Madrid Travel Guide (Spain)

Madrid Now

For hundreds of years people have made the land along the banks of the Manzanares River their home. Matrice was the name the Romans gave the original settlement along the river in the 2nd century, but the name was changed to Madrid in the 7th century, when the city was conquered by the Arabs. Today the metropolitan area of Madrid has a population of almost 6 million people in a 234 square mile area. Most of the people who call Madrid home are Castilians; their families have lived in the area for centuries, but other people from all over ancient Spain also call Madrid their home. The Catalonians, Valencians, Gallegos and Andalucíans have settled in today’s Madrid, but the official language of the city is Castellano.

The city is the third richest city in Europe and it is the 23rd riches city in the world in terms of GDP. Madrid attracts an enormous amount of foreign investment, as well as steady flow of job seekers. The people of Madrid earn more money per year than any other city in Spain, but the cost of living has steadily increased over the last fifteen years and now has the distinction of being the 22nd most expensive city in the world. At the current rate of expansion Madrid will continue to climb the list of pricey cities.

Madrid - The City At A Glance

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Madrid Metro Map

Metro Map, Madrid