel, Black Boned Angel, Fat Freddy's Drop, The Black Seeds, Fur Patrol, Flight of the Conchords, Connan and the Mockasins, Rhombus and Module. The New Zealand School of Music was established in 2005 (Sony VAIO VGN-SR35G/B battery)through a merger of the conservatory and theory programmes at Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington. New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Nevine String Quartet and Chamber Music New Zealand are based in Wellington. The city is also home to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Internationally renowned men's A Cappella chorus Vocal FX(Sony VAIO VGN-SR35G/P battery).

Theatre and the dramatic arts

Wellington is home to Downstage Theatre, Bats Theatre, Circa Theatre, the National Maori Theatre company Taki Rua, National Dance & Drama School Toi Whakaari and the National Theatre for Children at Capital E in Civic Square.

Wellington is home to groups that perform Improvised Theatre and Improvisational comedy, including Wellington Improvisation Troupe (WIT), The Improvisors and youth group, Joe Improv. Te Whaea National Dance & Drama Centre(Sony VAIO VGN-SR35G/S battery), houses New Zealand's University-level school's of Dance and Drama, Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School & New Zealand School of Dance. These Brother & Sister Institutions are separately run entities that share the building's facilities.

St James' Theatre on Courtenay Place is a popular venue for artistic performances.

Wellington is the home for the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand School of Dance.

Wellington has a small but thriving comedy scene(Sony VAIO VGN-SR35M/B battery), aided in recent years by the emergence of the Fringe Bar as the home for Wellington comedy. The venue hosts up to three nights of comedy every week, with a mix of stand-up, improv and sketch. The monthly El Jaguar Fiesta de Variety showcases a mix of music, singing, burlesque, and comedy.[61] Other venues which host comedy in Wellington include the San Francisco Bath House(Sony VAIO VGN-SR35T/B battery).

Many of New Zealand's prominent comedians have either come from Wellington or have got their start there, such as Ginette McDonald ("Lynn of Tawa"), Raybon Kan, Dai Henwood, Ben Hurley, Steve Wrigley, Guy Williams, and, most famously, the Flight of the Conchords and the satirist John Clarke ("Fred Dagg"), who found even greater fame after he moved to Australia(Sony VAIO VGN-SR35T/P battery).

The comedy group Breaking the 5th Wall[62] operates out of Wellington and has regular shows around the city, performing a mix of sketches and semi-improvised theatre.

Wellington is also home to groups that perform improvised theatre and improvisational comedy, including Wellington Improvisation Troupe (WIT), The Improvisors and youth group Joe Improv.

Wellington also hosts shows in the annual New Zealand International Comedy Festival(Sony VAIO VGN-SR35T/S battery). The NZ International Comedy Fest 2010 featured over 250 local and international comedy acts and was a revolutionary first in incorporating an iPhone application for the Festival.[63]

Art Ferns and Civic Square

From 1936 to 1992 Wellington was home to the National Art Gallery of New Zealand, when it was amalgamated into Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Wellington is also home to the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts and the Arts Foundation of New Zealand. The city's arts centre, Toi Poneke, is a nexus of creative projects(Sony VAIO VGN-SR38/P battery), collaborations, and multi-disciplinary production. Arts Programmes and Services Manager Eric Vaughn Holowacz and a small team based in the Abel Smith Street facility have produced ambitious initiatives such as Opening Notes, Drive by Art, and public art projects. The city is home to experimental arts publication White Fungus. The Learning Connexion provides art classes. Other visual art galleries include the City Gallery(Sony VAIO VGN-SR38/Q battery).

Wellington's café culture is prominent. The city has more cafes per capita than New York City.[64] Restaurants are either licensed to sell alcohol, BYO (bring your own), or unlicensed (no alcohol); many let you bring your own wine.[65] Restaurants offer a variety of cuisines, including from Europe, Asia and Polynesia. "For dishes that have a distinctly New Zealand style(Sony VAIO VGN-SR38 battery), there are lamb, pork and cervena (venison), salmon, crayfish (lobster), Bluff oysters, pāua (abalone), mussels, scallops, pipis and tuatua (both New Zealand shellfish); kumara (sweet potato); kiwifruit and tamarillo; and pavlova, the national dessert," recommends one tourism website.[66]

Wellington Phoenix FC – football (soccer) club playing in the Australasian A-League, the only fully professional football club in New Zealand(Sony VAIO VGN-SR41M/P battery)

Team Wellington – Wellington's club in the semi-professional New Zealand Football Championship

Central Pulse – netball team representing the Lower North Island in the ANZ Championship, primarily based in Wellington

Wellington Firebirds and Wellington Blaze – men's and women's cricket teams

Wellington Saints – basketball team competing in New Zealand's National Basketball League

Sporting events hosted in Wellington include(Sony VAIO VGN-SR41M/S battery):

six pool games and two quarter-final games at the 2011 Rugby World Cup

the Wellington Sevens – a round of the IRB Sevens World Series held at the Westpac Stadium over several days every February. This rugby sevens tournament contributes around $6 million to the local economy each year

the 2011 Tae Kwon Do World Champs

the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005

the Wellington 500 street race for touring cars, between 1985 and 1996

the McEvedy Shield – annual athletics meet for college students from Rongotai College, St Patrick's College (Silverstream), St Patrick's College (Wellington), and Wellington College(Sony VAIO VGN-SR41M/W battery)

Victoria University of Wellington has four campuses and works with a three trimester system (beginning March, July, and November).[67] It enrolled 21,380 students in 2008; of these, 16,609 were full-time students. Of all students, 56% were female and 44% male. While the student body was primarily New Zealanders of European descent, (Sony VAIO VGN-SR45H/B battery) 1,713 were Maori, 1,024 were Pacific students, 2,765 were international students. 5,751 degrees, diplomas and certificates were awarded. The school has 1,930 full-time employees.[68]

Massey University has a Wellington campus known as the "creative campus" and offers programs in communication and business, engineering and technology, health and well-being, and creative arts. Its school of design was established in 1886(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45H/P battery), and has research centres for studying public health, sleep, Maori health, small & medium enterprises, disasters, and tertiary teaching excellence. It combined with Victoria University of Wellington to create the New Zealand School of Music.

The University of Otago has a Wellington branch with its Wellington School of Medicine and Health(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45H battery).

In addition, there is Whitireia New Zealand which has large campuses in Porirua, Wellington and Kapiti; the Wellington Institute of Technology and New Zealand's National Drama school, Toi Whakaari. For further information, see List of universities in New Zealand.

The Wellington area has numerous primary and secondary schools. See List of schools in the Wellington Region for more information(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45T/B battery).

See also: Public transport in Wellington and List of bus routes in Wellington

A view from Wadestown of the rail yard looking southwest

Wellington is served to the north by State Highway 1 in the west and State Highway 2 in the east, meeting at the Ngauranga Interchange north of the city centre, where SH 1 runs through the city to the airport. Road access into the capital is lower in grade than most other cities in New Zealand – between Wellington and the Kapiti Coast(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45T/P battery), SH 1 travels along the Centennial Highway, a narrow accident-prone section of road, and between Wellington and Wairarapa, SH 2 transverses the Rimutaka Ranges on a similar narrow accident-prone road. Wellington has two short motorways, both part of SH 1: the Johnsonville–Porirua Motorway and the Wellington Urban Motorway, which in combination with a small non-motorway section in the Ngauranga Gorge connect Porirua with Wellington City(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45T/W battery).

Commuting patterns in the Wellington region during 2006; darker red lines indicate greater traffic. Source: Statistics New Zealand.[70]

Bus transport in Wellington is supplied by several different operators under the banner of Metlink. Buses serve almost every part of Wellington City, with most of them running along the "Golden Mile" from Wellington Railway Station to Courtenay Place. Most of the buses run on diesel, but nine routes use trolleybuses – the only remaining public system in Oceania(Sony VAIO VGN-SR46MD/B battery).

Two of Tranz Metro's EM class electric multiple units working a southbound morning service on the Hutt Valley Line. Wellington is the only New Zealand city with electric suburban trains.

Wellington lies at the southern end of the North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT) and the Wairarapa Line, converging on Wellington Railway Station at the northern end of central Wellington. Two long-distance services leave from Wellington(Sony VAIO VGN-SR46TD/B battery): the Capital Connection, for commuters from Palmerston North, and The Overlander to Auckland. During 2006, there was serious discussion to withdraw the Overlander because of lack of passengers; a railway spokesperson said the number of passengers was so low that "we could not justify keeping it going".[71] In September 2006, however, the then operator announced there would be continued service but on a reduced basis (Sony VAIO VGN-SR48J/B battery) (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in the off-peak winter season, and daily in the peak summer and Easter period).

Four electrified suburban lines radiate to the outer suburbs – the Johnsonville Line north to the northern suburbs, ending at Johnsonville; the Kapiti Line along the NIMT to Porirua and to Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast(Sony VAIO VGN-SR49D/J battery); the Melling Line to Lower Hutt via Petone, and the Hutt Valley Line along the Wairarapa Line via Waterloo and Taita to Upper Hutt. A diesel-hauled carriage service, the Wairarapa Connection, connects several times daily to Masterton in the Wairarapa via the 8.8-kilometre (5.5 mi) long Rimutaka Tunnel.

Wellington is the northern terminus of Cook Strait ferries to Picton in the South Island, provided by state-owned Interislander and private Bluebridge(Sony VAIO VGN-SR49VN/H battery). Local ferries connect Wellington city centre with Eastbourne, Seatoun and Petone.

Wellington International Airport is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south-east of the city. It is serviced by flights from across New Zealand, and to Australia and the Pacific Islands. Flights to other international destinations require a transfer at another airport, as larger aircraft cannot use Wellington's short (1,936-metre or 6,352-foot) runway(SONY Vaio VGN-NS10J/S Battery). The airport is the base for Wellington Aero Club, a private not-for-profit aeronautical flight school.

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of 358,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), 280 km (170 mi) south-west of Sydney, and 660 km (410 mi) north-east of Melbourne. A resident of Canberra is known as a "Canberran"(Dell N3010 battery). The ACT, like Washington, D. C. in the United States, is independent of any state to prevent any one state from gaining an advantage by hosting the seat of Federal power.

The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities(Dell Inspiron N4010 battery), being an entirely planned city outside of any state, similar to the American Federal District of Columbia. Following an international contest for the city's design, a blueprint by the Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin was selected and construction commenced in 1913.[5] The Griffins' plan featured geometric motifs such as circles, hexagons and triangles, and was centred around axes aligned with significant topographical landmarks in the Australian Capital Territory(Dell Inspiron 1420 battery).

The city's design was heavily influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned Canberra the title of the "bush capital". The growth and development of Canberra were hindered by the World Wars and the Great Depression(Dell Inspiron 1464 battery), which exacerbated a series of planning disputes and the ineffectiveness of a sequence of bodies that were to oversee the development of the city. The national capital emerged as a thriving city after World War II, as Prime Minister Robert Menzies championed its development and the National Capital Development Commission was formed with executive powers. Although the Australian Capital Territory is now self-governing, the federal government retains some influence through the National Capital Authority(Dell Inspiron 1564 battery).

As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance, such as the Australian War Memorial, Australian National University, Australian Institute of Sport, National Gallery, National Museum and the National Library(Dell Inspiron 1764 battery). The Australian Army's officer corps are trained at the Royal Military College, Duntroon and the Australian Defence Force Academy is also located in the capital. The ACT was originally designed to be similar to Washington, D.C. as a neutral site for the Federal seat of government, consequently not giving any particular state an advantage by hosting the government. Unlike Washington(Dell Inspiron 1520 battery), D. C. however, the ACT has voting representation in the Federal Parliament similar to the other Territories, and has their own independent Territorial Parliament and government similar to the states.

As the city has a high proportion of public servants, the federal government contributes the largest percentage of Gross State Product and is the largest single employer in Canberra. As the seat of government(Dell Inspiron 1521 battery), the unemployment rate is lower and the average income higher than the national average, while property prices are relatively high, in part due to comparatively restricted development regulations. Tertiary education levels are higher, while the population is younger.

Etymology

The word "Canberra" is popularly claimed to derive from the word Kambera or Canberry and mean "meeting place" in the old Ngunnawal language of the local Ngabri people. (Dell inspiron 1525 battery)

Alternatively, the name was reported by Queanbeyan newspaper owner John Gale in the 1860s to be an anglicisation of the indigenous name 'nganbra' or 'nganbira', meaning "hollow between a woman's breasts", and referring to the Sullivans Creek floodplain between Mount Ainslie and Black Mountain. (Dell inspiron 1526 battery)

Main article: History of Canberra

See also: History of the Australian Capital Territory

Before European settlement, the area in which Canberra would eventually be constructed was seasonally inhabited by Indigenous Australians. Anthropologist Norman Tindale suggested the principal group occupying the region were the Ngunnawal people, while the Ngarigo lived immediately to the south of the ACT, The Wandandian to the east, the Walgulu also to the south, Gandangara people to the north, and Wiradjuri to the north west(Dell Inspiron 1720 battery). Archaeological evidence of settlement in the region includes inhabited rock shelters, rock paintings and engravings, burial places, camps and quarry sites, and stone tools and arrangements.[8] The evidence suggests human habitation in the area for at least 21,000 years. (Dell Inspiron 2000 battery)

Blundells Cottage, built around 1860,[10] is one of the few remaining buildings built by the first European settlers of Canberra.

European exploration and settlement started in the Canberra area as early as the 1820s. There were four expeditions between 1820 and 1824. White settlement of the area probably dates from 1824, when a homestead or station was built on what is now the Acton peninsula by stockmen employed by Joshua John Moore(Dell INSPIRON 2600 battery). He formally purchased the site in 1826, and named the property "Canberry".

The European population in the Canberra area continued to grow slowly throughout the 19th century. Among them was the Campbell family of "Duntroon";[16] their imposing stone house is now the officers' mess of the Royal Military College, Duntroon.[17] The Campbells sponsored settlement by other farmer families to work their land, such as the Southwells of "Weetangera".(Dell INSPIRON 3800 battery) Other notable early settlers included the inter-related Murray and Gibbes families, who owned the Yarralumla estate—now the site of the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia—from the 1830s through to 1881.

The oldest surviving public building in the inner-city is the Anglican Church of St John the Baptist, in the suburb of Reid,[20] which was consecrated in 1845. St John's churchyard contains the earliest graves in the district(Dell INSPIRON 4000 battery). As the European presence increased, the indigenous population dwindled, mainly from disease such as smallpox and measles.

The decisions to start and locate a capital

The district's change from a New South Wales (NSW) rural area to the national capital started during debates over Federation in the late 19th century. Following a long dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the national capital, a compromise was reached: the new capital would be built in New South Wales(Dell Inspiron 5000 battery), so long as it was at least 100 miles (160 km) from Sydney,[25] with Melbourne to be the temporary seat of government (but not referred to as the "capital") while the new capital was built.[28] Newspaper proprietor John Gale circulated a pamphlet titled 'Dalgety or Canberra: Which?' advocating Canberra to every member of the Commonwealth's seven States Parliaments. By many accounts, it was decisive in the selection of Canberra as the site in 1908(Dell INSPIRON 500M battery), as was a result of survey work done by the government surveyor Charles Scrivener.[29] The NSW government ceded the Federal Capital Territory (as it was then known) to the federal government. In an international design competition conducted by the Department of Home Affairs, on 24 May 1911, the design by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin was chosen for the city(Dell INSPIRON 5100 battery), and in 1913 Griffin was appointed Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction and construction began.

The opening of Parliament House in May 1927.

History of Canberra as a capital city

On 12 March 1913,[34] the city was officially given its name by Lady Denman, the wife of Governor-General Lord Denman, at a ceremony at Kurrajong Hill, which has since become Capital Hill and the site of the present Parliament House(Dell INSPIRON 510M battery). Canberra Day is a public holiday observed in the ACT on the second Monday in March to celebrate the founding of Canberra.[24] After the ceremony, bureaucratic disputes hindered Griffin's work; a Royal Commission in 1916 ruled his authority had been usurped by certain officials.[38] Griffin's relationship with the Australian authorities was strained and a lack of funding meant that by the time he was fired in 1920, little work had been done. (Dell INSPIRON 6000 battery) By this time, Griffin had revised his plan, overseen the earthworks of major avenues,[41] and established the Glenloch Cork Plantation.[42]

The federal legislature moved to Canberra on 9 May 1927, with the opening of the Provisional Parliament House.[43] The Prime Minister, Stanley Bruce,[44] had officially taken up residence in The Lodge a few days earlier.[45] Planned development of the city slowed significantly during the depression of the 1930s and during World War II. (Dell INSPIRON 600M battery) Some projects planned for that time, including Roman Catholic and Anglican cathedrals, were never completed.[47]

Two of Canberra's best-known landmarks, Parliament House and Old Parliament House (foreground). Commonwealth Place runs alongside the lake and includes the International Flag Display. Questacon is on the right(Dell Inspiron 6400 battery).

From 1920 to 1957, three bodies, successively the Federal Capital Advisory Committee,[48] the Federal Capital Commission,[49] and the National Capital Planning and Development Committee continued to plan the further expansion of Canberra in the absence of Griffin; however, they were only advisory,[50] and development decisions were made without consulting them, increasing inefficiency(Dell INSPIRON 7000 battery).

Immediately after the end of the war, Canberra was criticised for resembling a village, and its disorganised collection of buildings was deemed ugly.[53] Canberra was often derisively described as "several suburbs in search of a city".[54] Prime Minister Robert Menzies[55] regarded the state of the national capital as an embarrassment. Over time his attitude changed from one of contempt to that of championing its development(Dell INSPIRON 700M battery). He fired two ministers charged with the development of the city for poor performance. He ruled for over a decade and in that time the development of the capital sped up rapidly. The population grew by more than 50% in every five-year period from 1955 to 1975. Several Government departments, together with public servants, were moved to Canberra from Melbourne following the war. (Dell Inspiron 710m battery)Government housing projects were undertaken to accommodate the city's growing population.[59]

Most of rapid expansion was achieved after the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) was formed in 1957 with executive powers, replacing its ineffective advisory predecessors.[60] The NCDC ended four decades of disputes over the shape and design of Lake Burley Griffin—the centrepiece of Griffin's design—and construction was completed in 1964 after four years of work. (Dell INSPIRON 8200 battery)The completion of the lake finally the laid the platform for the development of Griffin's Parliamentary Triangle.[62] Since the initial construction of the lake, various buildings of national importance have been constructed on its shores.[63]

The newly built Australian National University was expanded,[63] and sculptures and monuments were built.[64] A new National Library was constructed within the Parliamentary Triangle, followed by the High Court and the National Gallery(Dell INSPIRON 8600 battery). Suburbs in Canberra Central (often referred to as North Canberra and South Canberra) were further developed in the 1950s, and urban development in the districts of Woden Valley and Belconnen commenced in the mid and late 1960s respectively.[67] Many of the new suburbs were named after Australian politicians, such as Barton, Deakin, Reid, Braddon, Curtin, Chifley and Parkes. (Dell INSPIRON 9100 battery)

Canberra Civic viewed from Mount Ainslie with Lake Burley Griffin and Mount Stromlo in the background.

On 27 January 1972 the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was first established on the grounds of Parliament House; it was created to draw attention to indigenous rights and land issues and has been continuously occupied since 1992. On 9 May 1988,[69] a larger and permanent Parliament House was opened on Capital Hill as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations, (Dell INSPIRON 9200 battery) and the Federal Parliament moved there from the Provisional Parliament House, now known as Old Parliament House.[69]

In December 1988, the ACT was granted full self-government through an Act of the Commonwealth Parliament. Following the first election on 4 March 1989, a 17-member Legislative Assembly sat at temporary offices at 1 Constitution Avenue, Civic, on 11 May 1989.[72] Permanent premises were opened on London Circuit in 1994. (Dell INSPIRON 9300 battery) The Australian Labor Party formed the ACT's first government, led by the Chief Minister Rosemary Follett, who made history as Australia's first female head of government.[74] Parts of Canberra were engulfed by bushfires on 18 January 2003 that killed four people, injured 435, and destroyed 487 homes and the major research telescopes of Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory. (Dell Inspiron 9400 battery)

Geography

Panorama of Canberra and Lake Burley Griffin set against the backdrop of distant New South Wales

Canberra covers an area of 814.2 square kilometres[2] (314.3 sq. mi) and is located near the Brindabella Ranges, approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) inland from Australia's east coast. It has an elevation of approximately 580 metres (1,900 ft) AHD;[76] the highest point is Mount Majura at 888 metres (2,913 ft). Other large hills include Mount Taylor, Mount Ainslie, Mount Mugga Mugga and Black Mountain. (Dell Inspiron E1505 battery)

The native forest in the Canberra region was almost wholly eucalypt species and provided a resource for fuel and domestic purposes. By the early 1960s, logging had depleted the eucalypt, and concern about water quality led to the forests being closed. Interest in forestry began in 1915 with trials of a number of species including Pinus radiata on the slopes of Mount Stromlo(Dell Inspiron E1705 battery). Since then, plantations have been expanded, with the benefit of reducing erosion in the Cotter catchment, and the forests are also popular recreation areas.[80]

The location of Canberra within the ACT. Canberra's main districts are shown in yellow: Canberra Central (marked as North Canberra and South Canberra), Woden Valley, Belconnen, Weston Creek, Tuggeranong, and Gungahlin(Dell Inspiron Mini 9 battery).

The urban environs of the city of Canberra straddle the Ginninderra plain, Molonglo plain, the Limestone plain, and the Tuggeranong plain (Isabella's Plain).[81] The Molonglo River which flows across the Molonglo plain has been dammed to form the national capital's iconic feature Lake Burley Griffin.[82] The Molonglo then flows into the Murrumbidgee north-west of Canberra(Dell Latitude D400 battery), which in turn flows north-west toward the New South Wales town of Yass. The Queanbeyan River joins the Molonglo River at Oaks Estate just within the ACT.

A number of creeks, including Jerrabomberra and Yarralumla Creeks, flow into the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee.[81] Two of these creeks, the Ginninderra and Tuggeranong, have similarly been dammed to form Lakes Ginninderra and Tuggeranong. Until recently the Molonglo River had a history of sometimes calamitous floods(Dell STUDIO 1450 battery); the area was a flood plain prior to the filling of Lake Burley Griffin.

Climate

Canberra has a relatively dry oceanic climate with warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters.[76] Canberra experiences warm, quite dry summers, and chilly winters with heavy fog and frequent frosts. Snow is rare in the CBD but the surrounding areas get annual snowfall through winter and often the snow capped mountains can be seen from the CBD(Dell Vostro 1400 battery). The highest recorded maximum temperature was 42.2 °C (108.0 °F) on 1 February 1968.

The lowest recorded minimum temperature was −10 °C (14.0 °F) on 11 July 1971.[76] Light snow often falls only once or twice per year but is usually not widespread and quickly dissipates.[76] Canberra is protected from the west by the Brindabellas which create a slight rain shadow in Canberra's valleys(Dell Vostro 1500 battery).

Annual rainfall is the third lowest of the capital cities (after Adelaide and Hobart)[88] but is spread fairly evenly over the seasons, with late spring bringing the highest rainfall.[89] Thunderstorms occur mostly between October and April,[76] owing to the effect of summer and the mountains. The area is not very windy and the breeze is at its strongest from August to November. Canberra is less humid than the nearby coastal areas(Dell XPS M1210 battery).

Urban structure

Main article: Suburbs of Canberra

Inner Canberra demonstrates some aspects of the Griffin plan, in particular the Parliamentary Triangle.

View from Tuggeranong Hill, looking down into Tuggeranong Valley

Canberra is a planned city and the inner-city area was originally designed by Walter Burley Griffin, a major 20th century American architect.[91] Within the central area of the city near Lake Burley Griffin, major roads follow a wheel-and-spoke pattern rather than a grid. (Dell XPS M1330 battery)Griffin's proposal had an abundance of geometric patterns, including concentric hexagonal and octagonal streets emanating from several radii. However, the outer areas of the city, built later, are not laid out geometrically.

Lake Burley Griffin was deliberately designed so that the orientation of the components was related to various topographical landmarks in Canberra. The lakes stretch from east to west and divided the city in two(Dell XPS 1340 battery); a land axis perpendicular to the central basin stretches from Capital Hill—the eventual location of the new Parliament House on a mound on the southern side—north northeast across the central basin to the northern banks along Anzac Parade to the Australian War Memorial. This was designed so that looking from Capital Hill, the War Memorial stood directly at the foot of Mount Ainslie. At the southwestern end of the land axis was Bimberi Peak, (Dell XPS M1530 battery)the highest mountain in the ACT, approximately 52 km south west of Canberra.[79]

The straight edge of the circular segment that formed the central basin of Lake Burley Griffin was perpendicular to the land axis and designated the water axis, and it extended northwest towards Black Mountain. A line parallel to the water axis, on the northern side of the city, was designated the municipal axis. The municipal axis became the location of Constitution Avenue(Dell XPS M170 battery), which links City Hill in Civic Centre and both Market Centre and the Defence precinct on Russell Hill. Commonwealth Avenue and Kings Avenue were to run from the southern side from Capital Hill to City Hill and Market Centre on the north respectively, and they formed the western and eastern edges of the central basin. The area enclosed by the three avenues was known as the Parliamentary Triangle, and formed the centrepiece of Griffin's work(Dell XPS M1710 battery).

The Griffins assigned spiritual values to Mount Ainslie, Black Mountain, and Red Hill and originally planned to cover each of these in flowers. That way each hill would be covered with a single, primary color which represented its spiritual value.[97] This part of their plan never came to fruition, as World War I slowed construction and planning disputes led to Walter's dismissal by Prime Minister Billy Hughes after the war ended(Dell XPS M1730 battery).

The urban areas of Canberra are organised into a hierarchy of districts, town centres, group centres, local suburbs as well as other industrial areas and villages. There are seven residential districts, each of which is divided into smaller suburbs, and most of which have a town centre which is the focus of commercial and social activities. The districts were settled in the following chronological order(Dell XPS M2010 battery):

Canberra Central, mostly settled in the 1920s and 1930s, with expansion up to the 1960s, 25 suburbs

The Canberra Central district is substantially based on Walter Burley Griffin's designs. In 1967 the then National Capital Development Commission adopted the "Y Plan" which laid out future urban development in Canberra around a series of central shopping and commercial area known as the 'town centres' linked by freeways(Dell Latitude E5400 battery), the layout of which roughly resembled the shape of the letter Y,[104] with Tuggeranong at the base of the Y and Belconnen and Gungahlin located at the ends of the arms of the Y.[104]

Development in Canberra has been closely regulated by government, both through planning processes and the use of crown lease terms that have tightly limited the use of parcels of land. Land in the ACT is held on 99 year crown leases from the national government(Dell Latitude E5500 battery), although most leases are now administered by the Territory government.[107] There have been persistent calls for constraints on development to be liberalised.

Many of Canberra's suburbs are named after former Prime Ministers, famous Australians, early settlers, or use Aboriginal words for their title. Street names typically follow a particular theme; for example, the streets of Duffy are named after Australian dams and reservoirs(Dell Latitude E6400 battery), the streets of Dunlop are named after Australian inventions, inventors and artists and the streets of Page are named after biologists and naturalists. Most diplomatic missions are located in the suburbs of Yarralumla, Deakin and O'Malley.[109] There are three light industrial areas: the suburbs of Fyshwick, Mitchell and Hume(Dell Latitude E6500 battery).

and the statue Ethos (Tom Bass, 1961)

Outside Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory has no settlements larger than a village. The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly performs the roles of both a city council and territory government. The assembly consists of 17 members, elected from three districts using proportional representation.[73] The three districts are Molonglo, Ginninderra and Brindabella, which elect seven, five and five members, respectively. (Dell Inspiron Mini 12 battery)

The Chief Minister is elected by the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and selects colleagues to serve as ministers alongside him or her in the Executive, known informally as the cabinet.[111] Whereas the ACT has federally been dominated by Labor, the Liberals have been able to gain some footing in the ACT Legislative Assembly, and were in government for just over eight of the Assembly's 21-year history(Dell XPS M140 battery), mostly during a period of six and half years from 1995 and 2001, when Labor won power.[73] At the 2004 election the Australian Labor Party, headed by then Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, won nine of the 17 seats and formed the ACT's first majority government,[73] but after the 2008 election was forced into minority government with the Greens(Dell XPS 13 battery).

As almost all of the ACT's population lives in Canberra, political trends for both areas are closely aligned. The ACT was given its first federal parliamentary representation in 1949, when it gained a seat in the House of Representatives, the Division of Australian Capital Territory. The ACT member could only vote on matters directly affecting the territory.[116] In 1974, the ACT was allocated two Senate seats. In 1974, the House of Representatives seat was divided into two(Dell XPS 16 battery).

A third was created in 1996, but was abolished in 1998 because of changes to the regional demographic distribution. Both House of Representatives seats have mostly been held by Labor, usually by comfortable margins. Labor has polled at least seven percentage points more than the Liberals at every federal election since 1990, and their average lead since then has been 15 percentage points. (Dell XPS 1640 battery) The ALP and the Liberal Party of Australia have always held one Senate seat each.

The Australian federal government retains some influence over the ACT government. In the administrative sphere, most frequently this is through the actions of the National Capital Authority which is responsible for planning and development in areas of Canberra which are considered to be of national importance or which are central to Griffin's plan for the city, (Dell XPS 1645 battery)such as the Parliamentary Triangle, Lake Burley Griffin, major approach and processional roads, areas where the Commonwealth retains ownership of the land or undeveloped hills and ridge-lines (which form part of the Canberra Nature Park). The national government also retains a level of control over the Territory Assembly through the provisions of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988(Dell XPS 1647 battery). This federal act defines the legislative power of the ACT assembly.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) provides all of the constabulary services in the territory in a manner similar to state police forces, under a contractual agreement with the ACT Government. The AFP does so through its community policing arm, ACT Policing (Australian Capital Territory Police) (Dell Latitude 131L battery).

People who have been charged with offences are tried either in the ACT Magistrates Court or for more severe offences, the ACT Supreme Court. Prisoners were held in remand at the Belconnen Remand Centre in the ACT but usually jailed in New South Wales. The new prison, Alexander Maconochie Centre, was officially opened on 11 September 2008 by Jon Stanhope, the Chief Minister. The total cost for construction was $130 million. (Dell Latitude C400 battery) Courts such as a Small Claims Tribunal and a Family Court exist for civil law actions and other non-criminal legal matters.

Economy

Many Canberrans are employed by government departments, such as the Australian Treasury.

In May 2012, the unemployment rate in Canberra was 3.4% which was lower than the national unemployment rate of 5.1%.[131] As a result of low unemployment and substantial levels of public sector and commercial employment(Dell Latitude C500 battery), Canberra has the highest average level of disposable income of any Australian capital city. The gross average weekly wage in Canberra is $1,554.50 compared with the national average of $1,345.20 (February 2012).

The median house price in Canberra as of September 2009 was $511,820, lower than only Sydney among capital cities of more than 100,000 people, having surpassed Melbourne and Perth since 2005(Dell Latitude C510 battery). The median weekly rent paid by Canberra residents is higher than rents in all other states and territories.[136] As at the March quarter of 2009 the median rent in Canberra was $420 per week,[137] the third highest in the country.[138] Factors contributing to this higher weekly rental market include; higher average weekly incomes, restricted land supply,[139] and inflationary clauses in the ACT Residential Tenancies Act(Dell Latitude C540 battery).

The city's main industry is government administration and defence, which accounted for 31% of Gross Territory Product in 2008–09 and employed over 40% of Canberra's workforce. A number of Australian Defence Force establishments are located in or near Canberra, most notably the Australian Defence Force headquarters and HMAS Harman, which is a naval communications centre that is being converted into a tri-service, multi-user depot. (Dell Latitude C600 battery)

The former RAAF Fairbairn, adjacent to the Canberra International Airport was sold to the operators of the Airport,[144] but the base continues to be used for RAAF VIP flights. A growing number of independent software vendors have based themselves in Canberra, to capitalise on the concentration of government customers; these include Tower Software and RuleBurst(Dell Latitude C610 battery). A consortium of private and government investors is currently making plans for a billion-dollar data hub, with the aim of making Canberra a leading centre of such activity in the Asia-Pacific region.[149]

Demographics

Shopping at the weekly Old Bus Depot Markets, Kingston

As of 2006, the population of Canberra was 323,056 people.[150] The 2006 census showed that 1.2% of Canberra's population were of indigenous origin and 21.7% were born overseas. (Dell Latitude C640 battery)The largest group of people born overseas came from English-speaking countries, led by the United Kingdom and then New Zealand.

Significant numbers of immigrants have also come from China, India and Vietnam. Recent immigrants have arrived from countries in East and South Asia.[151] Most locals are native speakers of English (81.1%); some have a second language, the most common being Mandarin, Italian, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Greek. These five languages are spoken by a total of 4.8% of the population(Dell Latitude C800 battery).

Canberrans are relatively young, highly mobile, and well educated. The median age is 34 years, and only 9.8% of the population is aged over 65 years.[150] Between 1996 and 2001, 61.9% of the population either moved to or from Canberra, which is the second highest mobility rate of any Australian capital city(Dell Latitude C810 battery).

As of May 2004, 30% of people in the ACT aged 15–64 had a level of educational attainment equal to at least a bachelor's degree, significantly higher that the national average of 19%.[153] Approximately 60% of Canberra residents describe themselves as Christian, the most common denominations being Catholic and Anglican; 6% of the population practice a non-Christian religion and 23% are not religious. (Dell Latitude C840 battery)

As of 2002 the most common crimes in Canberra are property related crimes, unlawful entry with intent and motor vehicle theft. They affect 1,961 and 630 of every 100,000 persons respectively. Homicide and related offences—including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter and driving causing death—affect 1.5/100,000 persons, which is below the national average of 4.9/100,000. Rates of assault and sexual assault are also below the national average. (Dell Latitude D410 battery)

Education

Main article: Education in the Australian Capital Territory

ANU School of Art (formerly the Canberra High School)

The two main tertiary institutions are the Australian National University (ANU) in Acton and the University of Canberra (UC) in Bruce, with over 10,500 and 8,000 full-time-equivalent students respectively. Established in 1946,[157] the ANU has always had a strong research focus and is ranked among the leading universities in the world and the best in Australia by The Times Higher Education Supplement and the Shanghai Jiao Tong World University Rankings. (Dell Latitude D420 battery) There are two religious university campuses in Canberra: Signadou in the northern suburb of Watson is a campus of the Australian Catholic University;[159] St Mark's Theological College in Barton is part of the secular Charles Sturt University.

The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) and the Royal Military College, Duntroon are located in the inner-northern suburb of Campbell(Dell Latitude D430 battery). ADFA teaches military undergraduates and postgraduates and is a campus of the University of New South Wales; Duntroon provides Australian Army officer training.[165] Tertiary level vocational education is also available through the multi-campus Canberra Institute of Technology.[166]

In February 2004 there were 140 schools in Canberra; 96 were operated by the government and 44 were private. During 2006, the ACT Government announced closures of up to 39 schools, to take effect from the end of the school year(Dell Latitude D500 battery), and after a series of consultations unveiled its Towards 2020: Renewing Our Schools policy.[167] As a result, some schools closed during the 2006–08 period, while others were merged; the creation of combined primary and secondary government schools will proceed over the next decade. The new policy has provoked significant opposition. Most suburbs are planned to include a primary and a nearby preschool(Dell Latitude D505 battery); these are usually located near open areas where recreational and sporting activities are easily available.[171]

The National Museum of Australia established in 2001 records Australia's social history and is one of Canberra's more architecturally daring buildings.

The Shine Dome

Canberra is home to many national monuments and institutions such as the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Library,[103] the National Archives, (Dell Latitude D510 battery) the Australian Academy of Science,[173] the National Film and Sound Archive and the National Museum.[103] Many Commonwealth government buildings in Canberra are open to the public, including Parliament House, the High Court and the Royal Australian Mint.

Lake Burley Griffin is the site of the Captain James Cook Memorial and the National Carillon.[103] Other sites of interest include the Black Mountain Tower, the Australian National Botanic Gardens, the National Zoo and Aquarium(Dell Latitude D520 battery), the National Dinosaur Museum and Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre.

A copy of every book published in Australia is required by law to be held by the National Library of Australia.[178]

The Canberra Museum and Gallery in the city is a repository of local history and art.[179] Several historic homes are open to the public: Lanyon and Tuggeranong Homesteads in the Tuggeranong Valley, Mugga-Mugga in Symonston, (Dell Latitude D600 battery)and Blundells' Cottage in Parkes all display the lifestyle of the early European settlers. Calthorpes' House in Red Hill is a well preserved example of a 1920s house from Canberra's very early days. Canberra has many venues for live music and theatre: the Canberra Theatre and Playhouse which hosts many major concerts and productions; and Llewellyn Hall (within the ANU School of Music), a world-class concert hall are two of the most notable(Dell Latitude D610 battery). The Street Theatre is a venue with less mainstream offerings. The Albert Hall was the city's first performing arts venue, opened in 1928. It was the original performance venue for theatre groups such as the Canberra Repertory Society.[186]

Stonefest at the University of Canberra is a large two-day music festival. There are numerous bars and nightclubs which also offer live entertainment(Dell Latitude D620 battery), particularly concentrated in the areas of Dickson, Kingston and the city. Most town centres have facilities for a community theatre and a cinema, and they all have a library. Popular cultural events include the National Folk Festival, the Royal Canberra Show, the Summernats car festival, the Canberra Multicultural Festival in February and the Celebrate Canberra festival held over 10 days in March in conjunction with Canberra Day(Dell Latitude D630 battery).

Canberra–Nara park with Kasuga stone lanterns framed by the gate

Canberra maintains sister-city relationships with both Nara, Japan and Beijing, China. Canberra has friendship-city relationships with both Dili, East Timor and Hangzhou, China.[190] City-to-city relationships encourage communities and special interest groups both locally and abroad to engage in a wide range of exchange activities. The Canberra Nara Candle Festival held annually in spring, is a community celebration of the Canberra Nara Sister City relationship. (Dell Latitude D800 battery) The festival is held in Canberra Nara Park on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.

Media

As Australia's capital, Canberra is the most important centre for much of Australia's political reportage and thus all the major media, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the commercial television networks, and the metropolitan newspapers maintain local bureaus. News organisations are represented in the "press gallery"(Dell Latitude D810 battery), a group of journalists who report on the national parliament. The National Press Club of Australia in Barton has regular television broadcasts of its lunches at which a prominent guest, typically a politician or other public figure, delivers a speech followed by a question-and-answer session.[194]

Canberra has a daily newspaper, The Canberra Times, which was established in 1926,[195] and some free weekly suburban and special interest publications, one of these being CityNews(Dell Latitude D820 battery).

Canberra has five free-to-air television stations (analogue and digital) including two government funded networks (ABC and SBS) and three commercial networks (Prime, WIN and Southern Cross Ten).[196] SBS offer digital high-definition simulcasts of their main channel on SBS HD. In addition to ABC1, SBS One, Prime Television, WIN Television and Southern Cross Ten(Dell Latitude D830 battery), these networks broadcast ten additional digital-only channels: 7Two on Prime, 7mate on Prime, GO!, GEM, ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBS Two, One HD and Eleven.

Prior to 1989, Canberra was serviced by just the ABC, SBS and Capital Television, which later became Southern Cross Ten, with Prime and WIN arriving as part of the Government's regional aggregation programme in that year.[197]

Subscription (pay) television services are available from Foxtel and local telecommunications company TransACT(Dell Latitude 2100 battery).

A number of community radio stations broadcast in Canberra, including 2XXfm, ArtSound FM, 1RPH and CMS Radio.[199] There are a number of commercial AM and FM radio stations including those belonging to the Capital Radio Network (2CA and 2CC), the Austereo/ARN owned 104.7 and Mix 106.3, and Raw FM.[199] Public radio broadcasters ABC and SBS operate a number of stations(Dell Latitude 2110 battery).

Sport

Main article: Sport in the Australian Capital Territory

A rugby league match at Canberra Stadium

In addition to local sporting leagues, Canberra has a number of sporting teams that compete in national and international competitions. The best known teams are the Canberra Raiders and the Brumbies who play rugby league and rugby union respectively; both have been champions of their leagues. Both teams play their home games at Canberra Stadium, (Dell Latitude E4300 battery)which is the city's largest stadium and was used to hold group matches in soccer for the 2000 Summer Olympics and in rugby union for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. The city also has a successful basketball team, the Canberra Capitals, which has won seven out of the last eleven national women's basketball titles.[207] Canberra United FC represents the city in the W-League, the national women's association football league, and were champions in the 2011-12 season. (Dell Vostro 1310 battery)

There are also teams that participate in national competitions in netball, field hockey, ice hockey, cricket and baseball. Manuka Oval is another large outdoor sporting facility where cricket and Australian Rules football are played. The Melbourne based AFL team the Kangaroos played some home games at Manuka Oval until July 2006(Dell Vostro 1320 battery). Following the move of the Kangaroos' alternative home ground to Carrara in Queensland, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs will play home games at Manuka Oval from 2007 against the Sydney Swans.[210] Canberra is also home to the Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament. The historic Prime Minister's XI cricket match is played at Manuka Oval annually. Other significant annual sporting events include the Canberra Marathon(Dell Vostro 1510 battery) and the City of Canberra Half Ironman Triathlon. The Canberra Women's Tennis Classic was held in the lead up to the Australian Open until 2006.

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is located in the Canberra suburb of Bruce.[215] The AIS is a specialised educational and training institution providing coaching for elite junior and senior athletes in a number of sports. The AIS has been operating since 1981 and has achieved significant success in producing elite athletes, both local and international. (Dell Vostro 1520 battery) The majority of Australia's team members and medallists at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney were AIS graduates.[216]

Canberra has numerous sporting ovals, golf courses, skate parks, tennis courts and swimming pools that are open to the public. A Canberra-wide series of bicycle paths are available to cyclists for recreational and sporting purposes(Dell Vostro 2510 battery). Canberra Nature Parks have a large range of walking paths, horse and mountain bike trails. Water sports like sailing, rowing, dragon boating and water skiing are held on Canberra's lakes. The Rally of Canberra is an annual motor sport event and a facility for drag racing is currently being planned for construction.

Canberra has two large public hospitals, the approximately 600-bed Canberra Hospital—formerly the Woden Valley Hospital—in Garran and the 174-bed Calvary Public Hospital in Bruce(Dell Vostro 1014 battery). Both are teaching institutions. The largest private hospital is the Calvary John James Hospital in Deakin. Calvary Private Hospital in Bruce and Healthscope's National Capital Private Hospital in Garran are also major healthcare providers.

The Royal Canberra Hospital was located on Acton Peninsula on Lake Burley Griffin; it was closed in 1991 and was demolished in 1997 in a controversial and fatal implosion to facilitate construction of the National Museum of Australia(Dell Inspiron 1410 battery). The city has 10 aged care facilities. Canberra's hospitals receive emergency cases from throughout southern New South Wales,[228] and ACT Ambulance Service is one of four operational agencies of the ACT Emergency Services Authority.[229] NETS provides a dedicated ambulance service for inter-hospital transport of sick newborns within the ACT and into surrounding New South Wales.

Canberra Railway Station(Dell Vostro 1015 battery)

The automobile is by far the dominant form of transport in Canberra.[231] The city is laid out so that arterial roads connecting inhabited clusters run through undeveloped areas of open land or forest, which results in a low population density;[232] this also means that idle land is available for the development of future transport corridors if necessary without the need to build tunnels or acquire developed residential land(Dell Inspiron 1088 battery). In contrast, other capital cities in Australia have substantially less green space.

Canberra's districts are generally connected by parkways—limited access dual carriageway roads with speed limits generally set at a maximum of 100 km/h. An example is the Tuggeranong Parkway which links Canberra's CBD and Tuggeranong, and bypasses Weston Creek.[237] In most districts(SONY PCG-5G2L battery), discrete residential suburbs are bounded by main arterial roads with only a few residential linking in, to deter non-local traffic from cutting through areas of housing.[238]

ACTION, the government-operated bus service, provides public transport throughout the city.[239] Deane's Transit Group provides bus services between Canberra and nearby areas of New South Wales through their Transborder Express (Murrumbateman and Yass)[240] and Deane's Buslines (Queanbeyan) brands(SONY PCG-5G3L battery). In the 2006 census, 7.7% of the journeys to work involved a bus; with 7.4% walking or cycling to work. There are two local taxi companies. Aerial Capital Group enjoyed monopoly status until the arrival of Cabxpress in 2007.

An interstate CountryLink railway service connects Canberra to Sydney.[243] Canberra's railway station is in the inner south suburb of Kingston.[244] Between 1920 and 1922 the train line crossed the Molonglo River and ran as far north as the city centre(SONY PCG-5J1L battery), although the line was closed following major flooding and was never rebuilt, while plans for a line to Yass were abandoned. A 1067 mm gauge construction railway was built in 1923 between the Yarralumla brickworks and the provisional Parliament House; it was later extended to Civic, but the whole line was closed in May 1927. Train services to Melbourne are provided by way of a CountryLink bus service which connects with a rail service between Sydney and Melbourne in Yass, about one hour's drive from Canberra(SONY PCG-5J2L battery).

Plans to establish a very fast train like a TGV service between Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, have not been implemented, as the various proposals have been deemed economically unviable. The original plans for Canberra included proposals for railed transport within the city,[41] however none eventuated.[41] A railway connecting Canberra to Jervis Bay was also planned but never constructed(SONY PCG-5K2L battery).

Canberra is about three hours by road from Sydney on the Federal Highway (National Highway 23), which connects with the Hume Highway (National Highway 31) near Goulburn, and seven hours by road from Melbourne on the Barton Highway (National Highway 25), which joins the Hume Highway at Yass. It is a two hour drive on the Monaro Highway (National Highway 23) to the ski fields of the Snowy Mountains and the Kosciuszko National Park. (SONY PCG-5L1L battery)Batemans Bay, a popular holiday spot on the New South Wales coast, is also two hours away via the Kings Highway.

Canberra International Airport provides direct domestic services to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, with connections to other domestic centres.[253] There are direct daily flights to Albury and Newcastle in New South Wales. No regular commercial international flights operate from the airport(SONY PCG-6S2L battery). Until 2003 the civilian airport shared runways with RAAF Base Fairbairn. In June of that year, the Air Force base was decommissioned and from that time the airport was fully under civilian control.[255] The Air Force still retains a presence at Fairbairn, which is a leased area in the North East precinct of the airport. The only active unit is No 34 Squadron, which is responsible for the operations of the airforce's (SONY PCG-6S3L battery)VIP transport aircraft which are used to transport Australian officials such as the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, the Governor General, the leader of the opposition and high ranking defence force officers when travelling both internationally or within Australia. The Fairbairn area is also used by official aircraft carrying foreign heads of state or government when visiting Canberra(SONY PCG-6V1L battery).

Black Mountain communications tower also a landmark and tourist attraction.

The government-owned ACTEW Corporation manages Canberra's water and sewerage infrastructure. ActewAGL is a joint venture between ACTEW and AGL, and is the retail provider of Canberra's utility services including water, natural gas, electricity, and also some telecommunications services via a subsidiary TransACT(SONY PCG-6W1L battery).

Canberra's water is stored in four reservoirs, the Corin, Bendora and Cotter dams on the Cotter River and the Googong Dam on the Queanbeyan River. Although the Googong Dam is located in New South Wales, it is managed by the ACT government. ACTEW Corporation owns Canberra's two wastewater treatment plants, located at Fyshwick and on the lower reaches of the Molonglo River(SONY PCG-7111L battery).

Electricity for Canberra comes from the national power grid through substations at Holt and Fyshwick (via Queanbeyan).[262] Some limited local renewable power is produced via a hydro generator on the main water supply pipeline for Canberra at Mount Stromlo and methane plants at waste landfill sites at Belconnen and Mugga Lane. Power was first supplied from a plant built in 1913, near the Molonglo River(SONY PCG-71511M battery). The ACT has the highest rate of computer use and internet connection in Australia.

Suva is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in the Central Division, Rewa Province. In 1877, it was decided to make Suva the capital of Fiji when the geography of former main European settlement at Levuka on the island of Ovalau proved too restrictive. The administration of the colony was moved from Levuka to Suva in 1882(SONY PCG-6W3L battery).

Suva is Fiji's political and administrative capital. It is the largest and the most sophisticated city in the South Pacific (excluding New Zealand) and has become an important regional centre; students from the Pacific region and a growing expatriate community make up a significant portion of the city's population(SONY PCG-7113L battery).

At the 2007 census the city of Suva had a population of 85,691.[1] Including independent suburbs, the population of the Greater Suva urban area was 172,399 at the 2007 census.[citation needed] Suva, along with the bordering cities of Lami, Nasinu, and Nausori have a total urban population of around 330,000, over a third of the nation's population. This urban complex is known also as the Suva-Nausori corridor (not including Lami) (SONY PCG-7133L battery).

Suva Central Business District in the 1950s

In return for a promise to pay off debts owed to the United States by the Bauan chieftain, Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the Australian-based Polynesia Company was granted 5000 km² of land, 575 km² of it near what was then the village of Suva, in 1868. The original intention was to develop a cotton farming industry, but the land and climate proved unsuitable(SONY PCG-7Z1L battery).

Following the annexation of the Fiji Islands by the United Kingdom in 1874, the colonial authorities decided to move the capital to Suva from Levuka in 1877. The transfer was made official in 1882. Colonel F.E. Pratt of the Royal Engineers was appointed Surveyor-General in 1875 and designed the new capital, assisted by W. Stephens and Colonel R.W. Stewart(SONY PCG-7Z2L battery) .

Following the promulgation of the Municipal Constitution Ordinance of 1909, Suva acquired municipal status in 1910. The town initially comprised one square mile; these boundaries remained intact until 1952 when the Muanikau and Samabula wards were annexed, expanding its territory to 13 square kilometers. In October that year, Suva was proclaimed a City - Fiji's first. Tamavua was subsequently annexed(SONY PCG-8Y1L battery); the most recent extension of the city boundaries has been to incorporate the Cunningham area to the north of the city. Urban sprawl has resulted in a number of suburbs that remain outside of the city limits; together with the city itself, they form a metropolitan area known as the Greater Suva Area(SONY PCG-8Y2L battery).

The city hosted the 2003 South Pacific Games, being the third time in the event's 40 year history that they had been held in Suva. As part of the hosting of the event a new gymnasium and indoor sports center, swimming pool and stadium, field hockey pitch and stands were built in the area around Suva, funded by the government and a $16 million People's Republic of China aid package(SONY PCG-8Z2L battery).

Satellite Image of Suva

Suva is the capital of Fiji and is a harbour city built on a peninsula reaching out into the sea. It has a mix of modern buildings and traditional colonial architecture.

The city is perched on a hilly peninsula between Laucala Bay and Suva Harbour in the southeast corner of Viti Levu. The mountains north and west catch the southeast trade winds, producing moist conditions year round(SONY PCG-8Z1L battery).

Suva is the commercial and political centre of Fiji, though not necessarily the cultural centre, and the largest urban area in the South Pacific outside of Australia and New Zealand. It is Fiji's main port city.

Although Suva is on a peninsula, and almost surrounded by sea, the nearest beach is 40 kilometres (25 mi) away at Pacific Harbour, and the nearby coast is lined by mangroves. A significant part of the city centre, including the old Parliament Buildings, is built on reclaimed mangrove swamp(SONY PCG-7112L battery).

The Central Business District Encompasses an area known as the Central Ward and one of Suva's Six wards Central occupies close to the whole south-western side of the Suva Peninsula.

The city's Six Wards beginning from the City Centre itself, then North, then clockwise rotation.

Central - City centre, CBD, nucleus of the city.

Tamavua - Residential and urban area.

Cunningham - Semi-urban and residential area.

Nabua - Military base, Southern-Division Police Headquarters, urban, residential, separate town centre, and industrial zone(SONY PCG-6W2L battery).

Samabula - Urban, residential, separate town centre, university, and large industrial zones.

Muanikau - Residential, urban, large sporting venues, university, and recreational areas.

Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Köppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year(SONY PCG-5K1L battery). Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact, during all 12 months of the year, Suva receives substantial precipitation. Like many other cities with a tropical rainforest climate, temperatures are relatively constant throughout the year, with an average high of about 28°C and an average low of about 22°C(SONY VGP-BPS9/S battery).

Suva is noted for its considerable rainfall, it has a markedly higher rainfall than Nadi and the western side of Viti Levu, which is known to Suva citizens as "the burning west". The First Governor of Fiji, Sir Arthur Gordon, allegedly remarked that it rained in Suva like he had seen nowhere else before and that there was hardly a day without rain. The most copious rainfall is observed from November to May, while the slightly cooler months from June to October are considerably drier as well(SONY VGP-BPS9A battery).

Demographics of Suva

Suva is a multiracial and multicultural city. Indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians, the two principal ethnic groups of Fiji, comprise the bulk of Suva's population, but the city is also home to the majority of Fiji's ethnic minority populations, which include Caucasians (Europeans or Kaivalagi), Part-Europeans (of European and Fijian Descent), and Chinese, amongst others(SONY VGP-BPS9A/B battery). The majority of expatriates working in Fiji are also based in Suva. The most widely spoken language is English, but Fijian, Hindustani, Cantonese, and other Indian languages are also spoken by their respective communities.

Presidential Palace, Government House

Suva has municipal status and is governed by a Lord Mayor and a 20-member city council. The Suva City Council is the municipal law-making body of the city of Suva, Fiji's capital. It consists of 20 Councillors, elected for three-year terms from four multi-member constituencies called wards(SONY VGP-BPS9/B battery). Councillors, who are elected by residents, landowners, and representatives of corporations owning or occupying ratable property in Suva, elect a Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor from among their own members; they serve one-year terms and are eligible for re-election. However, The current interim-government has reformed and restructured all municipal councils as of October, 2008 and the position of Mayor is now void(SONY VGP-BPS9A/S battery). The position of Special administrator is currently in place, equivalent to that of mayor, but rather than elected, the administrator is selected by the Ministry of Local Government. Currently, Suva City's special administrator is Chandu Umaria, Former Lord Mayor and was responsible, in his term, for many of the city's beautification works.[2]

A well-known landmark is the Suva City Library or the Carnegie Library, built in 1909 as well as many other colonial buildings(SONY VGP-BPL9 battery).

The Government buildings complex sits on what was once the flowing waters of a creek. This was drained in 1935 and over five kilometres of reinforced concrete pilings were driven into the creek bed to support the massive buildings to be erected. After the foundation stone was laid in 1937, the building was completed in 1939; a new wing was completed in 1967. Parliament, however, was moved to a new complex on Ratu Sukuna Road in 1992(SONY VGP-BPS10 battery).

Government House was formerly the residence of Fiji's colonial Governors and, following independence in 1970, Governors-General. It is now the official residence of Fiji's President. Originally erected in 1882, it had to be rebuilt in 1928, following its destruction by lightning in 1921(SONY VGP-BPL10 battery).

The Suva campus of the University of the South Pacific (USP) occupies what was once a New Zealand military base. It is the largest of the many USP campuses dotted throughout the South Pacific and the largest University in the Pacific islands outside Hawai'i. It offers courses which are internationally recognized and endorsed(SONY VGP-BPS11 battery).

The Fiji Museum, located in Thurston Gardens, was founded in 1904 and originally occupied the old town hall, but moved to its present location in 1954. The museum houses the most extensive collection of Fijian artefacts in the world, and is also a research and educational institution, specializing in archaeology, the preservation of Fiji's oral tradition, and the publication of material on Fiji's language and culture(SONY VGP-BPL11 battery).

Suva has around 78 parks, these include the new Takashi Suzuki Garden, Apted Park at Suva Point which is a popular spot for viewing sunrise and sunset, Thurston Gardens which was opened in 1913 and has flora from throughout the South Pacific.

Suva also has many shopping and retail areas, notably Cumming street, which has since colonial times, been a vibrant and colourful shopping area. Features of these streets include the original colonial buildings and narrow roads. More modern shopping malls(SONY VGP-BPL12 battery), such as the Suva Central Shopping Mall, Mid-City Mall as well as MHCC are all part of the developments to give the city a modern and sophisticated look.

In December 2009, there was an addition to Suva's skyline with the opening of TappooCity valued at USD25.7 million (FJD50 million) a joint venture six storey low-rise building project by FNPF & Tappoo Group of Companies as Fiji's (and South Pacific's) largest department mall at present outside Australia & New Zealand(SONY VGP-BPS12 battery).

Construction work began in January 2011 for a FJD30 million mini-mall complex at Grantham Road behind the Sports-City Complex and close proximity to University of the South Pacific, which will house restaurants, retail outlets and cinemas. Although construction was scheduled for end 2011, this complex will now be ready mid-2012. (SONY VGP-BPS13 battery)

Tanoa Plaza, Gordon Street, Suva

Unlike most cities and towns in Fiji and indeed many around the world, Suva did not grow around one industry but has gradually developed as a hub and one of the largest cities in Oceania. Suva is the commercial centre of Fiji with most banks having their Pacific headquarters here, including ANZ and the Westpac Bank. Most national financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and government ministries and departments are also headquartered here(SONY VGP-BPS13Q battery). At one point both Air Pacific[4] and Air Fiji[5] were headquartered in Suva.

A large part of Fiji's international shipping is conducted at Suva's Kings Wharf as well as docking of international cruise ships, which has led to a growth in Suva's tourism industry. Many services are provided in Suva and is the basis of Suva's industrial and commercial activity.

There are also large industrial areas, (SONY VGP-BPS13A/Q battery) the largest being at Walu Bay, where there is a saturation of factories and warehouses and import and export companies. This area contains many shipyards for ship building and repairs as well as container yards. There is also a brewery and many printeries. Other notable industrial zones are located in Vatuwaqa, Raiwaqa and Laucala Beach(SONY VGP-BPS13B/Q battery).

There is also a large commercial and shopping scene in Suva with streets such as Cumming Street and Victoria Parade being popular. There are also many shopping complexes to visit and many markets.

Parks and gardens

Suva has a number of parks and a few gardens, Albert Park, in the City centre, famous as the stage for many national-historical events such as the Independence of Fiji, Landing by Kingsford Smith on the Southern Cross and many parades and carnivals(SONY VGP-BPS13/B battery). Sukuna Park, also in the CBD is a popular recreational park and has many performances and events on weekly schedules. The Thurston Gardens, is the city's main botanical garden and in it sits the Fiji Museum. Queen Elizabeth drive is also popular as a scenic walk along Suva's foreshore(SONY VGP-BPS13B/B battery).

Many concerts are held in Suva, some coming from other countries to enjoy world class performances that happen in the city. Concerts and shows are usually staged at one of the above mentioned venues on a monthly basis. Some of the famous music artists to hold shows in Suva include UB40, Lucky Dube, O'Yaba, Sean Kingston and many others(SONY VGP-BPS13A/S battery). Due to a favoured interests in Bollywood by all some prominent singers and actors have also held shows in the capital which includes singers like Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan and movie artists like Shah Rukh Khan,[6] Priyanka Chopra,[7] Johnny Lever, Dino Morea, Rajpal Yadav and the like(SONY VGP-BPS21A/B battery).

Suva offers a varied and interesting culinary experience where almost every if not all major cuisines are represented. Particularly popular cuisines are Chinese, Indian, Fijian and Italian. Also at nights, especially on weekends, food stalls and outlets cater to the city's nightlife.

During the course of the year, various arts, music and trade festivals are held in Suva, albeit on a small scale(SONY VGP-BPS21B battery). There are a few large and notable festivals that occur annually and these include the Hibiscus Festival (Largest carnival in the south pacific islands), the New Years Street Party, and the 'Fiji Show Case' a tradeshow that includes carnival rides, food as well as magic and circus performances.

Suva has a vibrant nightlife where most nightclubs and bars open in the late afternoon and remain open till 5am. Suva's nightlife caters to all tastes(SONY VGP-BPS21 battery), moods and likes. Food stalls are also open throughout the night and the city is well policed during the night. Apart from nightclubs, there are also lounges and bars that cater to those seeking low-key entertainment

Suva has one main cinema complex, Village Six, owned by the Damodar Brothers, in downtown Suva. The Regal and Phoenix theatres, once prominent cinema/ theatre haunts before the new millennium owned by the Sharan Brothers, have since closed down(SONY VGP-BPS21/S battery).

Suva plays host to many Regional and National Sporting events. A special highlight is the Coca-Cola Games, the largest secondary school athletics meet in the world. The Capital City is represented in major sporting events by its respective rugby, netball and soccer teams.

Suva was the host of the first Pacific Games, in 1963. Forty years later in 2003 the Games returned to Fiji's capital(SONY VGP-BPS13S battery), with a full program of 32 sports introduced for the first time. Suva had also held the games for the second time in 1979. Having hosted the event three times, Suva have held the Pacific Games the more often than any other city.

Headquartered in Suva are the Two main National Television Stations, Fiji TV and MAI TV. Sky Pacific and Pacific Broadcasting Services Fiji are the two pay satellite television company headquartered here(SONY VGP-BPS13B/S battery). Suva is also home to the national radio stations Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) and Communications Fiji Limited (CFL). The two dailies, The Fiji Times and The Fiji Sun are also printed here.

Suva is one of the most shopper friendly cities in the Pacific. The city offers its shopping Paradise in a cluster that is referred to as Suva Central. Streets like Cumming street and Marks street for clothing, jewellery, food, electronics, pharmaceuticals and more(SONY VGP-BPS13B/G battery). Terry Walk and the Flea Market offer handicrafts and local ware. Close by, huge, new shopping complexes dominate the canal area, such as MHCC, Tappoo City and Suva Central. The general outer areas of this radius are telecommunication and electronic stores, tourist favourite - Jack's and sporting gear stores(SONY VGP-BPS14 battery).

Every year, Suva plays host to Fiji Fashion Week (FJFW) usually held in Albert Park on a week in late October. The shows offer the creations of local and overseas designers as well as shows focused on wearable art. In 2010, Fiji Fashion Week promises a bigger extravaganza with a Fashion Film Festival as well. FJFW 2010 is to be held at Boron House (A state Mansion) where the shows are to be broadcast internationally by world-renowned Fashion TV(SONY VGP-BPL14 battery).

Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral, Gordon Street, Suva

Nausori International Airport caters mainly to the domestic market,connecting Suva with Fiji's other international airport, Nadi International Airport, and also serves smaller international aircraft, at one time servicing Brisbane and Sydney routes. As of August 2010, Air Pacific will operate a twice weekly flight from Nausori International Airport to Auckland(SONY VGP-BPS14/B battery), New Zealand to complement its 13 weekly flights from Nadi to Auckland, furthermore, the Nausori - Sydney route is expected to resume in the later half of 2012. The airport also provides services to its immediate Pacific neighbours Tonga and Tuvalu as well as the dependency of Rotuma.

Suva also has a public transport system,consisting of buses and taxis servicing the metropolitan Suva area as well as the cities of Nasinu(SONY VGP-BPS14/S battery), Nausori and Lami town. There are also bus services connecting Suva with other towns and cities on Viti levu by way of either the Kings, Queens or Princess Highways, all originating within Suva, although the latter terminates at Rewa Bridge in Nausori. As of January 2012, a feasibility study is being conducted by JRK and Associates, in partnership with Canadian Company Hatch Mott McDonald(SONY VGP-BPS14B battery), to construct and operate a monorail train network from Suva, across the Suva - Nausori Corridor to ease congestion and traffic problems. The construction of the monorail system is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2013. Also for domestic ferry services from the Princess Wharf to the outer islands of Fiji as well as Vanua Levu. International Ships and Cruise Liners Dock at Suva's Kings Wharf(SONY VGP-BPS22 battery).

Milan is the second-largest municipality in Italy and the capital of Lombardy as well as of the province of Milan. The basic administrative division proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area is the 5th largest in EU and the largest in Italy with an estimated population of approximately 5.2 millionSony PCG-71313M battery. The growth of many suburbs and satellite settlements around the city proper, following the Italian economic miracle of 1950s–60s and massive commuting flows, suggest that socioeconomic linkages have expanded well beyond the boundaries of its administrative limits and its agglomeration, creating a region of approximately 9.3 million peopleSony PCG-71212M battery. It has been suggested that the Milan metropolitan area is part of the so-called Blue Banana, the area of Europe with the highest population and industrial density. Its health care and education system is considered one of the best of Europe.

Milan was founded by the Insubres, a Celtic people. The city was later captured by the Romans in 222 BC, and later was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 286 until 402 AD. Milan became one of the most prosperous Italian cities during the High Middle AgesSony PCG-71311M battery, playing a primary role in the Lombard League. Later Milan became the capital of the Duchy of Milan, being ruled by the Visconti, the Sforza, the Spanish and the Austrians. In 1796, Milan was conquered by the French troops of Napoleon, only to be given again to the Austrian Empire at the Congress of Vienna of 1815. In 1859 the city was eventually annexed to the House of SavoySony PCG-71213M battery, and soon started to lead the industrialization process of the new Kingdom of Italy. During World War II, the city was badly affected by Allied bombings, and after German occupation in 1943, Milan became the main centre of the Italian resistance movement. In post-war years, Milan enjoyed a prolonged economic boom, attracting large flows of immigrants from Southern Italy. During the past three decadesSony PCG-61211M battery, the city has seen a dramatic rise in the number of international migrants, and today 15.2% of Milan's population is foreign born.

Milan is the main industrial, commercial and financial centre of Italy. Its business district hosts the Italian Stock Exchange and the headquarters of the largest national banks and multinational companies. The city is recognized as a major world fashion and design capitalSONY PCG-8113M battery, and it has thus been ranked by GaWC as an Alpha world city in 2010, as well as the 42nd most important global city. Thanks to its important museums, theatres and landmarks (including the Milan Cathedral, the fourth largest cathedral in the world, and Santa Maria delle Grazie, decorated with Leonardo da Vinci paintings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) Milan attracts two million annual visitorsSONY PCG-8112M battery. It hosts numerous cultural institutions and universities, including Bocconi University, which ranks fifth among European Business Schools. The city is also well known for several international events and fairs, including Milan Fashion Week and the Milan Furniture Fair, the largest of its kind in the world,[14] and will host the 2015 Universal Exposition. The city is also home to two renowned football teams, A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale MilanoSONY PCG-7134M battery.

History

See also: List of rulers of Milan, List of Governors of the Duchy of Milan, and Timeline of Milan history

The English name Milan derives from the Lombard and the Italian form is Milano, which stems from the Latin Mediolanum, the ancient city founded by the Celtic tribe of the Insubres, who were in possession of the city until the Roman conquest in the third century BC. The Mediolanum name is borne by a number of Gallo-Roman sites in FranceSONY PCG-7131M battery, such as Mediolanum Santonum (Saintes) and Mediolanum Aulercorum (Évreux) and agreed to be of (Continental) Celtic, specifically Gaulish origin, a compound whose first element corresponds to Latin medius "middle". The traditional etymology considers the second element cognate with Latin planum "plain" (with the characteristic Celtic loss of p) SONY PCG-7122M battery , and holds that the original meaning is "mid-plain", "situated in the middle of the plain". By other scholars, however, the second element has been identified with the Celtic element -lan, signifying an enclosure or demarcated territory (source of the Welsh word 'llan', meaning a sanctuary or church). Hence, Mediolanum could signify the central town or sanctuary of a particular Celtic tribe. SONY PCG-7121M battery

The origin of the name and of a boar (the scrofa semilanuta) as a symbol of the city are fancifully accounted for in Andrea Alciato's Emblemata (1584), beneath a woodcut of the first raising of the city walls, where a boar is seen lifted from the excavation, and the etymology of Mediolanum given as "half-wool",[16] explained in Latin and in FrenchSONY PCG-7113M battery. The foundation of Milan is credited to two Celtic peoples, the Bituriges and the Aedui, having as their emblems a ram and a boar;[17] therefore "The city's symbol is a wool-bearing boar, an animal of double form, here with sharp bristles, there with sleek wool."[18] Alciato credits Ambrose for his accountSONY PCG-7112M battery .

Celtic and Roman times

Main article: Mediolanum

Ruins of the Emperor's palace in Milan. Here Constantine I and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan.

Around 400 BC, the Celtic Insubres settled Milan and the surrounding region. In 222 BC, the Romans conquered this settlement, which was then renamed Mediolanum. After several centuries of Roman control, Milan was declared the capital of the Western Roman Empire by Emperor Diocletian in 293 ADSONY PCG-8Z3M battery. Diocletian chose to stay in the Eastern Roman Empire (capital Nicomedia) and his colleague Maximianus ruled the Western one. Immediately Maximian built several gigantic monuments, like a large circus 470 m × 85 m (1,540 ft × 279 ft), the Thermae Herculeae, a large complex of imperial palaces and several other services and buildingsSONY PCG-8Z2M battery.

With the Edict of Milan of 313, Emperor Constantine I guaranteed freedom of religion for Christians.[20] The city was besieged by the Visigoths in 402, so the imperial residence was moved to Ravenna. In 452, the Huns overran the city. In 539, the Ostrogoths conquered and destroyed Milan in the course of the so-called Gothic War against Byzantine Emperor Justinian ISONY PCG-8Z1M battery. In the summer of 569, the Longobards (from which the name of the Italian region Lombardy derives), a Teutonic tribe conquered Milan, overpowering the small Byzantine army left for its defence. Some Roman structures remained in use in Milan under Lombard rule.[21] Milan surrendered to the Franks in 774 when Charlemagne, in an utterly novel decisionSONY PCG-8Y3M battery, took the title "King of the Lombards" as well (before then the Germanic kingdoms had frequently conquered each other, but none had adopted the title of King of another people). The Iron Crown of Lombardy dates from this period. Subsequently Milan become part of the Holy Roman Empire.

Milan as it appeared in 1493, woodcut from the Nuremberg ChronicleSONY PCG-8Y2M battery .

During the Middle Ages, Milan prospered as a centre of trade due to its command of the rich plain of the Po and routes from Italy across the Alps. The war of conquest by Frederick I Barbarossa against the Lombard cities brought the destruction of much of Milan in 1162. After the founding of the Lombard League in 1167SONY PCG-7Z1M battery, Milan took the leading role in this alliance. As a result of the independence that the Lombard cities gained in the Peace of Constance in 1183, Milan became a duchy. In 1208 Rambertino Buvalelli served a term as podestà of the city, in 1242 Luca Grimaldi, and in 1282 Luchetto Gattilusio. The position could be fraught with personal dangers in the violent political life of the medieval communeSONY PCG-6W2M battery : in 1252 Milanese heretics assassinated the Church's Inquisitor, later known as Saint Peter Martyr, at a ford in the nearby contado; the killers bribed their way to freedom, and in the ensuing riot the podestà was very nearly lynched. In 1256 the archbishop and leading nobles were expelled from the city. In 1259 Martino della Torre was elected Capitano del Popolo by members of the guildsSONY PCG-5J5M battery ; he took the city by force, expelled his enemies, and ruled by dictatorial powers, paving streets, digging canals, successfully taxing the countryside. His policy, however, brought the Milanese treasury to collapse; the use of often reckless mercenary units further angered the population, granting an increasing support for the Della Torre's traditional enemies, the ViscontiSONY PCG-5K2M battery . It is worthy of note that the most important industries throughout the period were major armaments and wool production, a whole catalogue of activities and trades is given in Bonvesin della Riva's "de Magnalibus Urbis Mediolani".

The Biscione: the coat of arms of the House of Visconti, from the Archbishops' palace in Piazza DuomoSONY PCG-5K1M battery .

On 22 July 1262 Ottone Visconti was created archbishop of Milan by Pope Urban IV, against the Della Torre candidate, Raimondo della Torre, Bishop of Como. The latter thus started to publicize allegations of the Visconti's closeness to the heretic Cathars and charged them of high treason: the Visconti, who accused the Della Torre of the same crimes, were then banned from Milan and their properties confiscatedSONY PCG-5J4M battery. The ensuing civil war caused more damage to Milan's population and economy, lasting for more than a decade. Ottone Visconti unsuccessfully led a group of exiles against the city in 1263, but after years of escalating violence on all sides, finally, after the victory in the Battle of Desio (1277), he won the city for his family. The Visconti succeeded in ousting the della Torre forever, ruling the city and its possession until the 15th centurySONY PCG-5J1M battery.

Much of the prior history of Milan was the tale of the struggle between two political factions—the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. Most of the time the Guelphs were successful in the city of Milan. However, the Visconti family were able to seize power (signoria) in Milan, based on their "Ghibelline" friendship with the German Emperors.[22] In 1395, one of these emperors, Wenceslas (1378–1400), raised the Milanese to the dignity of a duchy. SONY PCG-5G2M batteryAlso in 1395, Gian Galeazzo Visconti became duke of Milan. The Ghibelline Visconti family was to retain power in Milan for a century and a half from the early 14th century until the middle of the 15th century.

In 1447 Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, died without a male heir; following the end of the Visconti line, the Ambrosian Republic was enacted. The Ambrosian Republic took its name from St. AmbroseSony VAIO PCG-8131M battery, popular patron saint of the city of Milan.[25] Both the Guelph and the Ghibelline factions worked together to bring about the Ambrosian Republic in Milan. However, the Republic collapsed when in 1450, Milan was conquered by Francesco Sforza, of the House of Sforza, which made Milan one of the leading cities of the Italian RenaissanceSony VAIO PCG-8152M battery.

Early modern

The late 16th-century city encircled by the Spanish walls.

The French king Louis XII first laid claim to the duchy in 1492. At that time, Milan was defended by Swiss mercenaries. After the victory of Louis's successor Francis I over the Swiss at the Battle of Marignano, the duchy was promised to the French king Francis I. When the Habsburg Charles V defeated Francis I at the Battle of Pavia in 1525, northern Italy, including Milan, passed to the House of Habsburg. Sony VAIO PCG-31311M battery

In 1556, Charles V abdicated in favour of his son Philip II and his brother Ferdinand I. Charles's Italian possessions, including Milan, passed to Philip II and the Spanish line of Habsburgs, while Ferdinand's Austrian line of Habsburgs ruled the Holy Roman Empire. The Great Plague of Milan in 1629–31 killed an estimated 60,000 people out of a population of 130,000Sony VAIO PCG-31111M battery. This episode is considered one of the last outbreaks of the centuries-long pandemic of plague that began with the Black Death.[28]

In 1700 the Spanish line of Habsburgs was extinguished with the death of Charles II. After his death, the War of the Spanish Succession began in 1701 with the occupation of all Spanish possessions by French troops backing the claim of the French Philippe of Anjou to the Spanish throneSony VAIO PCG-8112M battery. In 1706, the French were defeated in Ramillies and Turin and were forced to yield northern Italy to the Austrian Habsburgs. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht formally confirmed Austrian sovereignty over most of Spain's Italian possessions including Lombardy and its capital, Milan.

Milanese patriots fight Austrian troops during the Five Days

Napoleon invaded Italy in 1796, and Milan was declared capital of the Cisalpine Republic. Later, he declared Milan capital of the Kingdom of Italy and was crowned in the DuomoSony VAIO PCG-7186M battery. Once Napoleon's occupation ended, the Congress of Vienna returned Lombardy, and Milan, along with Veneto, to Austrian control in 1815.[29] During this period, Milan became a centre of lyric opera. Here in the 1770s Mozart had premiered three operas at the Teatro Regio Ducal. Later La Scala became the reference theatre in the world, with its premières of Bellini, DonizettiSony VAIO PCG-7171M battery, Rossini and Verdi. Verdi himself is interred in the Casa di Riposo per Musicisti, his present to Milan. In the 19th century other important theatres were La Cannobiana and the Teatro Carcano.

On 18 March 1848, the Milanese rebelled against Austrian rule, during the so-called "Five Days" (Italian: Le Cinque Giornate), and Field Marshal Radetzky was forced to withdraw from the city temporarily. However, after defeating Italian forces at Custoza on 24 JulySony VAIO PCG-9Z1M battery, Radetzky was able to reassert Austrian control over Milan and northern Italy. However, Italian nationalists, championed by the Kingdom of Sardinia, called for the removal of Austria in the interest of Italian unification. Sardinia and France formed an alliance and defeated Austria at the Battle of Solferino in 1859.[30] Following this battle, Milan and the rest of Lombardy were incorporated into the Kingdom of SardiniaSony VAIO PCG-5S1M battery, which soon gained control of most of Italy and in 1861 was rechristened as the Kingdom of Italy. The political unification of Italy cemented Milan's commercial dominance over northern Italy. It also led to a flurry of railway construction that had started under Austrian partronage (Venice–Milan; Milan–Monza) that made Milan the rail hub of northern ItalySony VAIO PCG-5P1M battery. Thereafter with the opening of the Gotthard (1881) and Simplon (1906) railway tunnels, Milan became the major South European rail focus for business and passenger movements e.g. the Simplon Orient Express. Rapid industrialization and market expansion put Milan at the centre of Italy's leading industrial regionSony VAIO PCG-5N2M battery, though in the 1890s Milan was shaken by the Bava-Beccaris massacre, a riot related to a high inflation rate. Meanwhile, as Milanese banks dominated Italy's financial sphere, the city became the country's leading financial centre. Milan's economic growth brought a rapid expansion in the city's area and population during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sony VAIO PCG-3C2M battery

Late modern and contemporary

View of Piazza del Duomo, Milan in the early 20th century.

In 1918, the Great War ended with Italy among the winning powers, but the heavy toll of the conflict manifested itself in terms of food shortage, high unemployment and hyperinflation that quickly led to social unrest. Exploiting these favorable circumstances, Benito Mussolini organized his Fascist Blackshirts, that rallied for the first time in Piazza San SepolcroSony VAIO PCG-8161M battery, a small square near Milan Cathedral. Subsequently, Mussolini led his March on Rome starting from Milan. During the Second World War Milan suffered severe damage from British and American bombings. When Italy quit the war in 1943, German forces occupied most of Northern Italy until 1945. As a result, antifascist resistance groups formed and started guerilla operations against Nazi and Italian Social Republic's troopsSony VAIO PCG-8141M battery. As the war came to an end, the American 1st Armored Division advanced on Milan as part of the Po Valley Campaign. But before they arrived, members of the Italian resistance movement took control of the city and executed Mussolini along with several members of his collaborationist government. On 29 April 1945, the corpses of Mussolini, his mistress Clara Petacci and other Fascist leaders were infamously hanged in Piazzale Loreto, where a year before fifteen antifascists had been executedSony VAIO PCG-3J1M battery.

After the war, the city was the site of a refugee camp for Jews fleeing from Austria. During the economic miracle of the 1950s and 1960s, a large wave of internal migration, especially peasants from rural areas of Southern Italy, moved to the city. During this period, Milan saw a quick reconstruction of most of its destroyed houses and factories, with the building of several innovative and modernist skyscrapersSony VAIO PCG-3H1M battery, such as the Torre Velasca and the Pirelli Tower. The economic boom was however overshadowed in the late 1960s and early 1970s during the so-called Years of Lead, when Milan witnessed an unprecedented wave of street violence, labour strikes and political terrorism. The apex of this period of turmoil occurred on 12 December 1969, when a bomb exploded at the National Agrarian Bank in Piazza Fontana, killing seventeen people and injuring eighty-eightSony VAIO PCG-3F1M battery.

In the 1980s, as several fashion firms based in the city became internationally successful (such as Armani, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana), Milan started to be recognized as one of the world's fashion capitals. The traditionally affordable and practical, yet stylish and chic attire produced by the city's stylists made it a serious global competitorSony VAIO PCG-3C1M battery, threatening Paris' century-long status as the world capital of haute couture. The city saw also a rise in international tourism, notably from America and Japan. This period of prosperity and the new international image of the city led many journalists to call the metropolis "Milano da bere", literally "Milan to drink".[31] However, in the 1990s, Milan was badly affected by Tangentopoli, a major political scandal centered on public works bribesSony VAIO PCG-9Z2L battery, in which several local and national politicians and businessmen were tried for alleged corruption. The city was also affected by a severe financial crisis and a steady decline in textiles, automobile and steel production, that led to a deep reorganization of its economy.

In the early 21st century, Milan underwent a series of massive redevelopments, with the moving of its exhibition center to a much larger site in the satellite town of Rho, Sony VAIO PCG-9Z1L battery and the construction of a new financial district in Porta Nuova. The 2008 announcement of the city hosting the Expo 2015[33] has brightened prospects for the city's future, with several new plans of regeneration and the planned construction of numerous avant-garde structures. Despite the decline in Milan's manufacturing production,[34] the city has found alternative and successful sources of revenueSony VAIO PCG-9131L battery, including publishing, finance, banking, food processing, information technology, logistics, transport and tourism.[34] In addition, Milan's population seems to have stabilized in recent years, with signs of recovery as it grew by five percent since 2001.

Municipal administration

See also: Milan municipal election, 2011 and List of mayors of Milan

Palazzo Marino, Milan City Hall

Giuliano Pisapia, mayor since 2011

The city's nine boroughs

In its postwar political history, Milan has been governed for more than thirty years by a center-left coalition including the Italian Socialist Party and the Christian Democrats, while in the 1980s the political balance shifted further left with coalitions between the SocialistsSony VAIO PCG-8161L battery, the Communists and the newborn Greens. However, after a sensational uncovering of massive bribes scandals in the early 1990s, the city had become a stronghold of the conservative coalition led by Milanese media-magnate Silvio Berlusconi combined with the secessionist far-right movement Northern League, a trend that seems to have been reversed only by the 2011 municipal electionsSony VAIO PCG-8152L battery, in which a progressive candidate successfully contested the mayoral seat, thus ending almost 20 years of conservative administrations.

The legislative body of the municipality (commune) is the City Council (Consiglio Comunale), which is composed by 48 members elected every five years. Milan's executive body is the City Committee (Giunta Comunale), composed by 16 assessors and presieded over by the mayor. The current mayor of Milan is Giuliano PisapiaSony VAIO PCG-8141L battery, expression of a progressive alliance composed by the Democratic Party of Italy, Left Ecology Freedom, the Greens and the Communist Refoundation Party.

Main article: Boroughs of Milan

The municipality of Milan is further subdivided into nine devolution boroughs (zone), down from the former twenty boroughs before the 1999 administrative reform. The boroughs are governed by a president and a borough council, elected contextually to the city mayor. Since the 2011 mayoral electionsSony VAIO PCG-8131L battery, all the administrative boroughs are governed by center-left representatives.[36] Boroughs have the power to advise the mayor with nonbinding opinions on a large spectrum of topics (environment, construction, public health, local markets); in addition they are supplied with an autonomous founding in order to finance local activitiesSony VAIO PCG-81312L battery.

Milan is located in the north-western section of the great Po Valley, between the rivers Ticino and Adda, among the river Po and the first reliefs of the Alps. The municipal territory is entirely flat, the highest point being at 122 m (400.26 ft) above sea level. The administrative commune covers, behind its borders, a total surface area of about 181 km2 (70 sq mi) Sony VAIO PCG-81214L battery. However, the continuously built-up area trespass by far the city limits and forms a vast urban agglomeration with the large residential suburs of Assago, Opera, San Donato Milanese, San Giuliano Milanese, Cologno Monzese and Segrate to the south and east, the industrial towns of Sesto San Giovanni, Cinisello Balsamo, Paderno Dugnano, Rho, Legnano and Busto Arsizio to the north and west, up to including Monza and many other lesser settlementsSony VAIO PCG-81115L battery.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Milan has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa); the Mediterranean Sea is too far to exert any influence, so Milan's climate is similar to much of northern Italy's inland plains, where sultry summers and cold, wet winters prevail. The Alps and Appennines form a natural barrier that protects the city from the major circulations coming from northern Europe and the sea. Sony VAIO PCG-81114L battery

During winter, average temperatures in the city center fall below freezing levels (−2 °C/28 °F) and significant accumulations of snow can occur: the historic average of Milan's area is 21 centimetres (8 in) during the period between 1950 and 2007, with a record of 90 centimetres (35 in) during the snowfall of January 1985. In the stereotypical image, the city is often shrouded in the heavy fog characteristic of cold seasons in the Po BasinSony VAIO PCG-81113L battery, although the removal of rice paddies from the southern neighborhoods and the urban heat island effect have reduced this occurrence in recent years, at least in the city center. Occasionally, bursts of Foehn winds cause the temperatures to rise unexcpectedly: on January 22, 2012 the daily high reached 16 °C (61 °F) while on February 22, 2012 it reached 21 °C (70 °F) Sony VAIO PCG-7142L battery. The city receives on average seven days of snow per year. Pollution levels rise significantly in winter when cold air clings to the soil; researchers at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute assessed Milan's metropolitan area to be one of Europe’s most polluted.

Summer

Summer can be quite oppressive, when humidity levels are high and peak temperatures can reach 34 °C (93 °F) Sony VAIO PCG-7141L battery. Usually this season enjoys clearer skies and more than 13 hours of daylight on average; when precipitations occur though, there is a higher likelihood of them being thunderstorms and hailstorms .

Spring and Autumn

Spring and Autumn are well marked and generally pleasant, with temperatures ranging between 10 °C (50 °F) and 20 °C (68 °F) ; these seasons are characterised by higher precipitation averages, especially in April and MaySony VAIO PCG-71111L battery.

Humidity and winds

Relative humidity typically ranges between 45% (comfortable) and 95% (very humid) throughout the year, rarely dropping below 27% (dry) and reaching as high as 100%.[45] Wind is generally absent: over the course of the year typical wind speeds vary from 0 mph to 9 mph (calm to gentle breeze), rarely exceeding 18 mph (fresh breeze) Sony VAIO PCG-61411L battery, except during summer thunderstorms when winds blow strong. In spring, gale-force windstorms may happen, generated either by Tramontana blowing from the Alps or by Bora-like winds from the north.

Architecture

See also: List of buildings in Milan, Villas and palaces in Milan, and Neoclassical architecture in MilanSony VAIO PCG-61112L battery

The Gothic façade of Milan Cathedral

There are few remains of the ancient Roman colony that later became a capital of the Western Roman Empire. During the second half of the fourth century, Saint Ambrose, as bishop of Milan, had a strong influence on the layout of the city, redesigning the centre (although the cathedral and baptistery built at this time are now lost) and building the great basilicas at the city gatesSony VAIO PCG-61111L battery: Sant'Ambrogio, San Nazaro in Brolo, San Simpliciano and Sant'Eustorgio, which still stand, refurbished over the centuries, as some of the finest and most important churches in Milan. The largest and most important example of Gothic architecture in Italy, Milan's Cathedral, is the fourth largest in the world[48] after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Cathedral of Seville and a new cathedral in Côte d'Ivoire.Sony VAIO PCG-5T4L battery Built between 1386 and 1577, it hosts the world's largest collection of marble statues and has a widely visible golden Madonna statue on top of the spire, nicknamed by the people of Milan as Madunina (the little Madonna), that became one of the symbols of the city.

The Castello Sforzesco, ancient residence of the House of Sforza

In the second half of the fifteenth century, when the Sforza ruled the city, the old Visconti fortress was enlarged and embellished to became the Castello SforzescoSony VAIO PCG-5T3L battery: the seat of an elegant Renaissance court surrounded by a walled hunting park stocked with game captured around the Seprio and Lake Como. Notable architects involved in the project included the Florentine Filarete, who was commissioned to build the high central entrance tower, and the military specialist Bartolomeo Gadio.[49] The political alliance between Francesco Sforza and the Florence of Cosimo de' Medici bore architectural fruitSony VAIO PCG-5T2L battery, as Milanese building came under the influence of Brunelleschian models of Renaissance architecture. The first notable buildings to show this Tuscan influence were a palazzo built to house the Medici Bank (of which only the main entrance survives) and the centrally planned Portinari Chapel, attached to Sant’Eustorgio and built for the first manager of the bank's Milan branchSony VAIO PCG-5S3L battery. Filarete, while in Milan, was responsible for the great public hospital known as the Ospedale Maggiore, and also for an influential Treatise on Architecture, which included a plan for a star-shaped ideal city called Sforzinda in honour of Francesco Sforza and passionately argued for the centrally planned form.

Basilica of San Lorenzo, Milan near the colonne di san lorenzoSony VAIO PCG-5S2L battery.

Leonardo da Vinci, who was in Milan from around 1482 until the fall of the city to the French in 1499, was commissioned in 1487 to design a tiburio, or crossing tower for the cathedral, although he was not chosen to build it.[50][51] However, the enthusiasm he shared with Filarete for the centrally-planned building gave rise in this period to numerous architectural drawings Sony VAIO PCG-5S1L battery, which were influential in the work of Donato Bramante and others. Bramante's work in the city, which included Santa Maria presso San Satiro (a reconstruction of a small 9th-century church), the beautiful luminous tribune of Santa Maria delle Grazie and three cloisters for Sant'Ambrogio, drew also on his studies of the Early Christian architecture of Milan such as the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Sony VAIO PCG-5R2L battery

The Counter-Reformation was also the period of Spanish domination and was marked by two powerful figures: Saint Charles Borromeo and his cousin, Cardinal Federico Borromeo. Not only did they impose themselves as moral guides to the people of Milan, but they also gave a great impulse to culture, with the creation of the Biblioteca AmbrosianaSony VAIO PCG-5R1L battery, in a building designed by Francesco Maria Ricchino, and the nearby Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. Many notable churches and Baroque mansions were built in the city during this period by the architects, Pellegrino Tibaldi, Galeazzo Alessi and Ricchino himself.[53]

The Chiaravalle Abbey, founded in 1135

Empress Maria Theresa of Austria was responsible for the significant renovations carried out in Milan during the 18th centurySony VAIO PCG-5P4L battery. She instigated profound social and civil reforms, as well as the construction of many of the buildings that still today constitute the pride of the city, like the Teatro alla Scala, inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and today one of the world's most famous opera houses. The annexed Museo Teatrale alla Scala contains a collection of paintings, drafts, statues, costumesSony VAIO PCG-5P2L battery, and other documents regarding opera and La Scala's history. La Scala also hosts the Ballet School of the Teatro alla Scala. The Austrian sovereign also promoted culture in Milan through projects such as converting the ancient Jesuit College, in the district of Brera, into a scientific and cultural centre with a Library, an astronomic observatory and the botanical gardensSony VAIO PCG-5N4L battery, in which the Art Gallery and the Academy of Fine Arts are today placed side by side. Milan was also widely affected by the Neoclassical movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, transforming its architectural style.

The Arch of Peace, erected in 1807 by Napoleon in Neoclassical style

French Imperial rule of the city in the early 19th century produced several fine Neoclassical structures and mansions, Many of these are located in the Corso Venezia district, Sony VAIO PCG-5N2L battery including Villa Reale or Villa del Belgiojoso, built by Leopoldo Pollack in 1790.[55] It housed the Bonaparte family, mainly Josephine Bonaparte, but also several others key political figures of 1800, such as Count Joseph Radetzky von Radetz and Eugène de Beauharnais.[55] It is often regarded as one of the best types of Neoclassical architecture in Milan and Lombardy, surrounded by an English landscape gardenSony VAIO PCG-51513L battery. Today, it hosts a Gallery Contemporary Art in a fine context of classical columns, vast halls, marble statues and crystal chandeliers.[55]

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: interior view.

Addictional, major examples of Neoclassical architecture in the city includes Palazzo Belgiojoso, former grand Napoleonic residence, and Palazzo Tarsis, built by Luigi Clerichetti for Count Paolo Tarsis in 1834, famous for its ornate façade. Sony VAIO PCG-51511L batteryThe massive Arch of Peace,[54] also known as Porta Sempione (Sempione Gate), is situated in Piazza Sempione right at the end of the omonimous park. It is often compared to a miniature version of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The works began in 1806 by order of Napoleone Bonaparte, under superivison of architect Luigi Cagnola. Just like with the Arc de TriompheSony VAIO PCG-51412L battery, Napoleon's 1815 defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, halted the construction of the monumental arch, but Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria ordered it to be completed as a celebration of the Vienna Congress and the peace treaties of 1815. It was completed by Francesco Peverelli on 10 September 1838.[55] Another noted Neoclassical building in the city is the Palazzo del GovernoSony VAIO PCG-51411L battery, constructed in 1817 by Piero Gilardoni.[55]

The gates of Cimitero Monumentale

In the second half of the 19th century, Milan quicklt became the main industrial center in Italy, drewing inspiration from the great European capitals that were hubs of the technological innovations of the second industrial revolution and, consequently, of the deep social change that had been put in motion. The great Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IISony VAIO PCG-51312L battery, a covered passage that connects Piazza del Duomo, Milan to the square opposite of La Scala opera house, was built by architect Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877 to celebrate Vittorio Emanuele II, first king of reunited Italy. The galleria is covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof, a popular design for 19th-century arcades, such as the Burlington Arcade in London, which was the prototype for larger glazed shopping arcadesSony VAIO PCG-51311L battery, beginning with the Saint-Hubert Gallery in Brussels and the Passazh in St Petersburg. Another late 19th century eclectic monument in the city is Cimitero Monumentale, built in a Neo-Romanesque style by several architects between 1863 and 1866.

Milano Centrale railway station

The tumultuous period of early 20th century brought several, radical innovations in Milanese architecture. Art Nouveau, also known as Liberty in Italy, started to develop in the city during the years before the Great War;[56] alongside other major Italian citiesSony VAIO PCG-51211L battery, most notably Palermo and Turin, this particular style became highly popular, producing several notable buildings in the city,[56] developing its own, individual style known as "Liberty Milanese" (Milanese Art Nouveau), which, in many aspects, shares many traits with Vienna Secession.[57] Possibly one of the most notable Art Nouveau edfices in Milan is Palazzo Castiglioni in Corso VeneziaSony VAIO PCG-41112L battery, built by architect Giuseppe Sommaruga between 1901 and 1904.[56] Other remarkable examples include Hotel Corso[56] and Berri-Meregalli house, the latter built in a traditional Milanese Art Nouveau style combined with elements of neo-Romanesque and Gothic revial architecture, regarded as one of the last such types of architecture in the city.[58] In 1906, with the Universal ExpositionSony VAIO PCG-3A4L battery, the city was able to exhibit its Art Nouveau works, that was thus considered the official style of the exposition.

The iconic Velasca Tower, built in 1958.

Nonetheless, as the century progressed, other styles started to be explored, including neo-Romanesque, eclectic and Gothic revival architecture, so Art Nouveau started falling out of fashion by c. 1913, when the official season was closed by Sommaruga.[59] A new, more eclectic form of architecture can be seen in buildings such as Castello CovaSony VAIO PCG-3A3L battery, built the 1910s in a distinctly neo-medieval style, evoking the architectural trends of the past.[60] A late Example of Art Deco, which blended such styles with Fascist architecture, is the massive Milano Centrale railway station by Ulisse Stacchini, inaugurated in 1931.

The post–World War II period saw rapid reconstruction and fast economic growth, accompanied by a nearly twofold increase in populationSony VAIO PCG-3A2L battery. A strong demand for new residential and commercial areas drove to extreme urban expansion and architectural renewal, that has produced some of the major milestones in the city's architectural history, including Gio Ponti's Pirelli Tower (1956–60), Velasca Tower (1956–58), and the creation of brand new residential satellite towns, as well as huge amounts of low quality public housingsSony VAIO PCG-3A1L battery.

In recent years, deindustrialization, urban decay and gentrification led to a massive urban renewal of former industrial areas, that have been transformed into modern residential and financial districts, notably Porta Nuova and FieraMilano in the suburb of Rho. The old Fiera area is being completely rebuilt thanks to the project Citylife and will feature, amongst residencesSony VAIO PCG-394L battery, museums and a large park, three skyscraper designed by famous international architects, from whom they will take the names: Isozaki Tower, Hadid Tower and Libeskind Tower. They will all have remarkable shapes: the Hadid Tower[61] is twisted, the Libeskind Tower[62] and the Isozaki Tower,[63] although being perfectly straight, will reach 200m becoming the tallest building in ItalySony VAIO PCG-393L battery.

Parks and gardens

Milan boasts a wide variety of parks and gardens. The first public parks were established 1857 and 1862, and were designed by Giuseppe Balzaretto. They were situated in a "green park district", found in the areas of Piazzale Oberdan (Porta Venezia), Corso Venezia, Via Palestro and Via Manin.[64] Most of them were landscaped in a Neoclassical style and represented traditional English gardens, often full of botanic richness. Sony VAIO PCG-391L batterySince 1990 Milan is surrounded by the regional Parco Agricolo Sud Milano that wraps the southern half of the city, connecting Ticino Park in the west and Adda Park in the east. The Park was instituted in order to safeguard and enhance the old agricultural landscape and activities, woodlands and natural reserves, with an overall size of 47,000 hectaresSony VAIO PCG-384L battery.

Parco Sempione, established in 1888, has an overall area of 386,000 m².[65]

The most important parks in Milan are the set of adjacent parks in the western area of the city, forming Parco Agricolo Sud Milano (Parco delle Cave, 131 hectares; Boscoincittà, 110 hectares; and Trenno Park, 59 hectares, whose total area amounts to about 300 hectares), Sempione Park, Parco Forlanini, Giardini Pubblici, Giardino della Villa Comunale, Giardini della Guastalla and Lambro Park. Sempione Park is a large public parkSony VAIO PCG-383L battery, situated between the Castello Sforzesco and the Peace Arch, near Piazza Sempione. It was built by Emilio Alemagna, and contains a Napoleonic Arena, the Milan City Aquarium, a tower, an art exhibition centre, some ponds and a library.[64] Then there is Parco Forlani, which, with a size of 235 hectares is the largest park in Milan,[64] and contains a hill and a pond. Giardini Pubblici is among Milan's oldest remaining public parks, founded on 29 November 1783Sony VAIO PCG-382L battery, and completed around 1790.[66] It is landscaped in English style, containing a pond, a Natural History Museum of Milan and the Neoclassical Villa Reale. Giardini della Guastalla is also one of the oldest gardens in Milan, and consists mainly of a decorated fish pond.

Milan also hosts three important botanical gardens: the Milan University Experimental Botanical Garden (a small botanical garden operated by the Istituto di Scienze Botaniche) Sony VAIO PCG-381L battery, the Brera Botanical Garden (another botanical garden, founded in 1774 by Fulgenzio Witman, an abbot under the orders of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, and restored in 1998 after several years of abandonment) and the Cascina Rosa Botanical Garden. On 23 January 2003, a Garden of the Righteous was established in Monte Stella to commemorate those who opposed genocides and crimes against humankindSony VAIO PCG-7185L battery. It hosts trees dedicated to Moshe Bejski, Andrei Sakharov, the founders of the Gardens of the Righteous in Yerevan and Pietro Kuciukian, and others. The decision to commemorate a "Righteous" person in this Garden is made every year by a commission of high-profile characters.

Demographics

The city proper has a population of 1,324,110 inhabitants as of December 2010. The population of Milan peaked at 1.7 million in 1973Sony VAIO PCG-7184L battery. Thereafter, during the following 30 years, almost one third of the population moved to the outer belt of new suburbs and satellite settlements that grew around the city proper.[35] At the same time, the city attracted increasing flows of foreign immigrants. The population of Milan, like many western cities, is characterized by low fertility rates, low crude birth rates and rapid ageing: in 2009, only 12.6% of the resident population was under 14, while 30.1% was over 60Sony VAIO PCG-7183L battery.

Immigration

After the Second World War, Milan experienced two main waves of mass immigration: the first, dating from the 1950s to the 1970s, was formed by immigrantion from poorer and rural areas of Italy; the second, starting from the 1980s and ongoing, is mainly composed of foreign immigrants, especially from Eastern Europe, North Africa, Latin America and the Far EastSony VAIO PCG-7182L battery.

The first migration wave coincided with the so-called Italian economic miracle of the 1950s and 1960s, a period of extraordinary growth based on rapid industrial expansion and massive public works, that brought to the city an immense flow of over 400,000 people, mainly from rural and overpopulated Southern Italy.[69] The second immigration wave, that started in the 1980s and grew stronger after the fall of the Berlin WallSony VAIO PCG-7181L battery, is mainly composed of foreign-born immigrants from North Africa (especially Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt) and from the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe (notably Albania, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Poland), in addition to a soaring number of Asians (in particular Chinese, Sri Lankans and Filipinos) and Latin Americans (Ecuadorians and Peruvians) Sony VAIO PCG-7174L battery. At the beginning of the 1990s, Milan already hosted a population of foreign-born immigrants of 58,000 (or 4% of the then population), that eventually rose to over 117,000 by the end of the decade (about 9% of the hen population).[70] As of 2011, the Italian national institute of statistics ISTAT estimated that about 236,000 foreign-born immigrants lived in Milan, representing almost 20% of the total resident populationSony VAIO PCG-7173L battery, a rapid increase from recent years levels. The top ten countries of origin of the foreign born residents were the Philippines, Egypt, China, Peru, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Romania, Morocco, Ukraine and Albania.[73]

Decades of mass immigration have made the city one of the most cosmopolitan and multi-cultural in Italy. Milan notably hosts the oldest and largest Chinese community in Italy, with almost 19,000 people in 2010. Sony VAIO PCG-7172L battery Situated in the 9th district, and centered on Via Paolo Sarpi, an important commercial avenue, the Milanese Chinatown was originally established in the 1920s by immigrants from Wencheng County, in the Zhejiang province, and used to operate small textile and leather workshops.[75] Today, the area is famous for its hairdressing salons, oriental fashion boutiques, silk and leather stores, wholesales, and Chinese restaurantsSony VAIO PCG-7171L battery. Its multi-ethnical heritage makes the street one of Milan's most cosmopolitan and colourful, notably during the celebrations of Chinese New Year. There is also a substantial anglophone community living in Milan, and several English language publications to cater for them, such as Hello Milano, Where Milano and Easy Milano.

Main article: Economy of MilanSony VAIO PCG-7162L battery

High rise buildings under construction in Porta Nuova business district.

While Rome is Italy's political capital, Milan is the country's economic and financial heart. With a 2008 GDP estimated at €136 billion,[76] the urban region of Milan contributes almost 9 percent of the national GDP and is home to over 45 percent of businesses in the Lombard region and more than 8 percent of all businesses in ItalySony VAIO PCG-7161L battery. Milan is home to most international banks and the country's principal stock exchange. It has also seen a rapid increase in internet companies with both domestic and international companies such as Altavista, Google, Lycos, Virgilio and Yahoo! establishing their Italian operations in Milan. The city is, of course, famous for its fashion houses, with names such as ArmaniSony VAIO PCG-7154L battery, Versace and Valentino, and these have attracted numerous media and advertising agencies. Milan is also home to a large number of telecommunication companies including both the state owned television companies and private media companies like Mediaset and Sky Italia. Milan also an important manufacturing center, especially for the automotive industry, with companies such as Alfa Romeo and Pirelli having a significant presence in the citySony VAIO PCG-7153L battery. Other important products made in Milan include chemicals, machinery, pharmaceuticals and plastics. The city was included in a list of ten "Alpha world cities" by Peter J. Taylor and Robert E. Lang of the Brookings Institution.

As early as the late 12th century, the arts flourished and the making of armours was the most important industry in Milan. This period saw the beginning of those irrigation works that still render the Lombard plain a fertile gardenSony VAIO PCG-7152L battery. The development of the wool trade in 13th–14th century, subsequently gave the first impetus to the production of silk starting in the 15th century.[77] As in Venice and Florence, the making of luxury goods was an industry of such importance that in the 16th century the city gave its name to the English word “milaner” or “millaner”, meaning fine wares like jewellery, clothSony VAIO PCG-7151L battery, hats and luxury apparel. By the 19th century, a later variant, “millinery”, had come to mean one who made or sold hats. The industrial revolution in Northern Europe gave a new prominence to the north area of Milan. It sat on the trade route for goods coming over the Alps, and built mills powered by water from the many rivers and streams. In the mid-19th century cheaper silk began to be imported from Asia and the pest phylloxera damaged silk and wine productionSony VAIO PCG-7148L battery. More land was subsequently given over to industrialisation. Textile production was followed by metal and mechanical and furniture manufacture.

Today Milan is a European and world fashion centre, where the sector can count on 12,000 companies, 800 show rooms, and 6,000 sales outlets, while four weeks are dedicated to top shows and other events. (SONY Vaio VGN-NS38M Battery) Publishing and media are represented by 700 book publishers, national newspapers and magazines and the recording studios of the national broadcaster RAI and the largest private TV company Mediaset.

Milan Stock Exchange, Italy's main.

Other key sectors in the city's economy are advanced research in health and biotechnologies, chemicals and engineering, banking and finance.[78] Milan is the home to Italy's main banking groups (198 companies) and over forty foreign banks(SONY Vaio VGN-NS31S Battery). The Associazione Bancaria Italiana representing the Italian banking system and Milan Stock Exchange (225 companies listed on the stock exchange) are both located in the city.[78] The city can boast one of Europe's largest trade fair systems of over 1,600,000 sq.m. About 4.5 million visitors flock to the around 75 major events every year from all over the world as well as to the high-tech conference centres. (SONY Vaio VGN-NS31M Battery) It is also a leader in the third sector of non-profit organisations with 6,000 bodies in the greater Milan area.

Tourism is also an important part of the city's industry. While Euromonitor International have estimated that there were 1.894 million international arrivals in 2009, the Milan Chamber of Commerce estimates that there were over 5.5 million tourist arrivals in the same year, of which over 2.9 million were Italian, otherwise national, arrivals while over 2.6 million were international(SONY Vaio VGN-NS31Z Battery).

Milan is presently undergoing a massive urban renewal. FieraMilano, the historical city trade fair operator, owned a fair ground known as "FieraMilanoCity", which was dismantled to be house for a major urban development, CityLife district. The new trade exhibition center, built in the north-western suburb of Rho and inaugurated in April 2005(SONY Vaio VGN-NS21Z Battery), makes FieraMilano one of the largest expo areas in the world.[80] Along with CityLife, many other construction projects are under way to rehabilitate disused industrial areas. Several famous architects take part in the projects, such as Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid,[81] Massimiliano Fuksas[82] and Daniel Libeskind.[81] Many of these projects are in preparation contextually to the Milan 2015 Expo(SONY Vaio VGN-NS21M Battery).

La Scala opera house.

Milan is a major nation-wide and international centre of the performing arts, most notably opera. Milan hosts La Scala operahouse, considered one of the most prestigious operahouses in the world,[83] and throughout history has hosted the premieres of numerous operas, such as Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi in 1842, La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli, Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini in 1904, Turandot by Giacomo Puccini in 1926(SONY Vaio VGN-NS21S Battery), and more recently Teneke, by Fabio Vacchi in 2007. Other major theatres in Milan include the Teatro degli Arcimboldi, Teatro Dal Verme, Teatro Lirico and formerly the Teatro Regio Ducal. The city also has a renowned symphony orchestra and musical conservatory, and has been, throughout history, a major centre for musical composition: numerous famous composers and musicians such as Gioseppe Caimo(SONY Vaio VGN-NS12S Battery), Simon Boyleau, Hoste da Reggio, Verdi, Giulio Gatti-Casazza, Paolo Cherici and Alice Edun are or were from, or call or called Milan their home. The city has also formed numerous modern ensembles and bands, such as the Dynamis Ensemble, Stormy Six and the Camerata Mediolanense have been formed(SONY Vaio VGN-NS12M Battery).

Main article: Tourism in Milan

Da Vinci's blueprint for a crossbow, part of Codex Atlanticus, ca. 1500.

Milan is one of the European Union's most important tourist destinations, also being the 7th best city in Europe in terms of touristic reputation, attractions and branding;[84] with 1.902 million arrivals in 2007 and 1.914 million in 2008, it places itself 42nd and 52nd respectively, most visited city in the world.[85] According to a particular source(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11Z Battery), 56% of international visitors to Milan are from Europe, while 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad. The most important European Union markets are the United Kingdom (16%), Germany (9%) and France (6%). According to the same study, most of the visitors who come from the USA to the city go on business matters, while Chinese and Japanese tourists mainly make up the leisure segment(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11M Battery). The average stay for a tourist in the city is of 3.43 nights, while foreigners stay for longer periods of time, 77% of which stay for a 2–5 night average. Of the 75% of visitors staying in hotels, 4-star ones are the most popular (47%), while 5-stars, or less than 3-stars represent 11% and 15% of the charts respectively.

Armour of Sigismondo Malatesta, ca. 1460–65(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11L Battery).

The city contains several cultural institutions, museums and galleries, some of which are highly important at an international level,[86] such as the city's Duomo and Piazza, the Convent of Sta. Maria delle Grazie with Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, the San Siro Stadium, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, the Pinacoteca di Brera and the Via Monte Napoleone. Most tourists visit sights such as Milan Cathedral(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11J Battery), the Castello Sforzesco and the Teatro alla Scala, however, other main sights such as the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, the Navigli and the Brera Academy and district are less visited and prove to be less popular.

The Pinacoteca di Brera is one of Milan's most important art galleries. It contains one of the foremost collections of Italian paintings, an outgrowth of the cultural program of the Brera Academy, which shares the site in the Brera Academy(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11E Battery). It contains masterpieces such as the Brera Madonna by Piero della Francesca. The Castello Sforzesco hosts numerous art collections and exhibitions. The best known of the current civic museums is the Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco, with an art collection including Michelangelo's last sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà, Andrea Mantegna's Trivulzio Madonna and Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Trivulzianus manuscript(SONY Vaio VGN-NS10L Battery). The Castello complex also includes The Museum of Ancient Art, The Furniture Museum, The Museum of Musical Instruments and the Applied Arts Collection, The Egyptian and Prehistoric sections of the Archaeological Museum and the Achille Bertarelli Print Collection.

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umberto Boccioni.

Milan's figurative art flourished in the Middle-Ages, and with the Visconti family being major patrons of the arts, the city became an important centre of Gothic art and architecture (Milan Cathedral being the city's most formidable work of Gothic architecture). (SONY Vaio VGN-NS10J Battery) Also, rule of the Sforza family, between the 14th and 15th century, was another period in which art and architecture flourished. Milan became the seat of an elegant Renaissance court,[88] while great works, such as the Ospedale Maggiore, the public hospital designed by Filarete were built, and artists of the calibre of Leonardo da Vinci came to work in Milan, leaving works of inestimable value, such as the fresco of the Last Supper and the Codex Atlanticus(SONY Vaio VGN-NS10E Battery).

Leonardo's The Last Supper.

Bramante also came to Milan to work on the construction of some of the most beautiful churches in the city; in Santa Maria delle Grazie the beautiful luminous tribune is by Bramante, as is the church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro.

The city was affected by the Baroque in the 17th and 18th centuries, and hosted numerous formidable artists, architects and painters of that period, such as Caravaggio and Francesco Hayez, which several important works are hosted in Brera Academy. (SONY Vaio VGN-NS38M/W Battery)

Milan in the 20th century was the epicenter of the Futurist artistic movement. Filippo Marinetti, the founder of Italian Futurism wrote in his 1909 "Futurist Manifesto" (in Italian, Manifesto Futuristico), that Milan was "grande...tradizionale e futurista" ("grand...traditional and futuristic", in English). Umberto Boccioni was also an important Futurism artist who worked in the city. (SONY Vaio VGN-NS38M/P Battery) Today, Milan remains a major international hub of modern and contemporary art, with numerous modern exhibitions.[87] The Museum of Twentieth Century, sited in the Arengario palace near Duomo square in the centre of Milan, is one of the most important art galleries about Italian and international Twentieth Century’s art in Italy: of particular relevance are the sections dedicated to Futurism, Spatialism and Arte povera(SONY Vaio VGN-NS31Z/W Battery).

The Museo Poldi Pezzoli is another of the city's most important and prestigious museums. The museum was originated in the 19th century as the private collection of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli and his mother, Rosa Trivulzio, of the family of the condottiero Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, and has a particularly broad collection of Northern Italian and (for Italy) Netherlandish/Flemish artists(SONY Vaio VGN-NS31Z/S Battery). The Museum of the Risorgimento (Museo del Risorgimento) is a museum in Milan on the history of Italian unification from 1796 (Napoleon's first Italian campaign) and 1870 (Rome's annexation into the Kingdom of Italy) and on Milan's part in it (particularly the Five Days of Milan). It is housed in the 18th century Palazzo Moriggia. Its collections include Baldassare Verazzi's Episode from the Five Days and Francesco Hayez's 1840 Portrait of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria(SONY Vaio VGN-NS31Z/P Battery). La Triennale di Milano is a design museum and events venue located inside the Palace of Art building, part of Parco Sempione, the park grounds adjacent to Castello Sforzesco. It hosts exhibitions and events highlighting contemporary Italian design, urban planning, architecture, music, and media arts, emphasizing the relationship between art and industry(SONY Vaio VGN-NS31S/S Battery).

Fashion and design

2010 Milan Fashion Week event.

Milan is regarded as one of the international capitals of industrial and modern design, and one of the world's most influential cities in such fields.[89] The city is particularly well known for its high-quality ancient and modern furniture and industrial goods. Milan hosts the FieraMilano, Europe's biggest, and one of the world's most prestigious furniture and design fairs. (SONY Vaio VGN-NS31M/W Battery) Milan also hosts major design and architecture-related events and venues, such as the "Fuori Salone" and the Salone del Mobile. In the 1950s and 60s as well as early 70's, being the main industrial centre of Italy and one of mainland Europe's most progressive and dynamic cities, Milan became, along with Turin, Italy's capital of post-war design and architecture. Skyscrapers(SONY Vaio VGN-NS31M/P Battery), such as the Pirelli Tower and the Torre Velasca were constructed, and artists such as Bruno Munari, Lucio Fontana, Enrico Castellani and Piero Manzoni, to name a few, either lived or worked in the city.[90]

Milan is also regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world, along with New York City, Paris, and London. The Global Language Monitor declared that in 2009 Milan was the top economic and media global capital of fashion,[91] despite the fact it fell down to sixth place in 2010, (SONY Vaio VGN-NS21Z/S Battery)and went up to fourth place in 2011.[93] Most of the major Italian fashion brands, such as Valentino, Gucci, Versace, Prada, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, are currently headquartered in the city. Numerous international fashion labels also operate shops in Milan, including an Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store, which has become a main consumer attraction. Furthermore(SONY Vaio VGN-NS21S/W Battery), the city hosts the Milan Fashion Week twice a year, just like other international centres such as Paris, London, Tokyo, and New York. Milan's main upscale fashion district is the quadrilatero della moda (literally, "fashion quadrilateral"), where the city's most prestigious shopping streets (Via Monte Napoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Sant'Andrea, Via Manzoni and Corso Venezia) are held. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II(SONY Vaio VGN-NS21S/S Battery), the Piazza del Duomo, Via Dante and Corso Buenos Aires are other important shopping streets and squares. Mario Prada, founder of Prada was born here, helping to cultivate its position as a world fashion capital.

See also: Lombard cuisine

Panettone, traditional Christmas cake.

Like most cities in Italy, Milan and its surrounding area has its own regional cuisine, which, as it is typical for Lombard cuisines, uses more frequently rice than pasta, and features almost no tomato. Milanese cuisine includes "cotoletta alla milanese"(SONY Vaio VGN-NS21M/W Battery), a breaded veal (pork and turkey can be used) cutlet pan-fried in butter (which some claim to be of Austrian origin, as it is similar to Viennese "Wienerschnitzel", while others claim that the "Wienerschnitzel" derived from the "cotoletta alla milanese"). Other typical dishes are cassoeula (stewed pork rib chops and sausage with Savoy cabbage), ossobuco (stewed veal shank with a sauce called gremolata) (SONY Vaio VGN-NS21M/P Battery), risotto alla milanese (with saffron and beef marrow), busecca (stewed tripe with beans), and brasato (stewed beef or pork with wine and potatoes). Season-related pastries include chiacchiere (flat fritters dusted with sugar) and tortelli (fried spherical cookies) for Carnival, colomba (glazed cake shaped as a dove) for Easter, pane dei morti ("Deads' Day bread"(SONY Vaio VGN-NS12S/S Battery), cookies aromatized with cinnamon) for All Soul's Day and panettone for Christmas. The salame milano, a salami with a very fine grain, is widespread throughout Italy. The best known Milanese cheese is gorgonzola from the namesake town nearby, although today the major gorgonzola producers operate in Piedmont(SONY Vaio VGN-NS12M/W Battery).

In homage to a unique cuisine, Milan has several world-renowned restaurants and cafés. Most of the more refined and upper-class restaurants are found in the historic centre, while the more traditional and popular ones are mainly located in the Brera and Navigli districts. Today, there is also a Nobu Japanese restaurant in Milan, which is located in Armani World in Via Manzoni and is regarded as being one of the trendiest restaurants in the city. (SONY Vaio VGN-NS12M/S Battery) One of the city's chicest cafés or pasticcerie is the Caffè Cova, an ancient Milanese coffeehouse founded in 1817 near the Teatro alla Scala, which has also opened franchises in Hong Kong.[95] The Biffi Caffè and the Zucca in Galleria are also famous and historical "Caffès" situated in Milan. Other restaurants in Milan include the Hotel Four Seasons restaurant, La Briciola, the Marino alla Scala and the Chandelier(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11Z/S Battery). Today, there is also a McDonald's fast-food restaurant in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and some new boutique-cafés, such as the Just Cavalli Café, owned by the luxury fashion goods brand Roberto Cavalli.

Language and literature

Main article: Milanese literature

Monument to Alessandro Manzoni in Piazza San Fedele.

In the late 18th century, and throughout the 19th, Milan was an important centre for intellectual discussion and literary creativity. The Enlightenment found here a fertile ground. Cesare, Marquis of Beccaria, with his famous Dei delitti e delle pene, and Count Pietro Verri(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11ZR/S Battery), with the periodical Il Caffè were able to exert a considerable influence over the new middle-class culture, thanks also to an open-minded Austrian administration. In the first years of the 19th century, the ideals of the Romantic movement made their impact on the cultural life of the city and its major writers debated the primacy of Classical versus Romantic poetry. Here, too, Giuseppe Parini(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11S/S Battery), and Ugo Foscolo published their most important works, and were admired by younger poets as masters of ethics, as well as of literary craftsmanship. Foscolo's poem Dei sepolcri was inspired by a Napoleonic law that—against the will of many of its inhabitants—was being extended to the city. In the third decade of the 19th century, Alessandro Manzoni wrote his novel I Promessi Sposi, considered the manifesto of Italian Romanticism(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11M/S Battery), which found in Milan its centre, and Carlo Porta wrote his poems in Western Lombard Language. The periodical Il Conciliatore published articles by Silvio Pellico, Giovanni Berchet, Ludovico di Breme, who were both Romantic in poetry and patriotic in politics. After the Unification of Italy in 1861, Milan lost its political importance; nevertheless it retained a sort of central position in cultural debates(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11L/S Battery). New ideas and movements from other countries of Europe were accepted and discussed: thus Realism and Naturalism gave birth to an Italian movement, Verismo. The greatest verista novelist, Giovanni Verga, was born in Sicily but wrote his most important books in Milan.

In addition to Italian, approximately a third of the population of western Lombardy[citation needed] can speak the Western Lombard language[citation needed], also known as Insubric[citation needed]. In Milan, some people (mostly elder ones) (SONY Vaio VGN-NS11J/S Battery) of the city (natives but also, less often, immigrants) can speak the traditional Milanese language —that is to say the urban variety of Western Lombard, which is not to be confused with the Milanese-influenced regional variety of the Italian language.

The St. Ambrose Basilica, one of the city's most important and oldest churches.

Milan's population, like that of Italy as a whole, is mostly Catholic. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan(SONY Vaio VGN-NS11E/S Battery). Other religions practised include: Orthodox Churches,[96] Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Protestantism. Milan has its own historic Catholic rite known as the Ambrosian Rite (Italian: Rito ambrosiano). It varies slightly from the typical Catholic rite (the Roman, used in all other western regions), with some differences in the liturgy and mass celebrations, in the Canons are Easter and Lent, in the colour of liturgical vestments, peculiar use of incense(SONY Vaio VGN-NS10L/S Battery), marriage form, office for the dead, baptism by immersion, and in the calendar (for example, the date for the beginning of lent is celebrated some days after the common date, so the carnival has different date). The season of Advent is of six weeks duration and starts on the Sunday after the feast of Saint Martin (11 November). The Ambrosian rite is also practised in other surrounding locations in Lombardy, parts of Piedmont and in the Swiss canton of Ticino(SONY Vaio VGN-NS10J/S Battery). The sounding of church bells uses a peculiar technique. Another important difference concerns the liturgical music. The Gregorian chant was completely unused in Milan and surrounding areas, because the official one was its own Ambrosian chant, definitively established by the Council of Trent (1545–1563) and earlier than the Gregorian.[103] To preserve this music there has developed the unique schola cantorum, a college(SONY Vaio VGN-NS10E/S Battery), and an Institute called PIAMS (Pontifical Ambrosian Institute of Sacred Music), in partnership with the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music (PIMS) in Rome.[104]

San Siro Stadium, with a capacity of over 80,000, is one of Europe's largest.

Association football is the most popular sport in Italy, and Milan is home to two world-famous football teams: A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano (Inter Milan). The former is normally referred to as "Mìlan" (pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, unlike the English and Milanese name of the city), the latter as "Inter"(Sony VAIO VGN-SR49VN/H battery). A match between these two teams is known as Derby della Madonnina. Milan is the only city in Europe who hosts two European Cup/Champions League winning teams (A.C. Milan and Internazionale). Both teams have also won the Intercontinental Cup (now FIFA Club World Cup). With a combined ten Champions League titles, Milan has won more European Cups than any other city. Both teams play at the UEFA 5-star rated Giuseppe Meazza Stadium(Sony VAIO VGN-SR49D battery), more commonly known as the San Siro, that is one of the biggest stadiums in Europe, with a seating capacity of over 80,000.[105]

The world famous Monza Formula One circuit is located near the city, inside a wide park. It is one of the world's oldest car racing circuits. The capacity for the F1 races is currently around 137,000 spectators. It has hosted an F1 race nearly every year since the first year of competition, with the exception of 1980(Sony VAIO VGN-SR49D/Q battery).

Milan is home to Italy's most successful basketball team: Olimpia Milano. They won 25 Italian Championships as well as 3 European Champions Cups. The team play at the Mediolanum Forum, which houses 12,000 spectators.

Milan is also home to Italy's oldest American football team: Rhinos Milano. They won 4 Italian Super Bowl. The team play at the Velodromo Vigorelli, which houses 8,000 spectators(Sony VAIO VGN-SR49D/J battery).

The city hosted, among other sport events, the FIFA World Cup in 1934 and 1990, the UEFA European Football Championship in 1980 and most recently the 2003 World Rowing Championships, the 2009 World Boxing Championships and some games of the FIVB World Championship in 2010(Sony VAIO VGN-SR48J battery).

Milan's higher education system comprises 39 university centres (44 faculties, 174,000 new students a year, equal to 10% of the entire Italian university population),[106] and has the largest number of university graduates and postgraduate students (34,000 and more than 5,000, respectively) in Italy. (Sony VAIO VGN-SR48J/J battery)

The Politecnico di Milano main building.

Founded on 29 November 1863, the Politecnico di Milano is the oldest university in Milan. Its most eminent professors over the years have included the mathematician Francesco Brioschi (its first Director), Luigi Cremona, and Giulio Natta (Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1963). The Politecnico di Milano is nowadays organised in 16 departments and a network of 9 Schools of Engineering(Sony VAIO VGN-SR48J/B battery), Architecture and Industrial Design spread over 7 campuses over the Lombardy region with a central administration and management. The number of students enrolled in all campuses is approximately 40,000, which makes Politecnico di Milano the largest technical university in Italy.[108]

The central building of University of Milan, built in the Renaissance as the city hospital: the Ospedale Maggiore(Sony VAIO VGN-SR46TD/B battery).

The University of Milan, founded 30 September 1923, is a public teaching and research university with 9 faculties, 58 departments, 48 institutes and a teaching staff of 2,500 professors. A leading institute in Italy and Europe for scientific productivity, the University of Milan is the largest university in the region, with approximately 65,000 enrolled students. (Sony VAIO VGN-SR46MD/B battery)

The University of Milan Bicocca was instituted on 10 June 1998, to serve students from Northern Italy and take some pressure off the historical University of Milan, which was getting overcrowded. It is set in Bicocca, an area in the northern part of Milan, which was the core of its past industrial activity with some of the largest Italian factories in steel processing, chemical manufacturing, and electro-mechanics. In the faculty of science non-traditional degrees(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45T/W battery), from B.Sc. to PhD, in materials science, biotechnology and environmental science are coupled to the conventional ones in physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, computation and earth science. At present the university hosts more than 30,000 students.[110]

The Luigi Bocconi Commercial University is a private university focused on economics, management, finance and law. Established in 1902, has been ranked among the top 20 best business schools in the world by The Wall Street Journal international rankings(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45T/P battery), especially thanks to its M.B.A. program, which in 2007 placed it no. 17 in the world in terms of graduate recruitment preference by major multinational companies.[111] Forbes has ranked Bocconi no.1 worldwide in the specific category Value for Money.[112] In May 2008, Bocconi overtook several traditionally top global business schools in the Financial Times Executive education ranking, reaching no. 5 in Europe and no. 15 in the world(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45T/B battery).

The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart courtyard.

The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, founded in 1921 by Father Agostino Gemelli, is currently the biggest Catholic university in the world with almost 42,000 enrolled students.[114]

The University of Languages and Communication of Milan, founded in 1968, is specialized in consumer and services research, business communication and ICT(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45H battery), tourism, fashion, cultural heritage and its exploitation, foreign languages for business, economics, marketing and distribution. The two campuses of Milan and Feltre have almost 10,000 enrolled students.[115]

The Saint Raphael University was fundamentally born as an off-spring of the research hospital structure St. Raphael Hospital, where students attend basic research laboratories in many research fields, including neurology(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45H/P battery), neurosurgery, diabetology, molecular biology, AIDS studies among others. It has expanded since then to include research fields in cognitive science and philosophy.

The internal court of Brera Academy.

The Academy of Fine Arts of Brera is a public academic institution dedicated to teach and research within the creative art, (painting, sculpting, graphics, photo, video etc.) and cultural historical disciplines. It is the academic institution with the highest rate of internationalization in Italy with about 3,500 students including over 850 foreigners from 49 nations(Sony VAIO VGN-SR45H/N battery).

The New Academy of Fine Arts of Milan, founded in 1980, is a private academy that offers Bachelor and Master of Arts Degree Programs, Academic Master Programs, Diploma Program and Semester Abroad Programs held in English that are accredited by the US University System in the fields of Visual Arts, Graphic Design, Design, Fashion, Media Design and Theatre Design. Over 1,000 students coming from all over Italy and 40 different countries are currently studying at the academy. (Sony VAIO VGN-SR45H/B battery)

The European Institute of Design is a private university specialized in fashion, industrial and interior design, audio/visual design including photography, advertising and marketing and business communication. The school was founded in 1966 today enrolls over 8,000 students.

The Marangoni Institute is a fashion institute with campuses in Milan, London, and Paris. Founded in 1935, it prepares highly skilled professionals for the fashion and design industries(Sony VAIO VGN-SR41M/W battery).

The Domus Academy (DA) is a private postgraduate institution that offers a series of professional masters degrees in various design-oriented or design-based fields such as industrial design, fashion management, urban management and architecture, business design, interaction design, etc. Founded in 1982 by such Milanese design luminaries such as Gianfranco Ferre and Andrea Branzi(Sony VAIO VGN-SR41M/S battery), DA now attracts students from all over the world interested in the interplay among research, design, and management.

The Milan Conservatory is a college of music established by a royal decree of 1807, when the city was the capital of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. It opened the following year with premisses in the cloisters of the Baroque church of Santa Maria della Passione. There were initially 18 boarders, including students of both sexes(Sony VAIO VGN-SR41M/P battery). With more than 1,700 students, over 240 teachers and 20 majors, it is Italy's largest university of music.[118]

There are eight main hospitals in Milan, many of which are associated with universities: Niguarda Hospital, Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Policlinic Major Hospital, San Carlo Borromeo Hospital, San Giuseppe Hospital, San Raffaele Hospital, Luigi Sacco Hospital and San Paolo Hospital(Sony VAIO VGN-SR39VN/S battery). Milan is also home to advanced institutes for medical research and treatment such as the Monzino Cardiology Center, the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research and the European Institute of Oncology.

Main article: Transport in Milan

Map of the Milan Metro Network.

Milan is one of southern Europe's key transport nodes and one of Italy's most important railway hubs for local, national and international routes. Five major railway stations in Milan, among which the Milan Central station, are among Italy's busiest. (Sony VAIO VGN-SR39D battery) Since the end of 2009, two High speed train lines link Milan to Rome, Naples and Turin considerably shortening travel times with other major cities in Italy.

The Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM) operates within the metropolitan area, managing a public transport network consisting of an underground rapid transit network and tram, trolley-bus and bus lines. Overall the network covers nearly 1,400 km (870 mi) reaching 86 municipalities(Sony VAIO VGN-SR39D/Q battery). Besides public transport, ATM manages the interchange parking lots and other transportation services including bike sharing and car sharing systems.

Milan Malpensa international airport.

Milan Metro is the rapid transit system serving the city, with 3 lines and a total length of more than 80 km (50 mi). Two additional lines are currently under construction.[122] The Suburban Railway Service Lines comprises 10 lines and connects the metropolitan area with the city centre through the Milan Passerby underground railway(Sony VAIO VGN-SR39D/J battery). Commonly referred to as "Il Passante", it is informally considered the fourth metro line, with a train running every 6 minutes.

The city tram network consists of approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) of track and 17 lines.[123] Bus lines cover over 1,070 km (665 mi). Milan has also taxi services operated by private companies and licensed by the City council of Milan. The city is also a key node for the national road network, being served by all the major highways of Northern Italy(Sony VAIO VGN-SR38 battery).

Milan is served by three international airports. The Malpensa International Airport, the second busiest in Italy (about 19 million passengers in 2010), is 45 km (28 mi) from central Milan and connected to the city by the "Malpensa Express" railway service. The Linate Airport, which lies within the city limits, is mainly used for domestic and short-haul international flights(Sony VAIO VGN-SR38/Q battery), and served over 9 million passengers in 2010.[124] The airport of Orio al Serio, near the city of Bergamo, serves the low-cost traffic of Milan (8 million passengers in 2010).[125] A fourth airport, Milano Bresso, serves only private flights, and is operated by Aero Club Milano.

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy

Sister cities

Milan has fifteen official sister cities as reported on the city's website.[126] The date column indicates the year in which the relationship was established. São Paulo was Milan's first sister city(Sony VAIO VGN-SR38/P battery).

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after Greater São Paulo.[6] It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent. Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, which also includes several Buenos Aires Province districtsSony PCG-71313M battery, constitutes the third-largest conurbation in Latin America, with a population of around thirteen million.[3]

The city of Buenos Aires is not a part of Buenos Aires Province, nor is it the Province's capital, but an autonomous district. In 1880, after decades of political infighting, Buenos Aires was federalised and removed from Buenos Aires ProvinceSony PCG-71212M battery. The city limits were enlarged to include the towns of Belgrano and Flores (both are currently neighborhoods of the city). The 1994 constitutional amendment granted the city autonomy, hence its formal name: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (Autonomous City of Buenos Aires). Its citizens first elected a Chief of Government (i.e. Mayor) in 1996; before, the Mayor was directly appointed by the President of the RepublicSony PCG-71311M battery.

Buenos Aires is rated one of the 20 largest cities in the world. It, along with São Paulo and Mexico City, one of the three Latin American cities alpha category for the study GaWC5[7] and has been ranked as the most important global city and competitive marketplace of Latin America. Buenos Aires has the best quality of life in Latin America, ranked at 61 ° in the world and its per capita income is among the three highest in the regionSony PCG-71213M battery.It is the most visited city in South America[11], and most important, largest and most populous of South American capitals as well as the Latin American Documentary "United by History" is the Paris of South America[12].

People from Buenos Aires are referred to as porteños (people of the port). Buenos Aires is a top tourist destination,[14] and is known for its European style architecture and rich cultural life,[16] with the highest concentration of theatres in the worldSony PCG-61211M battery.

Buenos Aires is currently bidding to host the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics.

Main article: Names of Buenos Aires

When the Aragonese conquered Cagliari, Sardinia from the Pisans in 1324, they established their headquarters on top of a hill that overlooked the city. The hill was known to them as Buen Ayre (or "Bonaria" in the local language), as it was free of the foul smell prevalent in the old city (the Castle area), which is adjacent to swampland. During the siege of CagliariSony VAIO PCG-31114M battery, the Aragonese built a sanctuary to the Virgin Mary on top of the hill. In 1335, King Alfonso the Gentle donated the church to the Mercedarians, who built an abbey that stands to this day. In the years after that, a story circulated, claiming that a statue of the Virgin Mary was retrieved from the sea after it miraculously helped to calm a storm in the Mediterranean SeaSony VAIO PCG-31113M battery. The statue was placed in the abbey. Spanish sailors, especially Andalusians, venerated this image and frequently invoked the "Fair Winds" to aid them in their navigation and prevent shipwrecks. A sanctuary to the Virgin of Buen Ayre would be later erected in Seville.

In the first foundation, Pedro de Mendoza called the city Santa María del Buen Aire ("Holy Mary of the Fair Winds"), a name chosen by the chaplain of Mendoza's expedition, a devotee of the Virgin of Buen AyreSony VAIO PCG-31112M battery. Mendoza’s settlement soon came under attack by indigenous peoples, and was abandoned in 1541.

For many years, the name was attributed to Sancho del Campo, who is said to have exclaimed: How fair are the winds of this land!, as he arrived. But Eduardo Madero, in 1882, after conducting extensive research in Spanish archives would ultimately conclude that the name was closely linked with the devotion of the sailors to Our Lady of Buen AyreSony VAIO PCG-31111M battery.

A second (and permanent) settlement was established in 1580 by Juan de Garay, who sailed down the Paraná River from Asunción (now the capital of Paraguay). Garay preserved the name chosen by Mendoza, calling the city Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María del Buen Aire ("City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Fair Winds")Sony VAIO PCG-41112M battery. The short form "Buenos Aires" became the common usage during the 17th century.[19]

Depiction of Juan de Garay and the second founding of Buenos Aires, 1580

Seaman Juan Díaz de Solís, navigating in the name of Spain, was the first European to reach the Río de la Plata in 1516. His expedition was cut short when he was killed during an attack by the native Charrúa tribe in what is now UruguaySony VAIO PCG-41111M battery.

The city of Buenos Aires was first established as Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre[20] (literally "City of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Fair Winds") after Our Lady of Bonaria (Patroness Saint of Sardinia) on 2 February 1536 by a Spanish expedition led by Pedro de Mendoza. The settlement founded by Mendoza was located in what is today the San Telmo district of Buenos Aires, south of the city centerSONY VAIO PCG-21212M battery.

More attacks by the indigenous peoples forced the settlers away, and in 1541 the site was abandoned. A second (and permanent) settlement was established in 1580 by Juan de Garay, who arrived by sailing down the Paraná River from Asunción (now the capital of Paraguay). He dubbed the settlement "Santísima Trinidad" and its port became "Puerto de Santa María de los Buenos AiresSONY VAIO PCG-21211M battery."

From its earliest days, Buenos Aires depended primarily on trade. During most of the 17th and 18th centuries, Spanish ships were menaced by pirates, so they developed a complex system where ships with military protection were dispatched to Central America, cross the land, from there to Lima, Peru and from it to the inner cities of the viceroyaltySONY VAIO PCG-51212M battery. Because of this, products took a very long time to arrive in Buenos Aires, and the taxes generated by the transport made them prohibitive. This scheme frustrated the traders of Buenos Aires, and a thriving contraband industry developed. This also instilled a deep resentment in porteños towards the Spanish authorities. SONY VAIO PCG-51211M battery

Sensing these feelings, Charles III of Spain progressively eased the trade restrictions and finally declared Buenos Aires an open port in the late 18th century. The capture of Porto Bello by British forces also fueled the need to foster commerce via the Atlantic route, to the detriment of Lima-based trade. One of his rulings was to split a region from the Viceroyalty SONY VAIO PCG-51112M batteryof Perú and create instead the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, with Buenos Aires as the capital. However, Charles's placating actions did not have the desired effect, and the porteños, some of them versed in the ideology of the French Revolution, became even more convinced of the need for Independence from SpainSONY VAIO PCG-51111M battery.

War of independence

During the British invasions of the Río de la Plata, British forces attacked Buenos Aires twice. In 1806 the British successfully invaded Buenos Aires, but an army from Montevideo led by Santiago de Liniers defeated them. In the brief period of British rule, the viceroy Rafael Sobremonte managed to escape to Córdoba and designated this city as capitalSONY VAIO PCG-81212M battery. Buenos Aires became again the capital after its liberation, but Sobremonte could not resume as viceroy. Santiago de Liniers, chosen as new viceroy, armed the city to be prepared against a possible new British attack, defeating the invasion attempt of 1807. The militarization generated in society changed the balance of power favorably for the criollos (in contrast to peninsulars) Sony VAIO PCG-81112M battery, as well as the development of the Peninsular War in Spain. An attempt by the peninsular merchant Martín de Álzaga to remove Liniers and replace him with a Junta was defeated by the criollo armies. However, by 1810 it would be those same armies who would support a new revolutionary attempt, successfully removing the new viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de CisnerosSONY VAIO PCG-71111M battery. This is known as the May Revolution, which is in present day celebrated as a national holiday. This event started the Argentine War of Independence, and many armies left Buenos Aires to fight the diverse strongholds of royalist resistance, with varying levels of success. The government was held first by two Juntas of many members, then by two triumvirates of only three membersSONY VAIO PCG-7196M battery, and finally by an unipersonal office, the Supreme Director. Formal independence from Spain was declared in 1816, in the Congress of Tucumán. Buenos Aires managed to endure the whole Spanish American wars of independence without falling again into royalist rule.

Historically, Buenos Aires has been Argentina's main venue for liberal and free-trade ideas, while many of the provinces, especially to the northwestSONY VAIO PCG-7195M battery, advocated a more conservative Catholic approach to political and social issues. Much of the internal tension in Argentina's history, starting with the centralist-federalist conflicts of the 19th century, can be traced back to these contrasting views. In the months immediately following the 25 May Revolution, Buenos Aires sent a number of military envoys to the provinces with the intention of obtaining their approvalSONY VAIO PCG-7194M battery. Many of these missions ended in violent clashes, and the enterprise fueled the tensions between the capital and the provinces.

In the 19th century the city was blockaded twice by naval forces: by the French from 1838 to 1840, and later by a joint Anglo-French expedition from 1845 to 1848. Both blockades failed to force the city into submission, and the foreign powers eventually desisted from their demands.

The May Square during the centennial of the May Revolution, 1910SONY VAIO PCG-7192M battery.

The 9 de Julio Avenue with de Obelisk of Buenos Aires.

During most of the 19th century, the political status of the city remained a sensitive subject. It was already capital of Buenos Aires Province, and between 1853 and 1860 it was the capital of the seceded State of Buenos Aires. The issue was fought out more than once on the battlefield, until the matter was finally settled in 1880 SONY PCG-8113M batterywhen the city was federalized and became the seat of government, with its Mayor appointed by the President. The Casa Rosada became the seat of the President.[19]

In addition to the wealth generated by the Buenos Aires Customs and the fertile pampas, railroad development in the second half of the 19th century increased the economic power of Buenos Aires as raw materials flowed into its factories. A leading destination for immigrants from EuropeSONY PCG-8112M battery , particularly Italy and Spain, from 1880 to 1930 Buenos Aires became a multicultural city that ranked itself with the major European capitals. The Colón Theater became one of the world's top opera venues, and the city became the regional capital of radio, television, cinema, and theatre. The city's main avenues were built during those years, and the dawn of the 20th century saw the construction of South America's then-tallest buildings and the first underground systemSONY PCG-7134M battery. A second construction boom from 1945 to 1980 reshaped downtown and much of the city.

Buenos Aires also attracted migrants from Argentina's provinces and neighboring countries. Shanty towns (villas miseria) started growing around the city's industrial areas during the 1930s, leading to pervasive social problems and social contrasts with the largely upwardly mobile Buenos Aires populationSONY PCG-7131M battery. These laborers became the political base of Peronism, which emerged in Buenos Aires during the pivotal demonstration of 17 October 1945, at the Plaza de Mayo.[23] Industrial workers of the Greater Buenos Aires industrial belt have been Peronism's main support base ever since, and Plaza de Mayo became the site for demonstrations and many of the country's political eventsSONY PCG-7122M battery; on 16 June 1955, however, a splinter faction of the Navy bombed the Plaza de Mayo area, killing 364 civilians (see Bombing of Plaza de Mayo). This was the only time the city was attacked from the air, and the event was followed by a military uprising which deposed President Perón, three months later (see Revolución Libertadora) SONY PCG-7121M battery.

In the 1970s the city suffered from the fighting between left-wing revolutionary movements (Montoneros, E.R.P. and F.A.R.) and the right-wing paramilitary group Triple A, supported by Isabel Perón, who became president of Argentina in 1974 after Juan Perón's death.

The March 1976 coup, led by General Jorge Videla, only escalated this conflict; the "Dirty War" resulted in 30,000 desaparecidosSONY PCG-7113M battery  (people kidnapped and killed by the military during the years of the junta). The silent marches of their mothers (Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo) are a well-known image of Argentines suffering during those times.

The dictatorship's appointed mayor, Osvaldo Cacciatore, also drew up plans for a network of freeways intended to relieve the city's acute traffic gridlock. The planSONY PCG-7112M battery, however, called for a seemingly indiscriminate razing of residential areas and, though only three of the eight planned were put up at the time, they were mostly obtrusive raised freeways that continue to blight a number of formerly comfortable neighborhoods to this day.

The city was visited by Pope John Paul II twice: in 1982, because of the outbreak of the Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur) SONY PCG-8Z3M battery, and a second visit in 1987, which gathered some of the largest crowds in the city's history. The return of democracy in 1983 coincided with a cultural revival, and the 1990s saw an economic revival, particularly in the construction and financial sectors.

On 17 March 1992 a bomb exploded in the Israeli Embassy, killing 29 and injuring 242. Another explosion, on 18 July 1994 destroyed a building housing several Jewish organizationsSONY PCG-8Z2M battery, killing 85 and injuring many more, these incidents marked the beginning of Middle Eastern terrorism to South America.

Following a 1993 agreement, the Argentine Constitution was amended to give Buenos Aires autonomy and rescinding, among other things, the president's right to appoint the city's mayor (as had been the case since 1880). On 30 June 1996, voters in Buenos Aires chose their first elected mayor (Chief of Government) SONY PCG-8Z1M battery.

On 30 December 2004 a fire at the República Cromagnon nightclub killed almost 200 people, one of the greatest non-natural tragedies in Argentine history. In April 2012, a storm hit the region, killing 13 people, including four in the city of Buenos Aires.

The current mayor of the city is Mauricio Macri, elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011.

Government and politics

Government structure

The Congress Palace in Balvanera. Buenos Aires is represented in the Senate and the Chamber of DeputiesSONY PCG-8Y3M battery .

The Pink House viewed from Plaza de Mayo.

The Executive is held by the Chief of Government (Spanish: Jefe de Gobierno), elected for a four-year term together with a Deputy Chief of Government, who presides over the 60-member Buenos Aires City Legislature. Each member of the Legislature is elected for a four-year term; half of the legislature is renewed every two yearsSONY PCG-8Y2M battery . Elections use the D'Hondt method of proportional representation. The Judicial branch is composed of the Supreme Court of Justice (Tribunal Superior de Justicia), the Magistrate's Council (Consejo de la Magistratura), the Public Ministry, and other City Courts. The Article 61 of the 1996 Constitution of the City of Buenos Aires states that "Suffrage is free, equal, secret, universalSONY PCG-7Z1M battery, compulsory and non-accumulative. Resident aliens enjoy this same right, with its corresponding obligations, on equal terms with Argentine citizens registered in the district, under the terms established by law."

Legally, the city has less autonomy than the Provinces. In June 1996, shortly before the City's first Executive elections were held, the Argentine National Congress issued the National Law 24.588 (known as Ley CafieroSONY PCG-6W2M battery, after the Senator who advanced the project) by which the authority over the 25,000-strong Argentine Federal Police and the responsibility over the federal institutions residing at the City (e.g., National Supreme Court of Justice buildings) would not be transferred from the National Government to the Autonomous City Government until a new consensus could be reached at the National CongressSONY PCG-5J5M battery. Furthermore, it declared that the Port of Buenos Aires, along with some other places, would remain under constituted federal authorities. As of 2011, the deployment of the Metropolitan Police of Buenos Aires is ongoing.

Beginning in 2007, the city has embarked on a new decentralization scheme, creating new Communes (comunas) which are to be managed by elected committees of seven members each.

Recent political historySONY PCG-5K2M battery 

In 1996, following the 1994 reform of the Argentine Constitution, the city held its first mayoral elections under the new statutes, with the mayor's title formally changed to "Head of Government". The winner was Fernando de la Rúa, who would later become President of Argentina from 1999 to 2001SONY PCG-5K1M battery.

De la Rúa's successor, Aníbal Ibarra, won two popular elections, but was impeached (and ultimately deposed on 6 March 2006) as a result of the fire at the República Cromagnon nightclub. Jorge Telerman, who had been the acting mayor, was invested with the office. In the 2007 elections, Mauricio Macri won the second-round of voting over Daniel Filmus, taking office on 9 December 2007SONY PCG-5J4M battery.

National representation

Buenos Aires is represented in the Argentine Senate by three senators (as of 2011, María Eugenia Estenssoro, Samuel Cabanchik and Daniel Filmus).[29] The people of Buenos Aires also elect 25 national deputies to the Argentine Chamber of Deputies.

Demographics

Census data

In the census of 2001 there were 2,891,082 people residing in the city.[30] The population density in Buenos Aires proper was 13,680 inhabitants per square kilometer (34,800 per mi2) SONY PCG-5J1M battery, but only about 2,400 per km2 (6,100 per mi2) in the suburbs. The racial makeup of the city is 88.9% White, 7% Mestizo, 2% Asian and 1% Black.

The population of Buenos Aires proper has hovered around 3 million since 1947, due to low birth rates and a slow migration to the suburbs. The surrounding districts have, however, expanded over fivefold (to around 10 million) since thenSONY PCG-5G2M battery.

The 2001 census showed a relatively aged population: with 17% under the age of fifteen and 22% over sixty, the people of Buenos Aires have an age structure similar to those in most European cities. They are older than Argentines as a whole (of whom 28% were under 15, and 14% over 60) Sony VAIO PCG-8131M battery.

Two-thirds of the city's residents live in apartment buildings and 30% in single-family homes; 4% live in sub-standard housing. Measured in terms of income, the city's poverty rate was 8.4% in 2007 and, including the metro area, 20.6%.[34] Other studies estimate that 4 million people in the metropolitan Buenos Aires area live in poverty. Sony VAIO PCG-8152M battery

The city's resident labor force of 1.2 million in 2001 was mostly employed in the services sector, particularly social services (25%), commerce and tourism (20%) and business and financial services (17%); despite the city's role as Argentina's capital, public administration employed only 6%. Manufacturing still employed 10%Sony VAIO PCG-31311M battery.

Districts

Main article: Barrios of Buenos Aires

The city is divided into 48 barrios or, districts, for administrative purposes. The division was originally based on Catholic parroquias (parishes), but has undergone a series of changes since the 1940s. A newer scheme has divided the city into 15 comunas (communes).

Population origin

The Immigrants' Hotel, constructed in 1906, received and assisted the thousands of immigrants arriving to the city. The hotel is now a National MuseumSony VAIO PCG-31111M battery.

See also: Immigration in Argentina

The majority of porteños have European origins, with Italian and Spanish descent being the most common, from the Calabrian, Ligurian, Piedmont, Lombardy, Sicily and Campania regions of Italy and from the Andalusian, Galician, Asturian, and Basque regions of Spain.

Other origins include Polish, Arab, German, French, Irish, Dutch, Greek, Portuguese, Norwegian, Russian, Swedish, Croatian, and British. In the 1990s there was a small wave of immigration from Romania and Ukraine. Sony VAIO PCG-8112M batteryThere is a minority of old criollo stock, dating back to the Spanish colonial days. The Criollo and Spanish-aboriginal (mestizo) population in the city has increased mostly as a result of immigration from the inner provinces and from other countries such as neighboring Bolivia, Paraguay and Chile and Perú, since the second half of the 20th centurySony VAIO PCG-7186M battery.

Important Syrian-Lebanese and Armenian communities have had a significant presence in commerce and civic life since the beginning of the 20th century.

The Jewish community in Greater Buenos Aires numbers around 250,000, and is the largest in Latin America and the second largest in the Americas. Most are of Northern and Eastern European Ashkenazi origin, primarily Russian, German and Polish Jews, with a significant Sephardic minority, mostly made up of Syrian JewsSony VAIO PCG-7171M battery.

The first major East Asian community in Buenos Aires was the Japanese, mainly from Okinawa. Traditionally, Japanese-Argentines were noted as flower growers; in the city proper, there was a Japanese near-monopoly in dry cleaning. Later generations have branched out into all fields of economic activity. Starting in the 1970s there has been an important influx of immigration from China and KoreaSony VAIO PCG-9Z1M battery.

Most inhabitants are Roman Catholic, though studies in recent decades found that fewer than 20% are practicing.[42] Buenos Aires is the seat of a Roman Catholic metropolitan archbishop (the Catholic primate of Argentina), currently Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio. There are Protestant, Orthodox Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormon minorities. The city is home to the largest mosque in South AmericaSony VAIO PCG-5S1M battery.

Aerial view of the city's coast.

Aerial view of Buenos Aires and Río de La Plata.

The limits of Buenos Aires proper are determined in the eastern part and north-east by the Rio de la Plata, in the southern part and southeast by the Riachuelo and to the northwest, west and Southwest by Avenida General Paz, a 24 km (15 mi) long highway that separates the province of Buenos Aires from the 203 km2 that form the citySony VAIO PCG-5P1M battery.

The city of Buenos Aires lies in the pampa region, except for some zones like the Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve, the Boca Juniors (football) Club "sports city", Jorge Newbery Airport, the Puerto Madero neighborhood and the main port itself; these were all built on reclaimed land along the coasts of the Rio de la Plata (the world's widest river). Sony VAIO PCG-5N2M battery

The region was formerly crossed by different creeks and lagoons, some of which were refilled and others tubed. Among the most important creeks are Maldonado, Vega, Medrano, Cildañez and White. In 1908 many creeks were channelled and rectified, as floods were damaging the city's infrastructure. Starting in 1919, most creeks were enclosed. Notably, the Maldonado was tubed in 1954, and currently runs below Juan B. Justo AvenueSony VAIO PCG-3C2M battery.

Further information: Climate of Argentina

Buenos Aires has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with humid summers and mild winters. The warmest month is January, with a daily average of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F). Most days see temperatures in the 28 to 31 °C (82 to 88 °F) with nights between 16 to 21 °C (61 to 70 °F). Heat waves from Brazil can push temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F), yet the city is subject to cold fronts that bring short periods of pleasant weather and crisp nightsSony VAIO PCG-8161M battery. Relative humidity is 64–70% in the summer, so the heat index is higher than the true air temperature. The highest temperature ever recorded was 43.3 °C (110 °F) on 29 January 1957. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are generally mild and volatile, with averages temperatures of around 17 °C (63 °F) and frequent thunderstorms, especially during the springSony VAIO PCG-8141M battery.

Winters are temperate, though suburban areas often experience frost from May to September, as opposed to downtown Buenos Aires, which experiences the phenomenon only several times per season. Relative humidity averages in the upper 70s%, which means the city is noted for its moderate to heavy fogs during autumn and winter. Sony VAIO PCG-3J1M batteryJuly is the coolest month, with an average temperature of 10.9 °C (51.6 °F). Cold spells originating from Antarctica occur almost every year, and combined with the high wintertime humidity, conditions in winter may feel much cooler than the measured temperature. Most days peak reach 12 to 17 °C (54 to 63 °F) and drop to 3 to 8 °C (37 to 46 °F) at night. Southerly winds may keep temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F) for a few daysSony VAIO PCG-3H1M battery, whereas northerly winds may bring temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F) for a few days; these variations are normal. The lowest temperature ever recorded in central Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Central Observatory) was −5.4 °C (22 °F) on 9 July 1918.[47] The last snowfall occurred on 9 July 2007 when, during the coldest winter in Argentina in almost thirty years, severe snowfalls and blizzards hit the country. It was the first major snowfall in the city in 89 years[Sony VAIO PCG-3F1M battery). On 17 July 2010, in the midst of another cold winter, snowfalls struck the southern reaches of Buenos Aires, but not the central parts as occurred in 2007 or 1918.

Spring is very windy and variable: there may be heat waves with temperatures of 35 °C (95 °F) even in early October, as well as periods of much colder weather with highs close to 10 °C (50 °F). Frost has been recorded as late as early NovemberSony VAIO PCG-3C1M battery, although this is unusual. Severe thunderstorms are likely between September and December.

The city receives 1,242.6 mm (49 in) of rainfall per year.[50] Rain can be expected at any time of year and hailstorms are not unusual.

Buenos Aires is the political, financial, industrial, commercial, and cultural hub of Argentina. Its port is one of the busiest in South AmericaSony VAIO PCG-9Z2L battery; navigable rivers by way of the Rio de la Plata connect the port to north-east Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. As a result it serves as the distribution hub for a vast area of the south-eastern region of the continent. Tax collection related to the port has caused many political problems in the past.

The economy in the city proper alone, measured by Gross Geographic Product (adjusted for purchasing power), totalled US$ 84.7 billion (US$ 34,200 per capita) in 2011Sony VAIO PCG-9Z1L batteryand amounts to nearly a quarter of Argentina's as a whole.[55] Metro Buenos Aires, according to one well-quoted study, constitutes the 13th largest economy among the world's cities.[56] The Buenos Aires Human Development Index (0.923 in 1998) is likewise high by international standards.[57]

The city's services sector is diversified and well-developed by international standards, and accounts for 76% of its economy (compared to 59% for all of Argentina's). Sony VAIO PCG-9131L battery Advertising, in particular, plays a prominent role in the export of services at home and abroad. The financial and real-estate services sector is the largest, however, and contributes to 31% of the city's economy. Finance (about a third of this) in Buenos Aires is especially important to Argentina's banking system, accounting for nearly half the nation's bank deposits and lending. Sony VAIO PCG-8161L battery Nearly 300 hotels and another 300 hostels and bed & breakfasts are licensed for Tourism in Buenos Aires, and nearly half the rooms available were in four-star establishments or higher.[58]

Manufacturing is, nevertheless, still prominent in the city's economy (16%) and, concentrated mainly in the southside, it benefits as much from high local purchasing power and a large local supply of skilled labor as it does from its relationship to massive agriculture and industry just outside the city limits themselvesSony VAIO PCG-8152L battery. Construction activity in Buenos Aires has historically been among the most dramatic indicators of national economic fortunes (see table at right), and since 2006 around 3 million m² (32 million ft²) of construction has been authorized annually.[53] The Port of Buenos Aires handles over 11 million revenue tons annually, and Dock Sud, just south of the city proper, handles another 17 million metric tonsSony VAIO PCG-8141L battery.

To the west of Buenos Aires is the Pampa Húmeda, the most productive agricultural region of Argentina produces wheat, soybeans and corn (as opposed to the dry southern Pampa, mostly used for cattle farming and more recently production of premium Buenos Aires wines). Meat, dairy, grainSony VAIO PCG-8131L battery, tobacco, wool and leather products are processed or manufactured in the Buenos Aires metro area. Other leading industries are automobile manufacturing, oil refining, metalworking, machine building and the production of textiles, chemicals, clothing and beverages.

The city's budget, per Mayor Macri's 2011 proposal, will include US$5.9 billion in revenues and US$6.3 billion in expenditures. The city relies on local income and capital gains taxes for 61% of its revenuesSony VAIO PCG-81312L battery, while federal revenue sharing will contribute 11%, property taxes, 9%, and vehicle taxes, 6%. Other revenues include user fees, fines and gambling duties. The city devotes 26% of its budget to education, 22% for health, 17% for public services and infrastructure, 16% for social welfare and culture, 12% in administrative costs and 4% for law enforcement. Buenos Aires maintains low debt levels and its service requires less than 3% of the budget. Sony VAIO PCG-81214L battery

El Ateneo, The Guardian named like the second in its list of the World's Ten Best Bookshops. Argentina have the highest percentages of reading books in Latin America, with 55%.

Strongly influenced by European culture, Buenos Aires is sometimes referred to as the "Paris of South America".[20][62] The city has the busiest live theater industry in Latin America, with scores of theaters and productions. Sony VAIO PCG-81115L battery

Buenos Aires is the site of the Teatro Colón, an internationally rated opera house.[64] There are several symphony orchestras and choral societies. The city has numerous museums related to history, fine arts, modern arts, decorative arts, popular arts, sacred art, arts and crafts, theatre and popular music, as well as the preserved homes of noted art collectorsSony VAIO PCG-81114L battery, writers, composers and artists. The city is home to hundreds of bookstores, public libraries and cultural associations (it is sometimes called "the city of books"), as well as the largest concentration of active theatres in Latin America. It has a world-famous zoo and botanical garden, a large number of landscaped parks and squares, as well as churches and places of worship of many denominations, many of which are architecturally noteworthy. Sony VAIO PCG-81113L battery

Argentine cultural icon Geniol head in vintage advertising poster by Lucien-Achille Mauzan.

Every April in the city, the Buenos Aires International Book Fair is celebrated; it is one of the top five book fairs in the world, oriented to the general public as well as to the literary community . "La Noche de los Museos"[65] (Night of Museums) also takes place every NovemberSony VAIO PCG-7142L battery. On this day, most of the museums of the city are open all night long. Buenos Aires is also very active in street art, with major murals everywhere in the city.

Language

See also: Belgranodeutsch and cocoliche

Milonga musical band

Known as Rioplatense Spanish, Buenos Aires' Spanish (as that of other cities like Rosario and Montevideo, Uruguay) is characterised by voseo, yeísmo and aspiration of s in various contexts. It is heavily influenced by the dialects of Spanish spoken in Andalusia and MurciaSony VAIO PCG-7141L battery. A phonetic study conducted by the Laboratory for Sensory Investigations of CONICET and the University of Toronto showed that the prosody of porteño is closer to the Neapolitan language of Italy than to any other spoken language.[citation needed]

In the early 20th century, Argentina absorbed millions of immigrants, many of them Italians, who spoke mostly in their local dialects (mainly Neapolitan, Sicilian and Genoan) Sony VAIO PCG-71111L battery. Their adoption of Spanish was gradual, creating a pidgin of Italian dialects and Spanish that was called cocoliche. Its usage declined around the 1950s.

Many Spanish immigrants were from Galicia, and Spaniards are still generically referred to in Argentina as gallegos (Galicians). Galician language, cuisine and culture had a major presence in the city for most of the 20th centurySony VAIO PCG-61411L battery. In recent years, descendants of Galician immigrants have led a mini-boom in Celtic music (which also highlighted the Welsh traditions of Patagonia).

Yiddish was commonly heard in Buenos Aires, especially in the Balvanera garment district and in Villa Crespo until the 1960s.[citation needed] Most of the newer immigrants learn Spanish quickly and assimilate into city lifeSony VAIO PCG-61112L battery.

The Lunfardo argot originated within the prison population, and in time spread to all porteños. Lunfardo uses words from Italian dialects, from Brazilian Portuguese, from African and Caribbean languages and even from English. Lunfardo employs humorous tricks such as inverting the syllables within a word (vesre). Today, Lunfardo is mostly heard in tango lyrics;[66] the slang of the younger generations has been evolving away from itSony VAIO PCG-61111L battery.

See also: History of Tango

Tango music's birthplace is in Argentina. Its sensual dance moves were not seen as respectable until adopted by the Parisian high society in the 1920s, and then all over the world. In Buenos Aires, tango-dancing schools (known as academias) were usually men-only establishments.

On 30 September 2009, UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee of Intangible Heritage declared tango part of the world's cultural heritageSony VAIO PCG-5T4L battery, making Argentina eligible to receive financial assistance in safeguarding this cultural treasure for future generations.[67]

Cinema

Main article: Cinema of Argentina

See also: Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema

The cinema first appeared in Buenos Aires in 1896. The city has been the centre of the Argentine cinema industry in Argentina for over 100 years since French camera operator Eugene Py directed the pioneering film La Bandera Argentina in 1897Sony VAIO PCG-5T3L battery. Since then, over 2000 films have been directed and produced within the city, many of them referring to the city in their titles, such as I Was Born in Buenos Aires (1959), Buenas noches, Buenos Aires (1964), and Buenos Aires a la vista (1950). The culture of tango music has been incorporated into many films produced in the city, especially since the 1930sSony VAIO PCG-5T2L battery. Many films have starred tango performers such as Hugo del Carril, Tita Merello, Carlos Gardel and Edmundo Rivero.

See also: Argentine painting

Buenos Aires has a long tradition in visual arts, and it hosts many the most important art galleries, such as APPETITE,[68] Braga Menendez, Ruth Benzacar: museums, like MALBA and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Buenos Aires) and cultural centers like Centro Cultural Recoleta. Many events keep the art scene very busy and attract visitors every monthSony VAIO PCG-5S3L battery. They include hundreds of exhibition openings, gallery nights, art fairs like ArteBA and Expotrastiendas, and La Noche Del Museos.

Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires.

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

Centro Cultural Recoleta

Buenos Aires hosts many fashion events. The most important is the Buenos Aires Fashion Week that is held twice a year. It's been held since 2001 and is often a good chance for national designers to display their collections. Sony VAIO PCG-5S2L battery Other major events are the Argentina Fashion Week and Buenos Aires Moda. Buenos Aires Runway, a fashion event organised by the city's government, it's been held since 2011 to showcase both local styles and the most representative designers of the current scene.[70]

In 2005, Buenos Aires was appointed as the first UNESCO City of Design.[71] The city received this title once again in 2007Sony VAIO PCG-5S1L battery.

Skyline of Buenos Aires Port taken from Vicente López, Buenos Aires Province. From left to right, Puerto Madero, Retiro, Recoleta, Palermo, Belgrano and Nuñez.

Panorama of downtown. On the left is the National Congress, and the river and skyscrapers are far in the back of the panorama.

The Barolo tower, arguably Argentina's best-known Art Nouveau building and César Pelli's Repsol-YPF tower, a clear example of the postmodern style of buildings in Puerto MaderoSony VAIO PCG-5R2L battery.

Architectural styles converge at Diagonal Norte

Château Tower of Puerto Madero Work on the neo-Second Empire architecture

Buenos Aires is characterized by its European style architecture.

Buenos Aires architecture is characterized by its eclectic nature, with elements resembling Barcelona, Paris and Madrid. There is a mix, due to immigration, of Colonial, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Neo-Gothic and French Bourbon styles. Sony VAIO PCG-5R1L battery Italian and French influences increased after the declaration of independence at the beginning of the 19th century, though the academic style persisted until the first decades of the 20th century.

Attempts at renovation took place during the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, when European influences penetrated into the country, reflected by several buildings of Buenos Aires such as the Iglesia Santa Felicitas by Ernesto BungeSony VAIO PCG-5P4L battery; the Palace of Justice, the National Congress, and the Teatro Colón, all of them by Vittorio Meano.

The simplicity of the Rioplatense baroque style can be clearly seen in Buenos Aires through the works of Italian architects such as André Blanqui and Antonio Masella, in the churches of San Ignacio, Nuestra Señora del Pilar, the Cathedral and the CabildoSony VAIO PCG-5P2L battery.

In 1912 the Basilica del Santisimo Sacramento was opened to the public. Totally built by the generous donation of Mrs. Mercedes Castellanos de Anchonera, Argentina's most prominent family, the church is an excellent example of French neo-classicism. With extremely high-grade decorations in its interior, the magnificent Mutin-Cavaillé coll organ Sony VAIO PCG-5N4L battery (the biggest ever installed in an Argentine church with more than four-thousand tubes and four manuals) presided the nave. The altar is full of marble, and was the biggest ever built in South America at that time.[74]

In 1919 the construction of Palacio Barolo began. This was South America's tallest building at the time, and was the first Argentine skyscraper built with concrete (1919–1923).[75] The building was equipped with 9 elevatorsSony VAIO PCG-5N2L battery, plus a 20-metre high lobby hall with paintings in the ceiling and Latin phrases embossed in golden bronze letters. A 300,000-candela beacon was installed at the top (110 m), making the building visible even from Uruguay. In 2009 the Barolo Palace went under an exhausive restoration, and the beacon was made operational againSony VAIO PCG-51513L battery.

In 1936 the Kavanagh building was inaugurated, with 120 metres height, 12 elevators (provided by Otis) and the world's first central air-conditioning system (provided by north-American company "Carrier"), is still an architectural landmark in Buenos Aires.[76]

The architecture of the second half of the 20th century continued to reproduce French neoclassic models, such as the headquarters of the Banco de la Nación Argentina built by Alejandro BustilloSony VAIO PCG-51511L battery, and the Museo Hispanoamericano de Buenos Aires of Martín Noel. However, since the 1930s the influence of Le Corbusier and European rationalism consolidated in a group of young architects from the University of Tucumán, among whom Amancio Williams stands out. The construction of skyscrapers proliferated in Buenos Aires until the 1950s. Newer modern high-technology buildings by Argentine architectsSony VAIO PCG-51412L battery in the last years of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st include the Le Parc Tower by Mario Álvarez, the Torre Fortabat by Sánchez Elía and the Repsol-YPF tower by César Pelli.

The ubiquitous white smock of children at public schools is a national symbol of learning.

See also: Education in Argentina

Primary education comprises the first two EGB cycles (grades 1–6). Because of the system that was in place until 1995 (seven years of primary school plus five or six of secondary school), primary schools used to offer grades 1–7. Although most schools have already converted to teach the 8th and 9th grades, others chose to eliminate 7th grade altogetherSony VAIO PCG-51411L battery, forcing the students to complete the third cycle in another institution. Nevertheless, most primary schools in the city still adhere to the traditional seven-year primary school. EGB was never put in practice in Buenos Aires.

Secondary education

Secondary education in Argentina is called Polimodal ("polymodal", that is, having multiple modes), since it allows the student to choose his/her orientation. Polimodal is not yet obligatory but its completion is a requirement to enter colleges across the nationSony VAIO PCG-51312L battery. Polimodal is usually 3 years of schooling, although some schools have a fourth year. Before entering the first year of polimodal, students choose an orientation, among these five: Humanities and Social Sciences, Economics and Management of Organizations, Art and Design, Health and Sport and Biology and Natural SciencesSony VAIO PCG-51311L battery.

Conversely to what happened on primary schools, most secondary schools in Argentina contained grades 8th and 9th, plus Polimodal (old secondary), but then started converting to accept 7th grade students as well, thus allowing them to keep the same classmates for the whole EGB III cycleSony VAIO PCG-51211L battery.

In December 2006 the Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Congress passed a new National Education Law restoring the old system of primary followed by secondary education, making secondary education obligatory and a right, and increasing the length of compulsory education to 13 years. The government vowed to put the law in effect gradually, starting in 2007. Sony VAIO PCG-41112L battery

University education

See also: University Revolution and List of Argentine universities

University of Buenos Aires' Law School in Recoleta

There are many public universities in Argentina, as well as a number of private universities. The University of Buenos Aires, one of the top learning institutions in South America, has produced five Nobel Prize winners and provides taxpayer-funded education for students from all around the globe.[78] Buenos Aires is a major center for psychoanalysisSony VAIO PCG-3A4L battery, particularly the Lacanian school. Buenos Aires is home to several private universities of different quality, such as: Buenos Aires Institute of Technology, CEMA University, Favaloro University, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, University of Belgrano, University of Palermo, University of Salvador, and Torcuato di Tella UniversitySony VAIO PCG-3A3L battery.

Main article: Tourism in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Bus, the city's touristic bus service. The official estimate is that the bus carries between 700 and 800 passengers per day, and has carried half a million passengers since its opening.[79]

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council,[80] tourism has been growing in the Argentine capital since 2002. In a survey by the travel and tourism publication Travel + Leisure Magazine in 2008Sony VAIO PCG-3A2L battery, travellers voted Buenos Aires the second most desirable city to visit after Florence, Italy. In 2008, an estimated 2.5 million visitors visited the city.

Visitors have many options such as going to a tango show, an estancia in the Province of Buenos Aires, or enjoy the traditional asado. New tourist circuits have recently evolved, devoted to famous Argentines such as Carlos GardelSony VAIO PCG-3A1L battery, Eva Perón or Jorge Luis Borges. Due to the favourable exchange rate, its shopping centres such as Alto Palermo, Paseo Alcorta, Patio Bullrich, Abasto de Buenos Aires and Galerías Pacífico are frequently visited by tourists.

The city also plays host to musical festivals, some of the largest of which are Quilmes Rock, Creamfields BA and the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival.

Panoramic image of the Avenue 9 July, One of the meeting points for touristsSony VAIO PCG-394L battery.

Notable streets

Avenida Alvear passes through the upscale Recoleta area, and is the address for five-star hotels and embassies, many of them former mansions.

Caminito, colorfully restored by local artist Benito Quinquela Martín

Avenida Corrientes, a principal thoroughfare in Buenos Aires, and intimately tied to the Tango and Porteño cultureSony VAIO PCG-393L battery

Avenida del Libertador connects downtown to upscale areas in the northwest, passing by many of the city's best-known museums, gardens and cultural points of interest

Avenida de Mayo is often compared with those of Madrid, Barcelona and Paris for its sophisticated buildings of Art Nouveau, Neoclassic and eclectic styles

Florida Street, a downtown pedestrian streetSony VAIO PCG-391L battery

Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the widest avenues in the world; its name honors Argentina's

Looking on Corrientes Avenue

Neighborhoods

Belgrano (tipa-lined residential streets, Tudor architecture and numerous museums)

La Boca (the old port district still maintains its 19th-century ambience)

Palermo (a trendy neighborhood filled with restaurants, shops and clubs called boliches)

Parque Patricios (technology district)

Puerto Madero (these 1880-era docklands are now the city's newest neighborhood with a modern skyline and upscale restaurants) Sony VAIO PCG-384L battery

Recoleta (the traditionally upscale district combines Parisian architecture with trendy highrises and a variety of cultural venues)

Retiro (Art Nouveau cafés and restaurants among Art Deco office architecture)

San Telmo (one of the oldest neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, this area is characterized by well-preserved 19th century architecture)

Art shows and antique fairs take place in Defensa Street on weekends, widely transited by tourists, San Telmo districtSony VAIO PCG-383L battery

High-rise condominium towers along Dock 3 representing the latest architectural trends in the city, Puerto Madero district

The Monumental Tower in Plaza Fuerza Aérea Argentina with the Central Station in the background, Retiro district

Parque Tres de Febrero (this park, one of the city's largest, is home to a rose garden and paddleboat lake) Sony VAIO PCG-382L battery

Botanical Gardens (among the oldest in Latin America and an easy walk to other Palermo-area sights)

Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens (the largest of its type in the World, outside Japan)

Plaza de Mayo (surrounded by national and city government offices, this square has been central to many of Argentina's historical events) Sony VAIO PCG-381L battery

Plaza San Martín (central to the Retiro area, the leafy park is surrounded by architectural landmarks)

Recoleta Cemetery (includes graves of many of Argentina's historical figures, including several presidents and scientists, as well many among Argentina's influential families)

Buenos Aires Zoo (renowned for its collection and the Hindu Revival elephant house)

TransportSony VAIO PCG-7185L battery

Local roads and personal transport

Avenida General Paz

Buenos Aires is based on a square, rectangular grid pattern, save for natural barriers or the relatively rare developments explicitly designed otherwise (notably, the neighbourhood of Parque Chas). The rectangular grid provides for square blocks named manzanas, with a length of roughly 110 meters. Pedestrian zones in the city centre, like Florida Street are partially car-free and always bustlingSony VAIO PCG-7184L battery, access provided by bus and the Metro (subte) Line C. Buenos Aires, for the most part, is a very walkable city and the majority of residents in Buenos Aires use public transport.

Two diagonal avenues in the city centre alleviate traffic and provide better access to Plaza de Mayo. Most avenues running into and out of the city centre are one-way and feature six or more lanes, with computer-controlled green waves to speed up traffic outside of peak timesSony VAIO PCG-7183L battery.

The city's principal avenues include the 140-metre (459 ft)-wide Avenida 9 de Julio, the over-35 km (22 mi)-long Avenida Rivadavia,[84] and Avenida Corrientes, the main thoroughfare of culture and entertainment.

In the 1940s and 1950s the Avenida General Paz beltway that surrounds the city along its border with Buenos Aires Province and freeways leading to the new international airport and to the northern suburbs heralded a new era in Buenos Aires trafficSony VAIO PCG-7182L battery. Encouraged by pro-automaker policies pursued towards the end of the Perón (1955) and Frondizi administrations (1958–62) in particular, auto sales nationally grew from an average of 30,000 during the 1920–57 era to around 250,000 in the 1970s and over 600,000 in 2008.[85] Today, over 1.8 million vehicles (nearly one-fifth of Argentina's total) are registered in Buenos Aires. Sony VAIO PCG-7181L battery

Toll motorways opened in the late 1970s by then-mayor Osvaldo Cacciatore provided fast access to the city centre and are today used by over a million vehicles daily.[87] Cacciatore likewise had financial district streets (roughly one square kilometre in area) closed to private cars during daytime. Most major avenues are, however, gridlocked at peak hoursSony VAIO PCG-7174L battery. Following the economic mini-boom of the 1990s, record numbers started commuting by car and congestion increased, as did the time-honored Argentine custom of taking weekends off in the countryside. In December 2010, the city government launched a bicycle sharing program with bicycles free for hire upon registrationSony VAIO PCG-7173L battery. Located in mostly central areas, there are 21 rental stations throughout the city providing over 700 bicycles to be picked up and dropped off at any station within an hour.[88] The bike-share program runs from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday and from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturdays. As of 2012, the city has constructed 70 km (43.50 mi) of protected bicycle lanes and has plans to construct another 100 km (62.14 mi) Sony VAIO PCG-7172L battery.

The Buenos Aires commuter network system is very extensive: every day more than 1.3 million people commute to the Argentine capital. These suburban trains operate between 4 am and 1 am. The Buenos Aires railway system also connects the city with long-distance rail to Rosario and Córdoba, among other metropolitan areas. There are four principal terminals for both long-distance and local passenger services in the city centreSony VAIO PCG-7171L battery: Constitucion, Retiro, Federico Lacroze and Once.

Buenos Aires Subway entrance on Avenida de Mayo

The Buenos Aires Metro (locally known as subte, from "subterráneo" meaning underground or metro), is a high-yield system providing access to various parts of the city. Opened in 1913, it is the oldest underground system in the Southern Hemisphere and second oldest in the Spanish-speaking world after Madrid's in Spain. The system has six linesSony VAIO PCG-7162L battery, named by letters (A to E, and H) There are 74 stations, and 52.3 km (32 mi) of route. An expansion program is underway to extend existing lines into the outer neighborhoods and add a new north-south line. Route length is expected to reach 89 km (55 mi) by 2011. Line "A" is the oldest one (service opened to public in 1913) and stations kept the "belle-époque" decorationSony VAIO PCG-7161L battery, the trains still sport incandescent-bulb illumination and doors must be manually opened by the passengers, as in 1913. Daily ridership on weekdays is 1.7 million and on the increase.[90][91] Fares remain relatively cheap, although the city government hiked the fares by over 125% in January 2012. A single journey, with unlimited interchanges between lines, now costs AR$2.50, which is roughly USD$0.60. Sony VAIO PCG-7154L battery The Buenos Aires Metro has six lines which also have links to the commuter rail.[93]

[edit]Current renovation and expansion

The subway is currently undergoing renovation and expansion.

At Line A two new stations after Carabobo are under construction, being Nazca the new future terminal while newer metro carriages are slowly being introduced to handle the increased demand.

On Line B Since 2004, work began to expand the line to Villa Ortúzar and Villa Urquiza.[94]

On Line H further extensions are planned to run from Retiro to Nueva Pompeya once constructed. It will connect the Southern part of the city with the NorthSony VAIO PCG-7153L battery, thus improving the flow to the centre of the city, and will be approximately 11 km (6.8 mi) long from end to end. The Line H will provide cross-connections with almost all the other lines.[95]

On Line E work has begun in 2009 to expand the line up to Retiro.[96]

Planned underground lines

New underground lines are planned and were presented by the Government of the City of Buenos Aires on 26 May 2007. There are currently three lines plannedSony VAIO PCG-7152L battery:

Line F would join Constitución Station with Plaza Italia and would have an extension of 7.6 km (4.7 mi). It would be transverse-radial, according to the section, with strong integration with the rest of the network.

Line G would connect the Retiro Station with the Cid Campeador and would have a length of 7.6 km (4.7 mi). It would be radial to connect the axes of high-density residential and commercial areas, and would bring the underground to the northwest of the citySony VAIO PCG-7151L battery.

Line I would run from the Emilio Mitre (Line E) Station to Plaza Italia, a distance of 7.3 km (4.5 mi). It would be the outermost transverse line of the network and would link the neighborhoods of the north, center and south of the city and link with the radial lines far from the city centre.

Retiro Rail TerminalSony VAIO PCG-7148L battery

Buenos Aires had an extensive street railway (tram) system with over 857 km (533 mi) of track, which was dismantled during the 1960s in favor of bus transportation and is now in the process of a slow comeback. The PreMetro or Line E2 is a 7.4 km (4.6 mi) light rail line that connects with Metro Line E at Plaza de los Virreyes station and runs to General Savio and Centro Cívico. It is operated by Metrovías. The official inauguration took place on 27 August 1987Sony VAIO VGN-CS33H battery.

A new 2 km (1.2 mi) tramway (LRT), Tranvía del Este, runs across the Puerto Madero district. Extensions planned would link the Retiro and La Boca terminal train stations. Other routes are being studied. A Heritage streetcar maintained by tram fans operates on weekends, near the Primera Junta line A metro station in the Caballito neighbourhoodSony VAIO VGN-CS33H/Z battery.

There are over 150 city bus lines called Colectivos, each one managed by an individual company. These compete with each other, and attract exceptionally high use with virtually no public financial support.[97] Their frequency makes them equal to the underground systems of other cities, but buses cover a far wider area than the underground systemSony VAIO VGN-CS33H/B battery. Colectivos in Buenos Aires do not have a fixed timetable, but run from four to several per hour, depending on the bus line and time of the day. With inexpensive tickets and extensive routes, usually no further than four blocks from commuters' residences, the colectivo is the most popular mode of transport around the city. Sony VAIO VGN-CS31Z/Q battery

Buenos Aires has recently opened a two-lane 12 km (7.5 mi), bus rapid transit system, the MetroBus. The system uses modular median stations that serve both directions of travel, which enable pre-paid, multiple-door, level boarding. The system runs across the Juan B. Justo Ave has 21 stations and was inaugurated on 31 May 2011. Sony VAIO VGN-CS31S/W battery

The SUBE card is a contactless smart card system introduced in February 2009 by Argentina's President.[99] It is used on public transport services within the Buenos Aires metropolitan area and was promoted by the Argentine Secretary of Transportation. It is valid on a number of different travel systems across the city including Buenos Aires MetroSony VAIO VGN-CS31S/V battery, buses and trains. This change has helped speed passengers on to the bus. People no longer have to wait to be issued a printed receipt as they enter the bus. This should help reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrogen because buses don't have to idle as long while passengers load, helping improve air quality in the city. The electronic ticket is eliminating the printed receipts, Sony VAIO VGN-CS31S/T battery thus lowering the amount of littering in the city. The city, in turn, no longer has to process, collect, count, and transport coinage received in payment of some 11 million trips per day.[100]

A fleet of 40,000 black-and-yellow taxis ply the streets at all hours. License controls are not enforced rigorously. There have been numerous reports of organized crime controlling the access of taxis to the city airports and other major destinations. Sony VAIO VGN-CS31S/R batteryTaxi drivers are known for trying to take advantage of tourists.[101] Radio-link companies provide reliable and safe service; many such companies provide incentives for frequent users. Low-fare limo services, known as remises, have become popular in recent years.

Buquebus high-speed ferries connect Buenos Aires to coastal cities in Uruguay

Pistarini International Airport terminal

A new high-speed rail line between Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba, with speeds up to 320 km/h is plannedSony VAIO VGN-CS31S/P battery.

Long-distance bus terminal

The main terminal for long-distance buses is Retiro bus station, near Retiro railway station, from where buses depart for all parts of Argentina and for neighbouring countries.

Buenos Aires is also served by a ferry system operated by the company Buquebus that connects the port of Buenos Aires with the main cities of Uruguay, (Colonia del Sacramento, Montevideo and Punta del Este) Sony VAIO VGN-CS28 battery. More than 2.2 million people per year travel between Argentina and Uruguay with Buquebus. One of these ships is a catamaran, which can reach a top speed of about 80 km/h (50 mph), making it the fastest ferry in the world.

The Buenos Aires international airport, Ministro Pistarini International Airport, is located in the suburb of Ezeiza and is often called "Ezeiza". The Aeroparque Jorge Newbery airport, located in the Palermo district next to the riverbankSony VAIO VGN-CS28/Q battery, serves only domestic traffic and flights to Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. A smaller San Fernando Airport serves only general aviation.

Metropolitan Police of Buenos Aires City.

The Guardia Urbana de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Urban Guard) was a specialized civilian force of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, that used to deal with different urban conflicts with the objective of develop actions of prevention, dissuasion and mediationSony VAIO VGN-CS27 battery, promoting effective behaviors that guarantee the security and the integrity of public order and social coexistence. The unit continuously assisted the personnel of the Argentine Federal Police, especially in emergency situations, events of massive concurrence, and protection of tourist establishmentsSony VAIO VGN-CS27/W battery.

The group permanently did controls of seat belt use, blood alcohol content tests, and traffic order; also its agents are enabled to offer quick and objective information to tourists and foreign people. Other functions include take part when a public case of intentional damage or negligence happen; anyway, its personnel always must act in a preventive, educative, dissuasive and coordinated formSony VAIO VGN-CS26T/Q battery.

The Urban Guard officials did not carry any weapon in the performing of their duties. Their basic tools are an HT radio transmissor and a whistle.

As of March, 2008, the Guardia Urbana was removed. Its people were "recycled" into a new law enforcement organization, about traffic order called the Seguridad Vial.

The Metropolitan Police is the police force under the authority of the Autonomous City (or Federal District) of Buenos Aires. The force was created in 2010 and is composed of 1,850 officersSony VAIO VGN-CS26T/P battery, and is planned to expand to 16,000. Security in the city is concurrently the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police and the Argentine Federal Police.

The city government claims the new force is based on the model of the British London Metropolitan Police and the New York Police Department. The force was intended to use high technology support and adopt a policy of zero toleranceSony VAIO VGN-CS26T/C battery.

The police are headed by a Chief and a Deputy Chief. Both are appointed by the head of the executive branch of the City.

There are four major departments, each headed by a Director General:

Football is a passion for Argentines. Buenos Aires has the highest concentration of football teams of any city in the world (featuring no fewer than 24 professional football teams),[106] with many of its teams playing in the major league. The best-known rivalry is the one between River Plate and Boca JuniorsSony VAIO VGN-CS25H battery. Watching a match between these two teams was deemed one of the "50 sporting things you must do before you die" by The Observer.[106] Other major clubs include San Lorenzo de Almagro, Club Atlético Huracán, Vélez Sársfield, Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors and Club Ferro Carril OesteSony VAIO VGN-CS25H/W battery.

Diego Armando Maradona, born in Lanús Partido (county) south of Buenos Aires, is widely hailed as one of the greatest football players of all time. Maradona started his career with Argentinos Juniors, later playing for Boca Juniors, the Argentina national football team and others (most notably FC Barcelona in Spain and SSC Napoli in Italy). Sony VAIO VGN-CS25H/R battery

Buenos Aires has been a candidate city for the Summer Olympic Games on three occasions: for the 1956 Games, which were lost by a single vote to Melbourne; for the 1968 Summer Olympics, held in Mexico City; and in 2004, when the games were awarded to Athens. However, Buenos Aires hosted the first Pan American Games (1951) Sony VAIO VGN-CS25H/Q battery and was also host city to several World Championship events: the 1950 and 1990 Basketball World Championships, the 1982 and 2002 Men's Volleyball World Championships and, most remembered, the 1978 FIFA World Cup, won by Argentina on 25 June 1978, when it defeated the Netherlands by 3–1. In September 2013, the city will host the 125th IOC SessionSony VAIO VGN-CS25H/P battery, where the International Olympic Committee will select the host city of the 2020 Summer Olympics as well as a new IOC President. Buenos Aires is currently bidding to host the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics.[108]

Juan Manuel Fangio won five Formula One World Driver's Championships, and was only outstripped by Michael Schumacher, with seven Championships. The Buenos Aires Oscar Gálvez car-racing track hosted 20 Formula One events as the Argentine Grand PrixSony VAIO VGN-CS25H/C battery, between 1953 and 1998; it was discontinued on financial grounds. The track features various local categories on most weekends.

The 2009 and 2010 Dakar Rally started and ended in the city.

Argentines' love for horses can be experienced in several ways: horse racing at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo racetrack, polo in the Campo Argentino de Polo (located just across Libertador Avenue from the Hipódromo) Sony VAIO VGN-CS23T/W battery, and pato, a kind of basketball played on horseback that was declared the national game in 1953.

Buenos Aires native Guillermo Vilas (who was raised in Mar del Plata) was one of the great tennis players of the 1970s and 1980s,[64] and popularized tennis Nationwide in Argentina. He won the ATP Buenos Aires numerous times in the 1970s. Other popular sports in Buenos Aires are golf, basketball, rugby, field hockey and cricketSony VAIO VGN-CS23T/Q battery.

International relations

World rankings

Buenos Aires is an important node in the global economic system.

The city is classified as an Alpha World City, according to the Loughborough University group's (GaWC) 2008 inventory.

It is ranked 22th in the 2010 ranking of global cities by the American journal Foreign Policy, in conjunction with consulting firm A.T. Kearney and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. (See "Global city" for the top 30 in the list.) Sony VAIO VGN-CS23H battery

Bilbao is a municipality and city in Spain, the capital of the province of Biscay in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 as of 2010, it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain. With roughly 1 million inhabitants, Bilbao lies within one of the most populous metropolitan areas in northern Spain(SONY PCG-5G2L battery). The Bilbao metropolitan area includes the comarca of Greater Bilbao (875,552) plus satellite towns, ranking the fifth largest in Spain.

Bilbao is situated in the north-central part of Spain, some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the Bay of Biscay, where the estuary of Bilbao is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small mountain ranges with an average elevation of 400 metres (1,300 ft) (SONY PCG-5G3L battery).

Since its foundation in the early 14th century by Diego López V de Haro, head of the powerful Haro family, Bilbao was a commercial hub that enjoyed significant importance in the Green Spain, mainly thanks to its port activity based on the export of iron extracted from the Biscayan quarries. Throughout the nineteenth century and beginnings of the twentieth(SONY PCG-F305 battery), Bilbao experienced heavy industrialization that made it the centre of the second industrialized region of Spain, behind Barcelona.[8][9] This was joined by an extraordinary population explosion that prompted the annexation of several adjacent municipalities. Nowadays, Bilbao is a vigorous service city that is experiencing an ongoing social, economic, and aesthetic revitalization process(SONY PCG-5J1L battery), started by the symbolic Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, and continued by infrastructure investments, such as the airport terminal, the rapid transit system, the tram line, the Alhóndiga, or the currently under development Abandoibarra and Zorrozaurre renewal projects.

Etymology

The official name of the city is Bilbao, as known in most languages of the world. Euskaltzaindia, the official regulatory institution of the Basque language(SONY PCG-5J2L battery), agreed that between the two possible names existing in Basque, Bilbao and Bilbo, that the historical name in Basque is Bilbo, while keeping the officialty of the first one.[14] Although the term Bilbo does not appear on old documents, in the play The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare, there is a reference of swords presumably made of Biscayan iron to which he calls "bilboes", which might suggest that it is a word used since at least the sixteenth century(SONY PCG-5K2L battery).

There is no consensus among historians about the origin of the name. The engineer Evaristo de Churruca said that is a Basque custom to name a place after its location, for Bilbao would be the result of the union of the Basque words for river and cove: Bil-Ibaia-Bao.[19] Also, historian José Tussel Gómez argues that it is just a natural evolution of the Spanish words bello vado(SONY PCG-5L1L battery), beautiful river crossing.[20] On the other hand, writer Esteban Calle Iturrino said that the name derives from the two previous settlement that existed on both banks of the estuary, more than the estuary itself. The first one, where the current Casco Viejo stands, would be called billa that in Basque means stacking, after the configuration of the buildings. The second one, located on the left bank(SONY PCG-6S2L battery), where now stands Bilbao La Vieja, would be called vaho, Spanish for mist or steam. From the union of this two, the name Bilbao would come out,[19] that previously was also written as Bilvao and Biluao, as documented in its municipal charter and its following transcriptions.[21]

Remains of an ancient settlement were found on the top of mount Malmasín, dated around the 3rd or 2nd century BC(SONY PCG-6S3L battery). Burial sites were also found on mounts Avril and Artxanda, dated 6,000 years old. Some authors identify the old settlement of Bilbao as Amanun Portus, cited by Pliny the Elder, or with Flaviobriga, by Ptolemy. Ancient walls, which date around the 11th century, have been discovered below the Church of San Antón.

Bilbao was one of the first towns that were founded in the fourteenth century(SONY PCG-6V1L battery), during a period in which approximately 70% of the Biscayan municipalities were developed, among them Portugalete in 1323, Ondarroa in 1327, Lekeitio in 1335, and Mungia and Larrabetzu in 1376. The then lord of Biscay, Diego López V of Haro, founded Bilbao through a municipal charter dated in Valladolid on June 15, 1300 and confirmed by king Ferdinand IV of Castile in Burgos(SONY PCG-6W1L battery), on January 4, 1301. Diego López established the new town on the right bank of the Nervión river, on grounds of the elizate of Begoña and granted it the fuero of Logroño, a compilation of rights and privileges that would prove fundamental to its later development.[25]

First engraving of the city, made by Franz Hohenberg in 1554 and first published in 1574. Many notable buildings can be seen, like the Santiago Cathedral, and the church of San Antón(SONY PCG-7111L battery).

On 21 June 1511, queen Joanna of Castile ordered the creation of the Consulate of Bilbao. This would become the most influential institution of the city for centuries, and would claim jurisdiction over the estuary, improving its infrastructure. Under the Consulate's control, the port of Bilbao became one of the most important of Spain. The first printing-press was brought to the city in 1577(SONY PCG-71511M battery). Here in 1596, the first book in Basque was edited, entitled Doctrina Christiana en Romance y Bascuence by Dr. Betolaza.

In 1602 Bilbao was made the capital city of Biscay, a title previously held by Bermeo.[28] The following centuries saw a constant increase of the city's wealth, especially after the discovery of extensive iron resources in the surrounding mountains(SONY PCG-6W3L battery). At the end of the 17th century, Bilbao overcame the economical crises that affected Spain, thanks to the iron ore and its commerce with England and the Netherlands. During the 18th century, the city continued to grow and almost exhausted its small space(SONY PCG-7113L battery).

The Battle of Luchana.

The Basque Country was one of the main sites of battles of the Carlist Wars, and the Carlists very much wanted to conquer the city, a liberal and economic bastion. The city was besieged three times between 1835 and 1874, but all proved unsuccessful. One of the main battles of this time was the Battle of Luchana in 1836, when Liberal general Baldomero Espartero defeated the Carlists, freeing the city(SONY PCG-7133L battery).

Despite the warfare, the city prospered during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when it rose as the economical centre of the Basque Country. During this time, the first railway was built (in 1857), the Bank of Bilbao was founded (which later would become the BBVA), and the Bilbao Stock Exchange was created. Many industries flourished, such as Altos Hornos de Vizcaya in 1902(SONY PCG-7Z1L battery). The city grew in area with the Abando ensanche and was modernized with new avenues and walkways, as well as with new modern buildings such as the City Hall, the Basurto Hospital and the Arriaga Theatre. The population increased dramatically, going from 11,000 in 1880 to 80,000 in 1900. Social movements also occurred, specially the Basque nationalism under Sabino Arana(SONY PCG-7Z2L battery).

The Spanish Civil War started in Bilbao with small uprisings suppressed by the Republican forces. On 31 August 1936, the city suffered the first bombing. On the next month, further bombings by German planes occurred, in coordination with Franco's forces. In May 1937, the Nationalist army besieged the city. The battle lasted until 19 June of that year, when Lieutenant Colonel Putz was ordered to destroy all bridges over the estuary(SONY PCG-8Y1L battery), and the troops of the 5th Brigade took the city from the mountains Malmasin, Pagasarri, and Arnotegi.

Bilbao in the 1950s.

With the war over, Bilbao returned to its industrial development, accompanied by a steady population growth. In the 1940s, the city was rebuilt, starting with the bridges. In 1948, the first commercial flight took off from the local airport. Over the next decade(SONY PCG-8Y2L battery), there was a revival of the iron industry. The demand for housing outstripped supply, and workers built slums in the hillsides. In this chaotic environment, on 31 July 1959, the terrorist organization ETA was born in Bilbao, as a faction of the PNV.

After the fall of Francoist Spain and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, in a process known in Spain as the transition(SONY PCG-8Z2L battery), Bilbao could hold democratic elections again. Against what happened in the republics, this time Basque nationalists rose to power.[37] With the approval of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country in 1979, Vitoria-Gasteiz was elected the seat of the government and therefore the de facto capital of the Basque Autonomous Community, despite Bilbao being larger and more powerful economically(SONY PCG-8Z1L battery). In the 1980s, several factors such as terrorism, labor demands, and the arrival of cheap labor force from the abroad, led to a devastating industrial crisis.

Since the mid 1990s, Bilbao has been in a process of deindustrialization and transition to a service city, supported by investment in infrastructure and urban renewal, that started with the opening of the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum (the so-called Guggenheim effect) (SONY PCG-7112L battery), and continued with the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall, Santiago Calatrava's Zubizuri, the metro network by Norman Foster, the tram, the Iberdrola Tower and the Zorrozaurre development plan, among other. Many officially-supported associations, as Bilbao Metrópoli-30 and Bilbao Ría 2000 were created to monitor this projects(SONY PCG-6W2L battery).

Geography

The municipality of Bilbao is located on the northern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, about 19 kilometres (12 mi) from the Bay of Biscay.[40] It covers an area of 40.65 square kilometres (15.70 sq mi), of which 17.35 square kilometres (6.70 sq mi) are urban, and the remaining 23.30 square kilometres (9.00 sq mi) consist of the surrounding mounts. (SONY PCG-5K1L battery) The official average altitude is 19 metres (62 ft), although there are measurements between 6 metres (20 ft) and 32 metres (105 ft).[42] It is also the core of the comarca of Greater Bilbao. It is surrounded by the municipalities of Derio, Etxebarri, Galdakao, Loiu, Sondika, and Zamudio to the north; Arrigorriaga and Basauri to the west; Alonsotegi to the south; and Barakaldo and Erandio to the east(SONY VGP-BPS13 battery).

Orography

Bilbao is located on the Basque threshold, the range between the larger Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees.[43] The composition of the soil is predominated by mesozoic materials (limestone, sandstone, and marl) sedimented over a primitive paleozoic base.[43] The province relief is dominated by NW-SE and WNW-ESE oriented folds(SONY VGP-BPS13Q battery). The main fold is the anticline of Bilbao, that runs from the municipality of Elorrio to Galdames.[43] Inside Bilbao there are two secondary folds, one in the northeast, composed by mounts Artxanda, Avril, Banderas, Pikota, San Bernabé, and Cabras; and other in the south, composed by mounts Kobetas, Restaleku, Pagasarri and Arraiz. The highest point in the municipality is mount Ganeta(SONY VGP-BPS13A/Q battery), of 689 metres (2,260 ft), followed by mount Pagasarri, of 673 metres (2,208 ft), both on the border with Alonsotegi.

Hydrology

Main article: Estuary of Bilbao

The estuary of Bilbao crossing the city.

The main river system of Bilbao is also the hydrological artery of Biscay. Rivers Nervión and Ibaizabal converge in Basauri and form an estuary that receives the names of "estuary of Bilbao", "of the Nervión", "of the Ibaizabal", or "of the Nervión-Ibaizabal".(SONY VGP-BPS13B/Q battery)This estuary runs for 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) and with a low flow (with an average of 25 cubic metres per second).[46] Its main tributary is river Cadagua, that sources in the Mena valley and has a basin of 642 square kilometres (248 sq mi), which most of it lies in the neighboring province of Burgos.[47] This river is also the natural border between Bilbao and Barakaldo(SONY VGP-BPS13/B battery).

The river suffered from human intervention many times, as seen in the dredging of its bottom, the building of docks on both banks and especially in the Deusto canal, an artificial waterway dug between 1950 and 1968 in the district of Deusto as a lateral canal, with the aim to facilitate navigation, sparing ships from the natural curves of the estuary. (SONY VGP-BPS13B/B battery) The project was stopped with 400 metres (1,300 ft) left to complete, and it was decided to leave it as a dock.[49] However, in 2007, a plan was approved to continue the canal and form the island of Zorrozaurre.[50] Said human intervention also brought negative results in the quality of the water, and after decades of toxic waste dumping(SONY VGP-BPS13A/S battery), caused a situation of anoxia (lack of oxygen), which almost eliminated the entire fauna and flora.[46] However, in recent years this situation is being reversed, thanks to dumping clearance and natural regeneration.[51] now it is possible to observe algae, tonguefishes, crabs, and seabirds,[52] as well as occasional bathers in the summer months. (SONY VGP-BPS21A/B battery)

The estuary also works as a natural border for several neighbourhoods and districts within the city. Since entering the municipality, from the west, it divides the districts of Begoña and Ibaiondo, then Abando and Uribarri and lastly Deusto and Basurto-Zorroza(SONY VGP-BPS21B battery).

The Biscayan government

The proximity to the Bay of Biscay gives Bilbao an oceanic climate, with precipitation occurring throughout the year, without a well-defined dry summer season. This precipitation is abundant, and given the latitude and atmospheric dynamics, rainy days represent 45% and cloudy days 40% of the annual total.[54] The most rainy season is between October and April(SONY VGP-BPS21 battery), November being the wettest. Snow is not frequent in the city, while it is possible to see snow on the top of the surrounding mountains. Sleet is more frequent, about 10 days per year, mainly in the winter months.[55]

Said proximity to the ocean also makes that the two most defined seasons (summer and winter) remain mild, with low intensity thermal oscillations(SONY VGP-BPS21/S battery). Average maximum temperatures varies between 25 °C (77.0 °F) and 26 °C (78.8 °F) in the summer months, while the average minimum in winter is between 6 °C (42.8 °F) and 7 °C (44.6 °F).

Extreme record observations in Bilbao are 42.2 °C (108.0 °F) maximum (on 13 August 2003) and −8.6 °C (16.5 °F) minimum (on 3 February 1963). The maximum precipitation in a day was 225.6 mm (9 in) in 26 August 1983 when severe flooding was originated by the Nervión river(SONY VGP-BPS13S battery).

Demography

Bilbao demographic evolution (1900–2005).

The local Register office show a total resident population for Bilbao of 355,731 as of 2009.

The first credible data about Bilbao population are post-1550.[59] It is known that in 1530, Biscay had approximately 65,000 inhabitants, a number that could have been reduced by plagues that struck the city in 1517, 1530, 1564–68, and 1597–1601(SONY VGP-BPS13B/S battery), the last one being specially devastating.[59] These trend in adverse situations for population growth was maintained until the nineteenth century. Since then, Bilbao experienced an exponential population growth thanks to the industrialization of the area. After a peak of 433,115 inhabitants in 1982, the municipalities of the Txorierri valley were disannexated, with the corresponding loss of its people. (SONY VGP-BPS13B/G battery)

Of the 355,731 people residing in Bilbao as of 2009, only 114,220 (32.1%) were born inside the municipality. Of the remaining, 114,908 were born in other Biscayan towns, while 7,225 were born in the other two Basque provinces; 85,789 came from the rest of Spain (mainly Castile-León and Galicia), and finally 33,537 were foreigners. (SONY VGP-BPS14 battery) There are 127 different nationalities registered in Bilbao, although 60 of them contain fewer than 10 people.[62] On the other hand, the largest foreign communities are the Bolivian and the Colombian, with 4,879 and 3,730 respectively. They are followed by the Romanian (2,248), the Moroccan (2,058), the Ecuadorian (1,832), the Chinese (1,390), the Brazilian (1,273) and the Paraguayan, with 1,204 inhabitants. (SONY VGP-BPL14 battery)

Government

Bilbao is a municipality with a Mayor-Council form of government. The mayor and councillors are elected to four-year terms. There is a division between an executive branch, made up by the mayor and a board of governors and a Plenum, which consists of 29 councillors.[63] The present mayor is Iñaki Azkuna, of the Basque Nationalist Party which was elected in 1999 and re-elected in 2003, 2007 and 2011. (SONY VGP-BPS14/B battery) The councillors of the Plenum represent political parties and are distributed as follows: Basque Nationalist Party: 15 seats plus the mayor; People's Party, 6 seats; Bildu, 4 seats; and Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, 4 seats.

In 2008 and 2010, Bilbao won the Municipal Transparency Prize, awarded by the Spanish division of Transparency International. In 2009 it came second, after Sant Cugat del Vallés(SONY VGP-BPS14/S battery).

The city of Bilbao consists of eight different districts. Each district is further subdivided into neighbourhoods, totalling 35:

Economy

Headquarters of BBVA, formerly headquarters of the Bank of Biscay.

Bilbao has been the economic center of the Basque Country since the times of the Consulate, mainly because of commerce in Castilian products on the city's port, but it was not until the 19th century when it experimented a big development(SONY VGP-BPS14B battery), mainly based on the exploitation of the iron mines and siderurgy, which promoved the maritimal traffic, the portuary activity and the construction of ships.[68] During those years also made their appearance Banco de Bilbao (Bank of Bilbao), founded on Bilbao in 1857 and Banco de Vizcaya (Bank of Biscay), which is established in 1901, also in Bilbao(SONY VGP-BPS22 battery). Both entities merged in 1988 creating the BBV corporation (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya, Bank of Bilbao-Biscay). BBV merged with Argentaria in 1999, creating the current corporation, BBVA. The savings banks that were established locally, Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Bilbao (Municipal Savings Bank of Bilbao) in 1907, and Caja de Ahorros Provincial de Vizcaya (SONY VGP-BPS22 battery) (Provincial Savings Bank of Biscay) in 1921, would merge in 1990 and form Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK).[69] Along, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navegation of Bilbao and the Stock Exchange Market of Bilbao, founded in 1890.[70]

After the dramatic industrial crisis of the 1980s, Bilbao was forced to rethink its very economic foundations. That is how it transformed in a successful service city. Bilbao is home to numerous companies of national and international relevance(SONY VGP-BPS18 battery), including two among the 150 world's biggest, according to Forbes magazine: BBVA at #40 and Iberdrola at #122. The city's GDP per capita is of 26,225€ in 2005, considerably above the country average of 22,152€. According to the official economic yearbook, the strongest sectors are construction, commerce, and tourism. The unemployment rate reached 14.4% in 2009(SONY VGP-BPS22/A battery), well below the national rate, of 18,01%. Nevertheless, it is the largest rate in the last ten years.[76]

[edit]Port of Bilbao

Main article: Port of Bilbao

Panoramic view of the superport, as seen from mount Serantes.

The historical port was located in what today is an area called the Arenal, a few steps away the Casco Viejo, until the late 20th century. In 1902, an exterior port was built at the mouth of the estuary, in the coastal municipality of Santurtzi. Further extensions led to a superport(SONY VGP-BPS22A battery), that in the 1970s replaced the docks inside Bilbao, with the exception of those located in the neighbourhood of Zorrotza, still in activity.[78]

As of 2010, the port of Bilbao is a first-class commercial port and is among the top five of Spain.[79] Over 200 regular maritime services link Bilbao with 500 ports worldwide. It closed 2009 with cargo movements amounting to 31.6 million tonnes(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11S battery), being Russia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries the main markets.[80] In the first semester of 2008, it received over 67,000 passengers and 2,770 ships.[81] This activity reported 419 million euros to the basque GDP and generates almost 10,000 jobs.[82]

[edit]Mining and ironworks(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15T battery)

Iron is the main and most abundant raw material found in Biscay, and its extraction is legally protected since 1526. Mining was the main primary activity in Bilbao and the minerals, of great quality, was exported to all over Europe.[83] It was not until the second half of the nineteenth century when ironworks industry was developed, benefited by the resources and the well communicated city(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15G battery). In the 20th century, both Spanish and European capitals imported around the 90% of the Biscayan iron.[83] Although World War I made Bilbao one of the main ironworks powers, later crisis prompted a decline in the activity.

Tourism

The first notion of Bilbao as a touristic city came with the inauguration of the railway between Bilbao and the coastal neighbourhood of Las Arenas, in the municipality of Getxo in 1872. This way, the city became a modest beach destination. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ4000 battery)

However, the real touristic impulse would come with the inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997, as shown in the increasing tourist arrivals since then, reaching over 615,000 visitors in the year 2009. A significant leap, considering that during 1995, Bilbao only received 25,000 tourists.[85] Bilbao also hosts 31% of the total Basque Country visitors(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ460E battery), being the top destination of this autonomous community, above San Sebastián.[85] Most tourists come from within Spain, mainly from Madrid and Catalonia. International travellers come mostly from nearby France, but also from United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy.[85] Tourism generates about 300 million euros for the Biscayan GDP.[85] Bilbao is also an attractive destination for business tourism(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11L battery), mainly thanks to new venues such as the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall, or the nearby Bilbao Exhibition Centre, in Barakaldo.[86]

Stock exchange

Projects to create a stock exchange market in Bilbao began in early 19th century, even though it would not be created until July 21, 1890[70] It is one of Spain's four regional stock exchanges, the other being in Barcelona, Madrid, and Valencia. As it, it is owned by Bolsas y Mercados Españoles. The Bilbao Stock Exchange is considered a secondary market(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11Z battery).

Urban planning

18th century picture showing the original seven parallel streets of the old town.

In its beginnings, Bilbao only had three streets (Somera, Artecalle, and Tendería) surrounded by walls located where now stands the Ronda street. Inside this enclosure, there was a small hermitage dedicated to the Apostle Saint James (the current St. James' Cathedral), to where pilgrims visited on their way to Santiago de Compostela. In the fifteenth century(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11M battery), four more streets were built, forming the original Zazpikaleak or "Seven Streets".[87] In 1571, after several floods and a major fire in 1569, the walls were demolished in order to allow the expansion of the town.[88]

In 1861, ingeneer Amado Lázaro projected an ensanche inside the then-municipality of Abando with wide avenues and regular buildings, that included the hygienists ideas of the time. The project was mostly based on Barcelona's Eixample, designed by Ildefons Cerdà. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18M battery) However, the project was dropped by the City Council after considering it "utopian and excessive" because of its high cost, though of great quality. Furthermore, Lázaro had calculated the demographic grow of the city based on the previous three centuries, a provision that eventually would not conform to reality.

The ensanche project, as proposed by Alzola, Achúcarro, and Hoffmeyer in 1876(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18 battery).

The next large urban change in Bilbao would come in 1876, when the capital annexed (in several stages) the neighbouring municipality of Abando. The new ensanche project was planned by a team made of architect Severino de Achúcarro and engineers Pablo de Alzola (elected Mayor that same year), and Ernesto de Hoffmeyer. Unlike Lázaro's(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ210CE battery), this project was significantly smaller, compassing 1.58 km2 (0.61 sq mi) against the original 2.54 km2 (0.98 sq mi).[89] It also featured a not so strict grid pattern, a park to separate the industrial and residential areas and the Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro, the main thoroughfare, where many relevant buildings were located, such as the Biscay Foral Delegation Palace or the BBVA Tower(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31S battery). By the end of the 1890s, this widening was half completed and already filled, so a new extension was planned by Federico Ugalde.

By 1925, the municipalities of Deusto and Begoña, as well as part of Erandio were annexed, and in 1940, the remaining of Erandio become part of Bilbao. The last annexation took place in 1966, with the municipalities of Loiu, Sondika, Derio, and Zamudio(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31Z battery). This made Bilbao larger than ever, with 107 km2 (41 sq mi). However, all this municipalities, with the exception of Deusto and Begoña were desannexed on 1 January 1983.[91]

On May 18, 2010, Bilbao was awarded by the government of Singapore with the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, at the World Cities Summit 2010.[92] It is considered the Pritzker of urbanism.

Main category: Buildings and structures in Bilbao(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31E battery)

The Guggenheim Museum, symbol of modern Bilbao.

The gothic St. James' Cathedral

Bilbao's buildings display a variety of architectural styles, ranging from gothic to contemporary architecture. The Old Town features many of the oldest buildings in the city, as the St. James' Cathedral or the Church of San Antón, included in the city's coat of arms. Most of the Old Town is a pedestrian zone during the day. Nearby is one of the most important religious temples of Biscay(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31J battery), the Basilica of Begoña, dedicated to the patron saint of the province, Our Lady of Begoña.

Seventeen bridges span the banks of the estuary inside the city limits. Among the most interesting ones are the Zubizuri (Basque for "white bridge"), a pedestrian footbridge designed by Santiago Calatrava opened in 1997, and the Princes of Spain Bridge, also known as "La Salve", a suspension bridge opened in 1972(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31M battery) and redesigned by French conceptual artist Daniel Buren in 2007.[94] The Deusto Bridge is a bascule bridge opened in 1936 and modelled after the Michigan Avenue Bridge, in Chicago.[95] Between 1890 and 1893 the first transporter bridge ("Puente Colgante") in the world on the Nervion river, between Portugalete and Getxo, was built by Alberto Palacio (architect and engineer) (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31B battery) together with his brother Silvestre.

Since the deindustrialization process started in the 1990s, many of the former industrial areas are being transformed into modern public and private spaces designed by several of the world's most renowned architects and artists. The main example is the Guggenheim Museum, located in what was an old dock and wood warehouse. The building, designed by Frank Gehry and inaugurated in October 1997(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21 battery), is considered among architecture experts as one of the most important structures of the last 30 years,[96] and a masterpiece by itself.[97] The museum houses part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation modern art collection. Another example is the Alhóndiga, a wine warehouse built in 1909 and completely redesigned in 2010 by French designer Philippe Starck into a multi-purpose venue that consist of a cinema multiplex(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21S battery), a fitness centre, a library, and a restaurant, among other spaces.[98][99]The Abandoibarra area is also being renovated, and it features not only the Guggenheim Museum, but also Arata Isozaki's tower complex, the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall and the Iberdrola Tower, designed by Argentine architect César Pelli and that will be, upon completion in 2011(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21M battery), the Basque Country's tallest skyscraper with 165 metres (541 ft) high.[100] Zorrozaurre is the next area to be redeveloped, following a 2007 master plan designed by Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid.

Torre Isozaki

This current peninsula will be transformed into an 500,000 m2 (5,400,000 sq ft) island and will feature residential and commercial buildings, as well as the new BBK seat. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ38M battery)

The Etxeberria park, with its distinctive chimney.

As of 2010, Bilbao has 18 public parks inside its limits, totalling 200 ha (490 acres) of green spaces. Besides, its green belt has a total area of 1,025 ha (2,530 acres), of which 119 ha (290 acres) are urbanized.[102] The largest parks are Mount Cobetas, of 18.5 ha (46 acres), and Larreagaburu, of 12 ha (30 acres), both located on the outskirts. (Sony VAIO VGN-SZ battery)

The Doña Casilda Iturrizar park is located in the district of Abando, near the city centre and covers an area of 8.5 ha (21 acres). It is named after a local benefactress who donated the grounds to the city. It is an English-style garden designed by Ricardo Bastida and opened to the public in 1907. It features a dancing water fountain surrounded by a pergola, and a pond with many species of ducks(Sony VGN-NR11S/S Battery), geese and swans, which gives the park the alternate name of "Ducks' Park", as known locally. In recent years, it was expanded to be connected with the Abandoibarra area.[104] In Ibaiondo, the Etxeberria Park was built in the 1980s in the place where previously stood a steel mill. The original chimney was maintained as a homage of its industrial past. It covers an area of 18.9 ha (47 acres) (Sony VGN-NR11M/S Battery), on a slopped terrain that overlooks the Old Town.[105] Other relevant public spaces inside the city include the Europa Park, the Miribilla Park, or the Memorial Walkway, a 3 km (1.9 mi) long walkway, with 12 m (39 ft) high lamps, located in the left bank of the estuary and that connects the main sights. (Sony VGN-NR11Z/S Battery)

Mount Artxanda is easily accessible from the city centre by a funicular. There is a recreational area in the summit, with restaurants, a sports complex and a balcony with panoramic views. In the south, Mount Pagasarri receives hundreds of hikers every weekend since the 1870s, who look for its natural wonders. Its environment is officially protected since 2007. (Sony VGN-NR11Z/T Battery)

The main building of the University of Deusto.

The Basque Country has a bilingual education system, with students having the possibility to choose between four linguistic models: A, B, D, and X, which differ in the prevalence of Basque or Spanish as the spoken and written language during classes.[108] In Bilbao, there is a prevalence of model D (Basque is the vehicle language and Spanish is taught as a subject) in Primary School(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21E battery), while Compulsory Secondary Education students favour model B (some subjects are in Basque and other in Spanish). Finally, 67% of Baccalaureate students choose model A (Spanish is the vehicle language and Basque is a subject).[109] English is the most widespread foreign language taught, as it is the option for 97% of pre-university students. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z battery)

[edit]Higher education

Bilbao is home to two universities. The oldest is the University of Deusto, founded by the Society of Jesus in 1886. It took its name after the then independent municipality of Deusto, annexed to Bilbao in 1925. It was the only higher education offer in the city until the establishment in 1968 of the University of Bilbao, that would later become the University of the Basque Country in 1980(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21J battery). This public university, present in the three provinces of the autonomous community, has its main Biscayan campus in the municipality of Leioa, however it homes in Bilbao the Technical and Business faculties.[110]

Inside the airport terminal.

Bagatza station fosterito.

The Bilbao Airport serves the city and it is the busiest terminal in the Basque Country and in the entire Northern coast, with 3,9 million passengers in 2010. (Sony VAIO VGN-FW11 battery)It is located 12 km (7.46 mi) north from the city, between the municipalities of Loiu and Sondika.[113] 15 airlines operate in the terminal, including Iberia, Lufthansa, and TAP Portugal. Top destinations include London, Frankfurt, Munich, Madrid, Paris, Malaga, and Amsterdam.[112] It opened to the public in September 1948, with a regular flight to Madrid. On 19 November 2000(Sony VAIO VGN-FW11M battery), a new terminal building was opened, designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava. In February 2009, a project was approved to expand the current building to duplicate its capacity. Although expected to be completed by 2014, the current financial crisis and the decrease of passenger traffic delayed it to at least 2019. (Sony VAIO VGN-FW11S battery)

The city has 13 bridges connecting both sides of the river, it is connected to the European road network by the AP-8 toll motorway and to the north of Spain by the A-8 motorway and to the rest of Spain by the AP-68 toll motorway.

The underground network (Metro Bilbao), inaugurated in 11 November 1995, is used by more than 85 million passengers every year. It has 2 lines that connect both banks of the Bilbao Metropolitan Area. There is a project under way to build a third line(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21E battery).

The city has 43 Bilbobus bus lines, 28 for normal buses, seven "micro-buses" for zones of the city that a normal bus cannot access, and eight night lines. The inner-city bus network has recently won a prize for its efficiency and quality of service. In addition, there are more than 100 BizkaiBus bus lines, connecting Bilbao with almost every point in Biscay and part of Alava. The city's main bus station is called Termibus and is located near the San Mamés stadium(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21J battery).

There are 7 commuter rail lines operated by three different companies:

In 2002, the new tramway, EuskoTran, was inaugurated. It has one line connecting Atxuri with Basurto. Plans are afoot to greatly expand the network over the coming decade.

A Brittany Ferries ferry service links Santurtzi, near Bilbao, to Portsmouth (UK). MV Cap Finistère ferry departs from the port of Bilbao, 15 km (9 mi) north west of the city centre. A service operated by Acciona Trasmediterranea served the same route from May 16(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21L battery), 2006 until April 2007. P&O Ferries operated this route until its withdrawal on 28 September 2010 with a ship called the Pride of Bilbao.

Bilbao has several theatres and concert halls (Teatro Arriaga, Palacio Euskalduna), cinemas, and a regular opera season offered by ABAO (Bilbao Association of Opera Lovers) . The Bilbao Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1922, its current conductor Günter Neuhold being appointed in 2008(Sony VAIO VGN-FW41M battery). Choral music is very popular in the Basque Country and concerts are offered regularly. The Bilbao Choral Society (Sociedad Coral de Bilbao) was founded in 1886.

Museums include the famous Guggenheim Museum Bilbao of contemporary art and the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, with a great collection of Spanish painting.

Like in other Spanish cities, night life is long and vibrant, with clubs that offer live music (Kafe Antzokia, Bilborock) (Sony VAIO VGN-FW41M/H battery).

Bilbao was briefly featured at the start of the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.

The Bilbao Live Festival, initiated in 2006, is another measure of new interest[115]

Marijaia, the symbol of the Aste Nagusia saluting from the Arriaga Theatre.

Semana Grande (Spanish for Big Week, Aste Nagusia in Basque) is Bilbao's main festival attracting over 100,000 people. It begins on the Saturday of the 3rd week of August each year(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21M battery), lasting 9 days and has been celebrated since 1978. People from around Spain, and increasingly from abroad, attend the celebrations.

The celebrations include the strongman games, free music performances, street entertainment, bullfighting and nightly firework displays. The best views of the display are from the city's bridges. Each year, there is something different occurring, thus a festival programme (these are available all over the city) is strongly recommended(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21Z battery).

Like in most of both Spain and the Basque country, football (soccer) is the most popular competitive sport, followed by basketball.

The main football club is Athletic Club, commonly known as Athletic Bilbao in English. It plays at the San Mamés stadium, which is Spain's oldest built stadium and seats 39,750 spectators.[116] Athletic Bilbao was one of the founding members of the Spanish football league, La Liga, and has played in the Primera División (First Division) (Sony VAIO VGN-FW32J battery) ever since - winning it on eight occasions. Its red and white striped flag is to be seen throughout the city.

The main basketball team is CB Bilbao Berri aka Bizkaia Bilbao Basket, which plays in the ACB. Their home venue is the Bilbao Arena.

In addition, Bilbao offers the possibility of many outdoor activities owing to its location in a hilly countryside, hiking is very popular as well as rock climbing in the nearby mountains. Watersports, specially surfing is practiced in the beaches of Sopelana and Mundaka(Sony VAIO VGN-FW17W battery), easily accessed from the city centre by car, metro or train.

Málaga (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmalaɣa]) is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. The southernmost large city in Europe, it lies on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) of the Mediterranean, about 100 km (62.14 mi) east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km (80.78 mi) north of Africa(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31E battery).

Málaga enjoys a subtropical–mediterranean climate. It has one of the warmest winters in Europe, with average temperatures of 17 °C (62.6 °F) during the day and 7–8 °C (45–46 °F) at night in the period from December through February. The summer season lasts about eight months, from April through November, although in the remaining four months temperatures sometimes reach around 20 °C (68.0 °F) (Sony VAIO VGN-FW139E battery).

Málaga's history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. It was founded by the Phoenicians as Malaka about 770 BC, and from the 6th century BC was under the hegemony of Ancient Carthage. Then from 218 BC it was ruled by the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire as Malaca (Latin) (Sony VAIO VGN-FW139E/H battery). After the fall of the empire it was under Islamic Arab domination as Mālaqah (مالقة) for 800 years, but in 1487 it came under the dominion of the Spaniards in the Reconquista. The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make the historic center of the city an "open museum", displaying its rich history of more than 3,000 years(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31M battery).

This important cultural infrastructure and the rich artistic heritage have culminated in the nomination of Málaga as a candidate for the 2016 European Capital of Culture.

The internationally acclaimed painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso and actor Antonio Banderas were born in Málaga. The magnum opus of Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, "Malagueña", is named for the music of this region of Spain(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31J battery).

The most important business sectors in Málaga are tourism, construction and technology services, but other sectors such as transportation and logistics are beginning to expand. The Andalusia Technology Park (PTA), located in Málaga, has enjoyed significant growth since its inauguration in 1992. Málaga is the main economic and financial center of southern Spain(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31Z battery), home of the region's largest bank, Unicaja, and the fourth-ranking city in economic activity in Spain behind Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.

History

Main article: History of Málaga

La malagueña (1919) by Julio Romero de Torres

The Phoenicians from Tyre founded the city as Malaka about 770 BC. The name Malaka or mlk is probably derived from the Phoenician word for "salt" because fish was salted near the harbour. (Cf. "salt" in other Semitic languages, e.g. Hebrew מלח mélaḥ or Arabic ملح malaḥ) (Sony VGN-NR11Z Battery).

After a period of Carthaginian rule, Malaka became part of the Roman Empire. In its Roman stage, the city (Latin name, Malaca) showed a remarkable degree of development. Transformed into a confederated city, it was under a special law, the Lex Flavia Malacitana. A Roman theatre was built at this time.[3] After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was ruled first by the Visigoths and then by the Byzantine Empire (550-621) (Sony VGN-NR11S Battery).

In the 8th century, during the Muslim Arabic rule over Spain, the city became an important trade center. Málaga was first a possession of the Caliphate of Córdoba. After the fall of the Umayyad dynasty, it became the capital of a distinct kingdom ruled by the Zirids. During this time, the city was called Mālaqah (Arabic مالقة). From 1025 it was the capital of the autonomous Taifa of Málaga, until its conquest by the Taifa of Granada in 1057(Sony VGN-CR11Z Battery).

The traveller Ibn Battuta, who passed through around 1325, characterised it as "one of the largest and most beautiful towns of Andalusia [uniting] the conveniences of both sea and land, and is abundantly supplied with foodstuffs and fruits". He praised its grapes, figs, and almonds; "its ruby-coloured Murcian pomegranates have no equal in the world." Another exported product was its "excellent gilded pottery"(Sony VGN-CR11S Battery). The town's mosque was large and beautiful, with "exceptionally tall orange trees" in its courtyard.[4]

Málaga in 1572

Málaga was one of the Iberian cities where Muslim rule persisted the longest, having been part of the Emirate of Granada. While most other parts of the peninsula had already succumbed to the reconquista, the medieval Christian Spanish struggled to drive the Muslims out(Sony VGN-CR11M Battery). Málaga was conquered by Christian forces on 18 August 1487,[5] The Muslim inhabitants resisted assaults and artillery bombardments before hunger forced them to surrender, virtually the entire population was sold into slavery or given as "gifts" to other Christian rulers.[6] five years before the fall of Granada(Sony VGN-CR11E Battery).

On 24 August 1704 the indecisive Battle of Malaga, the largest naval battle in the War of the Spanish Succession, took place in the sea south of Málaga.

Málaga had a period of rapid development in the 19th century, becoming with Barcelona one of the two most industrialized cities of Spain. But that early industry was gradually dismantled, because the successive national governments were supporting the industrial centers in the north of the country(Sony VGN-CR21E Battery).

After the coup of July 1936 the government of the Second Spanish Republic retained control of Málaga. Its harbor was a base of the Spanish Republican Navy at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. It suffered heavy bombing by Italian warships which took part in breaking the Republican navy's blockade of Nationalist-held Spanish Morocco and took part in naval bombardment of Republican-held Malaga. (Sony VGN-CR21S Battery)After the Battle of Málaga and the Francoist takeover in February 1937, over seven thousand people were killed.[8] The city also suffered shelling later by Spanish Republican naval units. The well-known British journalist and writer Arthur Koestler was captured by the Nationalist forces on their entry into Málaga, which formed the material for his book Spanish Testament. The first chapters of Spanish Testament include an eye-witness account of the 1937(Sony VGN-CR21Z Battery) fall of Málaga to Francisco Franco's armies during the Spanish Civil War.

After the war, Málaga and Koestler's old haunts of Torremolinos and the rest of the Costa del Sol enjoyed the highest growth of the tourism sector in Spain.

The Roman Theater

Málaga is located in southern Spain, on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) on the northern side of the Mediterranean Sea. It lies about 100 km east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km east of Tarifa (the southernmost point of continental Europe) and about 130 km on north of Africa. Lies on a similar latitude (36°N) as Algiers in Algeria(Sony VGN-CR31S Battery), Tunis in Tunisia, Aleppo in Syria, Mosul in Iraq, Tehran in Iran, Kunduz in Afghanistan and Fresno, California in the United States.

[edit]Metropolitan area

Málaga, together with the following adjacent towns and municipalities: Rincón de la Victoria, Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Alhaurín de la Torre, Mijas, Marbella and San Pedro Alcántara form the urban area with a population of 1,066,532 on 827.33 km² (density 1,289 hab / km²) – 2012 data(Sony VGN-CR31E Battery). The urban area stretches mostly along a narrow strip of coastline. The Málaga metropolitan area includes additional municipalities located mostly in the mountains area north of the coast and also some on the coast: Cártama, Pizarra, Coín, Monda, Ojén, Alhaurín el Grande and Estepona on west; Casabermeja on north; Totalán, Algarrobo, Torrox and Vélez-Málaga eastward from Málaga(Sony VGN-CR31Z Battery).

Map of Málaga province, centered Málaga urban area (Málaga, Rincón de la Victoria, Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Marbella – density >1000/km² and Mijas, Alhaurín de la Torre)

Municipalities of the metropolitan area are connected by the road network (including motorways) with the urban area and Málaga city (the urban area can be reached by car from the farthest reaches in 20 minutes and Málaga city in 45 minutes) (Sony VGN-CR41Z Battery). In some usages the metropolitan area includes other municipalities to which Málaga's public transportation network extends, at least since the establishment of the Consorcio de Transporte Metropolitano del Área de Málaga (en: Consortium of Transportation of Málaga Metropolitan Area). Together about 1.3 million (max. to 1.5 million) people live in the Málaga metropolitan area and the number grows every year as all the municipalities and cities of the area record an annual increase in population(Sony VGN-CR41S Battery).

The climate is Subtropical–Mediterranean (Köppen climate classification: Csa)[9] with very mild winters and warm to hot summers. Málaga enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of about 300 days of sunshine and only about 50 days with precipitation annually. Its coastal location with winds blowing from the Mediterranean Sea make the heat manageable during the summer. (Sony VGN-CR41E Battery)

Málaga experiences the warmest winters of any European city with a population over 500,000 and over 100,000 jointly with two other cities in Spain: Almería and Alicante. The average temperature during the day in the period December through February is 17–18 °C (63–64 °F). During the winter, the Málaga Mountains (Montes de Málaga) block out the cold weather from the north. (Sony VGN-CR42Z Battery) Generally, the summer season lasts about eight months, from April to November, although in the remaining four months temperatures sometimes reach around 20 °C (68 °F). Its average annual temperature is 23 °C (73 °F) during the day (one of the highest in Europe) and 13 °C (55 °F) at night. In the coldest month, January, the temperature ranges from 12 to 20 °C (54 to 68 °F) during the day(Sony VGN-CR42S Battery), 4 to 13 °C (39 to 55 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 15–16 °C (59–61 °F). In the warmest month, August, the temperature ranges from 26 to 35 °C (79 to 95 °F) during the day, above 20 °C (68 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 23 °C (73 °F).

Large fluctuations in temperature are rare. The highest temperature ever recorded during the day in the city centre is 43.3 °C (109.9 °F) on 13 August 1881. In the month of August 1881(Sony VGN-CR42E Battery), the average reported daytime maximum temperature was a record 34.8 °C (94.6 °F). The coldest temperature ever recorded was −0.9 °C (30.4 °F) on the night (the same as tropical Miami) of 19 January 1891. The highest wind speed ever recorded was on 16 July 1980, measuring 119 km/h (73.94 mph). Málaga city has once recorded snow in the 20th century, on February the 2nd, 1954. (Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S/L Battery)

Annual average relative humidity is 66%, ranging from 59% in June to 73% in December.[12] Yearly sunshine hours is between 2,800 and 3,000 per year, from 5–6 hours of sunshine / day in December to average 11 hours of sunshine / day in July. This is one of the highest results in Europe and almost double more that of cities in the northern half of Europe (for comparison: London – 1,461, Warsaw – 1,571, Paris – 1,630) (Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S/P Battery). According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 2007 saw 3,059 hours of sunshine.[15] Rain occurs mainly in winter, with summer being generally dry. Málaga is one of the few cities in Europe which are "green" all year round.

Main sights

View of the old Alcazaba

The Cathedral of the Encarnation

The old historic center of Málaga reaches the harbour to the south and is surrounded by mountains to the north, the Montes de Málaga (part of Baetic Cordillera), lying in the southern base of the Axarquía hills, and two rivers(Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S/W Battery), the Guadalmedina – the historic center is located on its left bank – and the Guadalhorce, which flows west of the city into the Mediterranean.

The oldest architectural remains in the city are the walls of the Phoenician city, which are visible in the basement of the Picasso Museum.

The Roman theater of Málaga, which dates from the 1st century BC, was fortuitously rediscovered in 1951(Sony Vaio VGN-CR11Z/R Battery).

The Moors left posterity the dominating presence of the Castle of Gibralfaro, which is connected to the Alcazaba, the lower fortress and royal residence. Both were built during the Taifa period (11th century) and extended during the Nasrid period (13th and 14th centuries). The Alcazaba stands on a hill within the city. Originally, it defended the city from the incursions of pirates(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/B Battery). Later, in the mid-11th century, it was completely rebuilt by the Hammudid dynasty. Occupying the eastern hillside that rises from the sea and overlooks the city, the Alcazaba was surrounded by palms and pine trees.

La Concepción, botanical and historical garden

Like many of the military fortifications that were constructed in Islamic Spain, the Alcazaba of Málaga featured a quadrangular plan(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/L Battery). It was protected by an outer and inner wall, both supported by rectangular towers, between which a covered walkway led up the slope to the Gibralfaro (this was the only exchange between the two sites). Due to its rough and awkward hillside topography, corridors throughout the site provided a means of communications for administrative and defensive operations, also affording privacy to the palatial residential quarters(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/P Battery).

The entrance of the complex featured a grand tower that led into a sophisticated double bent entrance. After passing through several gates, open yards with beautiful gardens of pine and eucalyptus trees, and the inner wall through the Puerta de Granada, one finds the 11th and 14th century Governor's palace(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/R Battery). It was organized around a central rectangular courtyard with a triple-arched gateway and some of the rooms have been preserved to this day. An open 11th century mirador (belvedere) to the south of this area affords views of the gardens and sea below. Measuring 2.5 square meters, this small structure highlighted scalloped, five-lobed arches. To the north of this area were a waterwheel and a Cyclopean well (penetrating forty meters below ground) (Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/W Battery), a hammam, workshops and the monumental Puerta de la Torre del Homenaje, the northernmost point of the inner walls. Directly beyond was the passage to the Gibralfaro above.

The Church of Santiago (Saint James) is an example of Gothic vernacular Mudéjar, the hybrid style that evolved after the Reconquista incorporating elements from both Christian and Islamic tradition. Also from the period is the Iglesia del Sagrario(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G Battery), which was built on the site of the old mosque immediately after the city fell to Christian troops. It boasts a richly ornamented portal in the Isabeline-Gothic style, unique in the city.

The Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace were planned with Renaissance architectural ideals but there was a shortfall of building funds and they were finished in Baroque style.

Trade Fair and Congress in Málaga (Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga) (Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/B Battery)

Málaga is the fourth-ranking city in economic activity in Spain behind Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.[2]

The most important business sectors in Málaga are tourism, construction and technology services, but other sectors such as transportation and logistics are beginning to expand. The Andalusia Technology Park (PTA) (In Spanish, "Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía"), located in Málaga, has enjoyed significant growth since its inauguration in 1992 by the King of Spain(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/L Battery). As of 2010, this high-tech, science and industrial park is home to 509 companies and employs over 14,500 people.

In line with the city's strategic plan, the campaign "Málaga: Open for Business" is directed towards the international promotion of the city on all levels but fundamentally on a business level. The campaign places a special emphasis on new technologies as well as innovation and research in order to promote the city as a reference and focal point for many global business initiatives and projects. (Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/W Battery)

Málaga is a city of commerce and tourism has been a growing source of revenue, driven by the presence of a major airport, the improvement of communications, and new infrastructure such as the AVE and the maritime station, and new cultural facilities such as the Picasso Museum, the Contemporary Art Center and Trade Fair and Congress, which have drawn more tourists. (Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/P Battery)

The city hosts the International Association of Science and Technology Parks (IASP) (Asociación Internacional de Parques Tecnológicos), and a group of IT company executives and business leaders has launched an information sector initiative, Málaga Valley e-27, which seeks to make Málaga the Silicon Valley of Europe. Málaga has had strong growth in new technology industries(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13T/L Battery), mainly located in the Technological Park of Andalusia, and in the construction sector. The city is home to the largest bank in Andalusia, Unicaja, and such local companies as Mayoral, Charanga, Sando, Vera, Ubago, Isofoton, Tedial, Novasoft, Grupo Vértice and Almeida viajes, and other multinationals such as Fujitsu Spain, Pernod Ricard Spain, Accenture, Epcos, Oracle Corporation, Huawei and San Miguel(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13T/P Battery).

Culture

Holy week in Málaga

Annual cultural events

The Holy Week celebration, the August Málaga Fair (Feria de Málaga) and the Málaga Film Festival are the three major events held in the city.

The Holy Week of Málaga has been observed for some five centuries. Processions start on Palm Sunday and continue until Easter Sunday. Images depicting scenes from the Passion are displayed on huge ornate tronos (floats or thrones), some weighing more than 5,000 kilos and carried by more than 250 members of the fraternity of Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13T/R Battery). These tronos highlight the processions that go through the streets led by penitents dressed in long purple robes, often with pointed hats, followed by women in black carrying candles. Drums and trumpets play music and occasionally someone spontaneously sings a mournful saeta dedicated to the floats as they make their way slowly round the streets(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13T/W Battery).

August Málaga Fair

Some Holy Week tronos are so huge that they must be housed in places outside the churches, as they are taller than the entrance doors. There are also military parades of soldiers playing processional band marches or singing their anthems along the route.

During the celebration of the Feria de Málaga in August, the streets are transformed into traditional symbols of Spanish culture and history(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21/B Battery), with sweet wine, tapas, and live flamenco shows. The day events consist of dancing, live music (like Flamenco or Verdiales, traditional music from Málaga) and bullfights at La Malagueta, while the night fair is moved to the Recinto Ferial, consisting of restaurants, clubs, and an entire fair ground with rides and games(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21E/L Battery).

The Málaga Film Festival (Festival de Málaga Cine Español (FMCE)) is the most important festival dedicated exclusively to cinema made in Spain. It is held annually during a week in April.

Religion

Most of the population of Málaga professes Roman Catholicism as its religion. Islam is represented by a growing number of immigrants and a newly-constructed mosque(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21E/P Battery).

The Evangelicals also have a presence in Málaga, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is growing. The Jewish Community in Málaga is represented by its synagogue and the Jewish Association.

La Rosaleda stadium. Málaga CF vs Real Madrid C.F. in October, 2010

Málaga is home to three major professional sports teams. These include:

Málaga CF – football club plays in Primera División. Honours: UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002, UEFA Cup: 2003 (Quarter-finals) (Sony Vaio VGN-CR21E/W Battery).

CB Málaga – basketball club plays in SuperLiga ACB. Honours: Spanish Championship: 2006, runner-up: 1995, 2002; Spanish Cup: 2005, runner-up: 2009; Spanish Super-Cup: runner-up: 2006; Korać Cup: 2001, runner-up: 2000; Euroleague: third place: 2007

Club Atlético Málaga – women's football club plays in Superliga Femenina, Honours: Spain Cup: 1998, runner-up: 1997; Spain Supercup: 1999(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21S/L Battery)

The city has four large sports facilities:

Estadio La Rosaleda – football stadium, with a capacity of 28,963. One of the arenas of Primera División (for Málaga CF) and 1982 FIFA World Cup. Final of UEFA Intertoto Cup 2002.

Jose Maria Martin Carpena Arena – sports arena, with a capacity of max 14,000. It is home of CB Málaga and arena of Spanish Cup 2001, 2007; Spanish Super-Cup 2004, 2006; NBA Europe Live Tour 2007(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21S/P Battery);

Estadio de Atletismo Ciudad de Málaga – athletics stadium with a capacity of 7,500. Place where the European Cup 2006 was celebrated; 2006 Vuelta a España; Spain Athletics Championships 2005 and 2011;

Centro Acuático de Málaga (Málaga Aquatic Center) – water arena, with a capacity of 17,000. Arena of European Water Polo Championship 2008(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21S/W Battery).

In city and neighbourhood, you can engage in many sports, for example: surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, swimming, diving, skydiving, paragliding, running, cycling, rowing, tennis and golf.

Strachan Street in downtown

The city is an important tourist destination, known as "the capital of the Costa del Sol". Tourists usually visit the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and the Museo Picasso Málaga(Sony Vaio VGN-CR23/B Battery), the Carmen Thyssen Museum, the old town or the beaches. The Málaga harbour is also the second busiest cruise port of the Iberian Peninsula.

A popular walk leads up the hill to the Gibralfaro castle (a Parador), offering panoramic views over the city. The castle is next to the Alcazaba, the old Muslim palace, which in turn is next to the inner city of Málaga. Other nearby attractions are the Roman Theatre(Sony Vaio VGN-CR23/P Battery), the old Jewish quarter, the Cathedral, and the Church of Santiago in mudéjar style. A popular walk follows the Paseo del Parque (a promenade that runs alongside a grand park with many palm trees and statues) to the harbour, ending in Calle Larios, the main commercial street of the city. There is also a curious museum, the Museum of the Holy Week, which includes an impressive display of Baroque ecclesiastical items(Sony Vaio VGN-CR23/R Battery).

Other events

The Fiesta Mayor de Verdiales takes place every year on 28 December during which Spain's April Fool Day is celebrated.

Fiestas de Carnaval event takes prior to the holy 40 days of Lent every February. People dressed in traditional costumes join the festivities, which include Flamenco dancing, and a parade. One more highlight of this festival is the stalls selling traditional pottery and artifacts(Sony Vaio VGN-CR23/L Battery).

City view from the port

The city is served by Málaga Costa Del Sol Airport, one of the first in Spain and the oldest still in operation. In 2008, it handled 12,813,472 passengers,[25] making it the fourth busiest in Spain. It is the international airport of Andalusia accounting for 85 percent of its international traffic. The airport, connected to the Costa del Sol(Sony VAIO VGN-NW21EF/S battery), has a daily link with twenty cities in Spain and over a hundred cities in Europe (mainly in United Kingdom, Central Europe and the Nordic countries but also the main cities of Eastern Europe: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Budapest, Sofia, Warsaw, Riga or Bucharest), North Africa, Middle East (Riyadh, Jeddah and Kuwait) and North America (New York, Toronto and Montreal) (Sony VAIO VGN-NW21JF battery).

Seaport

The Port of Málaga is the city's seaport, operating continuously at least since 600 BC. The port is one of the busiest ports on the Mediterranean Sea, with a trade volume of over 428,623 TEU's and 642,529 passenger in 2008.

High speed trains AVE S-112 nicknamed "Pato" ("Duck") in Málaga-Maria Zambrano Station.

High-speed train

See also: Córdoba-Málaga high-speed rail line(Sony VAIO VGN-NW21MF battery)

The Málaga-María Zambrano Train Station is served by the AVE high-speed rail system, and is operated by the Spanish formerly state-owned rail company Renfe. Málaga is on the AVE experience, a net created with Málaga next to 18 major cities of Spain with high-speed rail.

Roads and highways

The A45 road leads north to Antequera and Córdoba. The Autovía A-7 parallels the N-340 road, both leading to Cadiz to the west through the Costa del Sol Occidental and Barcelona to the east through the Costa del Sol Oriental(Sony VAIO VGN-NW21MF/W battery).

Urban Bus

Empresa Malagueña de Transportes´buses are the main form of transport around the city. Málaga's bus station is connected with the city by the bus line number 4, although it is only ten minutes walk to the Alameda from there.

Metropolitan Bus

Málaga Metropolitan Transport Consortium´s (Consorcio de Tranpsporte Metropolitano del Área de Málaga) buses are the main form of transport around the city of Málaga and the villages of the Metropolitan Area(Sony VAIO VGN-NW31EF/W battery).

Seville is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville, Spain. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos (feminine form: sevillanas) or hispalenses, following the Roman name of the city, HispalisSony PCG-71313M battery.

Seville is the fourth largest city of Spain with a municipal population of about 703,000 as of 2011, and a metropolitan population (including satellite towns) of about 1.2 million, making it the 31st most populous municipality in the European Union. Its Old Town is one of the three largest in Europe along with Venice and Genoa (covering almost four square kilometers) Sony PCG-71212M battery, which includes three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Alcázar palace complex, the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies). The Seville harbor, located about 80 km from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain. Seville was founded as the Roman city of Hispalis. In al-Andalus (Muslim Spain) the city was first the seat of a cora, or territory, of the Caliphate of CórdobaSony PCG-71311M battery, then made capital of the Taifa of Seville (Arabic: طائفة أشبيليّة, Ta'ifa Ishbiliya), which was incorporated into the Christian Kingdom of Castile under Ferdinand III. After the discovery of the Americas, Seville became one of the economic centres of the Spanish Empire as its port monopolised the trans-oceanic trade and the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) wielded its powerSony PCG-71213M battery, opening a Golden Age of arts and letters. It was the place of departure of the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Coinciding with the Baroque period of European history, the 17th century in Seville represented the most brilliant flowering of the city's culture; then began a gradual economic and demographic decline as navigation of the Guadalquivir River became increasingly difficult until finally the trade monopoly and its institutions were transferred to CádizSony PCG-61211M battery.

The 20th century in Seville saw the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, decisive cultural milestones such as the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and Expo'92, and the city's election as the capital of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. Seville is also the hometown of such famous personalities as the painters Velázquez and Murillo, the writer Gustavo Adolfo BécquerSony VAIO PCG-31114M battery, the poet Antonio Machado, and Vicente Aleixandre, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Etymology

Spal is the oldest known name for Seville. It appears to be related to the Phoenician colonization of the Tartessos culture from south-western Iberia, meaning "lowland".[1] During Roman rule, the name was Latinized as Hispalis. After Moorish invasionSony VAIO PCG-31113M battery, this name evolved to Ishbiliya (Arabic أشبيليّة) due to the phonetic phenomenon called imela, since "p" does not exist in Arabic, and stressed "a" /æ/ turns into "i" /i/.[2] The current Spanish denomination Sevilla come from the Arabic Isbiliya.

Main article: History of Seville

Seville is approximately 2,200 years old. The passage of the various civilizations instrumental in its growth has left the city a distinct personality, Sony VAIO PCG-31112M battery and a large and well-preserved historical center. Although it has a strong medieval, renaissance and baroque heritage, the city was greatly influenced by Arabic culture.

[edit]Early periods

The mythological founder of the city is Hercules (Heracles), commonly identified with the Phoenician god Melqart, who the myth says sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Atlantic, and founded trading posts at the current sites of Cadiz and of Seville. Sony VAIO PCG-31111M battery

The Giralda view from the Patio de Banderas (Courtyard of Flags), historic square with remains of Roman, Moorish and Castilian periods.

The city was known from Roman times as Hispalis. Important archaeological remains also exist in the nearby towns of Santiponce(Italica) and Carmona.

Existing Roman features in Seville include the remnants of an aqueduct, a temple in Mármoles Street, the columns of La Alameda de HérculesSony VAIO PCG-41112M battery, the remains exposed in situ in the underground Antiquarium of the Metropol Parasol building and, finally, the remains in Patio de Banderas square, near of the Seville Cathedral. The walls surrounding the city were originally built during the rule of Julius Caesar, but their current course and design were the result of Moorish reconstructionsSony VAIO PCG-41111M battery.

Following Roman rule, there were successive conquests of the Roman province of Hispania Baetica by the Vandals and the Visigoths during the 5th and 6th centuries.

Moorish era

Coin of the Almoravids, Seville, Spain, 1116. British Museum.

Seville was taken by the Moors, Muslims from the North of Africa, during the conquest of Hispalis in 712. It was the capital for the kings of the Umayyad CaliphateSONY VAIO PCG-21212M battery, the Almoravid dynasty first and after the Almohad dynasty (from Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i.e., "the monotheists" or "the Unitarians"), from the 8th to 13th centuries.

The Moorish urban influences continued and are present in contemporary Seville, for instance in the custom of decorating with herbaje and small fountains the courtyards of the houses. HoweverSONY VAIO PCG-21211M battery, most buildings of the Moorish aesthetic actually belong to the Mudéjar style of Islamic art, developed under Christian rule inspired the Arabic style. Original Moorish buildings are the Patio del Yeso in the Alcázar, the city walls, and the main section of the Giralda, bell tower of the Seville Cathedral. SONY VAIO PCG-51212M battery

Castilian rule

In 1247, the Christian King Ferdinand III of Castile and Leon began the conquest of Andalusia. After conquering Jaén and Córdoba, he seized the villages surrounding the city, Carmona Lora del Rio and Alcalá del Rio, and kept a standing army in the vicinity, the siege lasting for fifteen months. The decisive action took place in May 1248 SONY VAIO PCG-51211M batterywhen Ramon Bonifaz sailed up the Guadalquivir and severed the Triana bridge that made the provisioning of the city from the farms of the Aljarafe possible. The city surrendered on 23 November 1248.

The city's development continued after the Castilian conquest in 1248. Public buildings constructed including churches, many of which were built in the Mudéjar style, and the Seville Cathedral, built during the 15th century with Gothic architectureSONY VAIO PCG-51112M battery. The Moors' Palace became the Castilian royal residence, and during Pedro I's rule it was replaced by the Alcázar (the upper levels are still used by the Royal Family as the official Seville residence).

Hall of Ambassadors in the Alcázar of Seville.

In 1391, Archdeacon Ferrant Martinez closed all the synagogues in Seville, converting them to churches, as in the case of Santa María la Blanca, and also appropriated the Jewish quarter's land and shops (sited in modern-day 'Barrio Santa Cruz') SONY VAIO PCG-51111M battery. Thousands were killed during the pogrom, while others were forced to convert. The Plaza de San Francisco was the site of the 'autos de fé'. At first, the activity of the Inquisition was limited to the dioceses of Seville and Cordoba, where Alonso de Hojeda had detected converso activity. The first Auto de Fé took place in Seville on 6 February 1481, when six people were burned alive. Alonso de Hojeda himself gave the sermonSONY VAIO PCG-81212M battery. The Inquisition then grew rapidly. By 1492, tribunals existed in eight Castilian cities: Ávila, Cordoba, Jaén, Medina del Campo, Segovia, Sigüenza, Toledo and Valladolid.[6]

The Golden Age

Following the 1492 Christopher Columbus expedition to the New World (from Palos de la Frontera's port), the results from his claiming territory and trade for the Crown of Castile (incipient Spain) in the West Indies began to profit the citySony VAIO PCG-81112M battery, as all goods imported from the New World had to pass through the Casa de Contratacion before being distributed throughout the rest of Spain. A 'golden age of development' commenced in Seville, due to its being the only port awarded the royal monopoly for trade with the growing Spanish colonies in the Americas and the influx of riches from themSONY VAIO PCG-71111M battery. Since only sailing ships leaving from and returning to the inland port of Seville could engage in trade with the Spanish Americas, merchants from Europe and other trade centers needed to go to Seville to acquire New World trade goods. The city's population grew to nearly a million people. SONY VAIO PCG-7196M battery

Seville in the 16th century

In the late 16th century the monopoly was broken, with the port of Cádiz also authorized as a port of trade. The Great Plague of Seville in 1649 reduced the population by almost half, and it would not recover until the early 19th century.[8] By the 18th century its international importance was in decline. After the silting up of the harbor by the Guadalquivir (river) upriver shipping ceased and the city went into relative economic declineSONY VAIO PCG-7195M battery.

The writer Miguel de Cervantes lived primarily in Seville between 1596 and 1600. Because of financial problems, Cervantes worked as a purveyor for the Spanish Armada, and later as a tax collector. In 1597, discrepancies in his accounts of the three years previous landed him in the Royal Prison of Seville for a short time. Rinconete y CortadilloSONY VAIO PCG-7194M battery, a popular comedy among his works, features two young vagabonds who come to Seville, attracted by the riches and disorder that the 16th-century commerce with the Americas had brought to that metropolis.

[edit]18th century

During the 18th century Charles III of Spain promoted Seville's industrialisation. Construction of the Royal Tobacco Factory (Real Fábrica de Tabacos) began in 1728 and proceeded intermittently for the next 30 yearsSONY VAIO PCG-7192M battery. At the time it was the second largest building in Spain, after the royal residence El Escorial. Since the 1950s it has been the seat of the rectorate of the University of Seville.

Royal Tobacco Factory, today University of Seville.

Many operas have been set in the city, including those by such composers as Beethoven (Fidelio), Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni), and Rossini (The Barber of Seville). SONY PCG-8113M battery

Seville became the dean of the Spanish provincial press in 1758 with the publication of its first newspaper, the Hebdomario útil de Seville, the first to be printed in Spain outside Madrid.

19th and 20th centuries

Holy Week in Seville in 1855

Between 1825 and 1833 Melchor Cano acted as chief architect in Seville, most of the urban planning policy and architectural modifications of the city were made by him and his collaborator Jose Manuel Arjona y Cuba. SONY PCG-8112M battery

Industrial architecture surviving today from the first half of the 19th century includes the ceramics factory installed in the Carthusian monastery at La Cartuja in 1841 by the Pickman family, and now home to the Institute of Culture and the Arts (Instituto de la Cultura y las Artes de Sevilla), or ICASSONY PCG-7134M battery.

In the years that Queen Isabel II ruled directly, about 1843–1868, the Sevillian bourgeoisie invested in a construction boom unmatched in the city's history. The Isabel II bridge, better known as the Triana bridge, dates from this period; street lighting was expanded in the municipality and most of the streets were paved during this time as well. SONY PCG-7131M battery

By the second half of the 19th century Seville began an expansion supported by railway construction and the demolition of part of its ancient walls, allowing the urban space of the city to grow eastward and southward. The Sevillana de Electricidad Company was created in 1894 to provide electric power throughout the municipality,[12] and in 1901 the Plaza de Armas railway station was inauguratedSONY PCG-7122M battery. The Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla) opened in 1904.

In 1929 the city hosted the Ibero-American Exposition, which accelerated the southern expansion of the city and created new public spaces such as the Plaza de España and the Maria Luisa Park. Not long before the opening, the Spanish government began a modernization of the city in order to prepare for the expected crowds by erecting new hotels and widening the medieval streets to allow for the movement of automobilesSONY PCG-7121M battery.

Seville fell very quickly at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. General Queipo de Llano carried out a coup within the city, quickly capturing the city centre.[13] Radio Seville opposed the uprising and called for the peasants to come to the city for arms, while worker's groups established barricades.[13] De Llano then moved to capture Radio Seville, which he used to broadcast propaganda on behalf of the Francoist forces. SONY PCG-7113M battery  After the initial takeover of the city, resistance continued amongst the working-class areas for some time, until a series of fierce reprisals took place.[14]

Under Francisco Franco's rule Spain was officially neutral in World War II, and like the rest of the country, Seville remained largely economically and culturally isolated from the outside world.

In 1953 the shipyard of Seville was opened, eventually employing more than 2,000 workers in the 1970sSONY PCG-7112M battery .

Before the existence of wetlands regulation in the Guadalquivir basin, Seville suffered regular heavy flooding; perhaps worst of all were the floods that occurred in November 1961 when the river Tamarguillo overflowed as a result of a prodigious downpour of rain, and Seville was consequently declared a disaster zoneSONY PCG-8Z3M battery .

Trade unionism in Seville began during the 1960s with the underground organizational activities of the Workers' Commissions or Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), in factories such as Hytasa, the Astilleros shipyards, Hispano Aviación, etc. Several of the movement's leaders were imprisoned in November 1973SONY PCG-8Z2M battery .

On 3 April 1979 Spain held its first democratic municipal elections after the end of Franco's dictatorship; councillors representing four different political parties were elected in Seville.

On 5 November 1982, Pope John Paul II arrived in Seville to officiate at a Mass before more than half a million people at the fairgrounds. He visited the city again 13 June 1993, for the International Eucharistic CongressSONY PCG-8Z1M battery.

Alamillo bridge, built for Universal Exposition of Seville.

In 1992, coinciding with the fifth centenary of the Discovery of the Americas, the Universal Exposition was held for six months in Seville, on the occasion of which the local communications network infrastructure was greatly improved: the SE-30 beltway around the city was completed, new highways were constructedSONY PCG-8Y3M battery, the new Santa Justa train station had opened in 1991 and the Spanish High Speed Rail system, the Alta Velocidad Española (AVE), began to operate between Madrid-Seville. The Seville airport, the Aeropuerto de Sevilla, was expanded with a new terminal building designed by the architect Rafael Moneo, and various other improvements were madeSONY PCG-8Y2M battery. The monumental Puente del Alamillo (Alamillo Bridge) over the Guadalquivir, designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, was built to allow access to the island of La Cartuja, site of the massive exposition.

Some of the installations remaining at the site after the exposition were converted into the Scientific and Technological Park Cartuja 93SONY PCG-7Z1M battery.

Schindler Tower next to the Guadalquivir.

Seville has an area of 140 km2, according to the National Topographic Map (Mapa Topográfico Nacional) series from the Instituto Geográfico Nacional – Centro Nacional de Información Geograficá, the country's civilian survey organization (pages 984, 985 and 1002). The city is situated in the fertile valley of the Guadalquivir River. The average height above sea level is 7 meters. Most of the city is on the east side of the riverSONY PCG-6W2M battery, while Triana, La Cartuja and Los Remedios are on the west side. The Aljarafe region lies further west, and is considered part of the metropolitan area. The city has limits on the north with La Rinconada, La Algaba and Santiponce; on the east with Alcalá de Guadaira; on the south with Dos Hermanas and Gelves and on the west with San Juan de Aznalfarache, Tomares and CamasSONY PCG-5J5M battery.

Seville has a subtropical climate, precisely hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). The annual average temperature is 25 °C (77 °F) during the day and 13 °C (55 °F) at night.

After the neighbouring city of Cordoba, Seville has the warmest summer in the European continent (among all cities with a population over 100,000 people) SONY PCG-5K2M battery, with average daily highs in July of 35.3 °C (96 °F). Average minimum temperatures in July are 19.4 °C (67 °F) and every year the temperature exceeds 40 °C (104 °F) on several occasions. The coldest temperature extreme of −8.2 °C (17 °F) was registered by the weather station at Seville Airport on 28 January 2005. A historical record high (disputed) of 50.0 °C (122 °F) SONY PCG-5K1M battery  was recorded on 4 August 1881, according to the NOAA Satellite and Information Service.[16] There is a non-accredited record by the National Institute of Meteorology of 47.2 °C (117 °F) on 1 August during the 2003 heat wave, according to a weather station (83910 LEZL) located in the southern part of Seville Airport, near the abandoned military zoneSONY PCG-5J4M battery. This temperature would be one of the highest ever recorded in Spain and Europe after the European record of 48.0 °C (118 °F) recorded in Athens on 10/07/1977.

Winters are mild: January is the coolest month, with average maximum temperatures of 15.9 °C (61 °F) and minimum of 5.2 °C (41 °F).

Precipitation varies from 400 to 800 mm (23.5–31.5 in) per year, concentrated in the period October to April. December is the wettest monthSONY PCG-5J1M battery , with an average rainfall of 95 millimetres (4 in). On average there are 52 days of rain, 120.75 days of sun and four days of frost per year.

Average number of days above 32 °C (90 °F) is 88, average number of nights below 0 °C (32 °F) is 6. Average morning relative humidity: 84%, average evening relative humidity: 46%.

Government

Seville is the capital of the autonomous community of AndalusiaSONY PCG-5G2M battery. The historical edifice of the Palace of San Telmo is now the seat of the presidency of the Andalusian Autonomous Government. The administrative headquarters are in Torre Triana, in La Cartuja. The Hospital de las Cinco Llagas (literally, "Hospital of the Five Holy Wounds") is the current seat of the Parliament of AndalusiaSony VAIO PCG-8131M battery. Since 2012 the government of the autonomous community has been a coalition between the leftist Spanish Socialist Workers' Party or Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) and the United Left, or Izquierda Unida (IU); its president is Jose Antonio Griñán Martínez. Elections to the autonomous community are held every four yearsSony VAIO PCG-8152M battery.

Palace of San Telmo, seat of the presidency of the Andalusian Autonomous Government.

Seville is the capital of the Autonomous Community of Andalusía, according to Article 4 of the Statute of Autonomy of Andalucía of 2007, and is the capital of the Province of Seville as well.

The Common Council of Seville has 33 councillors and a mayor, with elections every four years. Since 2011, the government of the city has been by the conservative People's Party or Partido Popular (PP) Sony VAIO PCG-31311M battery, and Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez has been mayor. The City Hall is on the Plaza Nueva, in the El Arenal neighbourhood. The administration of the City is decentralized into 11 districts.

[edit]Districts and Neighbourhoods

The Alcázar, the Cathedral, and the Archivo General de Indias (General Archive of the Indies) are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Landmarks

North façade of the Cathedral of St. Mary of Seville.

Giralda

The Cathedral of St. Mary was built from 1401–1519 after the Reconquista on the former site of the city's mosque. It is amongst the largest of all medieval and Gothic cathedralsSony VAIO PCG-31111M battery, in terms of both area and volume. The interior is the longest nave in Spain, and is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of gold evident. The Cathedral reused some columns and elements from the mosque, and, most famously, the Giralda, originally a minaret, was converted into a bell tower. It is topped with a statue, known locally as El Giraldillo, representing Faith. The tower's interior was built with ramps rather than stairs, to allow the Muezzin and others to ride on horseback to the topSony VAIO PCG-8112M battery.

The Alcázar facing the cathedral was developed from a previous Moorish Palace. Construction was started in 1181 and continued for over 500 years, mainly in the Mudéjar style, but also in the Renaissance style. Its gardens are a blend of Moorish, Renaissance, and English traditions.

Courtyard of the Maidens in the Alcázar of SevilleSony VAIO PCG-7186M battery

Torre del Oro, the gold tower.

The Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty as a watchtower and defensive barrier on the river. A chain was strung through the water from the base of the tower to prevent boats from traveling into the river port.

The City Hall was built in the 16th century in high Plateresque style by master architect Diego de Riaño. The Facade to Plaza Nueva was built in the 19th century in Neoclassical styleSony VAIO PCG-7171M battery.

The Palace of San Telmo, formerly the University of Sailors, and later the Seminary, is now the seat for the Andalusian Autonomous Government. It is one of the most emblematic buildings of baroque architecture, mainly to its world-renowned churrigueresque principal facade and the impressive chapelSony VAIO PCG-9Z1M battery.

The Royal Tobacco Factory is housed on the original site of the first tobacco factory in Europe, a vast 18th century building in Baroque style and the purported inspiration for the opera Carmen.

Metropol Parasol.

The Metropol Parasol, in La Encarnación square, is the world largest wooden structure.[19] A monumental umbrella-like building designed by the German architect Jürgen Mayer, finished in 2011Sony VAIO PCG-5S1M battery. This modern architecture structure houses the central market and an underground archaeological complex. The terrace roof is a city viewpoint.[20]

The General Archive of the Indies, is the repository of extremely valuable archival documents illustrating the history of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Philippines. The building itself, an unusually serene and Italianate example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, was designed by Juan de HerreraSony VAIO PCG-5P1M battery.

Plaza de España, aereal view.

The Plaza de España, in Maria Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa), was built by the architect Aníbal González for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana. It is an outstanding example of Regionalist Revival Architecture, a bizarre and loftily conceived mixture of diverse historic styles, such as Art Deco and Neo-Mudéjar and lavishly ornamented with typical glazed tiles. Sony VAIO PCG-5N2M battery

Plaza de España, central building at sunset.

The neighbourhood of Triana, situated on the west bank of the Guadalquivir River, played an important role in the history of the city and constitutes by itself a folk, monumental and cultural center.

On the other hand, La Macarena neighbourhood is located on the northern side of the city center. It contains some important monuments and religious buildings, such as the Museum and Basilica of La Macarena or the Hospital de las Cinco LlagasSony VAIO PCG-3C2M battery.

Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares (Traditional Arts and Customs Museum)

Museum of Fine Arts of Seville

The most important art collection of Seville is the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville. It was established in 1835 in the former Convent of La Merced. It holds many masterworks by Murillo, Pacheco, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal, and others masters of the Baroque Sevillian School, containing also Flemish paintings of the 15th and 16th centuriesSony VAIO PCG-8161M battery.

Other remarkable museums in Seville are:

The Archaeological Museum, which contains collections from the Tartessian and Roman periods, placed in América square at María Luisa Park.

The Museum of Arts and Traditions, also in América square, in front of the Archaeological museum.

The Andalusian Contemporary Art Center, placed in La Cartuja.

The Naval Museum, housed in the Torre del Oro, next to the Guadalquivir river.

The Carriages Museum, in Los Remedios neighbourhoodSony VAIO PCG-8141M battery.

The Flamenco Art Museum, in Manuel Rojas Marcos street.

The Bullfight Museum, in La Maestranza bullring

The Palace of the Countess of Lebrija, a private collection that contains many of the mosaic floors discovered in the nearby Roman town of Italica.

The "Centro Velázquez" (Velázquez Center) located at the Old Priests Hospital in the turistic Santa Cruz neighbourhood.

The Antiquarium at Metropol Parasol, an underground museum that exhibits in situ Roman and Muslim remainsSony VAIO PCG-3J1M battery.

The Castillo de San Jorge (Castle of St. George) remains, below the Triana market, next to Isabel II bridge. It was the last seat for the Spanish Inquisition.

The Museum and Treasure of La Macarena, where the collection of the Macarena brotherhood is exhibited. This exhibition gives visitors an accurate impression about the Seville Holy Week.

In the future, the Pottery Museum is planned to be located in Triana neighbourhood, on the west bank of the Guadalqivir RiverSony VAIO PCG-3H1M battery.

Monument dedicated to Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer in María Luisa Park

The Parque de María Luisa (María Luisa Park), is a monumental park built for the 1929 World's Fair held in Seville, the Exposición Ibero-Americana. The so-called Jardines de las Delicias (literally, Delighting Gardens), closer to the river, are part of the Parque de María Luisa.

The Alcázar Gardens, within the grounds of the Alcázar palaceSony VAIO PCG-3F1M battery, consist of several sectors developed in different historical styles. A Renaissance terrace garden fronts the space leading from the Gothic part of the palace, whereas the outermost part is an English style garden. The areas closest to the Mudéjar buildings were kept in Moorish style.

The Gardens of Murillo and the Gardens of Catalina de Ribera, both along and outside the South wall of the Alcázar, lie next to the Santa Cruz quarterSony VAIO PCG-3C1M battery. They were developed from parts of the Alcazar gardens after being transferred to the City. The appearance of the gardens is due to aesthetic improvements made at the beginning of the 20th century, following classic gardening styles with a predominant Moorish Revival influence.

The Parque del Alamillo y San JerónimoSony VAIO PCG-9Z2L battery, the largest park in Andalusia, was originally built for Seville Expo '92 to reproduce the Andalusian native flora. It lines both Guadalquivir shores around the San Jerónimo meander. The impressive 32-meters-high bronze sculpture, "Birth of the New World" (popularly known as Columbus's Egg, el Huevo de Colón), by the Georgian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, Sony VAIO PCG-9Z1L battery is located in its northwestern sector.

Birth of the New World in the Alamillo and San Jerónimo Park

The American Garden, also completed for Expo '92, is in La Cartuja. It is a public botanical garden, with a representative collection of American plants donated by different countries on the occasion of the world exposition. A shadehouse for shade-loving plants, and the cactus and palms collections are the best features of the gardenSony VAIO PCG-9131L battery.

Although it is not properly a park, most of the Guadalquivir's banks constitute a linear string of parks and green areas from "Delicias" bridge to the Parque del Alamillo. The Chapina green, between the Plaza de Armas bus station and the Isabel II bridge, offers a panoramic view of the Triana old quarter neighbourhood, and is a popular zone for relaxing and sunbathingSony VAIO PCG-8161L battery. La Cartuja's rivershore has a well-developed shady river forest, panoramic piers, and floating walkways.

Other prominent parks and gardens include:

Jardines de Cristina, Romantic gardens built at 1830 in Puerta Jerez, close to the Cathedral and Alcázar, are named after King Ferdinand VII's second wife María Cristina.[24] After the 2011 restoration, they were dedicated to the Generation of '27 poetsSony VAIO PCG-8152L battery.

Parque de los Príncipes, the second oldest park in the city, built in 1973 in the Los Remedios neighbourhood.

Parque de Miraflores, the second largest park of Seville, on the NE side of the city. It houses an area of traditional vegetable gardens, and several ancient farm buildings dating from Roman and Moorish timesSony VAIO PCG-8141L battery.

Jardines de la Buhaira, in Nervión neighbourhood. It was modified at the end of 20th century, inspired by traditional farm-gardening. The irrigation channels and the reservoir are original Moorish remains.

Jardines del Valle, on the northeast side of the city center. Developed from the vegetable gardens of an old monastery. Here is found a well-preserved stretch of the Almohad City WallSony VAIO PCG-8131L battery.

Jardines del Guadalquivir, in La Cartuja, a modern-art garden built for Expo '92 within the exhibition site as a resting area.

Parque Amate is a park in the East of the city wich opened in 1987. It has an area of 3444451.333 ft². It has a sport center with swimming pool and a small bullring.

Parque del Tamarguillo is a periurban park on the North-East of the City. It was created in 2010 and it's close to the stream TamarguilloSony VAIO PCG-81312L battery.

Isla Mágica, on La Cartuja is an amusement and thematic park, with dozens of attractions just to the west of Seville. It was built on the site of Expo'92.

Jesus of the Great Power (Juan de Mesa, 1620), in the Holy Week Madrugá

The Semana Santa (Holy Week) and the Feria de Sevilla (Seville Fair), also known as Feria de Abril (April Fair), are the two most well-known of Seville's festivals. Seville is internationally renowned for the solemn but beautiful processions during Holy Week and the colourful and lively fair held two weeks afterSony VAIO PCG-81214L battery. During Feria, families, businesses and organizations set up casetas (marquees) in which they spend the week dancing, drinking, and socializing. Traditionally, women wear elaborate flamenco dresses and men dress in their best suits. The marquees are set up on a permanent fairground in which each street is named after a famous bullfighter. Sony VAIO PCG-81115L battery

The tapas scene is one of the main cultural attractions of the city: people go from one bar to another, enjoying small dishes called tapas (literally "lids" or "covers" in Spanish, referring to their probable origin as snacks served in small plates used to cover drinks.) Local specialities include fried and grilled seafood (including squid, choco (cuttlefish), swordfish, marinated dogfish, and ortiguillas), grilled and stewed meatSony VAIO PCG-81114L battery, spinach with chickpeas, Jamón ibérico, lamb kidneys in sherry sauce, snails, caldo de puchero, and gazpacho. A sandwich known as serranito is the typical and popular version of fast food.

Typical sweet cakes of this province are polvorones and mantecados from the town of Estepa, a kind of shortcake made with almonds, sugar and lard; pestiños, a honey-coated sweet fritter; torrijas, fried slices of bread with honey; roscos fritosSony VAIO PCG-81113L battery, deep-fried sugar-coated ring doughnuts; magdalenas or fairy cakes; yemas de San Leandro, which provide the city's convents with a source of revenue; and tortas de aceite, a thin sugar-coated cake made with olive oil. Polvorones and mantecados are traditional Christmas products, whereas pestiños and torrijas are typically consumed during the Holy Week. In any case they can be found year round in cake shops and patisseriesSony VAIO PCG-7142L battery.

The Seville oranges that dot the city landscape, too bitter for modern tastes, are commonly used to make marmalade and lotions; according to legend, the trees were imported when the mosque was constructed in order to provide shade and mask the scent of the medieval city. However, many tourists insist on trying the oranges which taste like sour lemonsSony VAIO PCG-7141L battery.

Flamenco dancers

Seville had a strong music scene in the 1970s and 1980s with bands like Triana, Alameda, Smash, Guadalquivir, Gong, Goma, Storm, Nuevos Tiempos... groups influenced by Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Jethro Tull, that fused progressive rock with flamenco. In the early 1990s groups like Reincidentes and Sr Chinarro, and singer Kiko Veneno kept the city's musical scene vibrantSony VAIO PCG-71111L battery. Many of these groups are still active today. The music scene also includes many rap groups, such as SFDK, Tote King, La Mala Rodríguez, and Dogma Crew. Seville's music scene is quite diverse and this is reflected in its nightlife.

The city is also home to many theaters and theater spaces where classical music is offered, such as Teatro Lope de Vega, Teatro La Maestranza, Teatro Central, the Real Alcazar Gardens and the Sala Joaquín TurinaSony VAIO PCG-61411L battery.

Flamenco and Sevillanas

The sevillana dance, commonly presented as flamenco, is not thought to be of Sevillan origin. But the folksongs called sevillanas are authentically Sevillan, as is the four-part dance that goes with them.

Seville, and most significantly one of the most popular neighborhoods, Triana, was a major centre in the development of flamencoSony VAIO PCG-61112L battery.

Isabel II Bridge during the Velá de Santa Ana

Seville has a wide variety of entertainment to offer throughout the day, but especially from the late evening to the early morning hours. The pleasant climate and the natural sociability of Sevillians lead people to spend most of their spare time outdoors talking, drinking and eating tapas. The nightclubs and disco-pubs don't fill with crowds before 2 amSony VAIO PCG-61111L battery.

The main nightlife attractions are located within and around the city center. The La Alfalfa neighbourhood houses many pubs and tapas bars. A more alternative atmosphere can be found in La Alameda, with a frenetic nightlife of entertainment that ranges from traditional flamenco to heavy metal. Another popular area is El ArenalSony VAIO PCG-5T4L battery. Most of the discothèques are found in Betis street in Triana and in La Cartuja.

During spring and summer, outdoor cocktails bars (known as kioskos) are opened along Paseo de Colón, next to the Guadalquivir river.

Technological and scientific complex Cartuja 93.

Seville is the most populated city in southern Spain, and has the largest GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of any in Andalusia,[25] accounting for one quarter of its total GDP.[25] All municipalities in the metropolitan area depend directly or indirectly on Seville's economySony VAIO PCG-5T3L battery, while agriculture dominates the economy of the smaller villages, with some industrial activity localised in industrial parks. The Diputacion de Sevilla (Deputation of Seville), with provincial headquarters in the Antiguo Cuartel de Caballería (Old Cavalry Barracks) on Avenida Menendez Pelayo, provides public services to distant villages that they can not provide themselves. Sony VAIO PCG-5T2L battery The University of Seville and the University Pablo de Olavide are important centres of learning in western Andalusia as they offer a wide range of academic courses; consequently the city has a large number of students from Huelva and Cadiz.

Calle Sierpes (Shopping Street)

The economic activity of Seville cannot be detached from the geographical and urban context of the city; the capital of Andalusia is the centre of a growing metropolitan area. Aside from traditional neighborhoods such as Santa CruzSony VAIO PCG-5S3L battery, Triana and others, those further away from the centre, such as Nervión, Sevilla Este, and El Porvenir have seen recent economic growth. Over the past twenty years, this urban area has seen significant population growth and the development of new industrial and commercial parks.

The infrastructure available in the city contributes to the growth of an economy dominated by the service sector, but in which industry still holds a considerable placeSony VAIO PCG-5S2L battery.

Infrastructure

The 1990s saw massive growth in investment in infrastructure in Seville, largely due to its hosting of the Universal Exposition of Seville in 1992. This economic development of the city and its urban area is supported by good transportation links to other Spanish cities, including a high-speed AVE railway connection to Madrid, and a new international airportSony VAIO PCG-5S1L battery.

In addition:

Seville has the only inland port in Spain, located 80 km (50 mi) from the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. This harbor complex offers access to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and allows trade in goods between the south of Spain (Andalusia, Extremadura) and Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The port has undergone reorganisation. Annual tonnage rose to 5.3 million tonnes of goods in 2006Sony VAIO PCG-5R2L battery.

Cajasol Tower (Under construction) in La Cartuja

Cartuja 93 is a research and development park.[27] employing 15,000 persons. The Cajasol Tower skyscraper is under construction in the park for Cajasol's headquarters and offices. The tower was started in March 2008 and is expected to be finished in the first trimester of 2013. With a height of 180.5 metres (592 feet) and 40 floors, it will be the tallest building in AndalusiaSony VAIO PCG-5R1L battery.

Seville has conference facilities, including the Congress Palace.

The city and its surrounding province have a number of large industrial parks and technology centres: Dos Hermanas accommodates an industrial park, while Alcalá de Guadaíra has an industrial complex; the Parque Científico Tecnológico Sevilla Tecnopolis clusters together various companiesSony VAIO PCG-5P4L battery, research centres and university departments directed towards the development of new technologies; the Parque Tecnológico y Aeronáutico Aerópolis is focused on the aircraft industry.

Outside of Seville are nine PS20 solar power towers providing most of the city with clean and renewable energy. These towers use mirrors to focus sunlight on the tower, heating it and creating superheated steamSony VAIO PCG-5P2L battery. This steam drives turbines that in turn create electric power and provide electricity day and night.

Heineken brewery in Seville

The city of Seville and its agglomeration have, by their situation on the Guadalquivir River, maintained dynamic agricultural activity. Nevertheless, the area has invested heavily in industrial activities, supported by existing infrastructureSony VAIO PCG-5N4L battery. The service sector and new technologies are increasingly important to the local economy. In 2004 Seville had 31% of large Andalusian companies and 128 of the 6,000 largest national companies. In 2005, the metropolitan area counted a working population of 471,947 people, of which 329,471 (69.81%) worked within the city centreSony VAIO PCG-5N2L battery.

Agriculture represents less than 1.3% of the workers of the city. The growing of cereal, fruit, and olives constitute the principal agricultural activities in this region of Andalusia.

Industry contributes up to 28% of the economic output of Seville. In 2005 it employed 15.2% of workers in the city, being well established in the metropolitan area and stimulated by the various industrial parksSony VAIO PCG-51513L battery, good infrastructure and the proximity of the industrial complexes of the ports of Cádiz, Algeciras, and Huelva.

The service sector employs 83.5% of the working population of Seville. It represents a significant share of the local economy and is centred on tourism, trade and financial servicesSony VAIO PCG-51511L battery.

Research and development

Palmas Altas Campus, Abengoa’s headquarters

The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas en Sevilla (CSIC) is based in the former Pavilion of Peru in the Maria Luisa Park. In April 2008 the city council of Seville provided a grant to renovate the building to create the Science Center to encourage popular interest in science.[28] The city of Seville makes a significant contribution to scientific researchSony VAIO PCG-51412L battery, as it houses the first and largest DNA bank in Spain, through the local company Neocodex. Neocodex stores 20,000 DNA samples and is recognised internationally. In addition, Seville is also considered an important technological and research centre for renewable energies and the aeronautics industrySony VAIO PCG-51411L battery.

Through its high-tech centres and its fabric of innovating companies, the Andalusian capital has risen to among the most important Spanish cities in term of development and research. Moreover, the scientific and technological activity of the three Seville universities has to be addedSony VAIO PCG-51312L battery, whose certain laboratories and research centres work in close connection with the local socio-economic power. Thus, the Parque Científico Tecnológico Cartuja 93 gathers private and public actors in various fields of research.

The principal innovation and research orientations are telecommunications, new technologies, biotechnologies (in relation to local agricultural specificities), environment and renewable energy.

Seville is served by the TUSSAM Sony VAIO PCG-51311L battery (Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla) bus network which runs buses throughout the city. The Consorcio de Transportes de Sevilla communicates by bus with all the satellite towns of Seville. Two bus stations serve transportation between surrounding areas and other cities: Plaza de Armas Station, with destinations north and west, and Prado de San Sebastián StationSony VAIO PCG-51211L battery, covering routes to the south and east. Plaza de Armas station has direct bus lines to many Spanish cities and with Lisbon, in Portugal. All the routes by bus from Seville and other parts can be checked in this web-site of the Ministry of Buildings, about regular lines.

San Bernardo station of the Seville MetroSony VAIO PCG-41112L battery.

The Seville metro ("Metro de Sevilla" in Spanish) is a light metro network serving the city of Seville and its metropolitan area. The system is totally independent of any other rail or street traffic. All stations were built with platform screen doors.

It was the sixth Metro system to be built in Spain, after those in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao and Palma de Mallorca. Currently, it is the fifth biggest Metro company in Spain by number of passengers carried (more than 12,000,000 in 2009) Sony VAIO PCG-3A4L battery.

MetroCentro is a surface tramway serving the centre of the city. It began operating in October 2007.

At the present time, the service consists of just five stops, Plaza Nueva, Archivo de Indias, Puerta de Jerez, Prado de San Sebastián and San Bernardo, as part of Phase I of the project. The service is expected to be extended to Santa Justa AVE station, including four new stopsSony VAIO PCG-3A3L battery: San Francisco Javier, Eduardo Dato, Luis de Morales and Santa Justa. This plan is now postponed. City council gived priority to extend metro lines.

The Santa Justa Train Station is served by the AVE high-speed rail system, and is operated by the Spanish formerly state-owned rail company Renfe. A five-line commuter rail service (Cercanías) joins the city with the Metropolitan area. Seville is on the Red Ciudades AVE, a net created with Seville next to 17 major cities of Spain with high-speed railSony VAIO PCG-3A2L battery.

Bicycle Parking of Sevici

The Sevici community bicycle program has integrated bicycles into the public transport network. Across the city, bicycles are available for hire at low cost and green bicycle lanes can be seen on most major streets. Number of people using bicycle as a mean of transport in Seville increased a lot in recent years. It multiplied by ten from 2006 to 2010Sony VAIO PCG-3A1L battery. These are unique results in comparison with other cities. Now more than 7% of all trips in the city are made by bicycle.

The most important factor beside Sevici bikes is that the municipality created more than 120 km of safe bike paths throughout the city and did it fast. Bi-directional green paths follow main avenues. They are continuous (properly connected at crossings), uniform (green surface, 2.5 m wide) and segregated from motorised trafficSony VAIO PCG-394L battery. Whole network cost 32 million Euros. Measures were based on sustainable mobility plan. Seville proves that development of cycling can be achieved fast.

Boeing 717-2BL at San Pablo Airport

San Pablo airport is the main airport for Seville and is Andalusia’s second airport. The airport handled 4,051,392 passengers and just under 5,000 tonnes of cargo in 2009.[29] It has one terminal and one runway. Construction of the airport began in 1915Sony VAIO PCG-393L battery, and by 1919 the first commercial flights had started. At the start of Spanish Civil War it was the arrival point for Spanish Legion troops. During 1940s, the airport was designated a custom post for international traffic, primarily to South America, and was largely reconstructed. Furthermore, extensive rebuilding of the airport between 1989 and 1992 facilitated the arrival of many visitors for EXPO'92Sony VAIO PCG-391L battery. It is one of many bases for the Spanish low cost carrier Vueling, and from November 2010 Ryanair will base two aircraft at the airport.[30]

Seville is the only commercial river port of Spain, and the only inland city in the country where cruise ships can arrive in the historical centre. On 21 August 2012, the Muelle de las Delicias, controlled by the Port Authority of Seville, will host the cruise ship Azamara Journey for two daysSony VAIO PCG-384L battery. This vessel belongs to the shipping company Royal Caribbean and can accommodate up to 700 passengers.[31]

Seville also has the Club Náutico, a yacht club with docks for mooring yachts and pleasure craft, as well as facilities for canoeing, rowing, and sailing.

Seville has one ring road, the SE-30, which connects with the dual carriageway of the south, the A-4, that directly communicates the city with CadizSony VAIO PCG-383L battery, Cordoba and Madrid. Also there is another dual carriageway, the A-92, linking the city with Estepa, Antequera, Granada, Guadix and Almeria. The A-49 links Seville with Huelva and the Algarve in the south of Portugal.

Main article: Education in Spain

View of Pablo de Olavide University campus.

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). Sony VAIO PCG-382L battery

[edit]Higher education

Seville is home to three public universities: the University of Seville, founded in 1505, the Pablo de Olavide University, founded in 1997 and the International University of Andalusia, founded in 1994.

Additionally, there is the School of Hispanic American Studies, founded in 1942, the Menéndez Pelayo International University, based in Santander, which operates branch campuses in SevilleSony VAIO PCG-381L battery.

Maria Antonietta of Spain, Queen consort of Sardinia (1729–1785)

Roman emperors Trajan and Hadrian were born in Italica

Physician Avenzoar

The family of the Arabic historian and sociologist Ibn Khaldun

Renaissance composer Cristóbal de Morales, Francisco Guerrero

16th century novelist Mateo Alemán

Playwrights Lope de Rueda, Hermanos Alvarez Quintero

Historian of New Spain Bartolomé de Las Casas

Explorer Juan Díaz de Solís, born in Lebrija

Spanish linguist and grammarian Antonio de Nebrija, born in Lebrija

Baroque painters Diego Velázquez, Valdés Leal and Murillo

Explorer and astronomer Antonio de UlloaSony VAIO PCG-7185L battery

Renaissance poet Gutierre de Cetina

Romantic poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

Bullfighters Juan Belmonte, Curro Romero, Ignacio Sánchez Mejías and Joselito el Gallo

20th century poets:

Vicente Aleixandre (Nobel Laureate)

Antonio Machado

Manuel Machado, his brother

Luis Cernuda

Composer Joaquín Turina

Cartoonist William Haselden (1872–1953)

Actors Juan Diego, Paco LeónSony VAIO PCG-7184L battery

Actresses Soledad Miranda, Verónica Sánchez, Carmen Sevilla, Paz Vega, Azucena Hernández

Miss España 2003 (representing Andalusia), beauty queen and model Eva Maria González

Singers Isabel Pantoja, Juanita Reina, Lole y Manuel, Paquita Rico, El Caracol, Falete, Pastora Soler

Comedian Manuel SummersSony VAIO PCG-7183L battery

Navy officer Miguel Buiza Fernández-Palacios who became Captain General of the Spanish Republican Navy

Association footballers José Antonio Reyes, Fernando "Nando" Muñoz, Ricardo Serna, Sergio Ramos, Jesús Navas, Antonio Puerta, Carlos Marchena.

Application testing GURU and football know-it-all: Ramon Moreno

Olympic swimmer Fátima Madrid

Politicians Felipe González, President of the Government of Spain from 1982 to 1996, and Alfonso Guerra, vice president from 1982 to 1991Sony VAIO PCG-7182L battery

The Estadio Benito Villamarín, home ground of top-flight football club Real Betis Balompié

Seville is the hometown of two rival association football teams: Sevilla Fútbol Club and Real Betis Balompié, both in Spain's highest division, the Liga BBVA. Both teams have only won the league once each: Betis in 1935 and Sevilla in 1946.[35] Only Sevilla has won European competitions, winning consecutive UEFA Cup finals in 2006 and 2007. Sony VAIO PCG-7181L battery Sevilla's stadium, the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, was a venue during the 1982 FIFA World Cup [37] and four years later hosted the 1986 European Cup Final.[38] Seville's Olympic Stadium on the Isla de La Cartuja was the venue for the 2003 UEFA Cup Final.

Seville housed the tennis Davis Cup final in 2004 and 2011, and the 7th Athletics World Championships. The city unsuccessfully bid for the 2004 Sony VAIO PCG-7174L batteryand 2008 Summer Olympics,[41] for which the 60,000-seat Estadio de La Cartuja was designed to stage. Seville has one important basketball club, the CB Sevilla, that plays in ACB League. Seville's Guadalquivir river is one of only three FISA approved international training centres and the only one in SpainSony VAIO PCG-7173L battery.

Seville has accumulated several titles along the centuries with pride.[42]

Very Noble, given by the King Ferdinand III of Castile after the take of the city.

Very Loyal, given by the King Alfonso X of Castile by his support. See also the Motto "NO8DO".

Very Heroic, given by the King Ferdinand VII of Spain by Royal Document on October 13 of 1817 by his services against the French invasion.

Invictus, given by the Queen Isabella II of Spain by the resistance of the city against the General Van Halen's asedium and bombing in 1843Sony VAIO PCG-7172L battery.

Mariana, given by the General Francisco Franco in 1946 by the devotion of the city to the Virgin Mary.

[edit]Motto

"NO8DO" is the official motto and the subject of one of the many legends of Seville. The legend has left its very tangible mark throughout the city as NO8DO can be seen on landmarks ranging from the common bike rack, the caps of the municipal sewer and water systemSony VAIO PCG-7171L battery, ordinary sidewalks, buses, taxis, monuments, even Christopher Columbus's tomb. The motto of Seville is a visible presence of which any visitor is sure to take note.

The motto is a rebus, combining the Spanish syllables (NO and DO) and a drawing in between of the figure "8". The figure represents a skein of yarn, or in Spanish, a "madeja". When read aloud, "No madeja do" sounds like "No me ha dejado", which means "It [Seville] has not abandoned me"Sony VAIO PCG-7162L battery.

The story of how NO8DO came to be the motto of the city has undoubtedly been embellished throughout the centuries, but legend has it that after the conquest of Seville from the Muslims in 1248, King Ferdinand III of Castile and León moved his court to the former Muslim palace, the Alcázar of SevilleSony VAIO PCG-7161L battery.

After San Fernando's death in the Real Alcázar, his son, Alfonso X (El Sabio) assumed the throne. Alfonso X was a scholar king, hence his title. He was a poet, astronomer, astrologer, musician and linguist. Alfonso's son, Sancho IV of Castile, tried to usurp the throne from his father, but the people of Seville remained loyal to their scholar king and this is where NO8DO was believed to have originated whenSony VAIO PCG-7154L battery, according to legend, Alfonso X rewarded the fidelity of the "Sevillanos" with the words that now appear on the official emblem of the city of Seville.

The picaresque novel Rinconete y Cortadillo by Miguel de Cervantes takes place in the city of Seville.

The novel La femme et le pantin, ("Woman and puppet") (1898) by Pierre Louÿs, adapted for film several times, is set mainly in SevilleSony VAIO PCG-7153L battery.

Seville is the setting for the legend of Don Juan (inspired by the real aristocrat Don Miguel de Mañara) on the Paseo Alcalde Marqués de Contadero

Seville is the primary setting of many operas, the best known of which are Bizet's Carmen (based on Mérimée's novella), Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Verdi's La forza del destino, Beethoven's Fidelio, Mozart's Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro, and Prokofiev's Betrothal in a MonasterySony VAIO PCG-7152L battery.

Seville is the setting of the novel "The Seville Communion" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte.

Seville is both the location and setting for much of the 1985 Doctor Who television serial The Two Doctors.

Seville is also used as one of the locations in Dan Brown's "Digital Fortress".

Seville is one of the settings in Jostein Gaarder's book "The Orange Girl" ("Appelsinpiken")Sony VAIO PCG-7151L battery.

Arthur Koestler's book Spanish Testament is based on the writer's experiences while held in the Seville prison, under a sentence of death, during the Spanish Civil War.

Robert Wilson's police novel The Hidden Assassins (2006) concerns a terrorist incident in Seville and the political context thereof, with much local color. Note also his title The Blind Man of Seville (2004) Sony VAIO PCG-7148L battery.

The Plaza de España in the Parque de María Luisa appears in George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones as well as in Lawrence of Arabia as the British Army HQ in Cairo, while the courtyard was the King Alfonso XIII Hotel.

The Plaza of the Americas also appeared in Lawrence, substituting for Jerusalem, and in Anthony Mann's El Cid. It would also serve as the Palace of Vladek Sheybal's Bashaw in The Wind and the Lion (1975) (including the memorable attack scene by the US Marines.) Sony VAIO VGN-CS33H battery

The Plaza de España in the Parque de María Luisa appears in the movie The Dictator, starring Sacha Baron Cohen, as the palace of the dictator Aladeen.

单击此处进行编辑.

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km2 (39 sq mi). The urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of between 4,200,000 and 4,500,000 within an area of 803 km2 (310 sq mi), (SONY PCG-5G2L battery)being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, the Ruhr, Madrid and Milan. About five million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is also the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft) (SONY PCG-5G3L battery).

Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona became one of the most important cities of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination(SONY PCG-F305 battery). Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments(SONY PCG-5J1L battery).

Barcelona is today one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair/exhibitions and cultural-sports centres, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. Indeed, it is a major cultural and economic centre in southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula) (SONY PCG-5J2L battery), 26th in the world (after Moscow, before Dubai)[9] and a growing financial centre (Diagonal Mar and Gran Via). It is the fourth economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world with an output amounting to €177 billion. As of 2009 the city was ranked Europe's third and one of the world's most successful as a city brand. At the same time, the city was ranked Europe's fourth best city for business and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year(SONY PCG-5K2L battery). Barcelona is the transport hub with one of Europe's principal ports, Barcelona international airport, which handles above 34 million passengers per year, extensive motorway network and also is a hub of high-speed rail, particularly that which is intended to link Spain with France and the rest of Europe as the second longest in the world(SONY PCG-5L1L battery).

Names

The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Phoenician Barkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription in Iberian script as ,[14] in Ancient Greek sources as Βαρκινών, Barkinṓn; and in Latin as Barcino[citation needed], Barcilonum[16] and Barceno.

During the Middle Ages, the city was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelonaa, and Barchenona(SONY PCG-6S2L battery).

Some sources say that the city may have been named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC.[18]

Nowadays, foreign people occasionally refer to Barcelona as 'Barça', the name of the popular F.C. Barcelona sports club, but locals never refer to the city as 'Barça'. On the other hand, in the eighties, Barcelona's name was often abbreviated as 'Barna'(SONY PCG-6S3L battery), but currently no one uses this abbreviation anymore. Some people, (mainly in Spanish/Catalan), use the BCN acronym.

The founding of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends. The first attributes the founding of the city to the mythological Hercules. The second legend attributes the foundation of the city directly to the historical Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal(SONY PCG-6V1L battery), who named the city Barcino after his family in the 3rd century BC.[19]

In about 15 BC, the Romans redrew the town as a castrum (Roman military camp) centred on the "Mons Taber", a little hill near the contemporary city hall (Plaça de Sant Jaume). Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia,[20] or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino[21] or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino(SONY PCG-6W1L battery). Pomponius Mela[22] mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour Tarraco (modern Tarragona), but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour.[23] It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens.[24] The city minted its own coins; some from the era of Galba survive(SONY PCG-7111L battery).

Basilica of La Mercè (Mare de Déu de la Mercè)

Some important Roman ruins are exposed under the Plaça del Rei, its entrance located by the city museum (Museu d'Història de la Ciutat); the typically Roman grid plan is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter"). Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral. (SONY PCG-71511M battery) The cathedral, also known as the Basilica La Seu, is said to have been founded in 343. The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early 5th century, becoming for a few years the capital of all Hispania. After being conquered by the Arabs in the early 8th century, it was reconquered in 801 by Charlemagne's son Louis, who made Barcelona the seat of the Carolingian "Hispanic March" (Marca Hispanica), a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona(SONY PCG-6W3L battery).

The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include all of Catalonia. In 1137, Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged in dynastic union[26][27] by the marriage of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon, their titles finally borne by only one person when their son Alfonso II of Aragon ascended to the throne in 1162(SONY PCG-7113L battery). His territories were later to be known as the Crown of Aragon, which conquered many overseas possessions and ruled the western Mediterranean Sea with outlying territories in Naples and Sicily and as far as Athens in the 13th century. The forging of a dynastic link between the Crowns of Aragon and Castile marked the beginning of Barcelona's decline. The Bank of Barcelona(SONY PCG-7133L battery), probably the oldest public bank in Europe, was established by the city magistrates in 1401. It originated from necessities of the state, as did the Bank of Venice (1402) and the Bank of Genoa (1407).[28]

Barcelona in 1563

The marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in 1469 united the two royal lines. Madrid became the centre of political power whilst the colonisation of the Americas reduced the financial importance (at least in relative terms) of Mediterranean trade(SONY PCG-7Z1L battery). Barcelona had always been the stronghold of Catalan separatism and was the center of the Catalan Revolt (1640–52) against Philip IV of Spain. The great plague of 1650–1654 halved the city's population.[29]

The fortress at Montjuïc, most southerly point from which measurements were made when calculating the meridional definition of the metre(SONY PCG-7Z2L battery)

In the 18th century, a fortress was built at Montjuïc that overlooked the harbour. In 1794, this fortress was used by the French astronomer Pierre François André Méchain for observations relating to a survey stretching to Dunkirk that provided the official basis of the measurement of a metre.[30] The definitive metre bar, manufactured from platinum(SONY PCG-8Y1L battery), was presented to the French legislative assembly on 22 June 1799. The Napoleonic wars left the province ravaged, but the postwar period saw the start of industrialization.

The city was a Republican stronghold during the Spanish Civil War, and the fall of the city on 26 January 1939 caused a mass exodus of civilians who fled to the French border(SONY PCG-8Y2L battery). The resistance of Barcelona to Franco's coup d'état was to have lasting effects after the defeat of the Republican government. The autonomous institutions of Catalonia were abolished,[31] and the use of the Catalan language in public life was suppressed. Barcelona remained the second largest city in Spain, at the heart of a region which was relatively industrialised and prosperous(SONY PCG-8Z2L battery), despite the devastation of the civil war. The result was a large-scale immigration from poorer regions of Spain (particularly Andalusia, Murcia and Galicia), which in turn led to rapid urbanisation. Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games in 1992, which helped revitalize the city.[32]

A panoramic view of Barcelona (click to enlarge)

Barcelona from space

Barcelona is located on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Mediterranean Sea, on a plain approximately 5 km (3 mi) wide limited by the mountain range of Collserola, the Llobregat river to the southwest and the Besòs river to the north. (SONY PCG-8Z1L battery) This plain covers an area of 170 km2 (66 sq mi),[33] of which 101 km² (38.9 sq mi)[34] are occupied by the city itself. It is 120 km (75 mi) south of the Pyrenees and the Catalan border with France.

Tibidabo, 512 m (1,680 ft) high, offers striking views over the city[35] and is topped by the 288.4 m (946.2 ft) Torre de Collserola, a telecommunications tower that is visible from most of the city. Barcelona is peppered with small hills, most of them urbanised(SONY PCG-7112L battery), that gave their name to the neighbourhoods built upon them, such as Carmel (267 m), Putxet (181 m) and Rovira (261 m). The escarpment of Montjuïc (173 m), situated to the southeast, overlooks the harbour and is topped by Montjuïc castle, a fortress built in the 17–18th centuries to control the city as a replacement for the Ciutadella(SONY PCG-6W2L battery). Today, the fortress is a museum and Montjuïc is home to several sporting and cultural venues, as well as Barcelona's biggest park and gardens.

The city borders on the municipalities of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs to the north; the Mediterranean Sea to the east; El Prat de Llobregat and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to the south; and Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Montcada i Reixac to the west(SONY VGP-BPS13 battery).

Main article: Climate of Barcelona

Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate[36] (Köppen climate classification: Csa),[37] with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers.

Its average annual temperature is 20 °C (68 °F) during the day and 11 °C (52 °F) at night. The average annual temperature of the sea is about 18 °C (64 °F). In the coldest month – January, the temperature typically ranges from 8 to 17 °C (46 to 63 °F) during the day, 2 to 10 °C (36 to 50 °F) (SONY VGP-BPS13Q battery) at night and the average sea temperature is 13 °C (55 °F).[38] In the warmest month – August, the typical temperature ranges from 25 to 31 °C (77 to 88 °F) during the day, about 20 °C (68 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 25 °C (77 °F). Generally – the summer / "holiday" season lasts about six months, from May to October. Two months – April and November –(SONY VGP-BPS13A/Q battery)are transitional; sometimes the temperature exceeds 20 °C (68 °F), with an average temperature of 17–18 °C (63–64 °F) during the day and 8–9 °C (46–48 °F) at night. December, January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around 14 °C (57 °F) during the day and 5 °C (41 °F) at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare, particularly in the summer months(SONY VGP-BPS13B/Q battery).

Barcelona has average several rainy days per month (≥ 1 mm) and annual average relative humidity is 72%, ranging from 69% in July to 75% in October. Sunshine duration is 2,524 hours per year, from 138 (average 4.5 hours of sunshine at day) in December to 310 (average 10 hours of sunshine at day) in July(SONY VGP-BPS13/B battery).

Main sights

Sagrada Família church, Gaudi's masterpiece

The Barri Gòtic (Catalan for "Gothic Quarter") is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernista architecture (related to the movement known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe), developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona(SONY VGP-BPS13B/B battery). Several of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. His best-known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by private donations. As of 2007, completion is planned for 2026(SONY VGP-BPS13A/S battery).

Barcelona was also home to Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion. Designed in 1929 for the International Exposition for Germany, it is an iconic building that came to symbolize modern architecture as the embodiment of van der Rohe's aphorisms "less is more" and "God is in the details." The Barcelona pavilion was intended as a temporary structure(SONY VGP-BPS21A/B battery), and was torn down in 1930 less than a year after it was constructed. A modern re-creation by Spanish architects now stands in Barcelona, however, constructed in 1986.

Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture,[41] the first (and as of 2012, only) time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect.

Historic buildings and monuments(SONY VGP-BPS21B battery)

Further information: List of Modernista buildings in Barcelona

See also category: Buildings and structures in Barcelona

Barcelona Cathedral

Sagrada Família, the international symbol of Barcelona

Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, included in the UNESCO Heritage List list in 1997.

Works by Antoni Gaudí, including Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Casa Vicens, Sagrada Família (Nativity façade and crypt), Casa Batlló, Crypt in Colonia Güell. The first three works were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1984(SONY VGP-BPS21 battery). The other four were added as extensions to the site in 2005.

Barcelona has a great number of museums, which cover different areas and eras. The National Museum of Art of Catalonia possesses a well-known collection of Romanesque art while the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art focuses on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art. The Fundació Joan Miró, Picasso Museum and Fundació Antoni Tàpies hold important collections of these world-renowned artists(SONY VGP-BPS21/S battery).

Several museums cover the fields of history and archeology, like the City History Museum, the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the Archeology Museum of Catalonia, the Barcelona Maritime Museum and the private-owned Egyptian Museum. The Erotic museum of Barcelona is among the most peculiar ones, while Cosmocaixa is a science museum that received the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006(SONY VGP-BPS13AS battery).

Park Güell (Parc Güell)

Barcelona contains sixty-eight municipal parks, of which twelve are historic parks, five are thematic (botanical) parks, forty-five are urban parks and six are forest parks.[43] They range from vest-pocket parks to large recreation areas. The urban parks alone cover 10% of the city (549.7 ha/1,358.3 acres).[34] The total park surface grows about 10 ha (25 acres) per year, (SONY VGP-BPS13S battery)with a proportion of 18.1 square metres (195 sq ft) of park area per inhabitant.[45]

Of Barcelona's parks, Montjuïc is the largest, with 203 ha located on the mountain of the same name.[34] It is followed by Parc de la Ciutadella (which occupies the site of the old military citadel and which houses the Parliament building, the Barcelona Zoo and several museums); 31 ha/76.6 acres including the zoo), (SONY VGP-BPS13B/S battery) the Guinardó Park (19 ha/47.0 acres), Park Güell (designed by Antoni Gaudí; 17.2 ha/42.5 acres), Oreneta Castle Park (also 17.2 ha/42.5 acres), Diagonal Mar Park (13.3 ha/32.9 acres, inaugurated in 2002), Nou Barris Central Park (13.2 ha/32.6 acres), Can Dragó Sports Park and Poblenou Park (both 11.9 ha/29.4 acres), the Labyrinth Park (9.10 ha/22.5 acres) (SONY VGP-BPS13B/G battery), named after the garden maze it contains.[34] There are also several smaller parks, for example, the Parc de les Aigües (2 ha/4.9 acres). A part of the Collserolla Park is also within the city limits. PortAventura, one of the largest amusement parks in Europe with 3,000,000 visitors per year, is located one hour's drive from Barcelona. (SONY VGP-BPS14 battery)

The Barceloneta beach

Barcelona beach was listed as number one in a list of the top ten city beaches in the world according to National Geographic[47] and Discovery Channel.[48] Barcelona contains seven beaches, totalling 4.5 km (2.8 mi) of coastline. Sant Sebastià, Barceloneta and Somorrostro beaches, both 1,100 m (3,610 ft) in length,[34] are the largest(SONY VGP-BPL14 battery), oldest and the most-frequented beaches in Barcelona. The Olympic Harbour separates them from the other city beaches: Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Llevant. These beaches (ranging from 400 to 640 m/1,300 to 2,100 ft) were opened as a result of the city restructuring to host the 1992 Summer Olympics, when a great number of industrial buildings were demolished(SONY VGP-BPS14/B battery). At present, the beach sand is artificially replenished given that storms regularly remove large quantities of material. The 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures left the city a large concrete bathing zone on the eastmost part of the city's coastline.

Demographic evolution, 1900–2007, according to the Spanish Instituto Nacional de Estadística

According to Barcelona's City Council, Barcelona's population as of 1 June 2006 was 1,673,075 people, (SONY VGP-BPS14/S battery) It is the main component of an administrative area of Greater Barcelona, with a population of 3,218,071 in an area of 636 km² (density 5,060 hab/km²). The population of the urban area was 4,223,000. It is the central nucleus of the Barcelona metropolitan area, which relies on a population of 5,083,000.

The population density of Barcelona was 15,779 inhabitants per square kilometre (40,870 /sq mi),[51] with Eixample being the most populated district(SONY VGP-BPS14B battery). 62% of the inhabitants were born in Catalonia, with a 23.5% coming from the rest of Spain. Of the 13.9% from other countries, a proportion which has more than tripled since 2001 when it was 3.9%,[34] the majority come from (in order) Ecuador, Peru, Morocco, Colombia, Argentina, Pakistan and China.[52] The city also has the largest Jewish community in Spain, with an estimated 3,500 Jews living in the city(SONY VGP-BPS22 battery).

As an official language, Spanish is understood almost universally in Barcelona. In addition, 95% of the population understand Catalonia's own native Catalan language, while 74.6% can speak it, 75% can read it, and 47.1% can write it,[54] thanks to the linguistic immersion educational system. While most of the population state they are Roman Catholic (208 churches), (SONY VGP-BPS22 battery) there are also a number of other groups, including Evangelical (71 locations, mostly professed by Roma), Jehovah's Witnesses (21 Kingdom Halls) and Buddhists (13 locations),[55] and a number of Muslims due to immigration.

Forum Park in Barcelona

In 1900, Barcelona had a population of 533,000 people,[33] which grew steadily but slowly until 1950, when it started absorbing a high number of people from other less-industrialized parts of Spain(SONY VGP-BPS18 battery). Barcelona's population peaked in 1979 with 1,906,998 people, and fell throughout the 1980s and 1990s as more people sought a higher quality of life in outlying cities in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. After bottoming out in 2000 with 1,496,266 people, the city's population began to rise again as younger people started to return, causing a great increase in housing prices. (SONY VGP-BPS22/A battery)

[edit]Population density

Note: This text is entirely based on the municipal statistical database provided by the city council.

Barcelona is one of the most densely populated cities in Europe. For the year 2008 the city council calculated the population to 1,628,090 living in the 102.2 km2 sized municipality, giving the city an average population density of 15,926 inhabitants per square kilometre(SONY VGP-BPS22A battery).

In the case of Barcelona though, the land distribution is extremely uneven. Half of the municipality or 50.2 km2, all of it located on the municipal edge is made up of the ten least densely populated neighbourhoods containing less than 10% of the city's population, the uninhabited Zona Franca industrial area and Montjuïc forest park(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11S battery). Leaving the remaining 90% or slightly below 1.5 million inhabitants living on the remaining 52 square kilometres at an average density close to 28,500 inhabitants per square kilometre.

Of the 73 neighbourhoods in the city, 45 had a population density above 20,000 inhabitants per square kilometre with a combined population of 1,313,424 inhabitants living on 38.6 km2 at an average density of 33,987 inhabitants per square km(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15T battery). The 30 most densely populated neighbourhoods accounted for 57.5% of the city population occupying only 22,7% of the municipality, or in other words, 936,406 people living at an average density of 40,322 inhabitants per square kilometre. The city's highest density is found at and around the neighbourhood of la Sagrada Família where four of the city's most densely populated neighbourhoods are located side by side(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15G battery), all with a population density above 50,000 inhabitants per square kilometre.

Fórum Convention Center and Barcelona Stock Exchange

The Barcelona metropolitan area comprises over 66% of the people in one of the richest regions in Southern Europe – Catalonia, with a GDP PPP per capita amounting to €30,300 (21% more than the EU average). The Barcelona metropolitan area had a GDP amounting to $177 billion, equivalent to $34,821 in per capita terms (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ460E battery) (44% more than the EU average) making it the 4th economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world in 2009.[10] Barcelona city had very high a GDP of €80,894 per head in 2004, according to Eurostat.[57] Furthermore, Barcelona was Europe's fourth best business city and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year as of 2009. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ440N battery)

Barcelona is the 14th most "livable city" in the world according to lifestyle magazine Monocle.[58] Similarly, according to Innovation Analysts 2thinknow, Barcelona occupies 13th place in the world on Innovation Cities™ Global Index.[59]

Barcelona has a long-standing mercantile tradition. Less well known is that the region was one of the earliest to begin industrialization in continental Europe, beginning with textile-related works from the mid 1780s but really gathering momentum in the mid-19th century(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11L battery), when it became a major centre for the production of textiles and machinery.[citation needed] Since then, manufacturing has played a large role in its history.

Borsa de Barcelona (Barcelona Stock Exchange) is the main stock exchange in the northeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula.

World Trade Center Barcelona

Drawing upon its tradition of creative art and craftsmanship, Barcelona is known for its award-winning industrial design(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11Z battery). It also has several congress halls, notably Fira de Barcelona – second largest trade fair and exhibition centres in Europe,[60] that host a quickly growing number of national and international events each year (at present above 50). Fira de Barcelona venues total is 405,000 m2 (41 ha), not counting Gran Via center on the Plaza de Europa. However, the economic crisis and deep cuts in business travel are affecting the Council's positioning of the city as a convention centre. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ11M battery)

An important business centre, the World Trade Center Barcelona, is located in Barcelona's Port Vell harbour.

The city is known for hosting well as world-class conferences and expositions, including the 1888 Exposición Universal de Barcelona, the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition (Expo 1929), the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures and the 2004 World Urban Forum(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18M battery).

Barcelona is the 16th-most-visited city in the world and the fourth most visited in Europe after Paris, London, and Rome, with several million tourists every year.[62]

Barcelona as internationally renowned a tourist destination, with numerous recreational areas, one of the best beaches in the world, mild and warm climate and historical monuments, including eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites has tens good-quality hotels and developed tourist infrastructure. Also, three times more tourists visit than there are residents(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ18 battery).

SEAT and Nissan factories and headquarters are in the city and suburbs

Past and present, Barcelona is an important European automobile manufacturing centre. Formerly there were automobile factories of AFA, Abadal, Actividades Industriales, Alvarez, America, Artés de Arcos, Balandrás, Baradat-Esteve, Biscúter, J. Castro, Clúa, David, Delfín, Díaz y Grilló, Ebro trucks, Edis, Elizalde, Automóviles España, Eucort, Fenix(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31S battery), Fábrica Hispano, Auto Academia Garriga, Fábrica Española de Automóviles Hebe, Hispano-Suiza, Huracán Motors, Talleres Hereter, Junior SL, Kapi, La Cuadra, M.A., Automóviles Matas, Motores y Motos, Nacional Custals, National Pescara, Nacional RG, Nacional Rubi, Nacional Sitjes, Automóviles Nike, Orix, Otro Ford, Partia, Pegaso, PTV, Ricart, Ricart-España, Industrias Salvador, Siata Española(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31Z battery), Stevenson, Romagosa y Compañía, Garaje Storm, Talleres Hereter, Trimak, Automóviles Victoria, Manufacturas Mecánicas Aleu.

Today, the headquarters and a large factory of SEAT (the largest Spanish automobile manufacturer) are in one of its suburbs. There is also a Nissan factory lies in the logistics and industrial area of the city. Also, the factory of Derbi, large manufacturer of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds lies near the city(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31E battery).

As in other modern cities, the manufacturing sector has long since been overtaken by the services sector, though it remains very important. The region's leading industries today are textiles, chemical, pharmaceutical, motor, electronic, printing, logistics, publishing, telecommunications and information technology services(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31J battery) (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31M battery).

The Brandery, fashion show in Barcelona.

The traditional importance of textiles is reflected in Barcelona's drive to become a major fashion centre. Beginning in the summer of 2000, the city hosted the prestigious Bread & Butter urban fashion fair until 2009, when its organisers announced that it would be returning to Berlin.[67][68] This was a hard blow for the city as the fair brought €100 m to the city in just three days. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ31B battery) There have been many attempts to launch Barcelona as a fashion capital, notably Gaudi Home. The Brandery, an urban fashion show, is held in Barcelona twice a year. Barcelona is the seventh most important fashion capital in the world.[70]

Government and administrative divisions

See also: Municipal elections in Barcelona and List of mayors of Barcelona

Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ32 battery)

As the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Barcelona is the seat of the Catalan government, known as the Generalitat de Catalunya; of particular note are the executive branch, the parliament, and the Supreme Court of Catalonia. The city is also the capital of the Province of Barcelona and the Barcelonès comarca (district) (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21 battery).

Barcelona is governed by a city council formed by 41 city councillors, elected for a four-year term by universal suffrage. As one of the two biggest cities in Spain, Barcelona is subject to a special law articulated through the Carta Municipal (Municipal Law). A first version of this law was passed in 1960 and amended later, but the current version was approved in March 2006. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21S battery)According to this law, Barcelona's city council is organized in two levels: a political one, with elected city councillors, and one executive, which administrates the programs and executes the decisions taken on the political level.[72] This law also gives the local government a special relationship with the central government and it also gives the mayor wider prerogatives by the means of municipal executive commissions. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21M battery) It expands the powers of the city council in areas like telecommunications, city traffic, road safety and public safety. It also gives a special economic regime to the city's treasury and it gives the council a veto in matters that will be decided by the central government, but that will need a favourable report from the council. (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ38M battery)

The city hall of Barcelona

The Comissió de Govern (Government Commission) is the executive branch, formed by 24 councillors, led by the Mayor, with 5 lieutenant-mayors and 17 city council ors, each in charge of an area of government, and 5 non-elected councillors.[74] The plenary, formed by the 41 city councillors, has advisory, planning, regulatory, and fiscal executive functions. (Sony VGN-NR11S/S Battery)The six Commissions del Consell Municipal (City council commissions) have executive and controlling functions in the field of their jurisdiction. They are composed by a number of councillors proportional to the number of councillors each political party has in the plenary.[76] The city council has jurisdiction in the fields of city planning, transportation, municipal taxes(Sony VGN-NR11M/S Battery), public highways security through the Guàrdia Urbana (the municipal police), city maintenance, gardens, parks and environment, facilities (like schools, nurseries, sports centres, libraries, and so on.), culture, sports, youth and social welfare. Some of these competencies are not exclusive, but shared with the Generalitat de Catalunya or the central Spanish government(Sony VGN-NR11Z/S Battery).

Gothic Gallery in the Palau de la Generalitat

The executive branch is led by a Chief Municipal Executive Officer which answers to the Mayor. It is made up of departments which are legally part of the city council and by separate legal entities of two tipes: autonomous public departments and public enterprises.[77]

The seat of the city council is on the Plaça de Sant Jaume, opposite the seat of Generalitat de Catalunya. Since the coming of the Spanish democracy(Sony VGN-NR11Z/T Battery), Barcelona had been governed by the PSC, first with an absolute majority and later in coalition with ERC and ICV. After the May 2007 election, the ERC did not renew the coalition agreement and the PSC governed in a minority coalition with ICV as the junior partner.

After 32 years, on 22 May 2011, CiU gained a plurality of seats at the municipal election, gaining 15 seats to the PSC's 11. The PP hold 8 seats, ICV 5 and ERC 2(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21E battery).

The Saló de Cent, in the city hall of Barcelona.

Main article: Districts of Barcelona

Since 1987, the city has been divided into 10 administrative districts (districtes in Catalan, distritos in Spanish), each one with its own council led by a city councillor. The composition of each district council depends on the number of votes each political party had in that district, so a district can be led by a councillor from a different party than the executive council(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21Z battery).

The districts are based mostly on historical divisions. Several of the city's districts are former towns annexed by the city of Barcelona in the 18th and 19th centuries that still maintain their own distinct character. The official names of these districts are in the Catalan language.

Paranymph of the UB

Barcelona has a well-developed higher education system of public universities. Most prominent among these is the University of Barcelona (established in 1450) (Sony VAIO VGN-FZ21J battery), a world-renowned research and teaching institution with campuses around the city. Barcelona is also home to the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and the newer Pompeu Fabra University, and, in the private sector the EADA Business School founded in 1957, became the first Barcelona institution to run manager training programmes for the business community(Sony VAIO VGN-FW11 battery). IESE Business School, as well as the largest private educational institution, the Ramon Llull University, which encompasses internationally prestigious schools and institutes such as the ESADE Business School. The Autonomous University of Barcelona, another public university, is located in Bellaterra, a town in the Metropolitan Area. The Open University of Catalonia, a private Internet-centered open university, is also based in Barcelona(Sony VAIO VGN-FW11M battery).

Historic building of the University of Barcelona, entrance vestibule

The city has a network of public schools, from nurseries to high schools, under the responsibility of a consortium led by city council (though the curriculum is the responsibility of the Generalitat de Catalunya). There are also many private schools, some of them Roman Catholic. Most such schools receive a public subsidy on a per-student basis, are subject to inspection by the public authorities(Sony VAIO VGN-FW11S battery), and are required to follow the same curricular guidelines as public schools, though they charge tuition. Known as escoles concertades, they are distinct from schools whose funding is entirely private (escoles privades).

The language of instruction at public schools and escoles concertades is Catalan, as stipulated by the 2009 Catalan Education Act. Spanish may be used as a language of instruction by teachers of Spanish literature or language(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21E battery), and foreign languages by teachers of those languages. An experimental partial immersion programme adopted by some schools allows for the teaching of a foreign language (English, generally) across the curriculum, though this is limited to a maximum of 30% of the school day. No public school or escola concertada in Barcelona may offer 50% or full immersion programmes in a foreign language, nor does any public school or escola concertada offer International Baccalaureate programmes(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21J battery).

Barcelona's cultural roots go back 2000 years. To a greater extent than the rest of Catalonia, where Catalonia's native Catalan is more dominant, Barcelona is a bilingual city: Catalan and Spanish are both official languages and widely spoken. The Catalan spoken in Barcelona, Central Catalan, is the one closest to standard Catalan. Since the arrival of democracy(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21L battery), the Catalan culture (very much repressed during the dictatorship of Franco) has been promoted, both by recovering works from the past and by stimulating the creation of new works. Barcelona is designated as a world-class city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network.[78]

[edit]Entertainment and performing arts

Main article: List of theatres and concert halls in Barcelona(Sony VAIO VGN-FW41M battery)

The Liceu opera house

Barcelona has many venues for live music and theatre, including the world-renowned Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house, the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, the Teatre Lliure and the Palau de la Música Catalana concert hall. Barcelona also is home to the Barcelona and Catalonia National Symphonic Orchestra (Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya(Sony VAIO VGN-FW41M/H battery), usually known as OBC), the largest symphonic orchestra in Catalonia. In 1999, the OBC inaugurated its new venue in the brand-new Auditorium (l'Auditori). It performs around 75 concerts per season and its current director is Eiji Oue.[79] The major thoroughfare of Las Ramblas is home to mime artists and street performers. Yearly two major pop music festivals take place in the city(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21M battery), the Sónar Festival and the Primavera Sound Festival. The city also has a thriving alternative music scene, with groups such as The Pinker Tones receiving international attention.[80]

El Periódico de Catalunya and La Vanguardia are Barcelona's two major daily newspapers (both with Catalan and Spanish editions) while Sport and El Mundo Deportivo (both in Spanish) are the city's two major sports daily newspapers, published by the same companies(Sony VAIO VGN-FW21Z battery). The city is also served by a number of smaller publications such as Ara and El Punt Avui (in Catalan), by nation-wide newspapers with special Barcelona editions like El Pais and El Mundo (both in Spanish), and by several free newspapers like 20 minutos and Què (all bilingual).

Several major FM stations include Catalunya Ràdio, RAC 1, RAC 105 and Cadena SER. Barcelona also has a local TV stations, BTV, owned by city council. The headquarters of Televisió de Catalunya, Catalonia's public network, are located in Sant Joan Despí, in Barcelona's metropolitan area(Sony VAIO VGN-FW32J battery).

Main article: Sport in Barcelona

Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc (Barcelona Olympic Stadium) built for the 1936 Summer Olympics named People's Olympiad.

The Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe.

Barcelona has a long sporting tradition and hosted the highly successful 1992 Summer Olympics as well as several matches during the 1982 FIFA World Cup (on the two stadiums). It has also hosted, among others, about 30 sports events of international significance(Sony VAIO VGN-FW17W battery). Also, the city aspires to organize the 2022 Winter Olympics. The opening, closing, medal ceremonies and indoor sports would be held in Barcelona, while outdoor sports would be held in ski resorts in the Pyrenees, mainly La Molina.[81]

FC Barcelona is a sports club best known worldwide for its football team, one of the largest in the world and second richest football club in the world.[82] It has 62 of national (likewise 41 runners-up) and 15 continental (likewise 10 runners-up) trophies(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31E battery), including four of the UEFA Champions League (likewise 3 runners-up and actually champion) and two of the FIFA Club World Cup (likewise 1 runners-up and actually champion). Also, it the only men's club in the world to accomplish a sextuple. FC Barcelona also has teams in FC Barcelona Regal (basketball), FC Barcelona Handbol (the handball), FC Barcelona Hoquei (roller hockey), FC Barcelona Ice Hockey (ice hockey) (Sony VAIO VGN-FW139E battery), FC Barcelona Futsal (futsal) and FC Barcelona Rugby (rugby union), all of them winners of the highest country or/and European competitions. The club's museum is the second most visited in Catalonia. Twice a season, FC Barcelona and cross-town rivals RCD Espanyol contest in the local derby in La Liga, while its basketball section has its own local derby in Liga ACB with nearby Joventut Badalona(Sony VAIO VGN-FW139E/H battery). Barcelona also has other clubs in lower categories, like CE Europa and UE Sant Andreu.

Palau Sant Jordi (St. George's sporting arena) and Montjuïc Communications Tower

Barcelona has two UEFA elite stadiums (): FC Barcelona's Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe with a capacity of 100,000 and the publicly owned Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, with a capacity of 55,000; used for the 1992 Olympics. Also, the city has several smaller stadiums such as Mini Estadi, with a capacity of 15,000 and Estadio Narcís Sala(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31M battery), Nou Sardenya with a capacity of 7,000. In the suburbs of Barcelona there is a third UEFA elite stadium () – Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, with a capacity of 40,000. Also, except Palau Sant Jordi (St. George's sporting arena), with a capacity of 12,000–24,000 (depending on use), city has two other larger sporting and concert arena: Palau Blaugrana, with a capacity of 7,500 and Palau dels Esports de Barcelona(Sony VAIO VGN-FW31J battery).

Circuit de Catalunya/Circuit de Barcelona, race track of Formula 1 and MotoGP on the suburb of Barcelona.

Several major road running competitions are organized year-round in Barcelona: the Barcelona Marathon every March with a participants of over 10,000 in 2010, the Cursa de Bombers in April, the Cursa de El Corte Inglés in May (with about 60,000 participants each year) (Sony VAIO VGN-FW31Z battery), the Cursa de la Mercè, the Cursa Jean Bouin, the Milla Sagrada Família and the San Silvestre. The Open Seat Godó, a 50-year-old ATP World Tour 500 Series tennis tournament, is held annually in the facilities of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona (Barcelona Royal Tennis Club). Also, each Christmas, a swimming race across the port is organized. Near Barcelona, in Montmeló, the 131,000 capacity Circuit de Catalunya(Sony VGN-NR11Z Battery) / Circuit de Barcelona racetrack hosts the Formula One World Championship, Formula One Spanish Grand Prix, Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix, Spanish GT Championship and GP2 Series. Skateboarding and bicycling are also very popular in Barcelona. In the city and the metropolitan area, there are tens of kilometers of bicycle paths(Sony VGN-NR11S Battery).

Transport

Main article: Transport in Barcelona

Aerial view of the Barcelona Airport.

Main article: Barcelona-El Prat Airport

Barcelona is served by Barcelona-El Prat Airport, about 17 km (11 mi) from the centre of Barcelona. It is the second-largest airport in Spain, and the largest on the Mediterranean coast. It is a main hub for Vueling Airlines and Spanair (closed), and also a focus for Iberia and Air Europa. The airport mainly serves domestic and European destinations, but some airlines offer destinations in Latin America, Asia and the United States(Sony VGN-CR11Z Battery). The airport is connected to the city by highway, commuter train (Barcelona Airport railway station) and scheduled bus service. A new terminal (T1) has been built, and entered service on 17 June 2009.

Sabadell Airport is a smaller airport in the nearby town of Sabadell, devoted to pilot training, aerotaxi and private flights. Some low-cost airlines, such as Transavia.com and Ryanair, prefer to use Girona-Costa Brava Airport(Sony VGN-CR11S Battery), situated about 90 km (56 mi) to the north of Barcelona, the Reus Airport, situated 77 km (48 mi) to the south, though they offer some flights from Barcelona-El Prat Airport and also Lleida-Alguaire Airport situated about 150 km (93 mi) to the west of the city. The city airport system, measured by passenger traffic, is one of busiest city airport systems in Europe, having nearly 40 million passengers per year(Sony VGN-CR11M Battery).

The Port of Barcelona has a 2000-year old history and a great contemporary commercial importance. It is Europe's ninth largest container port, with a trade volume of 2.57 million TEU's in 2008.[84] The port is managed by the Port Authority of Barcelona. Its 7.86 km2 (3 sq mi) are divided into three zones: Port Vell (the Old Port), the commercial port and the logistics port (Barcelona Free Port) (Sony VGN-CR11E Battery). The port is undergoing an enlargement that will double its size thanks to diverting the mouth of the Llobregat river 2 km (1¼ mi) to the south.[85]

The Port Vell area also houses the Maremagnum (a commercial mall), a multiplex cinema, the IMAX Port Vell and Europe's largest aquarium – Aquarium Barcelona, containing 8,000 fish and 11 sharks contained in 22 basins filled with 6 million litres of sea water. The Maremagnum, due to being situated a designated tourist zone, is the only commercial mall in the city that can open on

Main article: Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (Sony VGN-CR21E Battery)

Metro in Barcelona and Tram in Barcelona.

Barcelona is served by a comprehensive local public transport network that includes a metro, a bus network, two separate modern tram networks, a separate historic tram line, and several funiculars and aerial cable cars. The Barcelona Metro network comprises eleven lines, identified by an "L" followed by the line number as well as by individual colours(Sony VGN-CR21S Battery). Most of the network (nine lines) is operated by the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), but three lines are FGC commuter lines that run through the city. When finished, the L9 will be the second longest underground metro line in Europe with 42.6 km; only shorter than London's 76 km Central Line.

The Estació del Nord (Northern Station), a former railway station that was renovated for the 1992 Olympic Games, now serves as the terminus for long-distance and regional bus services(Sony VGN-CR21Z Battery).            

Barcelona taxi and Barcelona bicing station.

Another company, TRAMMET, operates the city's two modern tram networks, known as Trambaix and Trambesòs.[86] The historic tram line, the Tramvia Blau,[87] connects the metro to the Funicular del Tibidabo (both operated by TMB). The Funicular de Tibidabo climbs the Tibidabo hill, as does the Funicular de Vallvidrera (FGC). The Funicular de Montjuïc (TMB) climbs the Montjuïc hill. The city has two aerial cable cars(Sony VGN-CR31S Battery): Montjuïc Aerial Tramway (to the Montjuïc castle) and Port Vell Aerial Tramway that runs via Torre Jaume I and Torre Sant Sebastià over the port.

Barcelona has a metered taxi fleet governed by the Institut Metropolità del Taxi (Metropolitan Taxi Institute), composed of more than 10,000 cars. Most of the licences are in the hands of self-employed drivers.[88] With their black and yellow livery(Sony VGN-CR31E Battery), Barcelona's taxis are easily spotted.

On 22 March 2007,[89] Barcelona's City Council started the Bicing service, a bicycle service understood as a public transport. Once the user has their user card, they can take a bicycle from any of the 100 stations spread around the city and use it anywhere the urban area of the city, and then leave it at another station.[90] The service has been a success, with 50,000 subscribed users in three months. (Sony VGN-CR31Z Battery)

Siemens Velaro designed for speeds of 310 km/h (194 mph) at Barcelona-Sants AVE station.

Barcelona is a major hub for RENFE, the Spanish state railway network, and its main intercity train station is Barcelona-Sants station. The AVE high-speed rail system – designed for speeds of 310 km/h (194 mph) – was extended from Madrid to Barcelona (Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line) in 2008.[92] Generally, Barcelona has high-speed rail links with major cities of Spain(Sony VGN-CR41Z Battery).

A high-speed rail connecting Barcelona and France – LGV Perpignan–Figueres will be launched in 2012. Rodalies and the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) run Barcelona's widespread commuter train service.

B-20 motorway in Barcelona.

Barcelona lies on three international routes, including European route E15 (north-south), European route E90 (west-east) and European route E09; it also has a comprehensive network of motorways and highways throughout the metropolitan area(Sony VGN-CR41S Battery), including A-2, A-7/AP-7, C-16, C-17, C-31, C-32, C-33, C-60. The city is circled by three half ring roads or bypasses, Ronda de Dalt (B-20) (on the mountain side), Ronda del Litoral (B-10) (along the coast) and Ronda del Mig (separated into two parts: Travessera de Dalt in the north and the Gran Via de Carles III), two partially covered[93] fast highways with several exits that bypass the city(Sony VGN-CR41E Battery).

The city's main arteries include Diagonal Avenue, which crosses it diagonally, Meridiana Avenue which leads to Glòries and connects with Diagonal Avenue and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, which crosses the city from east to west, passing through its centre.

Valencia (Spanish: [baˈlenθja]) or València (Valencian: [vaˈlensia]) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona(Sony VGN-CR41SR Battery), with around 809,000 inhabitants in the administrative centre. Valencia is also Spain's third largest metropolitan area, with a population ranging from 1.7 to 2.3 million. The city has global city status.[1] The Port of Valencia is the 5th busiest container port in Europe and the largest on the Mediterranean Sea, with a trade volume of 4.21 million TEU's. (Sony VGN-CR42Z Battery)

Valencia was founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC. The city is situated on the banks of the Turia, on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula, fronting the Gulf of Valencia on the Mediterranean Sea. Its historic centre is one of the largest in Spain, with approximately 169 acres;[3] this heritage of ancient monuments, views and cultural attractions makes Valencia one of the country's most popular tourist destinations(Sony VGN-CR42S Battery). Major monuments include Valencia Cathedral, the Torres de Serranos, the Torres de Quart, the Llotja de la Seda (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996), and the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences), an entertainment-based cultural and architectural complex designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela.[4] The Museu de Belles Arts de València houses a large collection of paintings from the 14th to the 18th centuries(Sony VGN-CR42E Battery), including works by Velázquez, El Greco, and Goya, as well as an important series of engravings by Piranesi.[5] The Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (Valencian Institute of Modern Art) houses both permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and photography.[6]

Valencia is integrated into an industrial area on the Costa del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast). Valencia's main festival is the Falles. The traditional Spanish dish, paella, originated in Valencia(Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S/L Battery).

Name

The original Latin name of the city was Valentia (Latin pronunciation: [waˈlentia]), meaning "strength", or "valour", the city being named according to the Roman practice of recognizing the valour of former Roman soldiers after a war. The Roman historian Livy explains that the founding of Valentia in the 2nd century BC was due to the settling of the Roman soldiers who fought against an Iberian rebel(Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S/P Battery), Viriato. During the rule of the Muslim kingdoms in Spain, it was called مدينة التراب (Medina at-Turab, 'City of Sands'), since it was located on the banks of the River Turia, while the term بلنسية (Balansiyya) was reserved for the entire Taifa of Valencia. By gradual sound changes this has become Valencia [baˈlenθja] in Castilian and València [vaˈlensia] in Valencian (in Valencian the grave accent <è> /ɛ/ contrasts with the acute accent <é> /e/(Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S/W Battery), nevertheless the word 'València' is an exception to this rule which is spelled according to Catalan etymology, though it uses a pronunciation closer to Vulgar Latin). The city is situated on the banks of the Turia river, on the eastern coast of the Iberian peninsula and the western part of the Mediterranean Sea, fronting the Gulf of Valencia(Sony Vaio VGN-CR11Z/R Battery). At the time of its founding by the Romans it stood on a river island in the Turia, 6.4 km (4 mi) from the sea. The Albufera, a saltwater lagoon and estuary which lies about 11 km (7 mi) south of the city, is one of the largest lakes in Spain; it was bought by the City Council from the Crown of Spain for 1,072,980 pesetas in 1911, and today forms the main portion of the Parc Natural de l'Albufera (Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/B Battery) (Albufera Nature Reserve), with a surface area of 21,120 hectares (52,200 acres). Because of its cultural, historical and ecological value, it was declared a natural park by the Generalitat Valenciana in 1986.

Valencia has a subtropical climate on the borderline of the Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa)[7] and semi-arid climate (BSk),[7] with very mild winters and long warm to hot summers(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/L Battery).

Its average annual temperature is 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) during the day and 13.4 °C (56.1 °F) at night. In the coldest month - January - the maximum temperature typically during the day ranges from 10 to 20 °C (50 to 68 °F), the minimum temperature typically at night ranges from 2 to 12 °C (36 to 54 °F) and the average sea temperature is 14 °C (57 °F).[8] In the warmest month - August (Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/P Battery)- the temperature during the day typically ranges from 28–34 °C (82–93 °F), about 23 °C (73 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 26 °C (79 °F).[8] Generally, summer temperatures similar to those experienced in northern part of Europe last about 8 months, from April to November. March is transitional, the temperature often exceeds 20 °C (68 °F), with an average temperature of 19 °C (66 °F) during the day and 9 °C (48 °F) at night(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/R Battery). December, January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around 17 °C (63 °F) during the day and 8 °C (46 °F) at night.

Sunshine duration hours are 2,660 per year, from 150 (average nearly 5 hours of sunshine duration at day) in December to 314 (average above 10 hours of sunshine duration at day) in July. Average annual temperature of the sea is 18.5 °C (65.3 °F). Average relative humidity is 60% in April to 68% in August(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13/W Battery).

Valencia enjoyed strong economic growth over the last decade, much of it spurred by tourism and the construction industry,[citation needed] with concurrent development and expansion of telecommunications and transport. Air Nostrum, a regional airline, is headquartered in Valencia.[11] The city's economy is service-oriented, as nearly 84% of the working population is employed in service sector occupations(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G Battery). However, the city still maintains an important industrial base, with 5.5% of the population employed in this sector. Agricultural activities are still carried on in the municipality, even though of relatively minor importance with only 1.9% of the working population and 3973 hectares planted mostly in orchards and citrus groves(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/B Battery).

In 2009, Valencia was the 29th fastest improving European city.[12] Its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science and the arts contributes to its status as one of the world's "Gamma"-rank global cities.

The large factory of Ford Motor Company lies in suburb of city, in Almussafes.

Port of Valencia

Valencia’s port is the biggest on the Mediterranean western coast,[14] the first of Spain in container traffic as of 2008(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/L Battery) and the second of Spain[16] in total traffic, handling 20% of Spain’s exports.[17] The main exports are foodstuffs and beverages. Other exports include oranges, furniture, ceramic tiles, fans, textiles and iron products. Valencia’s manufacturing sector focuses on metallurgy, chemicals, textiles, shipbuilding and brewing. Small and medium sized industries are an important part of the local economy, and unemployment is lower than the Spanish average(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/W Battery).

Following the announcement that the 32nd America's Cup would be held in Valencia in 2007, the port underwent radical changes in which it was divided into two parts, one part remaining unchanged while the other section would be used exclusively for the America's Cup festivities. The two sections are now divided by a wall that projects far into the water in an effort to maintain clean water for the America's Cup side(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/P Battery).

The North station (Estació del Nord)

[edit]Transportation

Public transport is provided by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) which operates the Metrovalencia and other rail and bus services. The Estación del Norte (North Station) is the main railway terminus in Valencia. A new temporary station, Estación de València-Joaquín Sorolla, has been built on land adjacent to this terminus to accommodate high speed AVE trains to and from Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Alicante(Sony Vaio VGN-CR13G/R Battery). Valencia Airport is situated 9 km (5.6 mi) west of Valencia city centre. Alicante Airport is situated about 170 km (110 mi) south of Valencia.

Starting in the mid-1990s, Valencia, formerly an industrial centre, saw rapid development which expanded its cultural and touristic possibilities, and transformed it into a newly vibrant city. Many local landmarks were restored, including the ancient Towers of the medieval city (Serrano Towers and Quart Towers) (Sony Vaio VGN-CR13T/L Battery), and the San Miguel de los Reyes monastery which now holds a conservation library. Whole sections of the old city, for example the Carmen Quarter, have been extensively renovated. The Paseo Marítimo, a 4 km (2 mi) long palm tree-lined promenade was constructed along the beaches of the north side of the port (Playa Las Arenas, Playa Cabañal and Playa de la Malvarrosa) (Sony Vaio VGN-CR13T/P Battery).

The city has numerous convention centres and venues for trade events, among them the Feria Valencia Convention and Exhibition Centre (Institución Ferial de Valencia) and the Palau de congres (Conference Palace), and several 5-star hotels to accommodate business travelers.

In its long history, Valencia has acquired many local traditions and festivals(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21/B Battery), among them the Falles, which were declared Celebrations of International Touristic Interest (Fiestas de Interés Turístico Internacional) on 25 January 1965, and the Water Tribunal of Valencia (Tribunal de las Aguas de Valencia), which was declared an intangible cultural heritage of humanity (Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad) in 2009(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21E/L Battery). In addition to these Valencia has hosted world-class events that helped shape the city's reputation and put it in the international spotlight, e.g., the Regional Exhibition of 1909, the 32nd and the 33rd America's Cup competitions, the European Grand Prix of Formula One auto racing, the Valencia Open 500 tennis tournament, and the Global Champions Tour of equestrian sports(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21E/P Battery).

The 2005 America's Cup yachting races were held at Valencia in June and July 2005 and attracted huge crowds. According to official data from the organizing committee, as many as 150,000 visitors flocked to Valencia's port each day during the two weeks of events.

The third largest city in Spain and the 15th most populous municipality in the European Union, Valencia has a population of 809,267(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21E/W Battery) within its administrative limits on a land area of 134.6 km2 (52 sq mi). It is. The urban area of Valencia extending beyond the administrative city limits has a population of between 1,175,000 and 1,564,145. Between 1,705,742and 2,300,000[24] people live in the Valencia metropolitan area.

One notable demographic change in Valencia in the last decade has been the growth in the foreign born population which has risen from 1.5% in the year 2000(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21S/L Battery) to 15.1% in 2009,[26] a trend that has also occurred in the two larger cities of Madrid and Barcelona.[27] The main countries of origin were Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Morocco and Romania.[28] Between 2007 and 2008 there was a 14% increase in the foreign born population with the largest numeric increases by country being from Bolivia, Romania and Italy(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21S/P Battery).

Traditional preparation of paella

Valencia is known internationally for the Falles (Las Fallas), a local festival held in March, and for paella valenciana, traditional Valencian ceramics, intricate traditional dress, and the architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela.

La Tomatina, an annual tomato fight, draws crowds to the nearby town of Buñol in August. There are also a number of well-preserved traditional Catholic festivities throughout the year(Sony Vaio VGN-CR21S/W Battery). Holy week celebrations in Valencia are considered some of the most colourful in Spain.[citation needed] Valencia has a metro system, the Metrovalencia (Valencia Metro).

Valencia is the current location of the Formula One European Grand Prix, first hosting the event on 24 August 2008. The city will host the event until at least 2014.

The University of Valencia (officially Universitat de València Estudi General) was founded in 1499, being one of the oldest surviving universities in Spain(Sony Vaio VGN-CR23/B Battery), and the oldest university in the Valencian Community. It was listed as one of the four leading Spanish universities in the 2011 Shangai Academic Ranking of World Universities. In 2011, Berklee College of Music in Boston announced the opening of a new campus at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia providing focus on the music of the region through its Mediterranean Music Institute. (Sony Vaio VGN-CR23/P Battery)

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million[4] and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.5 million. It is the third-largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-largest in the European Union after London and Paris. The city spans a total of 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi). Sony PCG-71313M battery

The city is located on the Manzanares river 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,Sony PCG-71212M battery and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political centre of Spain.[11] The current mayor is Ana Botella from the People's Party (PP).

The Madrid urban agglomeration has the third-largest GDP[12] in the European Union and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, environment, media, fashion, science, culture, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. Sony PCG-71311M battery Due to its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre of Southern Europe[15][16] and the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Spanish companies, such as Telefónica, Iberia or Repsol. Madrid is the most touristic city of Spain, the fourth-most touristic of the continent, Sony PCG-71213M battery and is the 10th most livable city in the world according to Monocle magazine, in its 2010 index.[18][19] Madrid also ranks among the 12 greenest European cities in 2010.[20] Madrid is currently a Candidate City for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[21]

Madrid houses the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), belonging to the United Nations Organization (UN), the SEGIB and the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI). It also hosts major international institutions regulators of SpanishSony PCG-61211M battery: the Standing Committee of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the Cervantes Institute and the Foundation of Urgent Spanish (Fundéu). Madrid organizes fairs as FITUR,[22] ARCO,[23] SIMO TCI [24] and the Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week. Sony VAIO VPCF24Q1E battery

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 Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre) with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro Park, founded in 1631; the 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; a large number of National museums, Sony VAIO VPCF13M1E/H battery and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which completes the shortcomings of the other two museums.[27]

In the years the Cibeles Palace and Fountain have become the monument symbol of the citySony VAIO VPCF12Z1E/BI battery.

Alcalá Street and the Metropolis Building

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) Sony VAIO VPCF12S1E/B battery, because of the many bears that were to be found in the nearby forests, which, together with the strawberry tree (Spanish: madroño), have been the emblem of the city from the Middle Ages.[3]

The most ancient recorded name of the city Magerit (for *Materit or *Mageterit ?) comes from the name of a fortress built on the Manzanares River in the 9th century AD, and means "Place of abundant water".[31] If the form is correctSony VAIO VPCF13Z8E/BI battery, it could be a Celtic place-name from ritu- 'ford' (Old Welsh rit, Welsh rhyd, Old Breton rit, Old Northern French roy) and a first element, that is not clearly identified *mageto derivation of magos 'field' 'plain' (Old Irish mag 'field', Breton ma 'place'), or matu 'bear", that could explain the Latin translation Ursalia.Sony VAIO VPCF13Z8E battery

Nevertheless, it is now commonly believed[citation needed] that the origin of the current name of the city comes from the 2nd century BC. 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) Sony VAIO VPCF13M1E/B battery. Following the invasions carried out by the Germanic Sueves and Vandals, as well as the Sarmatic Alans during the 5th century AD, the Roman Empire no longer had the military presence required to defend its territories on the Iberian Peninsula, and as a consequence, these territories were soon occupied by the Vandals, who were in turn dispelled by the VisigothsSony VAIO VPCF1318E/H battery, who then ruled Hispania in the name of the Roman emperor, also taking 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. Sony VAIO VPCF13J0E/H battery

[edit]Middle Ages

Although the site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times,[34][35] and there are archeological remains of a small Visigoth basilica near the church of Santa María de la Almudena[3][36] and two visigoth necropolises near Casa de campo and Tetúan, the first historical certainty about the existence of an established settlement in Madrid dates from the Muslim age. At the second half of the 9th century, Sony VAIO VPCF13E8E batteryEmir Muhammad I of Córdoba built a fortress on a headland near the river Manzanares,[38] as one of the many fortress he ordered to be built on the border between Al-Andalus and the kingdoms of León and Castile, with the objective of protecting Toledo from the Christian invasions and also as a starting point for Muslim offensives. After the disintegration of the Caliphate of Córdoba, Madrid was integrated in the Taifa of ToledoSony VAIO VPCF13E4E battery.

With the surrender of Toledo by Alfonso VI of León and Castile, the city was conquered by Christians in 1085, and it was integrated into the kingdom of Castile as a property of the Crown.[39] Christians replaced Muslims in the occupation of the center of the city, while Arabs and Jews settled in the suburbs. The city was thriving and was given the title of "villa"Sony VAIO VPCF12M1E/H battery, whose administrative district extended from the Jarama in the east to the river Guadarrama in the west. The government of the town was vested to the neighboring of Madrid since 1346, when king Alfonso XI of Castile implements the regiment, for which only the local oligarchy was taking sides in city decisions.[40] Since 1188, Madrid won the right to be a city with representation in the courts of CastileSony VAIO VPCF12F4E/H battery. In 1202, King Alfonso VIII of Castile gave Madrid its first charter to regulate the municipal council,[41] which was expanded in 1222 by Fernando III of Castile.

The first time the Courts of Castile were joined in Madrid was in 1309 under Ferdinand IV of Castile, and later in 1329, 1339, 1391, 1393, 1419 and twice in 1435. Since the unification of the kingdoms of Spain under a common Crown, the Courts were convened in Madrid more oftenSony VAIO VPCF12E1E/H battery.

During the revolt of the Comuneros, led by Juan de Zapata, Madrid joined the revolt against Emperor Charles V of Germany and I of Spain, but after defeat at the Battle of Villalar, Madrid was besieged and occupied by the royal troops. However, Charles I was generous to the town and gaves it the titles of "Coronada" (Crowned) and "Imperial". When Francis I of France was captured at the battle of Pavia, he was imprisoned in MadridSony VAIO VPCF11Z1E/BI battery. And in the village is dated the Treaty of Madrid of 1526 (later denounced by the French) that resolved their situation.[42]

Puerta de Alcalá.

In June 1561, when the town had 30,000 inhabitants, Philip II of Spain moved his court from Toledo to Madrid, installing it in the old castle.[43] Thanks to this, the city of Madrid became the political center of the monarchySony VAIO VPCF24M1E battery, being the capital of Spain except for a short period between 1601 to 1606 (Philip III of Spain government), in which the Court translates to Valladolid. This fact was decisive for the evolution of the city and influenced its fate. A famous expression indicated that identity: "Sólo Madrid es corte" (Madrid is the only court) which, conceptually, is also understood backwards: "Madrid es sólo corte" (Madrid is just court) Sony VAIO VPCF23S1E battery.

During the reign of Philip IV of Spain, Madrid saw a period of exceptional cultural brilliance, with the presence of geniuses such as Miguel de Cervantes, Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Quevedo and Lope de Vega.[44]

The death of Charles II of Spain resulted in the War of the Spanish succession. The city supported the claim of Philip of Anjou as Philip V. While the city was occupied in 1706 by a Portuguese armySony VAIO VPCF231S1E battery, who proclaimed king the Archduke Charles of Austria under the name of Charles III, and again in 1710, remained loyal to Philip V.

Philip V built the Royal Palace and the main Royal Academies.[45] But the most important Bourbon was King Charles III of Spain, who was known as "the best major of Madrid". Charles III took upon himself the feat of transforming Madrid into a capital worthy of this categorySony VAIO VPCF23Q1E battery. He ordered the construction of sewers, street lighting, cemeteries outside the city, and many monuments (Puerta de Alcalá, Cibeles Fountain), and cultural institutions (El Prado Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens, Royal Observatory, etc.). Despite being known as one of the greatest benefactors of Madrid, its beginnings were not entirely peaceful, as in 1766 had to overcome the Esquilache RiotsSony VAIO VPCF23M1E battery, a traditionalist revolt instigated by the nobility and clergy against reformist intentions that brought Charles III as an excuse to put on clothing decree ordering the shortening of the layers and the prohibition of the use of hats ocultasen face, with the aim of reducing crime in the city.[46]

The reign of Charles IV of Spain is not very meaningful to Madrid, except for the presence of Goya in the Court, which portrayed the popular and courtly life of the citySony VAIO VPCF22S8E battery.

[edit]From 19th century to present day

On 27 October 1807, Charles IV and Napoleon I signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau, which allowed the passage of French troops through Spanish territory to join the Spanish troops and invade Portugal, which had refused to obey the order of blockade international against England. As this was happening, there was the Mutiny of Aranjuez (17 March 1808) Sony VAIO VPCF22S1E battery, by which the crown prince, Ferdinand VII, replaced his father as king. However, when Ferdinand VII returned to Madrid, the city was already occupied by Joachim-Napoléon Murat, so that both the king and his father were virtually prisoners of the French army. Napoleon, taking advantage of the weakness of the Spanish Bourbons, forcing both, first the father then the son, to join him in Bayonne, where Ferdinand arrived on 20 AprilSony VAIO VPCF22M1E battery.

In the absence of the two kings, the situation became more and more tense in the capital. On 2 May, the crowd began to concentrate at the Royal Palace. The crowd saw the French soldiers pulled out of the palace to the royal family members who were still in the palace. Immediately, the crowd launched an assault on the floatsSony VAIO VPCF22L1E battery. The fight lasted hours and spread throughout Madrid. The next day, repression is cruel. In the Paseo del Prado and in the fields of La Moncloa hundreds of patriots were shot attending the order of Murat against "Spanish all carrying arms". Paintings such as The Third of May 1808 by Goya, reflecting the repression that ended the popular uprising on 2 May. Sony VAIO VPCF22J1E battery

The Peninsular War against Napoleon, despite the last absolutist claims during the reign of Ferdinand VII, gave birth to a new country with a liberal and bourgeois character, open to influences coming from the rest of Europe. Madrid, the capital of Spain, experience like no other city the changes caused by this opening and filled with theaters, cafes and newspapers. Sony VAIO VPCF11S1E/B battery Madrid is frequently altered by revolutionary outbreaks and pronouncements, such as Vicálvaro 1854, led by General Leopoldo O'Donnell and initiating the progressive biennium. However, in the early-20th century Madrid looked more a small town than a modern city. During the first third of the 20th century the population nearly doubled, reaching more than 950,000 inhabitants. New suburbs such as Las Ventas, Tetuán or El Carmen, gave welcome the newcomer proletariatSony VAIO VPCF11M1E/H battery, while in the Ensanche are installed the bourgeoisie of Madrid.[48]

The Spanish Constitution of 1931 was the first legislated on the state capital, setting it explicitly in Madrid.

Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities of Spain in 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 European city to be bombed by airplanes (Japan was the first to bomb civilians in world historySony VAIO VPCF11D4E battery, at Shanghai in 1932) specifically targeting civilians in the history of warfare. (See Siege of Madrid (1936–39)).[49]

During the economic boom in Spain from 1959 to 1973, the city experienced unprecedented, extraordinary development in terms of population and wealth, becoming the largest GDP city in Spain, and ranking third in Western Europe. The municipality is extended, annexing neighbouring council districts, Sony VAIO VPCF11C5E battery to achieve the present extension of 607 km2 (234.36 sq mi). The south of Madrid became very industrialized, and there were massive migrations from rural areas of Spain into the city. Madrid's newly built north-western districts became the home of the new thriving middle class that appeared as result of the 1960s Spanish economic boom, while south-eastern periphery became an extensive working-class settlement, which was the base for an active cultural and political reform. Sony VAIO VPCF11C4E/B battery

After the death of Franco and the democratic regime, the 1978 constitution confirms Madrid as the capital of Spain. In 1979, the first municipal elections bring democracy to Madrid's first democratically elected mayor since the Second Republic. Madrid was the scene of some of the most important events of the time, as the mass demonstrations of support for democracy after the foiled coup, 23-F, on 3 February 1981Sony VAIO PCG-31114M battery. The first democratic mayors belong to the leftist parties (Enrique Tierno Galván, Juan Barranco), turning the city after more conservative positions (Agustin Rodriguez Sahagun, Jose Maria Alvarez del Manzano, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón and Ana Botella). 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 centre on the European continent. Sony VAIO PCG-31113M battery

Temple of Debod on a winter day

The City Council consists of 57 members, one of them being the Mayor, currently Ana Botella. The Mayor presides over the Council.

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 regulationsSony VAIO PCG-31112M battery, 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.[50] 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). Sony VAIO PCG-31111M battery

Madrid has tended to be a stronghold of the People's Party, which has controlled the city's mayoralty since 1989. In the 2007 regional and local elections, the conservative People's Party (PP, right-wing political party) obtained 34 seats, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE, centre-left political party) obtained 18 and United Left (IU, left political party) obtained 5Sony VAIO PCG-41112M battery.

Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón Jiménez 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 districtsSony VAIO PCG-41111M battery.

The Madrid region features a Continental Mediterranean climate[52] (Köppen Csa)[53] with cold winters due its altitude of (650 m (2,133 ft) above sea level in Alicante), including sporadic snowfalls and minimum temperatures often below freezing. Summers are hot with temperatures that consistently surpass 30 °C (86 °F) in July and August and rarely above 40 °C (104 °F) SONY VAIO PCG-21212M battery. Due to Madrid's altitude and dry climate, diurnal ranges are often significant during the summer. Precipitation is concentrated in the autumn and spring. It is particularly sparse during the summer, taking the form of about two showers and/or thunderstorms a month.

Water supply

Madrid derives almost 75 percent of its water supply from dams and reservoirs built on the Lozoya River, such as the El Atazar DamSONY VAIO PCG-21211M battery.

Demography

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 economySONY VAIO PCG-51212M battery.

The demographic boom accelerated in the late 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century 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 originsSONY VAIO PCG-51211M battery, including immigrants from Latin America, Europe, Asia, North Africa and West Africa, represented 16.2% of the population in 2007.[56]

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 ParaguayanSONY VAIO PCG-51112M battery: 14,308. There are also important communities of Filipinos, Equatorial Guineans, Bulgarians, Indians, Italians, Argentines, Senegalese and Poles.[56]

Districts that host the largest number of immigrants are Usera (28.37%), Centro (26.87%), Carabanchel (22.72%) and Tetuán (21.54%). Districts that host the smallest number are Fuencarral-El Pardo (9.27%), Retiro (9.64%) and Chamartín (11.74%)SONY VAIO PCG-51111M battery.

Historically, Madrid's population was noted to be strictly Catholic, something that has often left an imprint on the identity of the city. However, Madrid has over the years become one of the least religious cities in the Western world, with several studies suggesting that 40% of the Madrid metropolitan area population identified themselves as atheistSONY VAIO PCG-81212M battery.

Districts

Main article: Districts of Madrid

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

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

Centro: Palacio, Embajadores, Cortes, Justicia, Universidad, Sol.

Arganzuela: Imperial, Acacias, La Chopera, Legazpi, Delicias, Palos de Moguer, Atocha.

Retiro: Pacífico, Adelfas, Estrella, Ibiza, Jerónimos, Niño Jesús.

Salamanca: Recoletos, Goya, Parque de las Avenidas, Fuente del Berro, Guindalera, Lista, CastellanaSony VAIO PCG-81112M battery.

Chamartín: El Viso, Prosperidad, Ciudad Jardín, Hispanoamérica, Nueva España, 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, Barrio del Pilar, La Paz, Valverde, Mirasierra, El GolosoSONY VAIO PCG-71111M battery.

Moncloa-Aravaca: Casa de Campo, Argüelles, Ciudad Universitaria, Valdezarza, Valdemarín, El Plantío, Aravaca.

Latina: Los Cármenes, Puerta del Ángel, Lucero, Aluche, Las Águilas, Campamento, Cuatro Vientos.

Carabanchel: Comillas, Opañel, San Isidro, Vista Alegre, Puerta Bonita, Buenavista, Abrantes.

Usera: Orcasitas, Orcasur, San Fermín, Almendrales, Moscardó, Zofío, Pradolongo.

Puente de Vallecas: Entrevías, San Diego, Palomeras Bajas, Palomeras Sureste, Portazgo, NumanciaSONY VAIO PCG-7196M battery.

Moratalaz: Pavones, Horcajo, Marroquina, Media Legua, Fontarrón, Vinateros.

Ciudad Lineal: Ventas, Pueblo Nuevo, Quintana, La Concepción, San Pascual, San Juan Bautista, Colina, Atalaya, Costillares.

Hortaleza: Palomas, Valdefuentes, Canillas, Pinar del Rey, Apóstol Santiago, Piovera.

Villaverde: San Andrés, San Cristóbal, Butarque, Los Rosales, Los Ángeles.

Villa de Vallecas: Casco Histórico de Vallecas, Santa Eugenia.

Vicálvaro: Casco Histórico de Vicálvaro, AmbrozSONY VAIO PCG-7195M battery.

San Blas: Simancas, Hellín, Amposta, Arcos, Rosas, Rejas, Canillejas, Salvador.

Barajas: Alameda de Osuna, Aeropuerto, Casco Histórico de Barajas, Timón, Corralejos.

Metropolitan area

Main article: Madrid metropolitan area

The Madrid metropolitan area comprises the city of Madrid and forty surrounding municipalities. It has a population of slightly more than 6.271 million people[5] and covers an area of 4.609,7 km². It is the largest metropolitan area in Spain and the third largest in European Union. SONY VAIO PCG-7194M battery

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 MonteSONY VAIO PCG-7192M battery

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

Submetropolitan areas inside Madrid metropolitan area:

St. Jerome church, view from the north angle.

Very little medieval architecture is preserved in Madrid. We know from historical documents that the city was walled and had a castle (the Alcázar) in the same place where the Royal Palace now stands. Among the few preserved medieval buildings are the mudejar towers of San Nicolás and San Pedro el Viejo churches, the palace of Luján family (located in the Plaza de la Villa) SONY PCG-8113M battery, the Gothic church of St. Jerome, part of a monastery built by the Catholic Monarchs in the 15th century, and the Bishop's Chapel.

Nor has Madrid retained many examples of Renaissance architecture, except for the Cisneros house (one of the buildings flanking the Plaza de la Villa), the Bridge of Segovia and the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales, whose austere exterior gives no idea of the magnificent art treasures insideSONY PCG-8112M battery.

When Philip II moved his court to Madrid in 1561,[57] a series of reforms began, reforms that aimed to transform the town into a capital city worthy of the name. These reforms were embodied in the Plaza Mayor, designed by Juan de Herrera (author of El Escorial) and Juan Gomez de Mora, characterized by its symmetry and austerity, as well as the new Alcazar, who would become the second most impressive royal palace of the kingdomSONY PCG-7134M battery .

Many of the historic buildings of Madrid were built during the reign of the Hapsburgs. The material used was mostly brick and the humble facades contrast with the elaborate interiors. Juan Gómez de Mora built notable buildings such as Casa de la Villa, Prison of the Court and Royal Convent of La EncarnaciónSONY PCG-7131M battery. The Buen Retiro Palace was a vanished work by Alonso Carbonel, today on the grounds of the Retiro Park, with beautiful rooms decorated by the best artists in times of Philip IV (Velázquez, Carducci, Zurbarán). Imperial College become an important institution run by the Jesuits, and the model dome of the church would be imitated in all Spain, thanks to the cheap materials used in its constructionSONY PCG-7122M battery.

Canalejas Square

Before the arrival of the Bourbons at Madrid, the architect Pedro de Ribera was one of the most important architects in Madrid. Ribera introduced Churrigueresque architecture to Madrid, characterized by ornamental overload on their covers, as an altarpiece. The History Museum, the Cuartel del Conde-Duque, the church of Montserrat and the Bridge of Toledo are the best examplesSONY PCG-7121M battery .

The arrival of the Bourbons marked a new era in the city. The burning of the Alcazar of Madrid served as an excuse for Philip V of Spain to build a palace on its foundations, a palace more in line with the French taste. Filippo Juvarra, an architect specializing in the construction of royal palaces, was chosen to design the new palaceSONY PCG-7113M battery . His design was inspired by a design rejected for the Louvre in Paris. Juvarra died before the work began, and the project was substantially modified by his disciple Giovainni Battista Sacchetti. Other buildings of the time were the St. Michael's Basilica and the Convent of Santa Barbara.

King Charles III of Spain was more interested in beautifying the city. He was an enlightened monarch and endeavored to convert Madrid into one of the great European capitalsSONY PCG-7112M battery . To him we owe the construction of the Prado Museum (designed by Juan de Villanueva). The building was originally intended to serve as a Natural Science Museum. Charles III was also responsible for design of the Puerta de Alcalá, the Royal Observatory, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande, the Casa de Correos in Puerta del Sol and the General Hospital SONY PCG-8Z3M battery  (now houses the Reina Sofia Museum and Royal Conservatory of Music). The Paseo del Prado, surrounded by gardens and decorated with neoclassical statues inspired by mythological gods, is an example of urban planning. The Duke of Berwick ordered Ventura Rodríguez the construction of the Liria Palace.

Subsequently, the Peninsular War, the loss of colonies in the Americas, and the continuing coups prevented the city from developing interesting architectureSONY PCG-8Z2M battery (Royal Theatre and the Palace of the Senate, the Congress). In the slums of Madrid during this time, a kind of substandard house was developed that today has a special historical charm: an example is the corralas, which currently still exist in the neighborhood of Lavapies.

From the late-19th century until the Civil War, Madrid modernized and built new neighborhoods and monuments, both in the capital and in neighboring townsSONY PCG-8Z1M battery . In the mid-19th century the expansion of Madrid developed under the plan Castro, resulting in the neighborhoods of Salamanca, Argüelles and Chamberí. Arturo Soria conceived the linear city and built the first few kilometers of the road that bears his name, which embodies the idea. Antonio Palacios build a series of eclectic buildings inspired by the Viennese SecessionSONY PCG-8Y3M battery . Some representative examples are the Palacio de Comunicaciones, the Circulo de Bellas Artes and the Río de La Plata Bank (Instituto Cervantes). Ricardo Velázquez Bosco designed the Crystal Palace and the Palacio de Velázquez in the Retiro Park. Secundino Zuazo built the Palacio de la Música and the Casa de las Flores. The Bank of Spain was designed by Eduardo Adaro and Severiano Sainz de la Lastra. MeanwhileSONY PCG-8Y2M battery , the Marquis of Cubas began the Almudena Cathedral project, which was to be a neo-Gothic church with neo-Romanesque cloister. Alberto de Palacio designed Atocha Station. Las Ventas Bullring was built in the early-20th century.

The Gran Via is considered a showcase of early-20th-century architecture, with patterns ranging from Vienna Secession style, Plateresque, Neo-Mudéjar, Art Deco and othersSONY PCG-7Z1M battery .

Also the construction of Gran Vía began in the early-20th century, with the task of freeing the old town. They used different styles that evolved over time: The Metropolis building is built in French style, while Telefónica Building is art deco, with baroque ornaments. The Carrión (or Capitol) Building is expressionist, and the Palace of the Press, another example of art decoSONY PCG-6W2M battery.

The Civil War severely damaged the city, including the Ciudad Universitaria (University City), which was one of the most beautiful architectural complexes of the time. Subsequently, unscrupulous mayors would destroy the old town and the Ensanche, in a city which until the war was a good example of urban planning and architectureSONY PCG-5J5M battery. Numerous blocks of flats with no value were built, and some examples of Fascist architecture, such as the Spanish Air Force headquarters (inspired by El Escorial), the Nuevos Ministerios of Secundino Zuazo and the skyscrapers of Plaza de España, at the time the highest in Europe, were builtSONY PCG-5K2M battery.

Torres Kio

With the advent of Democracy and the Spanish economic develope, projecting skyscrapers in the city as Torre Picasso, designed by Minoru Yamasaki; Torres Blancas and Torre BBVA (both by Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza) and once in the 1990s, the Torres Kio, architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee. Moreover, in the 1990s completes construction of the Cathedral of the AlmudenaSONY PCG-5K1M battery .

In the 21st century, Madrid faces new challenges in its architecture. It reahbilitates historical spaces to make them modern buildings: a brewery becomes library, a slaughtergouse is now a cultural center, an industrial warehouse is the Interpretation Centre of New Technologies, and the CaixaForum Madrid (Herzog & de Meuron) was a former power stationSONY PCG-5J4M battery .

Under the government of Alberto Ruiz Gallardón were built the four tallest skyscrapers in Spain, and together form the Cuatro Torres Business Area. The Manzanares River is crossed by new edge bridges, and start up the International Convention Centre (Mansilla+Tuñón), original round building, whose works remain paralyzed by the crisis. Caja Mágica sport centre was also built and the Reina Sofia Museum is expanded with the help of Jean NouvelSONY PCG-5J1M battery .

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 5 February 2006. Terminal 4 is one of the world's largest terminal areas, with an area of 760,000 square metres (8,180,572 square feet) SONY PCG-5G2M battery  in two separate terminals: a main building, T4 (470,000 square metres), and satellite building, T4S (290,000 square metres), which are separated by approximately 2.5 km (2 mi). The new terminal 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 throughSony VAIO PCG-8131M battery. With the new addition, Barajas is designed to handle 70 million passengers annually.

Retiro Park, trees

Madrid is the European city with the highest number of trees and green surface per inhabitant and it has the second highest number of aligned trees in the world, with 248,000 units, only exceeded by Tokyo. Madrid's citizens have access to a green area within a 15 minute walk. Since 1997, green areas have increased by 16%Sony VAIO PCG-8152M battery. At present, 8.2% of Madrid's grounds are green areas, meaning that there are 16m² of green area per inhabitant, far exceeding the 10m² per inhabitant recommended by the World Health Organization.

Parque del Retiro, formerly the grounds of the palace built for Felipe IV, is Madrid's most popular park and the largest park in central Madrid. Its area is more than 1.4 km² (350 acres) and it is located very close to the Puerta de Alcalá and not far from the Prado MuseumSony VAIO PCG-31311M battery. A magnificent park, filled with beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events, it is one of Madrid's premier attractions. The park is entirely surrounded by the present-day city. Its 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 parkSony VAIO PCG-31111M battery.

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 metres of tropical plantsSony VAIO PCG-8112M battery. 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 on a scorching summer day as a retreat from the heatSony VAIO PCG-7186M battery.

Casa de Campo, lake.

Casa de Campo is an enormous urban parkland to the west of the city, the largest in Spain and Madrid's main green lung. Its area is more than 1,700 hectares (6.6 sq mi). It is home to a fairground, the Madrid Zoo, an amusement park, the Parque de Atracciones de Madrid, 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 topsSony VAIO PCG-7171M battery. Casa de Campo's vegetation is one of its most important features. There are, in fact, three different ecosystems: oak, pine and river groves. The oak is the dominant tree species in the area and, although many of them are over 100 years old and reach a great height, they are also present in the form of chaparral and bushes. The pine-forest ecosystem boasts a large number of trees that have adapted perfectly to the lightSony VAIO PCG-9Z1M battery, dry conditions in the park. In addition, mushrooms often emerge after the first rains of autumn. Finally, the river groves, or riparian forests, are made up of various, mainly deciduous, species that grow in wetter areas. Examples include poplars, willows and alder trees. As regards fauna, this green space is home to approximately 133 vertebrate speciesSony VAIO PCG-5S1M battery.

The Royal Botanic Garden or Real Jardin Botanico is an 8-hectare botanical garden located in the Plaza de Murillo, next to the Prado Museum. It was an 18th century creation by Carlos III and 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 ecosystemSony VAIO PCG-5P1M battery.

Campo del Moro gardens.

The Royal Palace is surrounded by three green areas. In front of the palace, are the gardens of the Plaza de Oriente; to the north, the gardens of Sabatini and to the west up to the Manzanares river, the famous Campo del Moro. Campo del Moro gardens has a surface area of 20 hectares and is a scenic garden with an unusual layout filled with foliage and an air of English romanticismSony VAIO PCG-5N2M battery. The Sabatini Gardens have a formal Neoclassic style, consisting of well-sheared hedges, in symmetric geometrical patterns, adorned with a pool, statues and fountains, with trees also disposed in a symmetrical geometric shape. Plaza de Oriente can distinguish three main plots: the Central Gardens, the Cabo Noval Gardens and the Lepanto GardensSony VAIO PCG-3C2M battery. The Central Gardens are arranged around the central monument to Philip IV, in a grid, following the barroque model garden. They consist of seven flowerbeds, each packed with box hedges, forms of cypress, yew and magnolia of small size, and flower plantations, temporary. These are bounded on either side by rows of statues paths, popularly known as the Gothic kingsSony VAIO PCG-8161M battery, and mark the dividing line between the main body of the plaza and the Cabo Noval Gardens at north, and the Lepanto Gardens at south.

Monte de El Pardo.

Monte de El Pardo is a mediterranean forest inside the city of Madrid. It is one of the best preserved Mediterranean Forests in Europe. The European Union has designated the Monte de El Pardo as a Special Protection Area for bird-lifeSony VAIO PCG-8141M battery. This meadow, which has been used as hunting grounds by the royalty given the variety of game animals that have inhabited it since the Middle Ages, is home to 120 flora species and 200 vertebrae species. Rabbits, red partridges, wild cats, stags, deer and wild boars live among ilexes, cork oaks, ash trees, black poplars, oaks, junipers and rockrosesSony VAIO PCG-3J1M battery. Monte del Pardo is part of the Regional Park of the High Basin of the Manzanares, spreading out from the Guadarrama Mountains range to the centre of Madrid, and protected by strong legal regulations. Just before crossing the city, the River Manzanares forms a valley composed by sandy elements and detritus from the mountain rangeSony VAIO PCG-3H1M battery.

Monte de El Pardo and Soto de Viñuelas inside the city of Madrid.

Soto de Viñuelas, also known as Mount Viñuelas, is a meadow-oak forest north of the city of Madrid and east of the Monte de El Pardo. It is a fenced property of 3,000 hectares, which includes important ecological values, landscape and art. Soto de Viñuelas is part of the Regional Park of the High Basin of the Manzanares, a nature reserve which is recognised as a biosphere reserve by UNESCOSony VAIO PCG-3F1M battery, where it has been classified as Area B, the legal instrument that allows agricultural land use. Soto de Viñuelas also received the statement of Special Protection Area for Birds.

Manzanares River

El Capricho is a 14-hectare garden located in the area of Barajas district. It dates back to 1784. The art of landscaping in El Capricho is displayed in three different styles of classical gardenscapes: the "parterre" or French garden, English landscaping and the Italian giardinoSony VAIO PCG-3C1M battery.

Madrid Rio is a linear park that runs along the bank of the Manzanares River, in the middle of Madrid. It is an area of parkland 10 kilometres long and covers 649 hectares in six districts: Moncloa-Aravaca, Centro, Arganzuela, Latina, Carabanchel and Usera. It is a large area of environmental, sporting, leisure and cultural interest. Madrid Río provides a link with other green spaces in the city such as Casa de Campo and the Linear Park of the Manzanares RiverSony VAIO PCG-9Z2L battery. The main landscaped area in Madrid Río is the Arganzuela Park, covering 23 hectares where pedestrian and cycling routes cover the whole park. The Madrid Río cycle network covers some 30 kilometres and is linked to another bike routes. To the north, Madrid Rio connects to the Senda Real, the Green Ring for Cyclists and the E 7 (GR 10) trail, which goes as far as the Sierra de Madrid mountain rangeSony VAIO PCG-9Z1L battery. To the south, Madrid Río provides access to the Enrique Tierno Galván Park and the Linear Park of the Manzanares River, an extensive green zone running parallel to the river as far as Getafe. As well as the cycle routes there are 42 kilometres of paths for walkers and runners. In the Salón de Pinos, a 6-kilometre long tree-lined promenade, there are circuits for aerobic and anaerobic exercise, while near the Puente de Praga bridge a tennis court and seven padel tennis courtsSony VAIO PCG-9131L battery.

The theme park Faunia,[58] 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.

Main article: Economy of Madrid

Middle ages to 20th century

Madrid Stock Exchange

During the end of the Middle Ages, Madrid experienced astronomic growth as a consequence of its establishment as the new capital of the Spanish Empire. As Spain (like many other European countries) continued to centralize royal authority, Sony VAIO PCG-8161L battery this meant that Madrid took on greater importance as a center of administration for the Spanish Kingdom. It evolved to become an important nucleus of artisanal activity that eventually experienced industrial revolution during the 19th century. The city made even greater strides at expansion during the 20th century, especially after the Spanish Civil WarSony VAIO PCG-8152L battery, reaching levels of industrialization found in other European capital cities. The economy of the city was then centred on diverse manufacturing industries such as those related to motor vehicles, aircraft, chemicals, electronic devices, pharmaceuticals, processed food, printed materials, and leather goods. Sony VAIO PCG-8141L battery

1992 to 2008

Madrid is a major centre for international business and commerce. It is one of Europe's largest financial centres and the largest in Spain.

During the period from 1992 to 2006, Madrid experienced very significant growth in its service sector. The most notable of these services are those geared towards companies, followed by transport and communications, property and financial servicesSony VAIO PCG-8131L battery. These four groups generate 51% of gross value added for Madrid's economy and 62% of gross value added for the services sector. The importance of the Barajas Airport to the city's economy is substantial. The construction of housing and public works, such as the ringroads and train network, constituted a major pillar of the economy up to 2006Sony VAIO PCG-81312L battery.

As Spain has become decentralized politically, Madrid has taken on a smaller administrative profile as compared to the rest of the Spanish state. Even so, the Community of Madrid (centred upon the city of Madrid) experienced the highest growth of all the Spanish regions between 2004 to 2006. Its growth rate was higher than for the country as a whole by 1.4% during the period 2000–2006, and that of the Eurozone by 13%.Sony VAIO PCG-81214L battery

Madrid has become the 23rd richest city in the world and third richest in Europe in terms of absolute GDP; the economic output for the year 2005 was of $201.5 billion, behind the considerably larger cities of Paris ($460 billion) and London ($452 billion) and ahead of Moscow and Barcelona.[61] Additionally in terms of GDP per capita, Madrid, in specific the Madrid region is the richest in Spain and one of the richest in EuropeSony VAIO PCG-81115L battery. At 133.9% of the European average of 25,800€ (34,572€/$48,313) Madrid is ahead of the all other 8 Spanish regions above 100%.[62] Similarly, Madrid is just 97.8% of New York's purchasing power.

Madrid is a world´s financial leader, rising to the top five Centres of Commerce in Europe. Madrid continues its upward trajectory as a key European city, rising from its 2007 spot at number 16 to number 11 globally and from number 6 to the number 5 spot in EuropeSony VAIO PCG-81114L battery. Madrid's stable GDP, exchange rate and strong bond market, coupled with a high standard of living, place this city in the company of Europe's most prominent cities: London, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.[63]

Madrid is one of the cities in the Iberian Peninsula that attracts most foreign investment and job seekers. The average salary in Madrid during 2007 was 2540€, clearly above the Spanish average of 2085€.Sony VAIO PCG-81113L batteryIn terms of net earnings, Madrid also places first in Spain; Madrid is 28th in the world, at 78.6%.[65]

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

[edit]Art galleries and museums

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 MuseumSony VAIO PCG-7142L battery, 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, where Pablo Picasso's Guernica hangs, returning to Spain from New York after more than two decadesSony VAIO PCG-7141L battery.

Museo del Prado.

The Museo del Prado is a museum and art gallery that features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection. The collection currently comprises around 7,600 paintings, 1,000 sculptures, 4,800 prints and 8,200 drawings, in addition to a large number of works of art and historic documentsSony VAIO PCG-71111L battery. El Prado is one of the most visited museums in the world, and it is considered to be among the greatest museums of art. It has the best collection of artworks by Goya, Velázquez, El Greco, Rubens, Titian, Hieronymus Bosch, José de Ribera and Patinir; and works by Rogier van der Weyden, Raphael, Tintoretto, Veronese, Caravaggio, Van Dyck, Albrecht Dürer, Claude Lorrain, Murillo and Zurbarán, among others. Sony VAIO PCG-61411L battery

Museo Reina Sofía (MNCARS).

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) is the Spain's national museum of 20th century art. The museum is mainly dedicated to Spanish art. Highlights of the museum include excellent collections of Spain's greatest 20th century masters, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Juan Gris and Julio González. Certainly the most famous masterpiece in the museum is Picasso's painting GuernicaSony VAIO PCG-61112L battery. The Reina Sofía also hosts a free-access library specializing in art, with a collection of over 100,000 books, over 3,500 sound recordings and almost 1,000 videos.[67]

Museo Thyssen Bornemisza.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is an art museum that fills the historical gaps in its counterparts' collections: in the Prado's case this includes Italian primitives and works from the English, Dutch and German schools, while in the case of the Reina Sofia the Thyssen-Bornemisza collectionSony VAIO PCG-61111L battery, once the second largest private collection in the world after the British Royal Collection,[68] includes Impressionists, Expressionists, and European and American paintings from the second half of the 20th century, with over 1,600 paintings.[69]

The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando currently functions as a museum and gallery that houses a fine art collection of paintings from the 15th to 20th centurySony VAIO PCG-5T4L battery: Giovanni Bellini, Correggio, Rubens, Zurbarán, Murillo, Goya, Juan Gris, Pablo Serrano. The academy is also the headquarters of the Madrid Academy of Art. Francisco Goya was once one of the academy's directors, and, its alumni include Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Antonio López García, Juan Luna, and Fernando BoteroSony VAIO PCG-5T3L battery.

Royal Armoury, Royal Palace of Madrid.

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of Juan Carlos I of Spain, but he uses it only for official acts. It is a baroque palace full of artworks is one of the largest European Royal Palaces, which is characterized by its luxurious rooms and its rich collections of armors and weapons, pharmaceutical, silverware, watches, paintings, tapestries and the most comprehensive collection of Stradivarius in the worldSony VAIO PCG-5T2L battery

The National Archaeological Museum of Spain collection includes, among others, Pre-historic, Celtic, Iberian, Greek and Roman antiquities and medieval (Visigothic, Muslim and Christian) objects. Highlights include a replica of the Altamira cave (the first cave in which prehistoric cave paintings were discovered), Lady of Elx (an enigmatic polychrome stone bust), Lady of Baza (a famous example of Iberian sculpture) Sony VAIO PCG-5S3L battery, Biche of Balazote (an iberian sculpture) and Treasure of Guarrazar (a treasure that represents the best surviving group of Early Medieval Christian votive offerings and the high point of Visigothic goldsmith's work).[73]

The Museum of the Americas (Spanish: Museo de América) is a National museum that holds artistic, archaeological and ethnographic collections from the whole American continent, ranging from the Paleolithic period to the present daySony VAIO PCG-5S2L battery. The permanent exhibit is divided into five major thematical areas: an awareness of America, the reality of America, society, religion and communication.[74]

National Museum of Natural Sciences

The National Museum of Natural Sciences is the National Museum of Natural History of Spain. The research departments of the museum are: Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Ecology, Paleobiology, Vulcanology and Geology. Sony VAIO PCG-5S1L battery

The Naval Museum is managed by the Ministry of Defence. The Museum's mission is to acquire, preserve, investigate, report and display for study, education and contemplation, parts, sets and collections of historical, artistic, scientific and technical related to naval activity in order to disseminate the story sea of Spain; to help illustrate, highlight and preserve their traditions and promote national maritime awarenessSony VAIO PCG-5R2L battery.

El Aquelarre, Francisco de Goya. Lázaro Galdiano Museum.

The Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales resides in the former palace of King Charles I of Spain and Isabel of Portugal. Their daughter, Joan of Austria, founded this convent of nuns of the Poor Clare order in 1559. Throughout the remainder of the 16th century and into the 17th century, the convent attracted young widowed or spinster noblewomen. Each woman brought with her a dowrySony VAIO PCG-5R1L battery. The riches quickly piled up, and the convent became one of the richest convents in all of Europe. It has many works of Renaissance and Baroque art, including a recumbent Christ by Gaspar Becerra, a staircase whose paintings were painted by unknown author (perhaps Velázquez) and they are considered the masterpiece of Spanish illusionist painting, and Brussels tapestries inspired by paintings of Rubens. Sony VAIO PCG-5P4L battery

The Museum of Lázaro Galdiano houses an encyclopedic collection specializing in decorative arts. Apart from paintings and sculptures it displays 10th century Byzantine enamel; Arab and Byzantine ivory chests; Hellenistic, Roman, medieval, renaissance, baroque and romantic jewelry; Pisanello and Pompeo Leoni medals; Spanish and Italian ceramics; Italian and Arab clothes and an collection of weapons including the sword of Pope Innocent VIII.Sony VAIO PCG-5P2L battery

The Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas (National Museum of Decorative Arts) is one of the oldest museums in the city. It illustrates the evolution of the called "minor arts" (furniture, ceramics and glass, textile, etc.). Its 60 rooms expones 15,000 objects, of the approximate 40,000 which it has. Sony VAIO PCG-5N4L battery

The Museo Nacional del Romanticismo (National Museum of Romanticism) contains a large collection of artefacts and art, focusing on daily life and customs of the 19th century, with special attention to the aesthetics about Romanticism.[79]

The Museo Cerralbo houses a private collection of ancient works of art, artifacts and other antiquities collected by Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, XVII Cerralbo Marquis. Sony VAIO PCG-5N2L battery

The Museo Nacional de Antropología(National Museum of Anthropology) provides an overview of the different cultures in the world, with objects and human remains from around the world, highlighting a Guanche mummy of the island of Tenerife.[81]

The Museo Sorolla is located in the building in which the Valencian Impressionist painter had his home and workshop. The collection includes, in addition to numerous works of Joaquín Sorolla, a large number of objects that possessed the artist, including sculptures by August Rodin. Sony VAIO PCG-51513L battery

CaixaForum Madrid.

CaixaForum Madrid is a post-modern art gallery in the centre of Madrid. It is sponsored by the Catalan-Balearic bank la Caixa and located next to the Salón del Prado. Although the CaixaForum is a modern building, it also exhibits retrospectives of artists from earlier time periods and has evolved into one of the most visited museums in Madrid. It was constructed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron from 2001 to 2007Sony VAIO PCG-51511L battery, which combined an old unused industrial building and hollowed it out at the base and inside and placed on top further floors which are encased with rusted steel. Next to it is an art installation of green plants growing on the wall of the neighbouring house by French botanist Patrick Blanc. The red of the top floors with the green of the wall next to it form a contrast. The green is in reflection of the neighbouring Royal Botanical GardensSony VAIO PCG-51412L battery.

Churches

Almudena Cathedral, Catedral de la Almudena

Royal Convent of La Encarnación (façade)

San Francisco el Grande

Madrid has a considerable number of Catholic churches, some of them are between the most important Spanish religious artworks.

The oldest church that survives today is San Nicolás de los Servitas, whose oldest item is the bell tower (12th century), in Mudejar style. The next oldest temple is San Pedro el Real, with its high brick towerSony VAIO PCG-51411L battery.

St. Jerome Church is a gothic church next to El Prado Museum. The Catholic Monarchs ordered its construction in the 15th century, as part of a vanished monastery. The monastery's cloister is preserved. It has recently been renovated by Rafael Moneo, with the goal to house the neoclassical collection of El Prado Museum, and also sculptures by Leone Leoni and Pompeo LeoniSony VAIO PCG-51312L battery.

The Bishop Chapel is a gothic chapel which was built in the 16th century by order of the Bishop of Plasencia, Gutierre de Vargas. It was originally built to house the remains of Saint Isidore Laborer (Madrid's patron saint), but it was used as the Vargas family mausoleum. Inside are the altairpiece and the tombs of the Vargas family, which were the work of Francisco Giralte, a disciple of Alonso BerrugueteSony VAIO PCG-51311L battery. They are considered masterpieces of Spanish Renaissance sculpture.

St. Isidore Church from the Plaza Mayor

St. Isidore Church was built between 1620–1664 by order of Empress Maria of Austria, daughter of Charles V of Germany and I of Spain, to become part of a school run by the Jesuits which still exists today. Its dome is the first example of a dome drawing on a wooden frame covered with plaster, which, given its lightness makes it easy to support the wallsSony VAIO PCG-51211L battery. It was the cathedral of Madrid between 1885 and 1993, which is the time it took to build the Almudena. The artwork inside were mostly burned during the Spanish Civil War, but it retained the tomb that holds the incorrupt body of Saint Isidore Laborer and the urn containing the ashes of his wife Maria TorribiaSony VAIO PCG-41112L battery.

Royal Convent of La Encarnación is an Augustinian Recollect convent. The institution, which belonged ladies of the nobility, was founded by Queen Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III of Spain, in the early 17th century. Due to the frescoes and sculptures which houses is one of the most prominent temples in the city. The building's architect was Fray Alberto de la Madre de DiosSony VAIO PCG-3A4L battery, who built it between 1611 and 1616. The façade responds to an inspiring Herrerian style, with great austerity,and it was imitated by other Spanish churches. The church's interior is a sumptuous work by the great Baroque architect Ventura Rodriguez. In the church are preserved shrines containing the blood of St. Januarius and St. Pantaleon, the second (according to tradition) liquefies every year on the saint's day on 27 JulySony VAIO PCG-3A3L battery.

San Antonio de los Alemanes (St. Anthony Church) is a pretty 17th century church which was originally part of a Portuguese hospital. Subsequently it was donated to the Germans living in the city.

The interior of the church has been recently restored. It has some beautiful frescoes painted by Luca Giordano, Francisco Carreño and Francisco Rizi. The frescoes represent some kings of Spain, Hungary, France, Germany and BohemiaSony VAIO PCG-3A2L battery. They all sit looking at the paintings in the vault, which represent the life of Saint Anthony of Padua.

Royal Chapel of St. Anthony of La Florida is sometimes named the "Goya's Sixtine Chapel". The chapel was built on orders of King Charles IV of Spain, who also commissioned the frescoes by Goya. These were completed over a six month period in 1798. The frescoes portray miracles by Saint Anthony of Padua, including one which occurred in LisbonSony VAIO PCG-3A1L battery, but which the painter has relocated to Madrid. On every June 13, the chapel becomes the site of a lively pilgrimage in which young unwed women come to pray to St. Anthony and to ask for a partner.

San Francisco el Grande Basilica was built in neoclassical style in the second half of the 18th century by Francesco Sabatini. It has the fifth largest diameter dome to Christianity. (33 meters in diameter: it's smaller than the dome of the Rome's Pantheon (43.4meters) Sony VAIO PCG-394L battery, St. Peter's Basilica (42.4 meters), the Florence Cathedral (42 meters)and the Rotunda of Mosta (37.2 meters) in Malta, but it's larger than St. Paul's Cathedral (30.8 meters) in London and Hagia Sophia (31.8 meters) in Istanbul). The church is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, who according to legend was established in Madrid during his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Its sumptuous interior features many artworks, including paintings by Goya and ZurbaránSony VAIO PCG-393L battery.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena is the episcopal seat of the Archdiocese of Madrid. It is a temple of 102 meters long and 73 high, built during the 19th and 20th century in a mixture of different styles: neoclassical exterior, neo-Gothic interior and neo-Romanesque crypt and neo-Byzantine abse's paintsSony VAIO PCG-391L battery.

The cathedral was built in the same place which was built the Moorish citadel (al-mudayna) in Madrid. It was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on his fourth trip to Spain on June 15, 1993, thus being the only Spanish cathedral dedicated by a pope.

Cervantes Institute headquarters.

Spanish National Library.

Madrid has been one of the great centers of Spanish literature. In this city were born some of the best writers of the Spanish Golden Century, including: Lope de Vega (Fuenteovejuna, The Dog in the Manger, The Knight of Olmedo) Sony VAIO PCG-384L battery, who reformed the Spanish theater, a work continued by Calderon de la Barca (Life is a Dream), Francisco de Quevedo, Spanish nobleman and writer famous for his satires, which criticized the Spanish society of his time, and author of ´El Buscón. And finally, Tirso de Molina, who created the famous character Don Juan. In addition, Cervantes and Góngora also lived in the citySony VAIO PCG-383L battery, although they were not born there. The homes of Lope de Vega, Quevedo, Gongora and Cervantes are still preserved, and they are all in the Barrio de las Letras (Letters Neigtbourhood).

Other writers born in Madrid in later centuries have been Leandro Fernandez de Moratín, Mariano José de Larra, Jose de Echegaray (Nobel Prize in Literature), Ramón Gómez de la Serna, Dámaso Alonso, Enrique Jardiel Poncela and Pedro SalinasSony VAIO PCG-382L battery.

Madrid is home to the Royal Academy of Spanish Language, internationally important cultural institution dedicated to language planning by enacting legislation aimed at promoting linguistic unity within and among the several Hispanic states; ensure a common linguistic standard, in accordance with its founding statutes "to ensure that the changes undergone [by the language] not break the essential unity that keeps all the HispanicSony VAIO PCG-381L battery. "

Madrid is also home to another internationally cultural institution, the Instituto Cervantes, whose task is the promotion and teaching of Spanish language as well as the dissemination of the culture of Spain and Latin America.

The National Library of Spain is a major public library, the largest in Spain. The library's collection consists of more than 26,000,000 items including 15,000,000 books and other printed materials, 30,000 manuscripts, 143,000 newspapers and serials, 4,500,000 graphic materialsSony VAIO PCG-7185L battery, 510,000 music scores, 500,000 maps, 600,000 sound recording, 90,000 audiovisuals, 90,000 electronic documents, more than 500,000 microforms, etc.".

Nightlife

The nightlife in Madrid is undoubtedly one of the city's main attractions. Tapas bars, cocktail bars, clubs, jazz lounges, live music venues, flamenco theatres and establishments of all kinds cater for all tastes and ages. Every night, venues pertaining to the Live Music Venues Association La Noche en Vivo host a wide range of live music showsSony VAIO PCG-7184L battery. Everything from acclaimed to up-and-coming artists, singer-songwriters to rock bands, jazz concerts or electronic music sessions to enjoy music at its best.

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 sceneSony VAIO PCG-7183L battery.

Some of the most popular night destinations include the neighbourhoods of: Bilbao, Tribunal, Atocha, 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 lifeSony VAIO PCG-7182L battery, especially for the gay population. Chueca is popularly known as the gay quarter, comparable to The Castro district in San Francisco.

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 placesSony VAIO PCG-7181L battery.

Bohemian culture

The city has venues for performing alternative art and expressive art. They are mostly located in the centre of the city include in Opera, Anton Martin, Chueca and Malasaña. There are also several festivals in Madrid including the Festival of Alternative art the Festival of the Alternative SceneSony VAIO PCG-7174L battery.

The neighbourhood of Malasaña as well as Anton Martin and Lavapies hosts several bohemian cafe/galleries. These cafes are typified with period or retro furniture or furniture found on the street, a colourful non traditional atmosphere inside, and usually art displayed each month by a new artist, often for sale. Cafes include the retro cafe "Lolina" and bohemian cafes "La Ida", "La Paca" and "Cafe de la Luz" in MalasañaSony VAIO PCG-7173L battery, "La Piola" in Huertas and "Cafe Olmo" and "Aguardiente" in Lavapies.

In the neighbourhood of Lavapies, there are also "hidden houses", which are illegal bars or abandoned spaces where concerts, poetry reading and the famous Spanish Botellon (a street party or gathering now illegal but rarely stopped).

Classical music and opera

National Auditorium of Music.

The Auditorio Nacional de Música [92] is the main venue for classical music concerts in Madrid. It is home to the Spanish National OrchestraSony VAIO PCG-7172L battery, the Chamartín Symphony Orchestra[93] 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 Teatro Real is the main opera house in Madrid, located just in front of the Royal Palace, and its resident orchestra is the Madrid Symphony Orchestra.[94] The theatre stages around seventeen opera titles (both own productions and co-productions with other major European opera houses) per year, as well as two or three major ballets and several recitalsSony VAIO PCG-7171L battery.

The Teatro de la Zarzuela is mainly devoted to Zarzuela (the Spanish traditional musical theatre genre), as well as operetta and recitals. The resident orchestra of the theatre is the Community of Madrid Orchestra.

The Teatro Monumental is the concert venue of the RTVE Symphony Orchestra.[97]

Other concert venues for classical music are the Fundación Joan March and the Auditorio 400, devoted to contemporary musicSony VAIO PCG-7162L battery.

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 centre 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 mid May to early June, and every Sunday, and public holiday, the rest of the seasonSony VAIO PCG-7161L battery. The style of the plaza is Neo-Mudéjar. Las Ventas also hosts music concerts and other events outside of the bullfighting season.

Local festivities

15 May, San Isidro Labrador (Madrid's patron saint).

13 June, San Antonio de la Florida (Moncloa neighbourhood's patron saint)..

16–25 July, Virgen del Carmen festivities (Vallecas neighbourhood's patron saint).

6–14 August, Virgen de la Paloma festivities (Madrid's popular patron saint)

7 August, San Cayetano (Cascorro neighbourhood's patron saint).

10 August, San Lorenzo (Lavapiés neighbourhood's patron saint) Sony VAIO PCG-7154L battery.

9 November, Virgen de la Almudena festivities (Madrid's patron saint).

The Santiago Bernabéu, a FIFA elite stadium.

Madrid is home to La Liga football club Real Madrid, who play their home games at the Santiago Bernabéu. Their supporters are referred to as Madridistas or Merengues (Merengues). Real Madrid is one of the most prestigious football clubs in the world (FIFA selected Real Madrid the best team of the 20th century), having won a record 9 European Cups. Their hometown rivals, Atlético Madrid, are also well supported in the citySony VAIO PCG-7153L battery. The players (and supporters) are referred to as Colchoneros (The Mattress Makers), in reference to the team's red and white jersey colours, which were determined by mattress material being the cheapest at the time of the club's formation. In 1982, Madrid hosted the FIFA World Cup Final. Along with Barcelona, Glasgow and Lisbon, Madrid is one of only four cities in Europe to contain two UEFA 5-star stadiaSony VAIO PCG-7152L battery: Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu and Atlético Madrid's Vicente Calderón both meet the said criteria. Rayo Vallecano and Getafe CF are two further teams from the Madrid area playing currently in La Liga.

Some of Spain's top footballers are Madrileños (born in Madrid), including Real Madrid former player Emilio Butragueño and co (La Quinta del Buitre, "The Vulture's Quint"), Premier League's Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres and Real Madrid veterans Raúl González, Guti Hernandez and Iker CasillasSony VAIO PCG-7151L battery.

Madrid Arena interior

Madrid boasts a prominent place in Spanish basketball, with two clubs in the country's top-level Liga ACB. Real Madrid's basketball section has won 30 Spanish League championships, 22 Spanish Cup championships, 8 Euroleague Championships, 4 Saporta Cups, 4 Intercontinental Cups and have won 2 Triple Crowns. Madrid's other professional basketball club is Estudiantes that have won 3 Spanish Cup championshipsSony VAIO PCG-7148L battery.

Madrid hosts the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open. The tournament is classified as an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and a Premier Mandatory event on the Women's Tennis Association tour. Caja Mágica (The Magic Box, and also known as the Manzanares Park Tennis Centre) is a tennis structure located at Manzanares Park, used for the Madrid Masters tournamentSony VPCW21M2E/WI battery, Caja Mágica is also home to the Spanish F1 team HRT F1 Team.

The city is also host to the Circuito Permanente Del Jarama, a motorsport race circuit.

Historically, the city serves as the final stage of the Vuelta a España cycling event, in the same way Paris serves as the conclusive stage of 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.

In the past, Madrid has bid to host the 1972, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics, which were awarded to MunichSony VPCW21C7E battery, London, and Rio de Janeiro respectively. In July 2011 Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon announced Madrid's plans to bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[98] The city has two major annual road running events – the Madrid Marathon and the San Silvestre Vallecana 10 km (6 mi) run – tens of thousands of runners take part in these races each year.[99] As reported by Olympic news outlet Around the RingsSony VPCW12S1E/WZ battery,

Education

Main article: Education in Spain

State Education in Spain is free, and compulsory from 6 to 16 years. The current education system is called LOE (Ley Orgánica de Educación).

Universities

Madrid is home to a large number of public and private universities. Some of them are among the oldest in the world, and many of them are the most prestigious universities in SpainSony VPCW12S1E/W battery.

Complutense University of Madrid, founded 1293

The Complutense University of Madrid is the largest university in Spain and one of the oldest universities in the world. It has 10,000 staff members and a student population of 117,000. Nearly all academic staff are Spanish. It is located on two campuses, in the university quarter Ciudad Universitaria at Moncloa in Madrid, and in Somosaguas. Sony VPCW12S1E/T batteryThe Complutense University of Madrid was founded in Alcala de Henares, old Complutum, by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499. Nevertherless, its real origin dates back from 1293, when King Sancho IV of Castile built the General Schools of Alcalá, which would give rise to Cisnero's Complutense University. During the course of 1509–1510 five schools were already operative: Artes y Filosofía (Arts & Philosophy) Sony VPCW12S1E/P battery, Teología (Theology), Derecho Canónico (Canonical Laws), Letras (Liberal Arts) and Medicina (Medicine). In 1836, during the reign of Isabel II, the University was moved to Madrid, where it took the name of Central University and was located at San Bernardo Street. Subsequently, in 1927, a new university area was planned to be built in the district of Moncloa-Aravaca, in lands handed over by the King Alfonso XIII to this purposeSony VPCW11S1E/W battery. The Spanish Civil War turned the "Ciudad Universitaria" into a war zone, causing the destruction of several schools in the area, as well as the loss of part of its rich scientific, artistic and bibliographic heritage. In 1970 the Government reformed the High Education, and the Central University became the Complutense University of Madrid. It was then when the new campus at Somosaguas was created to house the new School of Social SciencesSony VPCW11S1E/T battery. The old Alcalá campus was reopened as the independent UAH, University of Alcalá, in 1977. Complutense also serves to the population of students who select Madrid as their residency during their study abroad period. Students from the United States for example, might go to Madrid on a program like API (Academic Programs International) and study at Complutense for an intense immersion into the Spanish LanguageSony VPCW11S1E/P battery. The beautiful setting of the campus allows students living temporarily in Madrid to have access to all of the city's public features including Retiro Park, El Prado Museum, and much more. After studying at the University, students return home with a fluent sense of Spanish as well as culture and diversity.

School of Mines, Technical University of Madrid.

The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Technical University of Madrid), is the top technical university in Spain. It is the result of the merge of different Technical Schools of EngineeringSony VPCYA1S1E/B battery.

The Autonomous University of Madrid was instituted under the leadership of the famous physicist, Nicolás Cabrera. The Autonoma is widely recognised for its research strengths in theoretical physics. 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 ReyesSony VPCYA1V9E/B battery, Tres Cantos and Colmenar Viejo. Located on the main site are the Rectorate building and the Faculties of Science, Philosophy and Fine Arts, Law, Economic Science and Business Studies, Psychology, Higher School of Computing Science and Engineering, and the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. The Medical School is sited outside the main site and beside the Hospital Universitario La Paz. Sony VPCY21S1E/SI battery

The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, whose philosophy is to create responsible free-thinking people with a sensitivity to social problems and an involvement in the concept of progress based on freedom, justice and tolerance. The undergraduate degrees in Business Administration, Economics and Law are ranked first, first and second respectively among those offered by public and private universities in Spain, Sony VPCY21S1E/L battery and its Master and PhD programs also rank top in the country.[106] The Department of Economics[107] is among the 50 best worldwide, and in the top 10 in Econometrics.[108]

Some other prestigious universities include Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, rebuilt at Alcalá de Henares in 1975; and the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, involved in a number of academic exchange programmes, work practice schemes and international projects with over 200 Higher Education Institutions in Europe, Latin America, North America and AsiaSony VPCY21S1E/G battery.

Other universities in Madrid, some of them private, are: 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 San Pablo CEU (all of them private) Sony VPCY11S1E/S battery.

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 yearsSony VPCY11S1E battery. 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 degreesSony VPCZ11X9E/B battery. Other Madrid business schools and universities that have MBA programs include:

EAE Business School (in English and Spanish).

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).

Madrid is served by highly developed communication infrastructures, making the Spanish capital the leading logistics hub for both Spain and all of southern Europe. It also boasts a network of motorways, encompassing both ring roads and radial roadsSony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery, and provides the backbone for Spain's railway network, thereby providing effective connections with not only other parts of the region, but also the rest of Spain and Europe as a whole. Madrid ranks alongside Tokyo and Paris as one of the world's three largest high-speed railway hubs. Madrid is also home to the Madrid-Barajas airport, Spain's flagship airport and one of the largest in the worldSony VPCZ12M9E/B battery.

Madrid Barajas Airport (T4 Station)

Main article: Madrid-Barajas Airport

Madrid-Barajas Airport is Spain's busiest airport, and 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 49.8 million passengers per year, making it the country's largest and busiest airportSony VPCZ12X9E/X battery, and in 2009 it was the world's 11th busiest airport[109] and Europe's fourth busiest airport. 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 airportSony VPCZ12Z9E/X battery.

The airport is located within the city limits of Madrid, at 9 km (5.6 mi) from the city's financial district and 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of the Puerta del Sol, Madrid's historic centre. The airport name derives from the adjacent district of Barajas, which has its own metro station on the same rail line serving the airportSony VPCZ138GA battery.

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 NavalcarneroSony VPCZ13M9E/B battery, which will only take over the routes operating in Cuatro Vientos Airport.

Main article: Cercanías Madrid

Atocha railway station

Madrid Metro Map

Spain's railway system, the Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE) operates the vast majority of Spain's railways. Cercanías Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías Renfe, the commuter rail division of Renfe. The total length spans 339.1 km. Main rail terminals are Atocha in the south and Chamartín in the northSony VPCZ13M9E/X battery.

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 (4,300 mi) network, centred 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 BarcelonaSony VPCZ13V9E battery. As of 2008, AVE high-speed trains link Atocha station to Seville, Málaga, Córdoba, Ciudad Real and Toledo in the south and to Cuenca, Albacete, Valencia, Zaragoza, Lleida, Tarragona and Barcelona in the east. AVE trains also arrive from Valladolid in the north.

Main article: Madrid Metro

A modern metro train (type 2000)

Serving a population of some four million, the Madrid Metro is one of the most extensive and fastest-growing metro networks in the world.[110] With the addition of a loop serving suburbs to Madrid's south-west "Metrosur"Sony VPCZ13V9E/X battery, 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 kilometres (176 mi) of line. The province of Madrid is also served by an extensive commuter rail network of 370 kilometres (230 mi) called CercaníasSony VPCZ13Z9E/X battery.

The system is the sixth longest metro in the world after London, New York, Moscow, Seoul and Shanghai, though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world. Its fast growth in the last 20 years has also put it among the fastest growing networks in the world, on par with the Shanghai Metro and the Beijing SubwaySony VPCZ21M9E battery. Unlike normal Spanish road and rail traffic, Madrid Metro trains use left-hand running on some lines due to historical reasons.

This railway network is ably supported by an ever-expanding network of city buses. The overall length of the bus network of Madrid's Municipal Transport Corporation (Empresa Municipal de Transportes, or EMT) at yearclose 2008, when 426 million passengers were transported, stood at 3,690 kilometres, marking a 31% increase over the last eight yearsSony VPCZ21Q9E battery. These routes are serviced by a growing fleet of over 2,000 vehicles, while the network as a whole is undergoing a continuous improvement process with a view to attaining the utmost standards of speed, quality and sustainability.

Main article: Highways in Spain

Madrid's motorway hub network.

Madrid is the most important hub of Spain's motorway network and is surrounded by four orbital motorways: M30, M40, M45 and M50. M30 circles the central districts and is the inner ring motorway of MadridSony VPCZ21V9E battery. Significant portions of M30 runs underground and its urban motorway tunnels have sections of more than 6 km (3.73 mi) in length and 3 to 6 lanes in each direction, between the south entry of the Avenida de Portugal tunnel and the north exit of the M-30 south by-pass there are close to 10 km (6.21 mi) of continuous tunnels. M40 is a ring motorway which borders Madrid at a mean distance of 10.07 kilometres (6.26 mi) and it has a total length of 63.3 km (39.33 mi) Sony VPCEH3T9E battery. M45 is a partial ring around the city serving the metropolitan area of Madrid. It was built to help alleviate the congestion of the M40 from the southern to the north-eastern, runs between the M40 and the M50 where the two ring motorways are more separated. M50 is the outer of the Madrid orbital motorways and has a total length of 85 km (52.82 mi). It services mainly the metropolitan area at a mean distance of 13.5 km (8.39 mi)Sony VPCEH3N6E battery.

The most important radial autovías of Madrid are:

Radial tolled autopistas (named R-n instead of A-n) form a new system of accesses to the capital that merges with their autovía counterparts far from Madrid. The main advantage to these roads is that they allow true fast travel from the first kilometer.