Madrid is the Capital of Spain and Its Largest City

8/13/2019 Madrid is the Capital of Spain and Its Largest City

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Madrid is the capital of Spain and its largest city. The population of the city is roughly3.3 million[4]and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan areais calculated to be around6.5 million. It is the thirdlargest cityin the !uropean "nion# after $ondonand %erlin# and itsmetropolitan areais thethirdlargestin the !uropean "nion after$ondonand &aris.[5][6]['][(]Thecity spans a total of 6)4.3 *m+,+33.3 s- mi.[/]

The city is located on the Man0anares ri1erin the centre of both the countryand the2ommunityof Madrid ,hich comprises the city of Madrid# its conurbation and etended suburbs and1illages this community is bordered by the autonomous communitiesof 2astile and $enand2astile$a Mancha. 7s the capital city of Spain# seat of go1ernment# and residence of theSpanish monarch# Madrid is also the political# economic and cultural centre of Spain. [8)] Thecurrent mayor is 7na %otellafrom the &eople9s &arty,&&.

The Madrid urban agglomeration has the thirdlargest :;&[88] in the !uropean "nion and itsinfluences inpolitics# education# entertainment# en1ironment# media# fashion# science# culture#and the artsall contribute to its status as one of the orld9s ma


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as G"rsariaG ,Gland ofbearsG in $atin# because of the many bears that ere to be found in thenearby forests# hich# together ith the straberry tree ,Spanish madroo# ha1e been theemblem of the city from the Middle 7ges.[+']

The most ancient recorded name of the city GMageritG ,for *Materitor *Mageterit comes from

the name of a fortress built on the Man0anares =i1er in the /th century 7;#and means G&lace ofabundant aterG.[+(]If the form is correct# it could be a 2eltic placename from ritu-9ford9 ,?ld>elsh rit# >elsh rhyd# ?ld %reton rit# ?ld @orthern Brench roy and a first element# that is notclearly identified *magetoderi1ation of magos 9field# plain9 ,?ld Irish mag 9field9# %reton ma9place9# or matu9bearG# that could eplain the $atin translation Ursalia.[+/]

@e1ertheless# it is no commonly belie1ed[citation needed]that the origin of the current name of thecity comes from the +nd century %2. The =oman !mpireestablished a settlement on the ban*sof the Man0anaresri1er. The name of this first 1illage as GMatriceG ,a reference to the ri1er thatcrossed the settlement. Bolloing the in1asions carried out by the :ermanic Sue1es andDandals#as ell as the Sarmatic 7lansduring the 5th century 7;# the =oman !mpire no longer

had the military presence re-uired to defend its territories on the Iberian &eninsula# and as aconse-uence# these territories ere soon occupied by the Dandals#ho ere in turn dispelled bythe Disigoths# ho then ruled Eispaniain the name of the =oman emperor# also ta*ing control ofGMatriceG. In the 'th century# the Islamic con-uest of the Iberian &eninsula sa the namechanged to GMayritG# from the 7rabicterm JKLMayra,referencing ater as a 9trees9 or 9gi1er oflife9 and the Ibero=oman suffi itthat means 9place9. The modern GMadridG e1ol1ed from theMo0arabicGMatritG# hich is still in the Madrilenian gentilic.[3)]

Middle Ages

7lthough the site of modernday Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times#[38][3+][33]and

there are archeological remains of 2arpetanisettlement#[38]

=oman 1illas#[34]

a Disigothbasilicanear the church of Santa MarFa de la 7lmudena [+'][35]and three Disigoth necropolises near 2asade 2ampo# TetNan and DicOl1aro#[36] the first historical document about the eistence of anestablished settlement in Madrid dates from the Muslim age. 7t the second half of the /thcentury#[3'] !mir Muhammad I of 2rdoba built a fortress on a headland near the ri1erMan0anares#[3(]as one of the many fortress he ordered to be built on the border beteen 7l7ndalusand the *ingdoms of $enand2astile# ith the obith the surrender of Toledo to 7lfonso DI of $en and 2astile# the city as con-uered by

2hristians in 8)(5# and it as integrated into the *ingdom of 2astile as a property of the 2ron.[3/]2hristians replaced Muslims in the occupation of the center of the city# hile Muslims andPes settled in the suburbs. The city as thri1ing and as gi1en the title of Villa# hoseadministrati1e district etended from the Paramain the east to the ri1er :uadarrama in the est.The go1ernment of the ton as 1ested to the neighboring of Madrid since 8346# hen *ing7lfonso QI of 2astileimplements the regiment# for hich only the local oligarchy as ta*ingsides in city decisions.[4)]Since 88((# Madrid on the right to be a city ith representation in the
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ite_note-39http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaramahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_XI_of_Castilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid#cite_note-40


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courts of 2astile. In 8+)+# Hing 7lfonso DIII of 2astilega1e Madrid its first charter to regulatethe municipal council#[48]hich as epanded in 8+++ by Bernando III of 2astile.

The first time the 2ourts of 2astile ere


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From the 19th century to present day

?n +' ?ctober 8()'# 2harles ID and @apoleon I signed the Treaty of Bontainebleau# hichalloed the passage of Brench troops through Spanish territory to estern !urope. The municipality as etended# anneingneighbouring council districts# to achie1e the present etension of 6)' *m+,+34.36 s- mi. Thesouth of Madrid became 1ery industriali0ed# and there ere massi1e migrationsfrom rural areasof Spain into the city. Madrid9s nely built northestern districts became the home of the nethri1ing middle class that appeared as result of the 8/6)s Spanish economic boom#hile the
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southeastern periphery became an etensi1e or*ingclass settlement# hich as the base foran acti1e cultural and political reform.[5)]

7fter the death of Branco and the democratic regime# the 8/'( constitution confirmed Madrid asthe capital of Spain. In 8/'/# the first municipal elections brought Madrid9s first democratically

elected mayor since the Second =epublic. Madrid as the scene of some of the most importante1ents of the time# such as the mass demonstrations of support for democracy after the foiledcoup# +3B# on +3 Bebruary 8/(8. The first democratic mayors belonged to the leftist parties,!nri-ue Tierno :al1On# Puan %arranco :allardo# turning the city after more conser1ati1epositions ,7gustFn =odrFgue0 SahagNn# PosC MarFa Ul1are0 del Man0ano# 7lberto =ui0:allardnand7na %otella. %enefiting from increasing prosperity in the 8/()s and 8//)s# thecapital city of Spain has consolidated its position as an important economic# cultural# industrial#educational# and technological centre on the !uropean continent. [5)]

Government

The 2ity 2ouncilconsists of 5+ members# one of them being the Mayor# currently 7na %otella.The Mayor presides o1er the 2ouncil.

The &lenary of the 2ouncil is the body ofpolitical representationof the citi0ens in the municipalgo1ernment.Some of its attributions areA fiscal matters# the election and deposition of the Mayor#the appro1al and modification of decrees and regulations# the appro1al of budgets# theagreements related to the limits and alteration of the municipal term# the ser1ices management#the participation in supramunicipal organi0ations# etc.[58]@oadays# mayoral teamconsists of theMayor# the ;eputy Mayor and ( ;elegates all of them form The %oard of ;elegates ,theMunicipal !ecuti1e 2ommittee.[5+]

Madrid has tended to be a stronghold of the &eople9s &arty,& righting political party# hichhas controlled the city9s mayoralty since 8/(/. In the +))' regional and local elections# the&eople9s &arty obtained 34 seats# the Spanish Socialist >or*ers9 &arty ,&S?!# centreleftpolitical party obtained 8( and"nited $eft,I"# left political party obtained 5.

7na %otellahas been in office since +)88# as former mayor 7lberto =ui0:allardn# also fromthe & left the post after the +)88 :eneral !lection to become Spain9s Minister of Pustice.%otella9s party *eeps the ma

Madrid is the Capital of Spain and Its Largest City

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