Alta Velocidad Española ( AVE ) is a high-speed rail service operated by Renfe , the Spanish State railway company.
100-641: The first AVE service was inaugurated in 1992, with the introduction of the first Spanish high-speed railway connecting the cities of Madrid , Córdoba and Seville . In addition to Renfe's use of the Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias -managed rail infrastructure in Spain, Renfe offers two AVE services partially in France, connecting respectively Barcelona-Lyon and Madrid-Marseille. Alta Velocidad Española translates to "Spanish High Speed", but
200-696: A metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and its monocentric metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU. The municipality covers 604.3 km (233.3 sq mi) geographical area. Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula at about 650 meters above mean sea level. The capital city of both Spain and
300-401: A 0.8 km (0.31 sq mi) periurban park as well as municipal garden centres and compost plants. Madrid has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSk ), transitioning to a Mediterranean climate (Csa) in the western half. The city has continental influences. Winters are cool due to its altitude, which is approximately 667 m (2,188 ft) above sea level and distance from
400-685: A Turkish state originating in Anatolia , encroached steadily on former Byzantine lands, culminating in the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Beginning roughly in the 12th century in Florence , and later spreading through Europe with the development of the printing press , a Renaissance of knowledge challenged traditional doctrines in science and theology , with the Arabic texts and thought bringing about rediscovery of classical Greek and Roman knowledge. The Catholic reconquest of Portugal and Spain led to
500-598: A US-led military alliance ( NATO ) and formed the European Economic Community amongst themselves. The countries in the Soviet sphere of influence joined the military alliance known as the Warsaw Pact and the economic bloc called Comecon . Yugoslavia was neutral. The common attribute of the eastern countries is that all of them have experiences with socialism , but nevertheless, the beginning of
600-519: A declaration of war calling all the Spaniards to fight against the French invaders. The city was invaded on 24 May 1823 by a French army—the so-called Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis —called to intervene to restore the absolutism of Ferdinand that the latter had been deprived from during the 1820–1823 trienio liberal . Unlike other European capitals, during the first half of the 19th century
700-720: A major and direct transport axis between Northern and southern Europe, was completed in 2016 with the Gotthard Base Tunnel . The Gotthard inscribes itself in a long history of transit across the Alps , which saw them progressively changing from an obstacle to a corridor between the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea . The most widely spoken family of languages in southern Europe are the Romance languages ,
800-548: A number of monuments and cultural institutions. The reforms enacted by his Sicilian minister were however opposed in 1766 by the populace in the so-called Esquilache Riots , a revolt demanding to repeal a clothing decree banning the use of traditional hats and long cloaks aiming to curb crime in the city. In the context of the Peninsular War , the situation in French-occupied Madrid after March 1808
900-602: A radial system of communications and transports for the country through public investments. Philip V built the Royal Palace, the Royal Tapestry Factory and the main Royal Academies. The reign of Charles III , who came to be known as "the best mayor of Madrid", saw an effort to turn the city into a true capital, with the construction of sewers, street lighting, cemeteries outside the city and
1000-647: A related movement, worked to reconquer Iberia for Christendom . The late Middle Ages represented a period of upheaval in Europe. The epidemic known as the Black Death and an associated famine caused demographic catastrophe in Europe as the population plummeted. Dynastic struggles and wars of conquest kept many of the states of Europe at war for much of the period. In the Balkans , the Ottoman Empire ,
1100-731: A series of oceanic explorations resulting in the Age of Discovery that established direct links with Africa, the Americas, and Asia. During this period, Iberian forces engaged in a worldwide struggle with Islamic societies; the battlefronts in this Ibero-Islamic World War stretched from the Mediterranean into the Indian Ocean , finally involving the islands of Southeast Asia . Eventually this ecumenical conflict ended when new players—England, Holland and France—replaced Spain and Portugal as
SECTION 10
#17327721298501200-527: A severe housing shortage. Slums and squalor grew due to high population growth and the influx of the poor to the city. Construction of affordable housing failed to keep pace and increased political instability discouraged economic investment in housing in the years immediately prior to the Civil War. Anti-clericalism and Catholicism lived side by side in Madrid; the burning of convents initiated after riots in
1300-566: A sizeable town of the Crown of Castile . The development of Madrid as administrative centre fostered after 1561, as it became the permanent seat of the court of the Hispanic Monarchy . The Madrid urban agglomeration has the fourth-largest GDP in the European Union and its influence in politics , education , entertainment , environment , media , fashion , science , culture , and the arts all contribute to its status as one of
1400-554: A starting point for Muslim offensives. After the disintegration of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the early 11th century, Madrid was integrated in the Taifa of Toledo . In the context of the wider campaign for the conquest of the taifa of Toledo initiated in 1079, Madrid was seized in 1083 by Alfonso VI of León and Castile , who sought to use the town as an offensive outpost against the city of Toledo, in turn conquered in 1085. Following
1500-792: A transported ancient Egyptian temple. Other urban parks are the Parque de El Capricho , the Parque Juan Carlos I (both in northeast Madrid), Madrid Río , the Enrique Tierno Galván Park [ es ] , the San Isidro Park [ es ] as well as gardens such as the Campo del Moro (opened to the public in 1978) and the Sabatini Gardens (opened to the public in 1931) adjacent to
1600-976: Is focused on the three peninsulas located in the extreme south of the European continent. These are the Iberian Peninsula , the Apennine Peninsula , and the Balkan Peninsula . These three peninsulas are separated from the rest of Europe by towering mountain ranges, respectively by the Pyrenees , the Alps and the Balkan Mountains . The location of these peninsulas in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as their mountainous reliefs, provide them with very different types of climates (mainly subtropical Mediterranean ) from
1700-765: Is located on the hills next to the left bank of the Manzanares River. The city grew to the east, reaching the Fuente Castellana Creek [ es ] (now the Paseo de la Castellana ), and further east reaching the Abroñigal Creek [ es ] (now the M-30 ). The city also grew through the annexation of neighbouring urban settlements, including those to the South West on
1800-852: Is spoken in Italy, particularly in South Tyrol . The predominant religion in southern Europe is Christianity . Christianity spread throughout southern Europe during the Roman Empire, and Christianity was adopted as the official religion of the Roman Empire in the year 380 AD. Due to the historical break of the Church into the western half based in Rome and the eastern half based in Constantinople , different denominations of Christianity are prominent in different parts of Europe. Christians in
1900-600: Is used as a second language in parts of southern Europe. As a primary language, however, English has only a small presence in southern Europe, only in Gibraltar (alongside Spanish) and Malta (secondary to Maltese). English is also widely spoken in Cyprus. There are other language groupings in southern Europe. Albanian is spoken in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, Serbia, Croatia and Italy (particularly by
2000-532: The 1960s Spanish economic boom , while the south-eastern periphery became a large working-class area, which formed the base for active cultural and political movements. After the fall of the Francoist regime, the new 1978 constitution confirmed Madrid as the capital of Spain. The 1979 municipal election brought Madrid's first democratically elected mayor since the Second Republic to power. Madrid
2100-588: The Adriatic Sea in cities such as Venice and Trieste , but also further north, near the Alpine foothills, in cities such as Como and Lugano . Southern Europe's flora is mainly characterized by Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub , but also temperate broadleaf and mixed forests . The Mediterranean and Submediterranean climate regions in Europe are found in much of southern Europe, mainly Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta, Albania, Greece, Cyprus and all
SECTION 20
#17327721298502200-748: The Aosta Valley in Italy), Catalan (spoken in eastern Spain, Andorra, Southwestern France, and the Sardinian town of Alghero in Italy), Galician (spoken in northwestern Spain), Mirandese (spoken in northeast Portugal), and Occitan , which is spoken in the Val d'Aran in Catalonia, in the Occitan Valleys in Italy and in southern France. Slavic Languages are spoken in several countries on
2300-678: The Arbëreshë people in southern Italy ). Maltese is a Semitic language that is the official language of Malta, descended from Siculo-Arabic , but written in the Latin script with heavy Latin and Italian influences. The Basque language is spoken in the Basque Country , a region in northern Spain and southwestern France. Turkish is a Turkic language that is spoken in Turkey, Cyprus, Kosovo, Greece, North Macedonia and Bosnia, and German
2400-691: The Balearic Islands , Corsica , Crete , Cyprus , Sardinia , and Sicily , as well as the island country of Malta . Southern Europe's most emblematic climate is the Mediterranean climate , influenced by the large subtropical semi-permanent centre of high atmospheric pressure found, not in the Mediterranean itself, but in the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores High . The Mediterranean climate covers Portugal , Spain , Italy ,
2500-1026: The Balkans . Bulgarian language ( Български език ) is spoken in Bulgaria ( България ). Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian is spoken in Kosovo, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Italy (in Molise ). Slovenian is spoken in Slovenia, Italy (in Friuli-Venezia Giulia ) and Croatia (in Istria ) and Macedonian is spoken in North Macedonia. The Hellenic languages or Greek language are widely spoken in Greece and Cyprus. Additionally, other varieties of Greek are spoken in small communities in parts of other European countries. English
2600-613: The Instituto Cervantes and the Foundation of Urgent Spanish ( Fundéu RAE). Madrid organises fairs such as FITUR, ARCO, SIMO TCI and the Madrid Fashion Week . Madrid is home to two world-famous football clubs, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid . While Madrid possesses modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include
2700-761: The Mediterranean by the 8th century BC. Carthage was founded in 814 BC, and the Carthaginians by 700 BC had firmly established strongholds in Sicily and Sardinia (both regions in present day Italy ), which created conflicts of interest with Etruria . Its colonies later reached the Western Mediterranean , such as Cádiz in Spain and most notably Carthage in North Africa, and even the Atlantic Ocean . The civilisation spread across
2800-421: The Ottoman Empire . Italy unified into a nation state. The capture of Rome in 1870 ended the Papal temporal power . The outbreak of World War I in 1914 was precipitated by the rise of nationalism in Southeastern Europe as the Great Powers took up sides. The Allies defeated the Central Powers in 1918. During the Paris Peace Conference the Big Four imposed their terms in a series of treaties, especially
2900-400: The Plaza Mayor , the Royal Palace of Madrid ; the 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; many national museums, and the Golden Triangle of Art , located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum ,
3000-412: The Reina Sofía Museum , a museum of modern art , and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum , which complements the holdings of the other two museums. The mayor is José Luis Martínez-Almeida from the People's Party . The origin of the name is unknown. There are various theories regarding the origin of the toponym "Madrid" (all of them with problems when it comes to fully explaining the phonetic evolution of
3100-436: The Tramontane . When the Mistral and the Tramontane are blowing, this provokes an "upwelling" phenomenon on the French coast. They push the surface waters out to sea and bring deeper, cooler waters up to the seaside. Consequently, the temperature of the waters of the French coasts are therefore very cool even in summer, and not representative of the rest of the Mediterranean. This same kind of phenomenon takes place between
AVE - Misplaced Pages Continue
3200-461: The Treaty of Versailles . The Nazi regime under Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, and along with Mussolini's Italy sought to gain control of the continent by the Second World War . Following the Allied victory in the Second World War, Europe was divided by the Iron Curtain . The countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe were dominated by the Soviet Union and became communist states . The major non-communist southern European countries joined
3300-410: The gentrification and the spike of tourist apartments in the city centre) and the profusion of betting shops in working-class areas, leading to an "epidemic" of gambling among young people. Madrid lies in the centre of the Iberian peninsula on the southern Meseta Central , 60 km south of the Guadarrama mountain range and straddling the Jarama and Manzanares river sub-drainage basins, in
3400-427: The revolt of the Comuneros , led by Juan Lopez de Padilla , Madrid joined the revolt against Charles, Holy Roman Emperor , but after defeat at the Battle of Villalar , Madrid was besieged and occupied by the imperial troops. The city was however granted the titles of Coronada (Crowned) and Imperial . The number of urban inhabitants grew from 4,060 in the year 1530 to 37,500 in the year 1594. The poor population of
3500-453: The 10 m (108 sq ft) per inhabitant recommended by the World Health Organization. A great bulk of the most important parks in Madrid are related to areas originally belonging to the royal assets (including El Pardo, Soto de Viñuelas, Casa de Campo, El Buen Retiro, la Florida and the Príncipe Pío hill , and the Queen's Casino). The other main source for the "green" areas are the bienes de propios [ es ] owned by
3600-525: The 1990s was just roughly the same. For some of them becoming independent was the major challenge, while others needed to face with poverty and deep dictatorship also Economically, parallel with the political changes, and the democratic transition, – as a rule of law states – the previous command economies were transformed via the legislation into market economies, and set up or renewed the major macroeconomic factors: budgetary rules, national audit, national currency, central bank. Generally, they shortly encountered
3700-498: The AVE service: The still-growing network transported a record 32.4 million passengers in 2023. Though the network length is extensive, it lags in ridership behind comparable high-speed rail systems in Japan, France, Germany, China, Taiwan, and Korea. Madrid Madrid ( / m ə ˈ d r ɪ d / mə- DRID ; Spanish: [maˈðɾið] ) is the capital and most populous municipality of Spain . It has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and
3800-408: The Bosporus) are described as located in "Southeastern Europe". EuroVoc is a multilingual thesaurus maintained by the Publications Office of the European Union , giving definitions of terms for official use. In the definition of "southern Europe", the following countries are included: The United Nations geoscheme is a system devised by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) which divides
3900-399: The Bourbon army on 4 August 1706. The Habsburg army led by the Archduke Charles entered the city for a second time [ es ] in September 1710, leaving the city less than three months after. Philip V entered the capital on 3 December 1710. Seeking to take advantage of the Madrid's location at the geographic centre of Spain, the 18th century saw a sustained effort to create
4000-403: The Byzantine Empire. In Western Europe, Germanic peoples moved into positions of power in the remnants of the former Western Roman Empire and established kingdoms and empires of their own. The period known as the Crusades , a series of religiously motivated military expeditions originally intended to bring the Levant back into Christian rule, began. Several Crusader states were founded in
4100-401: The City Council. They were the main infrastructure for the supply of water until the arrival of the Canal de Isabel II in the mid-19th century. Madrid derives almost 73.5 percent of its water supply from dams and reservoirs built on the Lozoya River , such as the El Atazar Dam . This water supply is managed by the Canal de Isabel II, a public entity created in 1851. It is responsible for
AVE - Misplaced Pages Continue
4200-509: The Madrid population temporarily plummeted accordingly). Being the capital was decisive for the evolution of the city and influenced its fate and during the rest of the reign of Philip II, the population boomed, going up from about 18,000 in 1561 to 80,000 in 1598. During the early 17th century, although Madrid recovered from the loss of the capital status, with the return of diplomats, lords and affluent people, as well as an entourage of noted writers and artists together with them, extreme poverty
4300-460: The Manzanares. Other large forested areas include the Soto de Viñuelas , the Dehesa de Valdelatas [ es ] and the Dehesa de la Villa [ es ] . As of 2015, the most recent big park in the municipality is the Valdebebas Park. Covering a total area of 4.7 km (1.8 sq mi), it is sub-divided in a 3.4 km (1.3 sq mi) forest park (the Parque forestal de Valdebebas-Felipe VI [ es ] ),
4400-454: The Mediterranean between 1500 BC and 300 BC. The period known as classical antiquity began with the rise of the city-states of Ancient Greece . Greek influence reached its zenith under the expansive empire of Alexander the Great , spreading throughout Asia . The Roman Empire came to dominate the entire Mediterranean Basin in a vast empire based on Roman law and Roman legions . It promoted trade, tolerance, and Greek culture. By 300 AD
4500-423: The Roman Empire was divided into the Western Roman Empire based in Rome, and the Eastern Roman Empire based in Constantinople. The attacks of the Goths led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, a date which traditionally marks the end of the classical period and the start of the Middle Ages . During the Middle Ages, the Eastern Roman Empire survived, though modern historians refer to this state as
4600-400: The Royal Palace. Further west, across the Manzanares, lies the Casa de Campo , a large forested area with more than 1700 hectares (6.6 sq mi) where the Madrid Zoo , and the Parque de Atracciones de Madrid amusement park are located. It was ceded to the municipality following the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931. The Monte de El Pardo is the largest forested area in
4700-427: The aegis of a wider coordinated urban planning. Madrid grew through the annexation of neighboring municipalities, achieving the present extent of 607 km (234.36 sq mi). The south of Madrid became heavily industrialized, and there was significant immigration from rural areas of Spain. Madrid's newly built north-western districts became the home of a newly enriched middle class that appeared as result of
4800-497: The agricultural and less repopulated town of Madrid. After the decline of Sepúlveda , another concejo north of the mountain range, Segovia had become a major actor south of the Guadarrama mountains, expanding across the Lozoya and Manzanares rivers to the north of Madrid and along the Guadarrama river course to its west. In 1309, the Courts of Castile convened at Madrid for the first time under Ferdinand IV , and later in 1329, 1339, 1391, 1393, 1419 and twice in 1435. During
4900-428: The city by 1956). A transitional planning intended to temporarily replace the shanty towns were the poblados de absorción , introduced since the mid-1950s in locations such as Canillas , San Fermín , Caño Roto, Villaverde , Pan Bendito [ es ] , Zofío and Fuencarral , aiming to work as a sort of "high-end" shacks (with the destinataries participating in the construction of their own housing) but under
5000-440: The city in May 1931 worsened the political environment. However, the 1934 insurrection largely failed in the city. Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). It was a stronghold of the Republican faction from July 1936 and became an international symbol of anti-fascist struggle during the conflict. The city suffered aerial bombing, and in November 1936, its western suburbs were
5100-469: The city proliferated. The following administrations, also conservative, led by Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón and Ana Botella launched three unsuccessful bids for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics. By 2005, Madrid was the leading European destination for migrants from developing countries , as well as the largest employer of non-European workforce in Spain. Madrid was a centre of the anti-austerity protests that erupted in Spain in 2011. As consequence of
SECTION 50
#17327721298505200-441: The city's history as the capital of formerly imperial Spain. The intense demographic growth experienced by the city via mass immigration from the rural areas of the country led to the construction of abundant housing in the peripheral areas of the city to absorb the new population (reinforcing the processes of social polarization of the city), initially comprising substandard housing (with as many as 50,000 shacks scattered around
5300-430: The city. Precipitation is typically concentrated in the autumn, winter, and spring. It is particularly sparse during the summer, taking the form of about two showers and/or thunderstorms during the season. Madrid is the european capital with the least amount of annual precipitation. At the metropolitan scale, Madrid features both substantial daytime urban cool island and nighttime urban heat island effects during
5400-423: The conquest, Christians occupied the center of the city, while Muslims and Jews were displaced to the suburbs. Madrid, located near Alcalá (under Muslim control until 1118), remained a borderland for a while, suffering a number of razzias during the Almoravid period, and its walls were destroyed in 1110. The city was confirmed as villa de realengo [ es ] (linked to the Crown) in 1123, during
5500-422: The countries of the world into regional and subregional groups, based on the M49 coding classification . The partition is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories. In the UN geoscheme, the following countries are classified as southern Europe: as well as the dependent territory : European Travel Commission divides
5600-421: The court was composed of ex-soldiers, foreigners, rogues and Ruanes, dissatisfied with the lack of food and high prices. In June 1561 Phillip II set his court in Madrid, installing it in the old alcázar . Thanks to this, the city of Madrid became the political centre of the monarchy, being the capital of Spain except for a short period between 1601 and 1606, in which the Court was relocated to Valladolid (and
5700-493: The eastern Mediterranean. These were all short-lived. The Crusaders would have a profound impact on many parts of Europe. Their sack of Constantinople in 1204 brought an abrupt end to the Byzantine Empire. Though it would later be re-established, it would never recover its former glory. The Crusaders would establish trade routes that would develop into the Silk Road and open the way for the merchant republics of Genoa and Venice to become major economic powers. The Reconquista ,
5800-400: The environmental value. During the reign of Ferdinand VII the regime of hunting prohibition for the Monte de El Pardo became one of full property and the expropriation of all possessions within its bounds was enforced, with dire consequences for the madrilenians at the time. It is designated as Special Protection Area for bird-life and it is also part of the Regional Park of the High Basin of
5900-424: The existence of an established settlement in Madrid dates from the Muslim age. In the second half of the 9th century, Umayyad Emir Muhammad I built a fortress on a headland near the river Manzanares as one of the many fortresses 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 reconquests and also as
6000-459: The following problems: high inflation, high unemployment, low economic growth and high government debt. By 2000 these economies were stabilized, and sooner or later between 2004 and 2013 some of them joined the European Union, and Slovenia introduced the euro. Italy became a major industrialized country again, due to its post-war economic miracle . The European Union (EU) involved the division of powers, with tax, health, and education handled by
6100-430: The frequent heat waves. Due to Madrid's altitude and dry climate, humidity is low and diurnal ranges are often significant, particularly on sunny winter days when the temperature rises in the afternoon before rapidly plummeting after nightfall. Madrid is among the sunniest capital cities in Europe. The highest recorded temperature was on 14 August 2021, with 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) and the lowest recorded temperature
SECTION 60
#17327721298506200-427: The headquarters of the UN 's World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), and the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB). It also hosts major international regulators and promoters of the Spanish language: the Standing Committee of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE),
6300-527: The heirs of Latin, which have spread from the Italian peninsula, and are emblematic of Southwestern Europe (See the Latin Arch .) . By far the most common Romance languages in southern Europe are Italian (spoken by over 50 million people in Italy, southern Switzerland, Malta, San Marino, and Vatican City) and Spanish , which is spoken by over 40 million people in Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar. Other common Romance languages include Portuguese (spoken in Portugal and Andorra), French (spoken in France, Monaco, and
6400-453: The homes of the influx of workers, while Ensanche became a middle-class neighbourhood of Madrid. The Spanish Constitution of 1931 was the first to legislate the location of the country's capital, setting it explicitly in Madrid. During the 1930s, Madrid enjoyed "great vitality"; it was demographically young, becoming urbanized and the centre of new political movements. During this time, major construction projects were undertaken, including
6500-476: The initials are also a play on the word ave , meaning "bird". AVE trains operate at speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph). As of 2024 Renfe offers the following AVE services: The central hub of the AVE system is Madrid's Puerta de Atocha , except for the Madrid–Asturias , Madrid–Burgos, Madrid–Galicia , Madrid–Alicante and Madrid-Murcia lines, that terminate at Chamartín station . Currently, there are several series of high-speed trains that run
6600-442: The latter's confluence with the Fuente Castellana thalweg in the south of the city. The Monte de El Pardo (a protected forested area covering over a quarter of the municipality) reaches its top altitude (843 m (2,766 ft)) on its perimeter, in the slopes surrounding El Pardo reservoir [ es ] located at the north-western end of the municipality, in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district. The oldest urban core
6700-509: The main agents of European imperialism in the mid-17th century. European overseas expansion led to the rise of colonial empires , producing the Columbian Exchange . The combination of resource inflows from the New World and the Industrial Revolution of Great Britain, allowed a new economy based on manufacturing instead of subsistence agriculture. The period between 1815 and 1871 saw a large number of revolutionary attempts and independence wars . Balkan nations began to regain independence from
6800-407: The mediterranean islands, but also in southeast France, the Balkan Mediterranean coast and part of Macedonia. In the Mediterranean coastal areas, olive groves , maquis shrubland , and steppes are very common. At higher elevations, or latitudes, they are replaced by chestnut and (often coppiced) mixed forests. The Phoenicians originally expanded from Canaan ports , dominating trade in
6900-528: The moderating effect of the sea. While mostly sunny, rain, sporadic snowfalls and frequent frosts can occur between December and February with cooler temperatures particularly during the night and mornings as cold winds blow into the city from surrounding mountains. Summers are hot and sunny, in the warmest month, July, average temperatures during the day range from 32 to 34 °C (90 to 93 °F) depending on location, with maxima commonly climbing over 35 °C (95 °F) and occasionally up to 40 °C during
7000-406: The mountain ranges of Spain and Italy. Additionally, the north coast of Spain experiences a wetter Atlantic climate. In the highest regions of the Alps, which border southern Europe, even ice cap climate can be found. Some parts of southern Europe have humid subtropical climates with warm and wet summers, unlike typical Mediterranean climates. This climate is mainly found in Italy and Croatia around
7100-403: The municipality (including the Dehesa de la Villa, the Dehesa de Arganzuela or Viveros). El Retiro is the most visited location of the city. Having an area bigger than 1.4 km (0.5 sq mi) (350 acres), it is the largest park within the Almendra Central , the inner part of the city enclosed by the M-30. Created during the reign of Philip IV (17th century), it was handed over to
7200-714: The municipality in 1868, after the Glorious Revolution. It lies next to the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid . Located northwest of the city centre, the Parque del Oeste ("Park of the West") comprises part of the area of the former royal possession of the "Real Florida", and it features a slope as the height decreases down to the Manzanares. Its southern extension includes the Temple of Debod ,
7300-574: The municipality. A holm oak forest covering a surface over 16,000 hectares, it is considered the best preserved mediterranean forest in the Community of Madrid and one of the best preserved in Europe. Already mentioned in the Alfonso XI 's Libro de la montería [ es ] from the mid-14th century, its condition as hunting location linked to the Spanish monarchy help to preserve
7400-520: The nation states, while the EU had charge of market rules, competition, legal standards and environmentalism. The Soviet economic and political system collapsed, leading to the end of communism in the satellite countries in 1989, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union itself in 1991. European Union expanded to subsequently include many of the formerly communist European countries – Romania and Bulgaria (2007) and Croatia (2013). The Gotthard ,
7500-469: The northern extension of the Paseo de la Castellana , one of Madrid's major thoroughfares. The tertiary sector, including banking, insurance and telephone services, grew greatly. Illiteracy rates were down to below 20%, and the city's cultural life grew notably during the so-called Silver Age of Spanish Culture; the sales of newspapers also increased. Conversely, the proclamation of the Republic created
7600-686: The only noticeable bourgeois elements in Madrid (that experienced a delay in its industrial development up to that point) were merchants. The University of Alcalá de Henares was relocated to Madrid in 1836, becoming the Central University . The economy of the city further modernized during the second half of the 19th century, consolidating its status as a service and financial centre. New industries were mostly focused in book publishing, construction and low-tech sectors. The introduction of railway transport greatly helped Madrid's economic prowess, and led to changes in consumption patterns (such as
7700-502: The reign of Alfonso VII . The 1123 Charter of Otorgamiento established the first explicit limits between Madrid and Segovia, namely the Puerto de El Berrueco and the Puerto de Lozoya. Beginning in 1188, Madrid had the right to be a city with representation in the courts of Castile. In 1202, Alfonso VIII gave Madrid its first charter to regulate the municipal council, which was expanded in 1222 by Ferdinand III . The government system of
7800-735: The rest of the continent. So, the Sirocco hot wind that originates in the heart of the Sahara blows over Italy , going up to the interior of the Alpine arc ( Po Valley ). The Alps prevent the Sirocco from spreading to the rest of Europe. And, conversely, the Alps and the Pyrenees protect the Italian and Iberian Peninsulas from the rains and icy winds from the south of France such as the Mistral and
7900-437: The rest of the country, a heroin crisis took a toll in the poor neighborhoods of Madrid in the 1980s. Benefiting from increasing prosperity in the 1980s and 1990s, the capital city of Spain consolidated its position as an important economic, cultural, industrial, educational, and technological centre on the European continent. During the mandate as Mayor of José María Álvarez del Manzano construction of traffic tunnels below
8000-419: The right bank of the Manzanares. Madrid 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%. At present, 8.2% of Madrid's grounds are green areas, meaning that there are 16 m (172 sq ft) of green area per inhabitant, far exceeding
8100-601: The scene of an all-out battle. The city fell to the Francoists in March 1939. A staple of post-war Madrid ( Madrid de la posguerra ) was the widespread use of ration coupons . Meat and fish consumption was scarce, resulting in high mortality due to malnutrition. Due to Madrid's history as a left-wing stronghold, the right-wing victors considered moving the capital elsewhere (most notably to Seville ), but such plans were never implemented. The Franco regime instead emphasized
8200-668: The southern European countries form the EU Med Group . Southern Europe also loosely corresponds to the European part of the Mediterranean Basin . Geographically, southern Europe is the southern portion of the European continent. This definition is relative, although largely based on history, culture, climate , and flora, which is shared across the region. Southern Europe can be subdivided into three subregions : The major islands in southern Europe generally include
8300-442: The southern coast of France , coastal Croatia , coastal Slovenia , southern Bosnia and Herzegovina , Montenegro , Albania , and Greece , as well as the Mediterranean islands. Those areas of Mediterranean climate present similar vegetations and landscapes throughout, including dry hills, small plains, pine forests and olive trees. Cooler climates can be found in certain parts of southern European countries, for example within
8400-498: The spillover of the 2008 financial and mortgage crisis , Madrid has been affected by the increasing number of second-hand homes held by banks and house evictions . The mandate of left-wing Mayor Manuela Carmena (2015–2019) delivered the renaturalization of the course of the Manzanares across the city. Since the late 2010s, the challenges the city faces include the increasingly unaffordable rental prices (often in parallel with
8500-423: The substitution of salted fish for fresh fish from the Spanish coasts) as well as further strengthening the city's role as a logistics node in the country's distribution network. Electric lighting in the streets was introduced in the 1890s. During the first third of the 20th century the population nearly doubled, reaching more than 850,000 inhabitants. New suburbs such as Las Ventas, Tetuán and El Carmen became
8600-612: The summer season in relation to its surroundings, which feature thinly vegetated dry land. In the 17th century, the viajes de agua (a kind of water channel or qanat ) were used to provide water to the city. Some of the most important ones were the Viaje de Amaniel [ es ] (1610–1621, sponsored by the Crown), the Viaje de Fuente Castellana [ es ] (1613–1620) and Abroñigal Alto [ es ] / Abroñigal Bajo [ es ] (1617–1630), sponsored by
8700-414: The supply, depurating waste water and the conservation of all the natural water resources of the Madrid region. The population of Madrid has overall increased since the city became the capital of Spain in the mid-sixteenth century, and has stabilised at approximately 3,000,000 since the 1970s. From 1970 until the mid-1990s, the population dropped. This phenomenon, which also affected other European cities,
8800-530: The surrounding autonomous community of Madrid (since 1983), it is also the political, economic, and cultural centre of the country. The climate of Madrid features hot summers and cool winters. The primitive core of Madrid, a walled military outpost, dates back to the late 9th century, under the Emirate of Córdoba . Conquered by Christians in 1083 or 1085, it consolidated in the Late Middle Ages as
8900-578: The toponym), namely: Nicknames for Madrid include the plural Los Madriles and La Villa y Corte ( lit. ' the town and court ' ). The site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times, and there are archaeological remains of the Celtic Carpetani settlement, Roman villas , a Visigoth basilica near the church of Santa María de la Almudena and three Visigoth necropolises near Casa de Campo, Tetuán and Vicálvaro. The first historical document about
9000-543: The town was changed to a regimiento of 12 regidores by Alfonso XI on 6 January 1346. Starting in the mid-13th century and up to the late 14th century, the concejo of Madrid vied for the control of the Real de Manzanares territory against the concejo of Segovia , a powerful town north of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range, characterised by its repopulating prowess and its husbandry-based economy, contrasted with
9100-560: The two slopes of the Balkan mountain range. These mountains have, moreover, been a serious handicap to population displacement, focusing southern Europe mainly on the Mediterranean world . The climate and cultures are therefore very specific. Different methods can be used to define southern Europe, including its political , economic , historical , and cultural attributes. Southern Europe can also be defined by its natural features — its geography , climate , and flora . Politically, nine of
9200-432: The western half of southern Europe — e.g., Portugal, Spain, Italy — are generally Roman Catholic . Christians in the eastern half of southern Europe — e.g., Greece, Serbia and North Macedonia — are generally Eastern Orthodox . Islam is widely practiced in Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and Turkey and Northern Cyprus . Muslims are a significant minority in several countries of southern Europe- e.g., Greece, Italy, Spain. Judaism
9300-429: The wider Tagus River catchment area. With an average altitude of 650 m (2,130 ft), Madrid is the second highest capital of Europe (after Andorra la Vella ). The difference in altitude within the city proper ranges from the 700 m (2,297 ft) around Plaza de Castilla in the north of city to the 570 m (1,870 ft) around La China wastewater treatment plant on the Manzanares' riverbanks, near
9400-568: The world's major global cities . Madrid is considered the major financial centre and the leading economic hub of the Iberian Peninsula and of Southern Europe . The metropolitan area hosts major Spanish companies such as Telefónica , Iberia , BBVA and FCC . It concentrates the bulk of banking operations in the country and it is the Spanish-speaking city generating the largest number of webpages. Madrid houses
9500-719: Was becoming more and more tense. On 2 May, a crowd began to gather near the Royal Palace protesting against the French attempt to evict the remaining members of the Bourbon royal family to Bayonne , prompting up an uprising against the French Imperial troops that lasted hours and spread throughout the city, including a famous last stand at the Monteleón barracks. Subsequent repression was brutal, with many insurgent Spaniards being summarily executed . The uprising led to
9600-708: Was caused in part by the growth of satellite suburbs at the expense of the downtown region within the city proper. Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe . It is also known as Mediterranean Europe , as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea . Definitions of southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Albania , Andorra , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Croatia , Cyprus , Gibraltar , Greece , Italy , Malta , Monaco , Montenegro , North Macedonia , Portugal , San Marino , Serbia , Slovenia , southern France , Spain , Turkey ( East Thrace ), and Vatican City . Southern Europe
9700-520: Was however rampant. The century also was a time of heyday for theatre, represented in the so-called corrales de comedias . The city changed hands several times during the War of the Spanish Succession : from the Bourbon control it passed to the allied "Austracist" army with Portuguese and English presence that entered the city in late June 1706 [ es ] , only to be retaken by
9800-542: Was on 16 January 1945 with −10.1 °C (13.8 °F) in Madrid. While at the airport, in the eastern side of the city, the highest recorded temperature was on 24 July 1995, at 42.2 °C (108.0 °F), and the lowest recorded temperature was on 16 January 1945 at −15.3 °C (4.5 °F). From 7 to 9 January 2021 , Madrid received the most snow in its recorded history since 1904; Spain's meteorological agency AEMET reported between 50 and 60 cm (20 and 24 in) of accumulated snow in its weather stations within
9900-682: Was practiced widely throughout the European continent within the Roman Empire from the 2nd century. In the CIA World Factbook , the description of each country includes information about "Location" under the heading "Geography", where the country is classified into a region. The following countries are included in their classification "southern Europe": In addition, Andorra , Gibraltar , Portugal and Spain are classified as "Southwestern Europe", while Albania , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Croatia , Montenegro , North Macedonia , Romania , Serbia and Turkey (the part west of
10000-430: Was the scene of some of the most important events of the time, such as the mass demonstrations of support for democracy after the failed coup, 23-F , on 23 February 1981. The first democratic mayors belonged to the centre-left PSOE ( Enrique Tierno Galván , Juan Barranco Gallardo ). Since the late 1970s and through the 1980s Madrid became the center of the cultural movement known as la Movida . Conversely, just like in
#849150