Barcelona is positionned on the northeastern coast of the Iberian peninsula and the shores of the Mediterranean and is the second largest city in Spain in both size and population. It is also the capital of Catalonia, 1 of the 17 Autonomous Communities that make up Spain.

In Barcelona there are two official languages spoken: Catalan, generally spoken in all of Catalonia, and Castillian Spanish. The city of Barcelona has a population of 1.510.000, but this number spirals to more than 4.000.000 if the outlying areas are also included.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia is unequivocally a Mediterranean city, not only because of its geographic location but also and above all because of its history, tradition and cultural influences. The documented history of the city dates back to the founding of a Roman colony on its soil in the second century B.C.

Barcelona experienced spectacular growth and economic revival at the onset of industrialization during the second half of the 19th century. The 1888 World's Fair became a symbol of the capacity for hard work and the international outlook projected by the city. Culture and the arts flourished in Barcelona and in all of Catalonia; the splendor achieved by Catalonian modernism is one of the most patent displays.

Barcelona transportation is facilitated by an urban belt of rapid transit, including subways, tunnels, buses, cable cars, and freeways. Railways connect the city with the suburbs as well as with the rest of Spain and with France, while the airport at Prat del Llobregat serves international flights. Area city, 35 square miles (91 square km); metropolitan area, 184 square miles (477 square km).

Barcelona, more than just a single city, is really a collection of multi-faceted and diverse cities. The visitor unfamiliar with its history might be surprised that such a modern and enterprising city preserves its historic Gothic center almost intact, or by the curious contrast between the maze of narrow streets and the grid-like layout of the Eixample, the urban planning "Enlargement" project of the end of the 19th century.
_{sources:
Britannica Image : fodors.com}

---

Tags: iberian, mediterranean, spain, catalonia	[edit tags]

Date Added: 27 March '06

---

Add a link to this page on any related website, blog or forum using this code :

---