Madrid (/məˈdrɪd/ mə-DRID, Spanish: [maˈðɾið] ⓘ)[n. 1] is the capital and most populous city of Spain.

The city has almost 3.4 million[8] inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately
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.[9][10][11] The municipality covers
604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi) geographical area.[12] Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central
part of the Iberian Peninsula at about 650 meters above mean sea level. The capital city of both
Spain and the surrounding autonomous community of Madrid (since 1983),[13] it is also the
political, economic, and cultural centre of the country.[14] The climate of Madrid features hot
summers and cool winters.
The Madrid urban agglomeration has the second-largest GDP[15] in the European Union and its
influence in politics, education, entertainment, environment, media, fashion, science, culture, and
the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.[16][17] Due to
its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major
financial centre[18] and the leading economic hub of the Iberian Peninsula and of Southern
Europe.[19][20] The metropolitan area hosts major Spanish companies such
as Telefónica, Iberia, BBVA and FCC.[21] It concentrates the bulk of banking operations in the
country and it is the Spanish-speaking city generating the largest amount of webpages.[21] For
innovation, Madrid is ranked 19th in the world and 7th in Europe from 500 cities, in the 2022–
2023 annual analysts Innovation Cities Index, published by 2ThinkNow.[22]

Madrid houses the headquarters of the UN's World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ibero-
American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), and
the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB). It also hosts major international regulators and
promoters of the Spanish language: the Standing Committee of the Association of Spanish
Language Academies, headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the Instituto
Cervantes and the Foundation of Urgent Spanish (FundéuRAE). Madrid organises fairs such as
FITUR,[23] ARCO,[24] SIMO TCI[25] and the Madrid Fashion Week.[26] Madrid is home to two world-
famous football clubs, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.

While Madrid possesses modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its
historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace of
Madrid; the Royal Theatre with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro Park, founded in
1631; the 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's
historical archives; many national museums,[27] and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along
the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía
Museum, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which complements
the holdings of the other two museums.[28] Cibeles Palace and Fountain has become one of the
monument symbols of the city.[29][30] The mayor is José Luis Martínez-Almeida from the People's
Party.[31]

Etymology[edit]
There are various theories regarding the origin of the toponym "Madrid" (all of them with problems
when it comes to fully explain the phonetic evolution of the toponym along history), namely:[32]

• A Celtic origin (Madrid < *Magetoritum;[33] with the root "-ritu" meaning "ford").
• From the Arabic maǧrà (meaning "water stream")[33] or majrit (‫ مجريط‬meaning "spring",
"fountain").[34] The latter is the first documented name of the settlement.[34]
• A Mozarabic variant of the Latin matrix, matricis (also meaning "water stream").[33]

History[edit]
Main article: History of Madrid
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Madrid.
The site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times,[35][36][37] and there are
archaeological remains of the Celtic Carpetani settlement, Roman villas,[38] a Visigoth basilica
near the church of Santa María de la Almudena[39] and three Visigoth necropolises near Casa de
Campo, Tetuán and Vicálvaro.[40]

Middle Ages[edit]
The first historical document about the existence of an established settlement in Madrid dates
from the Muslim age. In the second half of the 9th century,[41] Umayyad Emir Muhammad I built a
fortress on a headland near the river Manzanares[42] 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,[43] 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.[43] The city was confirmed as villa de realengo [es] (linked to the Crown) in 1123, during the
reign of Alfonso VII.[44] 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.[45] Beginning in 1188, Madrid had the right to be a city with representation in the courts of
Castile.[citation needed] In 1202, Alfonso VIII gave Madrid its first charter to regulate the municipal
council,[46] 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.[47]

Starting in 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.[48] 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.[48]

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[edit]
During the revolt of the Comuneros, led by Juan Lopez 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.
View of Madrid from the west, facing the Puerta de la Vega. Drawing by Anton van den

Wyngaerde, 1562. Baths in the Manzanares in the place of

Molino Quemado (detail), by Félix Castello (c. 1634–1637)
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.[49] 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). Being the capital 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.[50]

View of Calle de Alcalá in 1750 by Antonio Joli

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.[51] The century also was a time
of heyday for theatre, represented in the so-called corrales de comedias.[52]

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 [es],[53] only to be retaken by the Bourbon army on 4 August
1706.[54] The Habsburg army led by the Archduke Charles entered the city for a second time [es] in
September 1710,[55] leaving the city less than three months after. Philip V entered the capital on 3
December 1710.[56]

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.[57]
Philip V built the Royal Palace, the Royal Tapestry Factory and the main Royal Academies.[58] 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.[59]

The Second of May 1808 by Francisco de Goya

Main article: Dos de Mayo Uprising
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.[60] The uprising led to a declaration of war calling all the Spaniards to fight against the
French invaders.

Capital of the Liberal State[edit]

1861 map of the Ensanche de Madrid

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.[61] 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.[62] The University of Alcalá de
Henares was relocated to Madrid in 1836, becoming the Central University.[63]

The economy of the city further modernized during the second half of the 19th century,
consolidating its status as a service and financial centre. New industries were mostly focused in
book publishing, construction and low-tech sectors.[64] The introduction of railway transport greatly
helped Madrid's economic prowess, and led to changes in consumption patterns (such as the
substitution of salted fish for fresh fish from the Spanish coasts) as well as further strengthening
the city's role as a logistics node in the country's distribution network.[65] Electric lighting in the
streets was introduced in the 1890s.[65]
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.[66]

Second Republic and Civil War[edit]

Children taking refuge during the Francoist bombings (1936–1937)

over Madrid during the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Constitution of 1931 was the first to legislate the location of the country's capital,
setting it explicitly in Madrid. During the 1930s, Madrid enjoyed "great vitality"; it was
demographically young, becoming urbanized and the centre of new political movements.[67] During
this time, major construction projects were undertaken, including the northern extension of
the Paseo de la Castellana, one of Madrid's major thoroughfares.[68] The tertiary sector, including
banking, insurance and telephone services, grew greatly.[69] 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 newspapers also increased.[70] Conversely, the proclamation of the Republic created
a severe housing shortage. Slums and squalor grew due to high population growth and the influx
of the poor to the city. Construction of affordable housing failed to keep pace and increased
political instability discouraged economic investment in housing in the years immediately prior to
the Civil War.[71] 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.[72] However, the 1934 insurrection largely failed in the city.[73]

Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). It was a
stronghold of the Republican faction from July 1936 and became an international symbol of anti-
fascist struggle during the conflict.[74] The city suffered aerial bombing, and in November 1936, its
western suburbs were the scene of an all-out battle.[75] The city fell to the Francoists in March
1939.

See also: Siege of Madrid

Francoist dictatorship[edit]
 The calle de Bravo Murillo in 1978
A staple of post-war Madrid (Madrid de la posguerra) was the widespread use of ration
coupons.[76] Meat and fish consumption was scarce, resulting in high mortality due to
malnutrition.[77] Due to Madrid's history as a left-wing stronghold, the right-wing victors considered
moving the capital elsewhere (most notably to Seville), but such plans were never implemented.
The Franco regime instead emphasized the city's history as the capital of formerly imperial
Spain.[78]

The intense demographic growth experienced by the city via mass immigration from the rural
areas of the country led to the construction of abundant housing in the peripheral areas of the city
to absorb the new population (reinforcing the processes of social polarization of the
city),[79] initially comprising substandard housing (with as many as 50,000 shacks scattered
around the city by 1956).[80] 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 [es], 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.[81]

Madrid grew through the annexation of neighboring municipalities, achieving the present extent of
607 km2 (234.36 sq mi). The south of Madrid became heavily industrialized, and there was
significant immigration from rural areas of Spain. Madrid's newly built north-western districts
became the home of a newly enriched middle class that appeared as result of the 1960s Spanish
economic boom, while the south-eastern periphery became a large working-class area, which
formed the base for active cultural and political movements.[75]

Recent history[edit]
After the fall of the Francoist regime, the new 1978 constitution confirmed Madrid as the capital of
Spain. The 1979 municipal election brought Madrid's first democratically elected mayor since the
Second Republic to power.

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.[82]
 2011 Anti-austerity protests in the Puerta del Sol
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.[75] During the mandate as Mayor of José María
Álvarez del Manzano construction of traffic tunnels below the city proliferated.[83] 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.[84] 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.[85] Madrid was a centre of the anti-austerity
protests that erupted in Spain in 2011.[86] 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.[87] 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.[88][89]

Geography[edit]
Location[edit]

Madrid as seen by the Sentinel-2 satellite in July 2022

Madrid lies in the centre of the Iberian peninsula 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. With an average altitude of 650 m (2,130 ft),
Madrid is the second highest capital of Europe (after Andorra la Vella).[90] 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.[91] 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 [es] located at the north-western end of the municipality, in
the Fuencarral-El Pardo district.[92]

The oldest urban core is located on the hills next to the left bank of the Manzanares River.[93] The
city grew to the east, reaching the Fuente Castellana Creek [es] (now the Paseo de la Castellana),
and further east reaching the Abroñigal Creek [es] (now the M-30).[93] The city also grew through
the annexation of neighbouring urban settlements,[93] including those to the South West on the
right bank of the Manzanares.

Parks and forests[edit]

Main article: List of Madrid parks

Main parks in the municipality

Retiro Park

The Manzanares flowing through the Monte de El Pardo

Madrid 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).[94] The other main source for the "green" areas
are the bienes de propios [es] owned by the municipality (including the Dehesa de la Villa, the
Dehesa de Arganzuela or Viveros).[95]

El Retiro is the most visited location of the city.[96] 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.[97][98] 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.[99] Its southern extension includes the Temple of Debod, a
transported ancient Egyptian temple.[100]

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 [es], the San Isidro Park [es] as well as
gardens such as the Campo del Moro (opened to the public in 1978)[95] and the Sabatini
Gardens (opened to the public in 1931)[95] 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.[101]

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.[102] 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.[102] 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.[103] 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 [es] and
the Dehesa de la Villa [es]. 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 [es]), a
0.8 km2 (0.31 sq mi) periurban park as well as municipal garden centres and compost plants.[104]

Climate[edit]
Main article: Climate of Madrid

Madrid during a rainstorm

Madrid has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk)[105] transitioning to a Mediterranean
Climate (Csa) in the western half. The city has continental influences.

Winters are cool due to its altitude, which is approximately 667 m (2,188 ft) above sea level and
distance from the moderating effect of the sea. While mostly sunny, rain, sporadic snowfalls and
frequent frosts can occur between December and February with cooler temperatures particularly
during the night and mornings as cold winds blow into the city from surrounding mountains.
Summers are hot and sunny, in the warmest month, July, average temperatures during the day
range from 32 to 34 °C (90 to 93 °F) depending on location, with maxima commonly climbing over
35 °C (95 °F) and occasionally up to 40 °C during the frequent heat waves. Due to Madrid's
altitude and dry climate, humidity is low and diurnal ranges are often significant, particularly on
sunny winter days when the temperature rises in the afternoon before rapidly plummeting after
nightfall. Madrid is among the sunniest capital cities in Europe.

The highest recorded temperature was on 14 August 2021, with 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) and the
lowest recorded temperature was on 16 January 1945 with −10.1 °C (13.8 °F) in Madrid.[106] While
on the airport, in the eastern side of the city, the highest recorded temperature was on 24 July
1995, at 42.2 °C (108.0 °F), and the lowest recorded temperature was on 16 January 1945 at
−15.3 °C (4.5 °F).[107] From 7 to 9 January 2021, Madrid received the most snow in its recorded
history since 1904; Spain's meteorological agency AEMET reported between 50 and 60 cm (20
and 24 in) of accumulated snow in its weather stations within the city.[108]

Precipitation is typically concentrated in the autumn and spring. It is particularly sparse during the
summer, taking the form of about two showers and/or thunderstorms during the season. Madrid is
the European capital with the least annual precipitation and is the only with a semi-arid
climate.[109][110]

At the metropolitan scale, Madrid features both substantial daytime urban cool island and
nighttime urban heat island effects during the hot season in relation to its surroundings, which
feature thinly vegetated dry land.[111]

hideClimate data for Madrid (667 m), Buen Retiro Park in the city centre (1981–2010) Sunshine
(1981-2010)

Ma Ap Ma Au No Yea
Month Jan Feb Jun Jul Sep Oct Dec
r r y g v r

12. 16. 18. 22. 28. 32. 31. 26. 19. 13. 10.
9.8 20.0
Mean daily 0 3 2 2 2 1 3 4 4 5 0
(49. (67.
maximum °C (°F) (53. (61. (64. (72. (82. (89. (88. (79. (66. (56. (50.
6) 9)
6) 3) 8) 0) 8) 8) 3) 5) 9) 3) 0)

11. 12. 16. 22. 25. 25. 20. 15.

6.3 7.9 9.9 6.9 15.1
Daily mean °C 2 9 7 2 6 1 9 1
(43. (46. (49. (44. (59.
(°F) (52. (55. (62. (72. (78. (77. (69. (59.
3) 2) 8) 4) 1)
2) 2) 1) 0) 1) 2) 6) 2)

11. 16. 19. 18. 15. 10.

2.7 3.7 6.2 7.7 6.3 3.6 10.1
Mean daily 3 1 0 8 4 7
(36. (38. (43. (45. (43. (38. (50.
minimum °C (°F) (52. (61. (66. (65. (59. (51.
9) 7) 2) 9) 3) 5) 2)
3) 0) 2) 8) 7) 3)
 33. 34. 25. 45. 50. 21. 12. 10. 22. 60. 58. 51.
421
Average precipita 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
(16.
tion mm (inches) (1.3 (1.3 (0.9 (1.7 (1.9 (0.8 (0.4 (0.3 (0.8 (2.3 (2.2 (2.0
57)
0) 4) 8) 7) 7) 3) 7) 9) 7) 6) 8) 1)

Average
precipitation 5.7 5.2 4.1 6.7 6.7 3.4 1.7 1.7 3.3 6.9 6.5 6.8 58.7
days (≥ 1 mm)

Average relative
71. 65. 55. 56. 56. 44. 38. 41. 50. 64. 71. 74.
humidity (%) (dail 57.1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
y average)

Mean
2,74
monthly sunshine 149 158 211 230 268 315 355 332 259 199 144 124
4
hours

Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[112][113]

Water supply[edit]

Viaje de Amaniel
In the 17th century, the viajes de agua (a kind of water channel or qanat) were used to provide
water to the city. Some of the most important ones were the Viaje de Amaniel [es] (1610–1621,
sponsored by the Crown), the Viaje de Fuente Castellana [es] (1613–1620) and Abroñigal
Alto [es]/Abroñigal Bajo [es] (1617–1630), sponsored by the City Council. They were the main
infrastructure for the supply of water until the arrival of the Canal de Isabel II in the mid-19th
century.[114]

Madrid derives almost 73.5 percent of its water supply from dams and reservoirs built on
the Lozoya River, such as the El Atazar Dam.[115] This water supply is managed by the Canal de
Isabel II, a public entity created in 1851. It is responsible for the supply, depurating waste water
and the conservation of all the natural water resources of the Madrid region.

Demographics[edit]
Main article: Demographics of Madrid
 Community of Madrid population pyramid in 2022
The population of Madrid has overall increased since the city became the capital of Spain in the
mid-sixteenth century, and has stabilised at approximately 3,000,000 since the 1970s.

From 1970 until the mid-1990s, the population dropped. This phenomenon, which also affected
other European cities, was caused in part by the growth of satellite suburbs at the expense of the
downtown region within the city proper.

The demographic boom accelerated in the late-1990s and early first decade of the 21st century
due to immigration in parallel with a surge in Spanish economic growth.

The wider Madrid region is the EU region with the highest average life expectancy at birth. The
average life expectancy was 82.2 years for males and 87.8 for females in 2016.[116]

As the capital city of Spain, the city has attracted many immigrants from around the world, with
most of the immigrants coming from Latin American countries.[117] In 2020, around 76% of the
registered population was Spain-born,[118] while, regarding the foreign-born population
(24%),[118] the bulk of it relates to the Americas (around 16% of the total population), and a lesser
fraction of the population is born in other European, Asian and African countries.

As of 2019, the fastest-growing group of immigrants were Venezuelans, who consisted of a

population of 60,000 in Madrid alone. This made them the second-largest community of foreign
origin at the time after Ecuadorians, with a population of 88,000.[119]

Regarding religious beliefs, according to a 2019 Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS)

survey with a sample size of 469 respondents, 20.7% of respondents in Madrid identify
themselves as practising Catholics, 45.8% as non-practising Catholics, 3.8% as believers of
another religion, 11.1% as agnostics, 3.6% as indifferent towards religion, and 12.8% as atheists.
The remaining 2.1% did not state their religious beliefs.[120]

The Madrid metropolitan area comprises Madrid and the surrounding municipalities. According
to Eurostat, the "metropolitan region" of Madrid has a population of slightly more than
6.271 million people[121] covering an area of 4,609.7 km2 (1,780 sq mi). It is the largest in Spain
and the second largest in the European Union.[9][10][11]

Government[edit]
Main article: City Council of Madrid
See also: List of mayors of Madrid

Local government and administration[edit]

Main article: City Council of Madrid
Façade of the city hall

A plenary session of the city council

The City Council (Ayuntamiento de Madrid) is the body responsible for the government and
administration of the municipality. It is formed by the Plenary (Pleno), the Mayor (alcalde) and the
Government Board (Junta de Gobierno de la Ciudad de Madrid).

The Plenary of the Ayuntamiento is the body of political representation of the citizens in
the municipal government. Its 57 members are elected for a 4-year mandate. Some of its
attributions are: fiscal matters, the election and deposition of the mayor, the approval and
modification of decrees and regulations, the approval of budgets, the agreements related to the
limits and alteration of the municipal term, the services management, the participation in
supramunicipal organisations, etc.[122]

The mayor, the supreme representative of the city, presides over the Ayuntamiento. He is
charged with giving impetus to the municipal policies, managing the action of the rest of bodies
and directing the executive municipal administration.[123] He is responsible to the Pleno. He is also
entitled to preside over the meetings of the Pleno, although this responsibility can be delegated to
another municipal councillor. José Luis Martínez-Almeida, a member of the People's Party, has
served as mayor since 2019.

The Government Board consists of the mayor, deputy mayors and a number of delegates
assuming the portfolios for the different government areas. All those positions are held by
municipal councillors.[124]

Since 2007, the Cybele Palace (or Palace of Communications) serves as City Hall.

Capital of Spain[edit]

Moncloa Palace, seat of the President of the Government of

Spain
Madrid is the capital of Spain. The King of Spain, the country's head of state, has his official
residence in the Zarzuela Palace. As the seat of the Government of Spain, Madrid also houses
the official residence of the President of the Government (Prime Minister) and regular meeting
place of the Council of Ministers, the Moncloa Palace, as well as the headquarters of the
ministerial departments. Both the residences of the head of state and government are located at
the northwest of the city. Additionally, the seats of the Lower and Upper Chambers of the Spanish
Parliament, the Cortes Generales (respectively, the Palacio de las Cortes and the Palacio del
Senado), also lie in Madrid.

Regional capital[edit]
Madrid is the capital of the Community of Madrid. The region has its own legislature and enjoys a
wide range of competencies in areas such as social spending, healthcare, and education. The
seat of the regional parliament, the Assembly of Madrid, is located at the district of Puente de
Vallecas. The presidency of the regional government is headquartered at the Royal House of the
Post Office at the very centre of the city, the Puerta del Sol.

Law enforcement[edit]

Municipal police agents from the 2018 promotion

The Madrid Municipal Police (Policía Municipal de Madrid) is the local law enforcement body,
dependent on the Ayuntamiento. As of 2018, it had a workforce of 6,190 civil servants.[125]

The headquarters of both the Directorate-General of the Police and the Directorate-General of the
Civil Guard are located in Madrid. The headquarters of the Higher Office of Police of Madrid
(Jefatura Superior de Policía de Madrid), the peripheral branch of the National Police Corps with
jurisdiction over the region also lies in Madrid.