Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid 作者： 来源： 发布时间：2021-03-16
1. Population and Area
Pop: 6,791,667 (metro)
Area: 604.31 km2 (munip.)
Elev: 667 masl
Madrid location in Spain within the community of Madrid
https://goo.gl/maps/rywNPTLoWNa84BAe9
2. Natural geography
Nature and weather
Madrid lies on the southern Meseta Central, 60 km south of the Guadarrama mountain range and straddling the Jarama and Manzanares river sub-drainage basins, in the wider Tagus River catchment area. There is a considerable difference in altitude within the city proper ranging 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 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 located at the north-western end of the municipality, in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district.
The oldest urban core 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 (now the Paseo de la Castellana), and further east reaching the Abroñigal Creek (now the M-30). The city also grew through the annexation of neighbouring urban settlements, including those to the South West on the right bank of the Manzanares.
Flora and fauna
There are several areas that we can distinguish within the relief of the Community of Madrid, in which we can appreciate a variety of flora. On the one hand, we have the sierra area and on the other the so-called Tagus depression. These are the two areas that mark the relief of the Community of Madrid.
In the Sierra de Madrid we have to distinguish three areas based on height:
Up to 1,200 meters. Holm oaks appear up to this altitude, giving rise to the thicket of kermes oak, thyme, esparto or rockrose.
Between 1,200 and 1,800 meters. As we go up in altitude, the landscape changes. In this area, forests predominate, which can be Pyrenean oak (especially in the lower parts). They can also be ash or willow forests. The degradation of the forest gives way to rockrose and broom. Other plant species appear such as the sabina albar (El Chaparral de Lozoya), the beech (in Montejo de la Sierra) or the birch trees. In the highest part of this area, that is, above 1,700 meters, we can find pine forests with broom undergrowth, mainly composed of scots or albar and stone pines.
Between 1,800 and 2,100 meters, the typical flora is the scrub, composed mainly of the broom. Few vegetables can survive at this point. You can also find laburnum. Above this height we can only find juniper meadows or thickets.
Holm oak predominates in the area of the Tagus depression. We can find plants such as almarjares or albardinares. In humid areas we have reed beds and pastures. On the banks of the rivers we find elms, poplars, willows, ash trees or alders.
In the southeast area of the Community of Madrid, in the areas near the Jarama and Tagus rivers, we can find a large number of birds, among which are mallard, shoveler, common pochard, grebe, seagull, little grebe, harrier lagunero, ... these are present in humid areas, such as lagoons.
We can also see other birds in any area of cuttings: jackdaw, red-billed chough, peregrine falcon, kestrel, black kite. Chickadees, blackbirds, thrushes, wood pigeons, storks, bustards, robins, blue tit, greenfinch, cattle herons or hoopoe abound in the cultivation areas.
In the Sierra and in the north of Madrid it is possible to see wild boar or deer. These are found in Monte del Pardo. In general, to see animals you have to go to the countryside and be in contact with nature, just a few minutes from the city center. Rabbits, hares, mice, weasels, voles or bats are also frequently found in the Madrid mountains.
In Madrid there are also reptiles, as well as many types of snakes: collared snake, bastard snake, blind shingles ... Also galapagos and many types of lizards. We also find amphibians such as the common frog, the San Antonio frog, the common toad, the runner toad or the spur toad.
Pigeons abound in the city center, they are everywhere. On the other hand, in Madrid there are animals that are difficult to find but are also present, such as the otter, the hedgehog, the raccoon or the genet. The best option to see all the animals is to go to the Madrid Zoo.
https://www.cosasdemadrid.es/flora-tipica-de-madrid
https://www.cosasdemadrid.es/fauna-tipica-de-madrid
Köppen Classification: Mediterranean Climate
Under the Köppen Climate Classification climate classification, "dry-summer subtropical" climates are often referred to as "Mediterranean". This climate zone has an average temperature above 10°C (50°F) in their warmest months, and an average in the coldest between 18 to -3°C (64 to 27°F). Summers tend to be dry with less than one-third that of the wettest winter month, and with less than 30mm (1.18 in) of precipitation in a summer month. Many of the regions with Mediterranean climates have relatively mild winters and very warm summers.
The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Csb". (Mediterranean Climate).
The average temperature for the year in Madrid is 57.4°F (14.1°C). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 76.1°F (24.5°C). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 41.7°F (5.4°C).
The highest recorded temperature in Madrid is 105.0°F (40.6°C), which was recorded in August. The lowest recorded temperature in Madrid is 14.0°F (-10°C), which was recorded in January.
The average amount of precipitation for the year in Madrid is 17.8" (452.1 mm). The month with the most precipitation on average is November with 2.5" (63.5 mm) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of 0.4" (10.2 mm). There are an average of 58.0 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in May with 7.0 days and the least precipitation occurring in July with 2.0 days.
http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=12280&cityname=Madrid%2C+Madrid%2C+Spain&units=
Getting there and around
Get there
By plane – Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (IATA: MAD), +34 902 404 704, is located 13km from the city center. It is one of the largest airports in Europe and is serviced by many airlines, as well as being the home base for Iberia Airlines. The airport has 4 terminals. Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are close together and serviced by the same metro station, while Terminal 4 is far from those and has its own metro and commuter train stations.
By car – There are car rental facilities available at the airport, train stations, and other main travel sites. Always be sure to have a street map handy! The roads within Madrid are difficult to navigate as there are no places to stop and consult a map or check your route.
Parking within the city follows the pay-and-display system, daily from 9am to 9pm (limited on Saturdays, and all August, to 9am to 15pm, and being free on Sundays).
By bus – Madrid has eight enormous international and intercity bus stations. Information on where buses to a particular destination depart from can be found at the Tourist Office.
Many of the international buses, and those headed south of Madrid, arrive at and depart from Estación Sur de Autobuses (Calle de Méndez Álvaro, Tel:+34 91-468-4200) which is accessible by metro.
Buses to and from Barcelona and Bilbao operate from the Avenida de América bus terminal, also accessible by Metro.
By train – Renfe, +34 902-240-202, [210] operates train service to/from Madrid. Frequent trains operate between Madrid and Barcelona (2h 40min), Seville (2h 20 min), Malaga (2h 30 min), Zaragoza, Tarragona, Lerida, Huesca, Ciudad Real, Puertollano, Lisbon, Milan, the French coast, Paris, with continuing journeys to most of Europe.
Madrid has two train stations: Chamartín and Atocha, both of which have excellent Metro and Cercanias commuter train connections. Most northbound and international trains arrive and depart from Chamartín station, while trains to Barcelona, Valencia and southern Spain depart from Atocha. If you need to get between the two stations, Metro line 1 (€1.50, 30-40 minutes) or Cercanias lines C3 and C4 (€1.35, 15 minutes) offer the most direct connection.
Rideshare – The cheapest way to get from Madrid to Valladolid is to rideshare which costs 10€ and takes 2h 43m.
https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Madrid/Valladolid
Rideshare – Check out Blabla Car's carpooling service for rideshare options between Madrid and the city you are visiting. A great option if you don't have a driver's license or want to avoid public transport.
COVID19 – International entry into Spain: partially open
Non-essential travel is open with certain safety requirements. 1.5m social distancing and use of masks are mandatory within Spain.
Some COVID-19 travel conditions may apply in Spain and transport services are subject to change.
Get around
While knowledge of the English language is increasing among the younger generations, the majority of Madrid's residents know only a few words - even employees at American businesses such as McDonald's, KFC or Burger King and employees at cash exchange centers rarely speak much English. You can often find someone with a fair grasp of English at larger hotels and tourism sites, but it would nevertheless be helpful to know at least a few common Spanish words and phrases.
Madrid proudly sports one of the best public transportation networks in the world and the second largest metro network in Europe, second only to London's. Buses and subways form an integrated network and work with the same tickets.
A single ticket costs €1.50 (5 stations) – €2.00, a ten trip ticket costs €12.20 / €18.30.
Alternatively, you can buy unlimited travel passes as follows: 1 day (€8), 2 days (€13.40), 3 days (€17.40), 5 days (€25.50), or 7 days (€33.40).
Children under the age of 4 may travel without a ticket. Children under 11 receive a 50% discount. Tickets can be purchased at Metro stations, news-stands, and estancos (tobacconists').
Local Buses – Local buses are available locally for a fraction of the cost of a taxi around town. You need to speak Spanish to be able to ask for directions or ask the driver to tell you where to get off.
Uber is expanding rapidly across Spain and now offers services in cities across the country. Uber has almost every Spanish city in its network every year, check for availability when you arrive at your destination.
Beat, Cabify and Didi are also developing and currently operate in cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Valladolid, Murcia, and Bilbao. Check for availability in the city you are visiting.
These services offer people with smartphones a way to book a cab through a mobile app for a pre-agreed price. Fares are comparable with Sitio type cabs, and sometimes trade at a premium to this when local demand increases.
Bicycle – Although Madrid does not appear as a bike-friendly city at a first sight, things are changing slowly to make bike experience more comfortable. Several streets in historical downtown have been transformed into mixed-traffic spaces where pedestrians and bikes have priority over cars. There are new easy-bike paths all along the river and connecting important parks.
https://wikitravel.org/en/Madrid
3. GDP
GDP: 239,878 M EUR (2019, Madrid autonomous community)
https://datosmacro.expansion.com/pib/espana-comunidades-autonomas/madrid#:~:text=Madrid%3A%20El%20PIB%20ascendi%C3%B3%20un%203%2C1%25&text=En%202019%20la%20cifra%20del,que%20fue%20de%2035.041%E2%82%AC.
4. Industry characteristics
After it became the capital of Spain in the 16th century, Madrid was more a centre of consumption than of production or trade. Economic activity was largely devoted to supplying the city's own rapidly growing population, including the royal household and national government, and to such trades as banking and publishing.
A large industrial sector did not develop until the 20th century, but thereafter industry greatly expanded and diversified, making Madrid the second industrial city in Spain. However, the economy of the city is now becoming more and more dominated by the service sector. A major European financial center, its stock market is the third largest stock market in Europe featuring both the IBEX 35 index and the attached Latibex stock market (with the second most important index for Latin American companies). It concentrates about the 75 % of banking operations in the country.
Madrid is the 5th most important leading Centre of Commerce in Europe (after London, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam) and ranks 11th in the world. It is the leading Spanish-speaking city in terms of webpage creation.
Madrid concentrates activities directly connected with power (central and regional government, headquarters of Spanish companies, regional HQ of multinationals, financial institutions) and with knowledge and technological innovation (research centres and universities). It is one of Europe's largest financial centres and the largest in Spain. The city has 17 universities and over 30 research centres. It is the second metropolis in the EU by population, and the third by gross internal product. Leading employers include Telefónica, Iberia, Prosegur, BBVA, Urbaser, Dragados, and FCC.
The economy of Madrid has become based increasingly on the service sector. In 2011 services accounted for 85.9% of value added, while industry contributed 7.9% and construction 6.1%. Nevertheless, Madrid continues to hold the position of Spain's second industrial centre after Barcelona, specialising particularly in high-technology production. Following the recession, services and industry were forecast to return to growth in 2014, and construction in 2015.
Key project:
Madrid Nuevo Norte
Madrid Nuevo Norte is the largest urban regeneration intervention in Europe, a pioneering project that was born with the maximum social and institutional support and will reconfigure the north of the capital, providing new opportunities for the entire city.
Madrid Nuevo Norte Project is the large-scale urban regeneration of Madrid. This project will improve many people’s quality of life by generating thousands of jobs, creating new green spaces and quality public spaces, designing a new model for public transport and building key infrastructure for the city. The intervention will develop a large empty urban space currently occupied by the railway sidings leading out of Chamartín Station, forming an old industrial wasteland and brown fields. This big eyesore splits the north of the city in two, divides neighbourhoods and creates serious traffic problems. The project opts for an innovative city model, based on the most sustainable town planning standards of the 21st century.
The scale of the development is a good example of the great opportunity Madrid represents. The grounds on which the project will be developed stretch along an elongated strip that is 5.6 kilometres long and 1 kilometre wide. It cuts across the north of Madrid, from Calle Mateo Inurria, next to Plaza de Castilla, all the way up to the M-40.
This is the same distance as from the Fountain of Neptune to Plaza de Castilla. In total, it covers an area of 3,290,204 m2, of which only 2,357,443 m2 will be developed, after deducting the space occupied by the railway tracks and the M-30.
https://distritocastellananorte.com/elproyecto/introduccion-y-contexto/?lang=en
5. Attractions
El Prado Museum
Welcome to the Museo del Prado, an institution dating back almost 200 years and one whose origins and unique nature are largely due to the collecting tastes of Spain’s 16th- and 17th-century monarchs. Collecting at that period differed from the present day. Rather than aiming at comprehensiveness, collectors aimed to assemble as many works as possible by their favourite artists. This explains why the Prado has been described as a museum of painters not of paintings, given that its artists are represented in a superlative manner with, for example, the largest holdings of Bosch, Titian, El Greco, Rubens, Velázquez and Goya, some numbering more than 100 works. This type of instinctive collecting also resulted in gaps and explains why some periods are less well represented than others, either because they were not of interest, for example the Italian Primitives, or for historical reasons, as with 17th-century Dutch painting.
Since its foundation in 1819, the Museo del Prado has played a key role in the evolution of art history. It has been crucial for the rediscovery of the Spanish Primitives and emblematic figures such as El Greco, and for positioning Velázquez as the greatest figure in the Spanish pictorial Parnassus, while its galleries have inspired some of the most avant-garde painters of the past 150 years. We are proud to show visitors this great artistic patrimony.
https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection
Real Madrid football team
Even if you are not a sport's lover watching a football match in Madrid can be worth it, since Madrid is home to the famous Real Madrid football team, who plays in the Santiago Bernabeu football pitch (currently under almost complete remodeling).
Founded on 6 March 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally worn a white home kit since inception. The word real is Spanish for "royal" and was bestowed to the club by King Alfonso XIII in 1920 together with the royal crown in the emblem. The team has played its home matches in the 81,044-capacity Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in downtown Madrid since 1947. Unlike most European sporting entities, Real Madrid's members (socios) have owned and operated the club throughout its history.
The club was estimated to be worth €3.8 billion ($4.2 billion) in 2019, and it was the second highest-earning football club in the world, with an annual revenue of €757.3 million in 2019. The club is one of the most widely supported teams in the world.[9] Real Madrid is one of three founding members of La Liga that have never been relegated from the top division since its inception in 1929, along with Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona. The club holds many long-standing rivalries, most notably El Clásico with Barcelona and El Derbi with Atlético Madrid.
Real Madrid has always been a beacon of tourism for the Community of Madrid. Some of our football and basketball players recently took part in a fun campaign to promote the Community of Madrid as an international tourist destination.
https://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football
Cibeles roundabout and plaza
The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become a symbol for the city of Madrid. It sits at the intersection of Calle de Alcalá (running from east to west), Paseo de Recoletos (to the North) and Paseo del Prado (to the south). Plaza de Cibeles was originally named Plaza de Madrid, but in 1900, the City Council named it Plaza de Castelar, which was eventually replaced by its current name.
The fountain of Cybele is found in the part of Madrid commonly called the Paseo de Recoletos. This fountain is named after Cybele, a Phrygian goddess. The fountain is traditionally the place where Real Madrid C.F. celebrate their team victories, with the team captain placing a Real Madrid flag and scarf on the statue.
Over the years, the plaza and its fountain have become symbolic monuments of the city.
Madrid Travel Guide - Top Places to Visit, by Locals
https://youtu.be/DXByRgWY3s8
6. History
Middle Ages
Although the site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times, and there are archaeological remains of Carpetani settlement, Roman villas, a Visigoth basilica near the church of Santa María de la Almudena and three Visigoth necropoleis near Casa de Campo, Tetúan and Vicálvaro, the first historical document about the existence of an established settlement in Madrid dates from the Muslim age. At the second half of the 9th century, Cordobese 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 invasions and also as 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 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 (linked to the Crown) in 1123, during 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.Since 1188, Madrid won 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 the town was changed to a regimiento of 12 regidores by Alfonso XI on 6 January 1346.
Since 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 by the agricultural and less competent in repopulation 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.
Modern Age
During the revolt of the Comuneros, led by Juan 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 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 the Madrid population temporarily plummeted accordingly). The capitality 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 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, only to be retaken by the Bourbon army on 4 August 1706. The Habsburg army led by the Archduke Charles entered the city for a second time in September 1710, leaving the city less than three months after. Philip V definitely 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 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 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 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 a declaration of war calling all the Spaniards to fights against the French invaders.
Capital of the Liberal State
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 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 his status as service and financial centre, although in the other hand the new industries were mostly focused in book edition, construction and low-tech sectors. The introduction of railway transport greatly helped Madrid's economic prowess, and it also led to changes in consumption patterns (such as substitution of salted fish by fresh fish from the Spanish coasts) as well as further strengthening of the city role as logistics node in the country's distribution network. Electric lightning 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 the homes of the influx of workers, while Ensanche became a middle-class neighbourhood of Madrid.
Second Republic and Civil War
The Spanish Constitution of 1931 was the first legislated on the state capital, setting it explicitly in Madrid. During the 1930s, Madrid enjoyed "great vitality"; it was demographically young, but also young in the sense of its relationship with modernity. During this time the prolongation of the Paseo de la Castellana towards the North was projected. The proclamation of the Republic slowed down the building of new housing. The tertiary sector gave thrust to the economy. 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 newspaper also increased. Anti-clericalism and Catholicism lived side by side in Madrid; the burning of convents initiated after riots in the city in May 1931 worsened the political environment. The 1934 insurrection largely failed in Madrid.
Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities of Spain in the Civil War (1936–1939). The city was a stronghold of the Republican faction from July 1936 and became an international symbol of anti-fascist struggle during the conflict. Its western suburbs were the scene of an all-out battle in November 1936 and during the Civil War the city was also bombed by airplanes. The city fell to the Francoists in March 1939.
Francoist dictatorship
A staple of the Post-war Madrid (Madrid de la posguerra) was the widespread use of ration coupons. Meat and fish consumption were scarce, and starvation and lack of proteins were a cause of high mortality. As the protracted right-wing despise towards the city nurtured during the Second Republic turned up to eleven during the war, the victors toyed with the possibility of moving the capital elsewhere (most notably to Seville), yet such plans did not materialize, and the Francoist regime conducted then an attempt to re-signify the city, stemming from the Spanish Imperial ideal.
The intense demographic growth experienced by the city via mass immigration from the rural areas of the country led to the construction of plenty of 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 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, 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 the aegis of a wider coordinated urban planning.
The municipality grew through the annexation of neighbouring municipalities, achieving the present extension of 607 km2 (234.36 sq mi). The south of Madrid became very industrialised, and there were massive migrations from rural areas of Spain into the city. Madrid's newly built north-western districts became the home of the new thriving middle class that appeared as result of the 1960s Spanish economic boom, while the south-eastern periphery became an extensive working-class settlement, which was the base for an active cultural and political reform.
Recent history
After the death of Franco and the start of the democratic regime, the 1978 constitution confirmed Madrid as the capital of Spain. The 1979 municipal election brought Madrid's first democratic mayor since the Second Republic.
Madrid 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 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 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 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 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.
7. Other Information: Madrid parks and forests
Madrid is the European city with the highest number of trees and green surface per inhabitant and it has the second highest number of aligned trees in the world, with 248,000 units, only exceeded by Tokyo. Madrid's citizens have access to a green area within a 15-minute walk. Since 1997, green areas have increased by 16%. At present, 8.2% of Madrid's grounds are green areas, meaning that there are 16 m2 (172 sq ft) of green area per inhabitant, far exceeding the 10 m2 (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 owned by 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 km2 (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 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, 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, the San Isidro Park as well as gardens suchs as the Campo del Moro (opened to the public in 1978) and the Sabatini Gardens (opened to the public in 1931) near 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 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.[129] 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 the environmental value.[129] 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.[130] It is designated as Special Protection Area for bird-life and it is also part of the Regional Park of the High Basin of the Manzanares.
Other large forested areas include the Soto de Viñuelas, the Dehesa de Valdelatas and the Dehesa de la Villa. As of 2015, the most recent big park in the municipality is the Valdebebas Park. Covering a total area of 4.7 km2 (1.8 sq mi), it is sub-divided in a 3.4 km2 (1.3 sq mi) forest park (the Parque forestal de Valdebebas-Felipe VI), a 0.8 km2 (0.31 sq mi) periurban park as well as municipal garden centres and compost plants.
8. Contact Information
City Mayor: José Luis Martínez-Almeida Navasqüés
Phone number: +34 (915) 881 000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JLMAlmeidaPP
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlmeidaPP_
Website: https://www.madrid.es
Govt. Office Address: Calle Montalbán 1 , Planta 4 , 28014 , MadridMain sources