128-503: The Madrid city of Parla has a circular tram line which provides transportation within the city as well as to the rest of the metropolitan area . This network is standard gauge which facilitates compatibility and vehicle interchangeability with other lines built or planned in the Community of Madrid. The main shareholder of the company is Globalvia (a Spanish private infrastructure company) with 85%, and then CCM with 15%. The tram
256-535: A parliamentary system ; that is, the head of government —known as the "president"—is dependent on the direct support from the autonomous legislature , whose members elect him by a majority . The Statute of Autonomy of the Madrid Autonomous Community is the fundamental organic law in conjunction with (and subordinated to) the Spanish constitution . The Statute of Autonomy establishes that
384-646: A circular line of 15 stations with stops every 500 meters (1,600 ft), a total length of 8.3 km (5.2 mi) (similar to the Montpellier tramway ). It connects the city center with new urban developments (Parla Este among them) and points of interest in the city such as the Commissioner of Police, health and cultural centers, shopping centers, etc. There is a connection with the Parla station of Cercanías Madrid located in downtown Parla and in future with
512-476: A consequence of a long process of repopulation that took place over the course of four centuries. The feudal and ecclesiastical lords came into constant conflict with the different councils that had been granted the authority to repopulate. In the 13th century, Madrid was the only town of the current-day region that preserved its own juridical personality, at first with the Old Fuero (Charter) and later with
640-432: A distinct regional identity. Since the 1833 provincial organization, Madrid was part of the historical region of New Castile along with the provinces of Guadalajara, Toledo, Cuenca and Ciudad Real. Thus, it was first planned that the province of Madrid would be part of the future community of Castile–La Mancha (which was roughly similar to New Castile, with the addition of Albacete ) but with some special considerations as
768-535: A great variety and taxonomic richness with the usual presence of Plecoptera (families Perlidae , Leuctridae , etc.), Ephemeroptera (families Heptageniidae , Ephemeridae , Leptophlebiidae , etc.) and Trichoptera ( Sericostomatidae , Glossosomatidae , Lepidostomatidae , etc.) in their waters. The Mediterranean mountain has a lower diversity, although relatively high, being well represented some heteroptera and trichoptera adapted to low current and temperate waters (families Hydroptylidae , Rhyacophilidae , etc.),
896-757: A great variety of ecosystems that include different habitats and protected species; these ecosystems range from the high peaks of the mountain ranges of the Central System to the river valleys of the Upper Tagus or the alluvial plains of Toledo and Cáceres . The Tagus basin can be divided into two large biogeographical zones : the Luso-Extremaduran province (center-west), and the Castilian-Mestrazgo-Manchegan province (center-east), with its natural boundary at
1024-521: A higher altitude close to the Sierra de Guadarrama feature a colder climate, also generally with more precipitation (particularly in the winter), with climate subtypes ranging from the Csa to the warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb ) and the dry summer continental climate (Köppen: Dsb ) on the peaks of the mountain range, with temperature averages below freezing point during January and February in
1152-690: A length of 910 km, in the Spanish area, 1092 km in total length. The basin is wedged between the Central System , to the north, the Montes de Toledo and Sierra de Montánchez , to the south and the Iberian System , ( Serranía de Cuenca and Sierra de Albarracín ), to the east; bordering to the north with the Ebro and Douro basins; to the south with the Guadiana Basin and to the east with
1280-429: A new station in the north of the city. Along with the construction of the tram, there have been "park and ride" facilities built throughout the city to promote the use of public transport. There were plans to eventually build two more lines, also circular. Given the financial crisis facing the city there are many questions about the economic feasibility of extending the system. As of January 2020, Parla Tram remains
1408-402: A population transfer from the capital to the rest of municipalities of the metropolitan area emerged. This process accelerated when the autonomous community was founded, and it took placed along a strong decrease of birth rates. The creation of the contemporary Community of Madrid was preceded by an intense political debate. Autonomous communities were to be created by one or more provinces with
SECTION 10
#17327879393171536-501: A series of phreatophytic communities dominated by rushes of roundhead bulrush, Scirpus holoschoenus , and a seasonal sub-humid grassland. The great diversity of relief and vegetation allows the existence of a rich and varied fauna. In the Tagus basin we can observe, within the group of vertebrates, about 66 species of mammals, 198 nesting birds, 26 reptiles, 18 amphibians and 29 fish, including numerous emblematic species of great value in
1664-466: A seventh of the national total, mostly concentrated in the metropolitan area of Madrid . It is also the most densely populated autonomous community. Madrid has both the largest nominal GDP , slightly ahead of that of Catalonia , and the highest GDP per capita in the country. Madrid's economy is highly tertiarised , having a leading role in Spain's logistics and transportation. The Community of Madrid
1792-711: A single line. The ticket price is similar to urban bus lines in the city. Madrid regional travel passes are valid (at least B2 zone). Parla Tram uses the Alstom Citadis 302, with a maximum capacity of 220 passengers, being the same amount as three buses. This model is the same used in Trambaix and Trambesòs in Barcelona , Tenerife Tram , Murcia Tram and Metro Ligero de Madrid . Community of Madrid The Community of Madrid ( Spanish : Comunidad de Madrid [komuniˈðað ðe maˈðɾið] )
1920-629: A still important development in the Badiel, near the confluence with the Henares, in the middle reaches of the Camarmilla and Pantuerta streams. In a large part of its distribution area, the elm is replaced by a dense reedbed, as occurs in the Anchuelo stream or in the Camarmilla stream, or in the lower Tajuña. These two rivers have similar characteristics in a large part of their course, although
2048-466: A strategic military post in the 11th century. The Muslim rulers created a defensive system of fortresses and towers all across the region with which they tried to stop the advance of the Christian kingdoms of the north. The fortress of Mayrit (Madrid) was built somewhere between 860 and 880 AD, as a walled precinct where a military and religious community lived, and which constituted the foundation of
2176-409: A unified region as several lords and churches had jurisdiction over their own autonomous territories. During the 18th century, the fragmented administration of the region was not solved despite several attempts. During the reign of Philip V , the intendencia was created as a political and administrative division. Nonetheless, the intendencia of Madrid did not fully solve the problem, and the region
2304-525: Is 3° 40' of longitude west of Greenwich , England, and 40° 23' north of the equator. Most of the province lies between 600 and 1,000 m above sea level. However, there the altitude ranges from 2,428 metres of Peñalara to 430 metres at the Alberche river when it leaves Villa del Prado into the province of Toledo. Other considerable heights, as well as being famous, are the Bola del Mundo ("Ball of
2432-546: Is accompanied by a good number of Salix salviifolia as a consequence of the contact with the water of the riverbed and the shallowness of the water table. This zone includes from the city of Toledo to the Valdecañas reservoir , here the Tagus is regulated practically continuously from the Villacañas reservoir to Alcántara , near the border with Portugal . In this area there is a biogeographical change (entering
2560-529: Is almost an equilateral triangle, in whose center would be the city. First, by the western side, it borders the " Sistema Central " (the Guadarrama mountain range ), the southern border features a protrusion following the Tagus River in order to include the royal site of Aranjuez in the region; the eastern edge of the triangle comes from the rupture of the fluvial river basins. This autonomous community
2688-686: Is almost entirely comprised in the Tagus Basin , from the Central System ( Sistema Central ) reliefs in the north and northwest to the Tagus River bed in the southern border. The climate is generally temperate, ranging from mediterranean to semi-arid , except in the Central System highlands. It contains four World Heritage Sites : the Monastery and Royal Site of El Escorial , the university and historic centre of Alcalá de Henares ,
SECTION 20
#17327879393172816-540: Is also common to find stands of Fragaria vesca , Digitalis purpurea and Sorbus aucuparia . When the direct influence of the altitude and the more humid climate of the headwaters of these rivers is abandoned, the sauceda is impoverished in tree species and if the conditions of xericity increase, specimens of Erica scoparia can be found, as in the Sorbe and the Riatillo. As important floristic curiosities, there are
2944-671: Is altered, it is replaced by a willow grove with myrtle ( Frangulo alni-Myricaetum galeae ). In the headwaters of the Gévalo River are remnants of Prunus lusitanica Portuguese laurel cherry shrubs, relict forests of the Cenozoic tropical flora, which can also be found in Extremadura in the upper, narrower and more sheltered stretches of the Ibor, Gualija and Viejas Rivers. These two rivers, of Gredense origin, give rise to some of
3072-469: Is an exuberant forest of both horizontal and vertical stratification, with well-developed arboreal, lianoid, shrub-spiny and herbaceous strata. The most frequent type of poplar grove in this area corresponds to the Rubio tinctorum-Populetum albae association , where in addition to the aforementioned species there are other arboreal willows such as Salix fragilis , Ulmus minor or Fraxinus angustifolia . In
3200-471: Is home to mountain peaks rising above 2,000 m, holm oak dehesas and low-lying plains. The slopes of the Guadarrama mountain range are cloaked in dense forests of Scots pine and Pyrenean oak . The Lozoya Valley supports a large black (monk) vulture colony, and one of the last bastions of the Spanish imperial eagle in the world is found in the Park Regional del Suroeste in dehesa hills between
3328-496: Is integrated in the Metro Ligero system as ML Line 4 . This is a project promoted by the local administration of Parla. Opened on 6 May 2007 (Phase I), and 8 September 2007 (Phase II), can be the journey between the stations Plaza de Toros to Parla Industrial City until completion of the works of the station North Parla (which is still to be opened and will house a railway interchange with Cercanías Madrid ). It consists of
3456-969: Is located in the basin of the Tagus River. The Tagus passes through the southern border of the Autonomy in its path west toward the Atlantic Ocean , draining the waters of the Jarama River (collecting in turn the waters of the Lozoya , the Guadalix , the Manzanares , the Henares and the Tajuña ), the Alberche and the Guadarrama in the Community. This autonomous community also includes
3584-486: Is no longer a judicial district as of 1985). These jurisdictions relate to the judicial administration, with their seat having at least one court of first instance . Madrid is the autonomous community with the highest income per capita in Spain, at €38,435 in 2022 – significantly above the national average and ahead of the Basque Country , with €35,832, Navarra , €33,798, and Catalonia , €32,550. In that year,
3712-537: Is one of the most important in the Peninsula, due to its extension and its flow, being the one with the highest population density in Spain and the peninsula . It is formed by an elongated surface with an east–west orientation, the Tagus River flows from the Sierra de Albarracín , where it has its source, to the estuary , Mar de la Paja , next to Lisbon , through the center of the Hesperian Massif with
3840-586: Is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain . It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula , and of the Central Plateau ( Meseta Central ). Its capital and largest municipality is the City of Madrid , which is also the capital of the country. The Community of Madrid is bounded to the south and east by Castilla–La Mancha and to the north and west by Castile and León . It
3968-613: Is the drainage basin of the Tagus River , which flows through the west of the Iberian Peninsula and empties into Lisbon . It covers an area of 78,467 km , which is distributed 66% (55,645 km ) on Spanish territory and 34% on Portuguese land (22,822 km ). It is the third-largest basin in the Iberian Peninsula, after the Douro Basin , with 98,258 km , and the Ebro Basin , with 82,587 km . The Tagus basin
Parla Tram - Misplaced Pages Continue
4096-607: Is the case of the Alberche, Cofio and Garganta Iruelas alder groves, the Alberche alder grove between Burgohondo and the tail of the Burguillo reservoir being one of the most important examples in the Iberian Peninsula . Finally, the Luso-Extremeña alder grove, where two differential species Osmunda regalis and Flueggea tinctoria are frequent, as well as the presence of Viburnum tinus , Erica lusitanica , Genista falcata and Acer monspessulanum . These are
4224-459: Is the willow groves on the northern slope of the Sierra de Gredos that flow into the Alberche, such as Garganta Iruelas and Valsaína (they also include Corylus avellana and Ulmus glabra ), Lanchamala and La Yedra. The willow grove of the Garganta stream (Serranillos-Navarrevisca) stands out with an excellent undergrowth of Viburnum opulus and Prunus padus . In the higher areas, above
4352-588: The Alcázar or Castle of the city. Alcalá de Henares grew in importance as cultural center since the foundation by the Cardinal Cisneros of its university . In 1561, King Philip II made Madrid the capital of the Hispanic Monarchy . The surrounding territories became economically subordinated to the town itself, even beyond the present day limits of the Community of Madrid. But it was not
4480-518: The Bonelli's eagle , the cinereous vulture , the peregrine falcon and the black stork . Exotic invasive species of birds and mammals in the region include the red-eared slider , the monk parakeet , the common snapping turtle , the rose-ringed parakeet , the American mink and the raccoon . Species described as "out of place" and with an increasing population include the black-headed gull ,
4608-525: The Cytisus oromediterraneus and the common juniper as well as the Scots pine take over. There are also masses of black pine and the pyrenean oak situated above the domain of the holm oak. Eurosiberian flora is not common in the region, and species such as the moor birch and the silver birch are restricted to very specific humid valley areas with special climate conditions. The climax vegetation in
4736-602: The Directorio Central de Empresas (Central Companies Directory of the INE), Madrid's active businesses stand in third place nationally in terms of numbers as at 1 January 2006. The branches of activity with most active businesses are other business activities, retail trade, construction, wholesale trade, hospitality, property activities, land transport, and pipeline transport. Tagus Basin The Tagus Basin
4864-580: The Guadarrama Mountains ; they both fought for the control of the Real de Manzanares, a large comarca (shire) that was finally given to the House of Mendoza . Castilian monarchs showed a predilection for the center of the peninsula, with abundant forests and game. El Pardo was a region visited frequently by kings since the time of Henry III , in the 14th century. The Catholic Monarchs started
4992-613: The Montes Universales exceed 1800 m.a.s.l. , while in the Montes de Toledo the altitudes are considerably lower. The altitude of the interior depression is much lower, although very variable, decreasing rapidly from the extreme northeast to the western edge, thus, while in the plains of La Alcarria the heights are close to 1000 m.a.s.l , in Aranjuez they drop below 500 m.a.s.l, in Navalmoral de la Mata to 300 and in
5120-445: The Upper Tagus are the calcareous shrubby willow groves, alliance Salicion discolori-neotrichae . They are generally dense formations, the typical wicker beds, which occupy the secondary channels, banks and alluvial beds of hard water rivers and more or less irregular regime, with floods and low water, withstanding floods well; its characteristic species are Salix purpurea var. lambertiana and Salix elaeagnos subsp. angustifolia ,
5248-454: The ayuntamiento are directly elected through proportional representation with closed party lists and a 5% electoral threshold . In turn, the councillors are charged with electing from among themselves (by default candidates are the head of each electoral list) the Mayor presiding over the ayuntamiento . There are twenty judicial districts ( partidos judiciales ), whose seats correspond to
Parla Tram - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-732: The campiña is the holly oak . Some of the species that take over when the holly oak forest degrades are the "sticky shrub" , the Retama sphaerocarpa , the French lavender , the Thymus mastichina and the Thymus zygis . The lower reaches of Guadarrama Mountain Range are populated by species such as the Juniperus thurifera , the maritime pine , the Portuguese oak , the stone pine ; only in
5504-402: The construction sub-sector also took place. During this period the Community of Madrid stood out due to its role as centre for welcoming immigration, due to its condition as transport node vis-à-vis the Spanish geography, and due to its condition as scientific and cultural centre of the country. Like the rest of autonomous communities, the Community of Madrid is organized politically within
5632-518: The lesser black-backed gull , the great cormorant and Eurasian collared dove , while the emblematic iberian ibex is presented as a case of a species "gone out of control" in La Pedriza following its re-introduction in the region in 1990 after roughly a century disappeared from the Madrilenian mountains. The mountain amphibians living at a high altitude include the fire salamander ,
5760-580: The marbled newt , the alpine newt , the iberian frog , the European tree frog or the common midwife toad . At a middle elevation in the mountain reaches close to water streams there are species such as the Bosca's newt , the southern marbled newt , the mediterranean tree frog or the iberian midwife toad . The common parsley frog and the Alytes obstetricans pertinax dwell in the limestone lowlands near
5888-459: The province of Toledo and joined that of Marid, and in 1850, when the small municipality of Valdeavero (19 km ), until then part of the province of Guadalajara , joined the province of Madrid. One of the limits so far for the growth of the capital, water supply, experienced a substantial change in 1858 following the arrival to the city of Madrid of water from the Lozoya River with
6016-625: The viperine snake . The fish species are affected by the high number of reservoirs in the region. Among the threatened species in the rivers stand out the European eel , the iberian barbel , the Squalius alburnoides , the Cobitis calderoni and, potentially, the Chondrostoma lemmingii . Conversely the set of invasive species of fish includes pike , black bullhead catfish , pumpkinseed , zander , common bleak and black-bass . In
6144-469: The 19th century. Around the town of Madrid, an administrative territory was created known as Tierra de Madrid (Land of Madrid), the origin of the province that included the areas of the current municipalities of San Sebastián de los Reyes, Cobeña, Las Rozas de Madrid, Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Torrejón de Velasco, Alcorcón, San Fernando de Henares, and Griñón. Madrid was in constant strife with the powerful council of Segovia , whose jurisdiction extended south of
6272-442: The Alberche, Jarama and Guadarrama basins, Rubio corylifolii-Salicetum atrocinereae , dominated by Salix atrocinerea interspersed with Betula pendula , Betula alba , Pinus sylvestris , Quercus pyrenaica , Taxus baccata , Ilex aquifolium , Fagus sylvatica or Populus tremula . Under this canopy are usually found stands of Erica arborea and a notable representation of ferns , especially abundant, Urtica dioica ; it
6400-432: The Alcarrias, passing through the gum rockrose shrubs with Spanish lavender and thyme of the Sierra de Guadarrama or Montes de Toledo, by the broom groves of Cytisus multiflorus , by the thickets of basil-leaved rock rose and other low rock-roses , or by the extensive retama groves of Retama sphaerocarpa frequent in the plateau of Toledo and southern regions of the Community of Madrid . The southern slopes of
6528-445: The Cavina, Salinas and Cuevas streams between Aranjuez and Yepes . Another increasingly scarce element are the elm trees, the best represented, although in a very precarious state of conservation, are found in the Algodor River , downstream of the Finisterre Reservoir , in the headwaters and slopes of the Martín Román stream where specimens of boxthorn, Flueggea tinctoria endemism luso-extremeño, are beginning to appear. Within
SECTION 50
#17327879393176656-430: The Ebro and Júcar basins. The western limit, as far as the Spanish area is concerned, is delimited by the Erjas and Sever rivers, which form the border with Portuga]. In the interior of the area defined by these mountains and by the minor reliefs of the Hercynian massif , which completes the closure to the west, it is structured in a graben filled by Cenozoic materials, sands, clays, marls, gypsum and some limestone in
6784-491: The GDP per capita growth was 8.6%. Madrid has a GDP of €230.8 billion ($ 281 billion) as of 2018; making it the largest economy of Spain, ahead of Catalonia , where regional GDP amounted to €228.7 billion and the most populated Spanish region, Andalusia (€160.6 billion). In 2005, the Community of Madrid was the main receptor of foreign investment in the country, at 34.3% of the total. The community ranks 34th amongst all European regions (evaluated in 2002), and 50th amongst
6912-429: The Government Sub-delegate, the successor office to the provincial civil governor. The seats of both the delegation and the subdelegation are located at the Borghetto Palace [ es ] in Madrid. The Community of Madrid, following the long-standing form of local government in Spain , is divided administratively into 179 municipalities (featuring 801 towns and entities). Its municipalities comprise 2.2% of
7040-403: The Gredos and Guadarrama ranges. The recent possible detection of the existence of Iberian lynx in the area between the Cofio and Alberche rivers is testament to the biodiversity of the area. Taking advantage of the orography, there are several reservoirs and local dams, with the Santillana reservoir being the largest. When looking at a map of the province of Madrid, it can be seen that it
7168-405: The Guadarrama are: Aulencia river, Guatel river, Soto and Rielves streams. The upper Jarama and upper Guadarrama have the same arboreal and shrubby black willows as those described for the Sorbe and Riatillo, the best examples are found in the upper Jaramilla and Veguillas stream, with occasional presence of Betula alba , Taxus baccata , Pinus sylvestris , Sorbus aria and Ilex aquifolium ,
7296-489: The Jarama, there are also remains of tayaral in the Tajuña. Tamarix gallica dominates, although there is also Tamarix africana , and sporadically there are feet of Salix alba , Ulmus minor and even Populus alba . If it is a typically xerophytic tayaral, it is accompanied by Artemisia campestris , Carlina corymbosa , Asteriscus aquaticus , Glycirhiza glabra , Retama sphaerocarpa or Asparagus acutifolius . The remains of elm groves are also interesting, with
7424-451: The Lozoya Valley in the late 19th century intending to achieve a purer water from the river, that provided the capital with water for consumption. However, the bulk of the process took place after the Spanish Civil War, with a largely successful repopulation with several species of conifers . The Madrid region features a climate marked by dry summers, while average temperature varies with altitude, marking different climate subtypes. Most of
7552-458: The Pinilla dam and up to the Puentes Viejas reservoir, Salicito saviifolio-lambertianae subas. caricetosum , in addition to the aforementioned willow, others such as Salix atrocinerea , Salix triandra or Salix fragilis are observed, appearing occasionally alders, birches , alder buckthorns , Pyrenean oaks or Portuguese oaks . As the riverbeds approach the outskirts of Madrid they are altered in all their composition, being more frequent
7680-429: The Portuguese-Extremeño domain) and lithological change, with metamorphic and plutonic substrates dominating, alternating with some sedimentary substrates, which give the soil an acid or neutral character. The first half of this area stands out for the encasement of the riverbeds in the sedimentary basin of the Tagus, with fluvial terraces of easily eroded detrital materials. The riverside vegetation has been modified by
7808-418: The Royal Fuero , granted by Alfonso X of Castile in 1262 and ratified by Alfonso XI in 1339. On the other hand, the town of Buitrago del Lozoya , Alcalá de Henares and Talamanca de Jarama , which were rapidly repopulated until that century, were under the dominion of the feudal or ecclesiastical lords. Specifically, Alcalá de Henares was under the hands of the archbishopric of Toledo and remained so until
SECTION 60
#17327879393177936-498: The Sierra de Guadarrama and Sierra de Gredos are home to important pine forests of cluster pine, Pinus pinaster , stone pine, Pinus pinea , and relicts of black pine, Pinus nigra , the latter two species mainly in Gredos and in the Cofio – Alberche basin; among these stands alternate Spanish chestnut forests (Upper Hurdano, Peña de Francia , Las Batuecas , Tiétar , Valle del Jerte ), Quercus broteroi Portuguese-oak groves (Upper Ibor, Almonte, Gébalo, Salor, etc.). To
8064-458: The Spanish fauna and endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. The so-called macroinvertebrates are represented by the taxa Insecta , Mollusca , Oligochaeta and Crustacea . These species are adapted to a series of specific conditions of the aquatic environment, occupying different stretches of the river according to their habitat requirements and water purity. High mountain rivers and streams, areas of clean, oxygenated and cold waters, present
8192-400: The Spanish territory (8,110). It is ranked 23rd amongst Spanish provinces in number of municipalities, which is slightly above average. The average is 165 municipalities by province. The ayuntamiento , presided by its alcalde (Mayor) is the formal institution charged with the government and administration of most municipalities. The municipal councillors forming the deliberative assembly of
8320-723: The Tagus in Morillejo, the Hoz Seca and Upper Cabrillas streams and numerous small riverbeds in this area. Downstream of the large reservoirs of Entrepeñas and Buendía , the Tagus is a regulated river. In the first stretches, cultivated poplar groves dominate, but from the Bolarque and Almoguera reservoirs onwards, the riverbank vegetation changes drastically with respect to the upper stretch in several ways: Poplar groves, also called cottonwood groves, are usually dominated by Populus alba , Salix alba or Populus nigra , and are located on hydromorphic soils, rich in bases and deep, silty or silty-sandy in permanent streambeds or other forms of edaphic hydromorphism. When well preserved, it
8448-404: The Tagus in the south-east of the region. Among the all-around amphibians adaptable to different heights stand out the natterjack toad , the common toad and the iberian green frog . Other species with a wide distribution range (although in this case restricted by altitude) are the gallipato , the iberian spadefoot toad , the iberian painted frog , and the Spanish painted frog . Regarding
8576-476: The Tagus is very dissymmetrical, those on the right bank are the ones that provide the most abundant flows, as they collect the contributions from the central system and the Iberian system ; the left tributaries are generally shorter and have a low flow, especially those that originate in the Montes de Toledo . The longest rivers in the Tagus basin are: The biotic framework of the Tagus Basin , due to its geology, geomorphology and climatology , presents
8704-567: The Tagus, on the right (Borox and Guatén streams) the accumulation of salts causes the appearance of a halophilic tamarisk. In some streams, the riparian vegetation consists of tayaral with halophilic elements such as Salsola vermiculata , Atriplex halimus , Sonchus maritimus , etc. The edges with temporary waterlogging are where there is the greatest originality and floristic richness with communities of hygrohalophilic quenopodiaceae such as Salicornia ramosissima , Suaeda splendens , Microcnemum coralloides , these examples are located in
8832-551: The Torcón stream we find the first important formations of tamujar, Flueggea tinctoria , as riparian vegetation, increasing its presence the further west of the basin. At the headwaters of Chorro stream, a tributary of the Pusa, there is a sample of Betula pendula ssp. fontqueri birch ( Galium broterai-Betuletum parvibractaeatum ), accompanied by Fraxinus angustifolia , Sorbus torminalis , Ilex aquifolium and numerous scyphilous and nemoral plants ( Scilla ramburei , Galium broterianum , Poa nemoralis ). When this birch grove
8960-413: The World") in Navacerrada , at a height of 2,258 m, the Siete Picos ("Seven Peaks") in Cercedilla , at 2,138 m, and the Peña Cebollera (2,129 m) at the northernmost end of the province, a tripoint between the Madrid region and the provinces of Segovia and Guadalajara. Among the protected species of birds nesting in the region stand out the Spanish imperial eagle , the golden eagle ,
9088-418: The action of man or by climatic-edaphic conditions, the oak grove is replaced by Erica australis heaths (Somosierra-Ayllón and center-west of Gredos, Béjar and Gata), or by Cytisus scoparius or Genista cinerea broom groves (Sierra de Guadarrama and eastern Gredos). At altitude, above the forest limit, the scrub is Cytisus oromediterraneus and Echinospartum barnadesii . To the south, already in
9216-675: The alder groves of the southern gorges of Gredos. The end of the Tagus basin in Spain, constitutes the so-called international Tagus , border for many kilometers between the two countries. Spanish tributaries in this area are the Aburrel, the Aurela and the Sever, as well as the Salor. In Portugal the Sever river and the Erges river. This area preserves very good examples of riparian forests, within
9344-466: The autonomous, state and international level. In addition to the fauna closely linked to aquatic ecosystems, the Tagus basin is home to the best populations of the black vulture, Aegypius monachus , in Spain and Europe, as well as the Iberian imperial eagle, Aquila adalberti , an Iberian endemism well represented in the basin, and finally the Iberian lynx, Lynx pardinus , an emblematic species of
9472-522: The basin such as Salix fragilis and Salix purpurea var. lambertiana , this is the case of the Upper Tajuña and some small adjacent watercourses (Prado stream). In the headwaters of the Sorbe, Lillas, Sonsaz, Riatillo and Frío rivers there are siliceous willow groves that can have arboreal habit in the Upper Sorbe or in the Riatillo. These are the same willow groves found further west in
9600-541: The basins in which the riparian vegetation is best preserved, some sections being protected as River Reserves (Guadyervas) or as catalogued riverbanks (complete Tiétar , Alberche and tributaries of the right bank in Ávila ). We are in the domain of the alder groves and shrubby mountain willow groves. The willow groves form narrow bands of Salix atrocinerea with the presence of Betula alba , Taxus baccata , Ilex aquifolium , Pinus nigra , Pinus sylvestris , Castanea sativa , Frangula alnus , etc. An excellent example
9728-459: The city. It soon became the most strategic fortress in defense of the city of Toledo above the fortresses of Talamanca and Qal'-at'-Abd-Al-Salam (Alcalá de Henares). In 1083 (or 1085) Alfonso VI took the city of Madrid in the context of his wider campaign to conquer Toledo. Alcalá de Henares fell in 1118 in a new period of Castilian annexation. The recently conquered lands by the Christian kingdoms were desegregated into several constituencies, as
9856-469: The competences of the old " Diputación Provincial " and the new ones the Statute considered. During the first 25 years of the "autonomic" period, this autonomous community accounted for the biggest economic growth in Spain, becoming a platform for the internationalisation of the Spanish economy , featuring a marked preponderance of the service sector . By the turn of the 21st century, a strong boost to
9984-483: The confluence of the Alberche . In short, this is a climatic-lithological differentiation: the limestone sector in the center-east and the siliceous soils in the center-west. In general, the vegetation of the basin is as follows: in the high limestone mountain ranges, Serranía de Cuenca and Upper Tagus , there is a dense vegetation cover of needle-leaved forests dominated by Pinus nigra and Pinus sylvestris , pure or mixed; when climatic conditions are extreme,
10112-596: The construction of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez . In the 16th century, San Lorenzo de El Escorial was built and became another royal site of the province. The town of Madrid, which was one of the eighteen cities with the right to vote in the Cortes of Castile , was seat of the Courts themselves on several occasions and was the residence of several monarchs, amongst them the emperor Charles I who reformed and expanded
10240-421: The creation of many social, economic, and cultural institutions, some of which are still operating. Madrid grew to a population of 156,672 inhabitants by the end of the eighteenth century. The current territory of the region was roughly defined with the 1833 reorganization of Spain into provinces promoted by Javier de Burgos , in which the province of Madrid was classified in the region of New Castile (lacking
10368-721: The cultural landscape of Aranjuez and the Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro park in Madrid City. In addition, the Montejo Beech Forest [ es ] is part of the transnational Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe world heritage site. Despite the existence of a large urban area of nearly 7 million people, the Community of Madrid still retains some remarkably unspoiled and diverse habitats and landscapes. Madrid
10496-420: The esparto-rosemary and kermes oak groves. Descending in altitude from the Central System or the Montes de Toledo we enter the domain of the holm oak forest and the further west we move, the holm oak forest gives way to the cork oak grove, a typical sclerophyllous community of clear Atlantic influence. These holm oak groves are replaced by various types of scrubland, from the gorse and thyme groves of
10624-421: The exclave of Dehesa de la Cepeda (part of the municipality of Santa María de la Alameda ), a mostly open-area geographically located between the provinces of Ávila and Segovia in the autonomous community of Castile and León . The Province of Madrid occupies a surface area of approximately 8,028 km (3,100 sq mi) (1.6% of all Spanish territory). More specifically, the exact position of Madrid
10752-589: The foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama and Sierra de Béjar. To describe these plant communities of the Tagus basin, it is convenient to make a zoning that allows grouping areas that, while respecting the hydrological characteristics, present similar phytosociological characteristics. The riparian vegetation of the Upper Tagus is characterized by the almost continuous presence of two types of willow groves of calcareous character, one of arboreal size that occupies
10880-460: The fresh banks with good soil in areas of medium and high mountains and another of shrubby character that usually occupies secondary channels, margins and alluvial beds with a high water table in areas of medium mountains and foothills. The first of the willow groves, generally corresponding to the Salicetum purpureo-albae association, is composed of one or two bands of vegetation, conditioned by
11008-489: The group of vines are frequent Humulus lupulus , Bryonia dioica , Tamus communis , Rubia tinctorum and Vitis sylvestris . The shrub stratum, when well preserved, is usually dense and rich in thorny plants such as Rubus spp , Crataegus monogyna , Prunus insititia , Sambucus nigra , etc. These two rivers have similar characteristics: they originate in a calcareous environment and cross detrital soils in some part of their course. The main tributaries are the: In all
11136-470: The highest or most exposed heights and the erizals . Underneath, there are steppe, Cistus laurifolius , sages and shrub pastures, as well as peat bogs and cervals of altitude or linked to hydromorphic soils. When thermicity increases, either by the type of substrate or by the altitude, the pine forest becomes Aleppo pine, Pinus halepensis , as in Sierra de Altomira, which is replaced by kermes oak , rosemary or even an esparto grass or esparto grove. To
11264-417: The home of the national capital. The other provinces that were to become part of the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha expressed fears of inequality if Madrid were associated with them. These provinces opposed such a special status, and after considering other options for Madrid—like its inclusion in the community of Castile and León or its constitution as an entity similar to a federal district . —it
11392-455: The inauguration of the bringing of the Canal de Isabel II . In decadence since the middle 18th century, the city of Alcalá de Henares , experienced a relative demographic and economic upturn in the second half of the 19th century, based on its newly acquired condition of military outpost, to which an embryonic industrial nucleus was also added. During the reign of Ferdinand VII the south of
11520-469: The lands to the south of Coria to little more than 200 [m.a.s.l.. Therefore, some of the tributaries of the middle sector of the Tagus have captured part of the original Douro basin by headward erosion , favored by the greater gradients determined by the altimetric difference between the two basins, the most characteristic examples being the Alberche and the Alagón . The network of tributary rivers of
11648-464: The later any sort of administrative institution at the regional level nonetheless). The government institution at the provincial level was the deputation ( diputación ). In addition to the former body, another provincial political authority was the civil governor discretionarily designated by the central government. Two modest changes to the 1833 provincial boundaries that concerned Madrid took place shortly before 1845, when Aranjuez (187 km ) left
11776-591: The later case. The territory of the Community of Madrid has been populated since the Lower Paleolithic , mainly in the valleys between the rivers of Manzanares , Jarama , and Henares , where several archaeological findings have been made. Some notable discoveries of the region the bell-shaped vase of Ciempozuelos (between 1970 and 1470 BCE), from the Bell beaker culture . During the Roman Empire ,
11904-490: The latter dominating in the cooler areas. It is common to find meadows-rushes and even reed beds of the Molinio-Holoschoenion alliance and isolated specimens of Populus nigra or Populus alba , as well as Berberis vulgaris , Viburnum lantana or Ligustrum vulgare . In other areas of the basin of lower altitude these willows form the first band of riparian vegetation . Examples are some stretches of
12032-651: The lower section of the Jarama crosses the Tagus evaporite trench. Both are born in a siliceous environment ( Sierra de Ayllón and Sierra de Guadarrama ), and flow through detritic soils of reeds ( Jarama ) and sandy soils ( Guadarrama ) in some parts of their course. The main riverbeds of the Jarama basin (excluding the Henares and Tajuña rivers) are: Jaramilla, Lozoya , Valle, Puebla, Guadalix , Veguillas, Navacerrada, Manzanares , Canencia, de Galga, de Vatorrón, de Viñuelas, Manina, Meaques, Culebro and de Trofas streams. And of
12160-500: The middle of the evaporitic depression of the Tagus, the gypsophilous scrublands appear, so exclusive and rich in endemic and vicariant species, which extend from the foothills of the Tagus in the Almoguera Reservoir and reach past Aranjuez and Borox , being also present in the lower basins of the Jarama , Tajuña or Manzanares . As a link between the gypsiferous substrates and the marly and calcareous ones, we find
12288-693: The more xerothermophilous areas, as in the Cedrón stream, headwaters of the Martín Román stream, Algodor River , Tagus river in Estremera , the poplar grove is accompanied by tamarisks, Tamarix gallica and Tamarix africana , which become dominant in small meanders or abandoned riverbeds. The Martín Román stream supplies the Carrizal de Villamejor , one of the best preserved examples of helophytic vegetation, both in this brook , as in other slopes to
12416-627: The most competitive cities-regions worldwide, ahead of Barcelona and Valencia , the other two largest metropolitan areas of Spain. The strengths of the economy of the community are its low unemployment rate, its high investment in research, its high development, and the added-value services therein performed. Its weaknesses include the low penetration of broadband and new technologies of information and an unequal male to female occupation. The service, construction, and industry sectors are prominent in Madrid's commercial productive structure. According to
12544-409: The municipalities of Alcalá de Henares , Alcobendas , Alcorcón , Aranjuez , Arganda del Rey , Collado Villalba , Colmenar Viejo , Coslada , Fuenlabrada , Getafe , Leganés , Madrid , Majadahonda , Móstoles , Navalcarnero , Parla , San Lorenzo de El Escorial , Torrejón de Ardoz , Torrelaguna , Valdemoro , and Valdaracete (the historical judicial district of San Martín de Valdeiglesias
12672-605: The north, the lithological change makes pine forests of Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris , frequent, as in the Sierra de Pela and Sierra de Ayllón , or the important pine forests of the Lozoya Valley and the upper basin of the Guadarrama and Aulencia rivers. Below, the domain of the Quercus pyrenaica Pyrenean oak groves begins, in Sierra de Ayllón , Sierra de Somosierra , Sierra de Guadarrama , part of Sierra de Gredos , Sierra de Gata and Sierra de Béjar ; either by
12800-585: The oligotrophic alder groves of the Bornoba and Sorbe rivers upstream of the Alcorlo and Beleña reservoirs respectively, belonging to the association Galio broteriani-Alnetum glutinosae , (the Gredense alder groves), and are composed by species such as Carex elata ssp. reuteriana, Erica arborea , Prunella vulgaris , Viola riviniana , Wahlenbergia hederacea , Prunus avium , etc. They are narrow woods along
12928-449: The original composition is altered, by willow and poplar groves with Salix salviifolia , Salix elaeagnos and Salix purpurea . At lower altitudes ash and poplar groves dominate, the former, with red osiers and dogwoods ( Cornus sanguineae-Fraxinetum angustifoliae ), are frequent in the lower reaches of the rivers Frío, Hoz, Dulce, Salado, Tajuña and the upper reaches of the Badiel, These ash woods prefer steep topographies that limit
13056-534: The period of the Visigothic Kingdom , the region lost its importance. The population was scattered amongst several small towns. Complutum was designated the bishopric seat in the 5th century by orders of Asturio, archbishop of Toledo , but this event was not enough to bring back the lost splendor of the city. The centre of the peninsula (the Middle Mark of Al-Andalus or aṯ-Ṯaḡr al-Awsaṭ ) became
13184-482: The pine forest is replaced by paramo vegetation or Juniperus thurifera juniper groves. Descending in altitude and with the alternation of sunny and shady exposures, there are two types of subsclerophyllous forests: Quercus faginea Portuguese oak groves in the valley bottoms and shady slopes and occupying the so-called alcarrias , (those of Torrecuadrada de los Valles, Brihuega or Jadraque are extensive), and mixed oak groves with Portuguese oaks and/or junipers in
13312-474: The poplar and willow groves when thermoxericity is very pronounced or when there is a salinized water table . The second situation is described in some sections of the Salado, Hoz and Cercadillo rivers and the first is the most representative of the lower reaches of the Henares and Tajuña rivers. The best representation is the tayaral of Soto de Aldovea and the one that marks the lower Henares at its confluence with
13440-683: The powers through which the self-government of the autonomous community is exercised are the following institutions: Since the creation of autonomous communities, the Government of Spain appoints a special representative to each autonomous community, the Government Delegate , part of the Peripheral State Administration. Unlike other single-province autonomous communities, the Government also appoints
13568-424: The presence of poplar production. Alternating with these, one can still find poplar groves of Populus alba , including species such as Fraxinus angustifolia , Ulmus minor , etc. Also noteworthy are the island forests made up of willow groves and ash groves. In addition, the willows are usually accompanied by a band of Scirpus holoschoenus roundhead bulrush and another of Tamarix gallica French tamarix, in
13696-533: The profile of the valley, where willows such as Salix atrocinerea , Salix alba , Salix fragilis or Salix neotricha dominate. They are usually accompanied by other tree species such as Fraxinus angustifolia , Populus nigra and alba , Corylus avellana or Cornus sanguinea , always surrounded by a thorny border of brambles and roses; within their courtship appear herbaceous plants such as Equisetum ramosissimum , Brachypodium sylvaticum or Carex acutiformis . More frequent and widely distributed in
13824-560: The province was made up of small agricultural settlements of limited population. Among them, Getafe stood out in population, and became the seat of a judicial district in 1834, with the main economic activity of the former jurisdiction still being non-irrigated agriculture. Rail transport arrived in 1851, with the Strawberry train , the railway connecting Madrid and Aranjuez . During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939),
13952-445: The rate of evapotranspiration and when well preserved it is a pluristrative forest with other tree species such as Salix purpurea , Cornus sanguinea , Ligustrum vulgare , Prunus mahaleb , Sambucus nigra , various brambles and hawthorns and other species typical of the surrounding communities such as Quercus faginea , Juniperus thurifera , Bupleurum rigidum , etc. The presence of tamarisk ( Tamaricetum gallicae ) which replaces
14080-828: The reeds and rushes that invade the riverbeds. Even so, there are still good examples of poplar groves with white willow and ash groves with willows, as in the poplar grove of the lower section of the Trofas Stream to the confluence with the Manzanares, the section of the Manzanares downstream of the Pardo reservoir or the final section at its confluence with the Jarama in Rivas-Vaciamadrid , where there are also abundant remains of elm groves. In these rivers, gallery ashes ( Salici saviifoliae-Fraxinetum angustifoliae ) are very frequent. This type of acidophilic ash grove
14208-563: The region (including the capital) has a climate intermediate between a hot-summer mediterranean climate ( Köppen Csa ) and a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk ), with a dry summer and a moderate to low amount of rain primarily distributed throughout the rest of the year (in the case of the capital, roughly an equinoctial pattern of precipitation maximums), as well as summer temperature averages over 22 °C (with daily maximums consistently surpassing 30 °C in July and August). The areas at
14336-575: The region was part of the Citerior Tarraconese province, except for the south-west portion of it, which belonged to Lusitania . It was crossed by two important Roman roads, the via xxiv-xxix (joining Astorga to Laminium and via xxv (which joined Emerita Augusta and Caesaraugusta ), and contained some important conurbations. The city of Complutum (today Alcalá de Henares ) became an important metropolis, whereas Titulcia and Miaccum were important crossroad communities. During
14464-522: The region. Among the species of all-around reptiles, adaptable to different biomes stand out the Spanish pond turtle , the salamanquesa , the western three-toed skink , the spiny-footed lizard , the ocellated lizard , the Algerian sand racer , Spanish psammodromus , the ubiquitous iberian wall lizard , the iberian worm lizard , the Coronella girondica , the Montpellier snake ; grass snake and
14592-568: The reptiles, species such as the Cyren's rock lizard , the European wall lizard , the iberian emerald lizard , the deaf adder or snakes such as the smooth snake or the Vipera latastei dwell in the mountain heights. At the lower reaches of the mountains the European pond turtle and the Brediaga's skink can be found, while the western false smooth snake is restricted to areas in the south of
14720-569: The river bed dominated by alder, Alnus glutinosa . Sometimes there is a small band of shrubby willow grove in front, while towards the interior they are in contact with ash and Pyrenean oak groves. Below these alder groves, in the Henares and Sorbe rivers, there are mesotrophic alder groves of Salici rubentis-Alnetum glutosinae , accompanied by Salix alba and Salix rubens and often Tamarix gallica , Salix purpurea and other calcareous species such as Cephalanthera rubra , Cornus sanguinea or Humulus lupulus , being replaced, when
14848-481: The riverbed (in the channels that dry out in the low water ) there is a tamujar sometimes accompanied by bog-myrtle, Myrica gale , which gives way to an alder grove in permanent contact with the water, just behind this, and even alternating with it, there is a willow grove that further away from the bank connects with the poplar of Populus nigra . Where there is an alluvial plain there is also an ash grove ( Ficario ranunuculoidis-Fraxinetum angustifoliae ), behind it,
14976-732: The rivers that originate in calcareous soils (Bornova, Cañamares, Tajuña, Henares, Cercadillo and Dulce) there is a calcareous shrubby scrubland, black scrubland, as the first band of vegetation of the Rubio coryliforii-Salicetum atrocinereae faciation. In this willow grove, which can reach arboreal size, there are numerous thorny plants, Prunus spinosa , Rubus spp., Rose ssp . and scarce other shrubs, in some locations they are accompanied by Eurosiberian elements such as Populus tremula , Corylus avellana , Rhamnus catharticus and Ligustrum vulgare . In some places they are even invaded by Quercus ilex , Ulmus minor and Genista scorpius . Other more frequent species also appear in other areas of
15104-635: The same occurs with the best preserved stands in the Valle river, Lozoya above the Pinilla reservoir, upper Guadalix or upper Manzanares (above the Santillana reservoir ). In areas where the valley becomes very narrow, as in the Jaramilla, Erica arborea heath with Cistus laurifolius , replaces the willow grove. The arborescent Salix salviifolia willow groves of the upper Lozoya, downstream of
15232-521: The sauceda or where it cannot develop, Erica arborea heath can also be found as riparian vegetation. The alder groves can be divided into three types. On the one hand, the oligotrophic alder grove, very similar to the one that marks the upper Jarama, which is located in the Alberche river and its tributaries up to the Picadas reservoir. Behind this band, if the width of the valley allows it, an ash grove with willows ( Salix fragilis ) can develop. This
15360-461: The somewhat more humid westernmost end of the region, near the Alto del Mirlo [ es ] , there are forests of chestnut tree . 54,4% of the surface of the region is soil categorised as forest areas of which the 51.4% (27.7% of the total of the region) it is already covered by forests, so there is room for tree re-population. The first modest efforts towards tree re-population were taken in
15488-464: The sunny and rocky terrain, the main components of the Tajuña valley. Occasionally, and on sandstone lithology , there are oak or black pine forests, Pinus pinaster , such as in the Gallo canyon, Sigüenza or Poyatos , below these communities there are pure holm oak forests of continental character. The most frequent scrublands in this area are the boxwoods , junipers, replacing the pine forests at
15616-519: The territory was divided by the battlefront, with the southwest of the province controlled by the rebel faction , and the capital as well as a great part of the rest of the province by the side loyal to the Republic . The city of Madrid was target of many bombings during the conflict, becoming the first big city in Europe to suffer such systematic and massive air attacks. Since the 1970s, a process of
15744-423: The upper levels, which constitute horizons of silting up of the ancient lake that occupied the original depression. The mountain ridges of the Tagus basin only reach high altitudes in the Central System , especially in the middle and eastern sectors ( Sierra de Béjar , Sierra de Gredos and Sierra de Guadarrama ), where they frequently exceed 2000 meters above sea level; in the Iberian System , only some peaks of
15872-404: The vicinity of the mountain peaks, oromediterranean vegetation such as Agrostis truncatula , Armeria caespitosa [ es ] , Festuca indigesta , Jasione crispa [ es ] , Jurinea humilis [ es ] , Minuartia recurva , Pilosella vahlii , Plantago holosteum and the Thymus praecox is common. Below the summit line, shrubby species such as
16000-424: The west of Toledo and east of Cáceres , Campo Arañuelo , south of Ávila , Tiétar valley , and almost all of Extremadura , there are holm oak and cork oak dehesas or mixed masses of them. The dehesas with livestock use are a refuge of the floristic diversity, characteristic of the Iberian west. Another type of dehesas , those of ash or oak ( Fraxinus angustifolia and Quercus pyrenaica ) are located in
16128-535: Was decided that the province of Madrid would become a single-province autonomous community by virtue of Article 144 of the Constitution, which empowers the Cortes to create an autonomous community in the "nation's interest" even if it did not satisfy the requirement of having a distinct historical identity. Thus, in 1983, the Community of Madrid was constituted and a Statute of Autonomy was approved taking over all
16256-461: Was formally created in 1983, in order to address the particular status of the City of Madrid as the national capital city and in urban hierarchy. Its limits are those of the province of Madrid, which was until then conventionally included in the historical region of New Castile ( Castilla la Nueva ). The Community of Madrid is the third most populous in Spain with 7,058,041 (2024) inhabitants, roughly
16384-482: Was still fragmented into several small dominions even though some processes were centralized. This territorial dispersion had a negative effect on its economic growth; while the town of Madrid received economic resources from the entire country as the capital, the surrounding territories—in hands of noblemen or the clergy—became impoverished. During the eighteenth century, the town of Madrid was transformed through several grandiose buildings and monuments as well as through
#316683