Madrid

Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and its monocentric metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU. The municipality covers 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi) geographical area. Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula at about 650 metres above mean sea level. Capital city of both Spain and the surrounding autonomous community of Madrid (since 1983), it is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. The climate of Madrid features hot summers and cool winters.