Barcelona
Barcelona from the air
Flag Coat of Arms
Location
Coordinates : 41°23′N 2°11′E Time zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer : CEST (GMT +2)
General information
Native name	Barcelona (Catalan)
Spanish name	Barcelona
Nickname	Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts), Barna
Postal code	08001–08080
Area code	+34 (Spain) + 93 (Barcelona)
Website	www.bcn.cat
Administration
Country	Spain
Autonomous Community	Catalonia
Province	Barcelona
Comarca	Barcelonès
Administrative Divisions	10
Neighborhoods	45
Mayor	Jordi Hereu i Boher (PSC)
Geography
Land Area	100. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official A postal code (known in various countries as a post code, postcode, or ZIP code) is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages The term administration, as used in the context of Government, differs according to Jurisdiction. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. An autonomous community is a first-level political division of the Kingdom of Spain, established in accordance with the Spanish Constitution. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. In addition to its autonomous communities, Spain is divided into fifty Provinces. Barcelona is a province of eastern Spain, in the center of the autonomous community of Catalonia. A comarca (meaning Shire or County, Spanish and Portuguese plural comarcas, Catalan plural Barcelonès is the most populous and economically important comarca (county of Catalonia, Spain. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Jordi Hereu i Boher (born June 14, 1965 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain) is the current Mayor of Barcelona. Socialists' Party of Catalonia (Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya PSC is a Political party in Catalonia, Spain. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 4 km²
Altitude	12 m AMSL
Population
Population	1,605,602 (2006)
- rank in Spain:	2
Density	15,969 hab. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data The term above mean sea level ( AMSL) refers to the Elevation (on the ground or Altitude (in the Air) of any object relative to the In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different /km² (2006)

Barcelona (Catalan IPA: [bəɾsəˈlonə], Spanish IPA: [baɾθeˈlona]) is the capital and most populous city of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,605,602 in 2006, while the population of the Metropolitan Area was 3,161,081. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is the central nucleus of the Urban Region of Barcelona, which relies on a population of 4,856,579. It is located on the Mediterranean coast (41°23′N, 2°11′E) between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is limited to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft). The Llobregat ( IPA pronunciation:) is the second longest River in Catalonia, Spain. The Besòs is a River flowing through Catalonia, Spain. It is called Besòs when its tributaries Mogent and Congost join The Serra de Collserola is a Mountain range between the rivers Besòs and Llobregat.

Barcelona is a major economic centre with one of Europe's principal Mediterranean ports, and Barcelona International Airport is the second largest in Spain. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo Barcelona International Airport, also known as El Prat, is the main Airport serving Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the Counts of Barcelona and the Crown of Aragon. The Count of Barcelona was the major ruler in Catalonia from the 9th until the 17th century The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination and has a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned are architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. DomènechiMontanerCasaFuster1BarcelonaJPG|thumb|250px|Casa Fuster]] Lluís Domènech i Montaner ( Barcelona, December 21, 1850 - Barcelona United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

As the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona houses the seat of the Catalan government, known as the Generalitat de Catalunya; of particular note are the executive branch, the parliament, and the Supreme Court of Catalonia. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. The term "Government of Catalonia" is also used to refer to the Generalitat de Catalunya. The Parliament of Catalonia (Parlament de Catalunya is the legislature of the Spanish Autonomous Community of Catalonia. The city is also the capital of the county (comarca) of the Barcelonès. This is a list of the comarques (singular "comarca") of Catalonia ( Spain) Barcelonès is the most populous and economically important comarca (county of Catalonia, Spain.

Contents 1 Names 2 History 3 Geography 3.1 Climate 3.2 Cityscape 3.2.1 Parks 3.2.2 Beaches 3.2.3 Other 4 Demographics 5 Economy 6 Government and administrative divisions 6.1 Districts 6.1.1 Neighbourhoods 7 Education 8 Culture 8.1 Entertainment and performing arts 8.2 Museums 8.3 Architecture 8.4 World Heritage Sites in Barcelona 8.5 Media 8.6 Sports 9 Transportation and infrastructures 9.1 Airports 9.2 Seaport 9.3 Public transportation 9.3.1 Roads and highways 10 Sister cities 11 Other sights 12 See also 13 References 14 Bibliography 15 External links

Names

The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Phoenician Barkeno; Greek: Βαρκινών;^[1] Latin: Barcino, Barcelo^[2] and Barceno. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ^[3]

During the Middle Ages, the city was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelona, and Barchenona.

History

Main article: History of Barcelona

The foundation of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends. The history of Barcelona stretches back well over 2000 years to its origins as an Iberian village named Barkeno. The first attributes the founding of the city to Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome and that it was rebuilt by the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino after his family, in the 3rd century BC. Hercules is the Roman name for the Mythical Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Hamilcar Barca or Barcas (ca 275 &ndash 228 BC was a Carthaginian general and statesman leader of the Barcid family and father of Hannibal Hannibal (Pronounced in Phoenician: Hanniba'al means " Ba'al is my grace " or " Ba'al has given me grace " 247 BC &ndash The second legend attributes the foundation directly to Hamilcar Barca. ^[4]

About 15 BC, the Romans redrew the town as a castrum (Roman military camp) centred on the "Mons Taber", a little hill near the contemporary city hall (Plaça de Sant Jaume). The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia,^[5] or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino^[6] or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Mela^[7] mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour Tarraco (modern Tarragona); but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour. Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gathering and can be religious commercial cultural Tarragona (tərəˈɣonə in Catalan) is a city located in the south of Catalonia and east of Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. Tarragona (tərəˈɣonə in Catalan) is a city located in the south of Catalonia and east of Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. ^[8] It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens. ^[9] The city minted its own coins; some from the era of Galba survive. Servius Sulpicius Galba ( December 24, 3 BC &ndash January 15, 69) also called Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar

Some important Roman ruins are exposed under the Plaça del Rei, entrance by the city museum (Museu d'Història de la Ciutat), and the typically Roman grid-planning is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter"). The Barri Gòtic ('Gothic Quarter' in Catalan; Spanish: Barrio Gótico) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral. ^[10] The cathedral, also known as basilica La Seu is said to have been founded in 343. The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early fifth century, by the Moors in the early eighth century, reconquered from the emir in 801 by Charlemagne's son Louis who made Barcelona the seat of Carolingian "Spanish Marches" (Marca Hispanica), a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona. The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his Louis the Pious (778 &ndash 20 June 840) also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781 and co-Emperor The Marca Hispanica (or Spanish March, also March of Barcelona) was a Buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, created by Charlemagne The Count of Barcelona was the major ruler in Catalonia from the 9th until the 17th century Barcelona was still a Christian frontier territory when it was sacked by Al-Mansur in 985. This article is about the Andalusian Muslim general and statesman Al-Mansur (938 - 1002

The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include all of Catalonia, later the Crown of Aragon which conquered many overseas possessions, ruling the western Mediterranean Sea with outlying territories in Naples and Sicily and as far as Athens in the thirteenth century. The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon. The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, The forging of a dynastic link between the Crowns of Aragon and Castile marked the beginning of Barcelona's decline. The Crown of Castile, as a historic entity is usually considered to have begun in 1230 with the third and definitive union of the two kingdoms of León and Castile

Geography

Barcelona is located on the Northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Mediterranean Sea, on a plateau approximately 5 km (3 mi) wide limited by the mountain range of Collserola, the Llobregat river to the south-west and the Besòs river to the north^[11]. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra The Serra de Collserola is a Mountain range between the rivers Besòs and Llobregat. The Llobregat ( IPA pronunciation:) is the second longest River in Catalonia, Spain. The Besòs is a River flowing through Catalonia, Spain. It is called Besòs when its tributaries Mogent and Congost join This plateau has 170 km² (66 sq mi)^[11], of which 101 km² (38. 9 sq mi)^[12] are occupied by the city itself. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. It is 160 km (100 mi) south of the Pyrenees and the Catalonian border with France. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Collserola, part of the coastal mountain range, shelters the city to the north-west. The Serra de Collserola is a Mountain range between the rivers Besòs and Llobregat. Its highest point, the peak of Tibidabo, 512 m (1,680 ft) high, offers striking views over the city^[13] and is topped by the 288. Tibidabo is a mountain overlooking Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 4 m (946. 2 ft) Torre de Collserola, a telecommunications tower that is visible from most of the city. Torre de Collserola (or Torre Foster) is a uniquely designed tower located on the Tibidabo hill in the Serra de Collserola, in Barcelona Barcelona is peppered with small hills, most of them urbanized and that gave their name to the neighbourhoods built upon them, such as Carmel (267 m), Putxet (181 m) and Rovira (261 m). Rovira is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia. The escarpment of Montjuïc (173 m), situated to the southeast, overlooks the harbour and is topped by Montjuïc castle, a fortress built in the 17–18th centuries to control the city as a replacement for the Ciutadella. Montjuïc (ˌmɔntˈdʒuik alternatively spelled Montjuic or Montjuich) is a hill located in Barcelona, Today, the fortress is a museum and Montjuïc is home to several sporting and cultural venues, as well as Barcelona's biggest park and gardens.

The city borders are the municipalities of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs to the north; L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Esplugues de Llobregat to the south; the Mediterranean Sea to the east; and Montcada i Reixac and Sant Cugat del Vallès to the west. Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain, is a city It is situated on the south-east side of the Litoral range, with the Puig Castellar (299 m as its highest point Sant Adrià de Besòs is a City in the ''comarca'' of the Barcelonès in Catalonia, Spain. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat or L'Hospitalet is a city to the immediate southwest of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and the second largest in Esplugues de Llobregat is a municipality of the Barcelona metropolitan area. Montcada i Reixac is a Municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. Sant Cugat del Vallès (pop 71424 as of the year 2006) is a town and Municipality west of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain

Climate

Climate chart for Barcelona
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
32. 1   13 5	23. 2   14 6	21. 9   16 8	27. 7   18 9	34. 7   21 13	24. 0   25 17	11. 8   28 19	39. 5   28 20	62. 0   26 17	57. 9   22 14	39. 5   17 9	32. 1   14 6
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm source: MSN Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     1. 3   55 41     0. 9   57 43     0. 9   61 46     1. 1   64 48     1. 4   70 55     0. 9   77 63     0. 5   82 66     1. 6   82 68     2. 4   79 63     2. 3   72 57     1. 6   63 48     1. 3   57 43 temperatures in °F • precipitation totals in inches

Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate, with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide January and February are the coldest months, averaging temperatures of 10 °C (50 °F). The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 Snowfalls are so rare that they are remembered as special events. July and August are the hottest months, averaging temperatures of 30 °C (86 °F). The highest recorded maximum temperature in the city itself is 38. 6 °C. ^[14] At the Fabra Observatory, situated on the Tibidabo hill, the record summer temperature is 39. 8 °C (103. 6 °F). ^[15] However, it should be noted that the observatory is situated in the hills above the city near Collserola park - an area where the impact of the "heat island" effect is likely to be diminished. ^[16]

Cityscape

Parks

Barcelona contains 68 municipal parks, divided into 12 historic parks, 5 thematic (botanical) parks, 45 urban parks and 6 forest parks. ^[17] They range from vest-pocket parks to large recreation areas. The parks cover 10% of the city (549. 7 ha/1,358. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, 3 acres),^[12] growing about 10 ha (25 acres) per year,^[18] with a proportion of 18. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U 1 square metres (195 sq ft) of park area per inhabitant. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here The square foot is an Imperial unit / US customary unit (non- SI non- metric) of Area, used mainly in the United States ^[19]

Of Barcelona's parks, Montjuïc is the largest, with 203 ha located on the mountain of the same name. Montjuïc (ˌmɔntˈdʒuik alternatively spelled Montjuic or Montjuich) is a hill located in Barcelona, Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, ^[12] It is followed by Ciutadella Park (situated in the place of the old military citadel and which houses the Parliament building, the zoo and several museums; 31 ha/76. A citadel is a fortress for protecting a Town, sometimes incorporating a Castle. The Parliament of Catalonia (Parlament de Catalunya is the legislature of the Spanish Autonomous Community of Catalonia. A zoological garden, shortened to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity 6 acres including the zoo), the Guinardó Park (19 ha/47. 0 acres), Park Güell (designed by Antoni Gaudí; 17. Park Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, 2 ha/42. 5 acres), Oreneta Castle Park (also 17. 2 ha/42. 5 acres), Diagonal Mar Park (13. 3 ha/32. 9 acres, inaugurated in 2002), Nou Barris Central Park (13. 2 ha/32. 6 acres), Can Dragó Sports Park and Poblenou Park (both 11. 9 ha/29. 4 acres) and the Labyrinth Park (9. 10 ha/22. 5 acres), named after the garden maze it contains. ^[12] A part of the Collserolla Park is also within the city limits.

Beaches

Barcelona has seven beaches, totalling 4. 5 km (2. 8 mi) of coastline. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Sant Sebastià and Barceloneta beaches, both 1,100 m (3,610 ft) in length,^[12] are the largest, oldest and the most frequented beaches in Barcelona. The Olympic port separates them from the other city beaches: Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Llevant. These beaches (ranging from 400 to 640 m/1,300 to 2,100 ft) were opened as a result of the city restructuring to host the 1992 Summer Olympics, when a great number of industrial buildings were demolished. The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Barcelona, At present, the beach sand is replenished from quarries given that storms regularly remove large quantities of material. Greenpeace has criticized the beaches as environmentally unsustainable and as prejudicial to sea bed flora and fauna. The 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures left the city a large concrete bathing zone sited near the municipal incinerator and a sewage treatment plant. The 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures - ( Catalan: Fòrum Universal de les Cultures, Spanish: Fórum Universal de las Culturas) was a 141-day international

Other

The area around the Plaça Catalunya makes up the city's historical centre and, alongside the upper half of Avinguda Diagonal, is the main commercial area of the city. Plaça Catalunya (or Plaça de Catalunya, both being the official Catalan language names is a large square in central Barcelona that is Avinguda Diagonal is the name of one of Barcelona 's most important avenues Barcelona has several commercial complexes, like L'Illa in the higher part of the Diagonal avenue and Diagonal Mar in the lowest, La Maquinista, Glòries in the place of the same name and the Maremagnum by the port. Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, most often shortened to Glòries, is a large square in Barcelona, first designed by Ildefons

Barcelona has several skyscrapers, the highest being the Hotel Arts and its twin the Torre Mapfre, both 154 m (505 ft) high, followed by the newest Torre Agbar 144 m (472 ft) high. The Hotel Arts is a 43-story 600 room luxury Hotel on the seafront of Barcelona, in Spain. Torre Mapfre is a Skyscraper in the Port Olímpic (Olympic Port the maritime neighborhood of the Old City of Barcelona in Spain. The Torre Agbar, or Agbar Tower is a 21st-century Skyscraper at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Demographics

According to Barcelona's City Council, Barcelona's population as of 2006-06-01 was 1,673,075 people,^[20] while the population of the Metropolitan Area was 3,161,081. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected The Barcelona metropolitan area is integrated by three territorial organisms of management It is the central nucleus of the Urban Region of Barcelona, which relies on a population of 4,856,579. The Urban Region of Barcelona is an area with a high population density in Catalonia, Spain. ^[21]

The population density of Barcelona was 15,779 inhabitants per square kilometer (40,867/sq mi),^[22] with Eixample being the most populated district. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume The Eixample ( Catalan for "extension" Spanish: Ensanche) is a district of Barcelona between the old city ( Ciutat Vella) 62% of the inhabitants were born in Catalonia, with a 23. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. 5% coming from the rest of Spain. Of the 13. 9% from other countries, a proportion which has more than tripled since 2001 when it was 3. 9%,^[12] the majority come from (in order) Ecuador, Peru, Morocco, Colombia, Argentina, Italy, Pakistan and China. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ^[23]

95% of the population understand Catalonia's native Catalan language, while 74. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official 6% can speak it, 75% can read it, and 47. 1% can write it^[24], thanks to the linguistic immersion educational system. While most of the population state they are Roman Catholic (208 churches), there are also a number of other groups, including Evangelical (71 locations, mostly professed by Roma), Jehovah's Witnesses (21 Kingdom Halls) and Buddhists (13 locations)^[25], and a growing number of Muslims due to immigration. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel The Romani people in Spain are generally known as Gitanos. Spanish Roma tend to speak Caló which is basically Andalusian Spanish with a large Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination Kingdom Hall is the term for the meeting place for Jehovah's Witnesses. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term

In 1900, Barcelona had a population of 533. 000 people^[11], which grew steadily but slowly until 1950, when it started absorbing an height number of people from other less-industrialized parts of Spain. Barcelona's population peaked in 1979 with 1,906,998 people, and fell throughout the 1980s and 1990s as more people sought a higher quality of life in outlying cities in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. After bottoming out in 2000 with 1,496,266 people, the city's population began to rise again as younger people started to return, causing a great increase in housing prices. ^[26]

Economy

International Convention Centre

Barcelona's old harbour

Barcelona has a long-standing mercantile tradition. Less well known is that it was one of the earliest regions in continental Europe to begin industrialization, beginning with textile related works at the end of the eighteenth century but really gathering momentum in the mid nineteenth century, when it became a major center for the production of textiles and machinery. Since then, manufacturing has played a large role in its history. The traditional importance in textiles is still reflected in Barcelona's importance as a major fashion center. In summer 2006, Barcelona became an host for the prestigious Bread & Butter urban fashion fair. The fair was so successful that, starting in 2007, Barcelona became the only host for Bread & Butter, that closed its original Berlin location. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany.

As in other modern cities, the manufacturing sector has long since been overtaken by the services sector, though it remains important. The most important industries today are textile, chemistry, pharmaceutical, motor, electronic and printing. In the services sector, the most important are the logistics, publishing, telecommunications and computer sectors.

Drawing upon its tradition of creative art and craftsmanship, Barcelona is nowadays also known for its award-winning industrial design. Barcelona also has several congress halls, notably Fira de Barcelona (Trade Fair), that host a quickly growing number of national and international events each year, which had also meant the opening of new hotels each year. The Port of Barcelona is an important Mediterranean port, both for general containers cargo and for cruise ships.

Barcelona has one of the highest costs of living in Spain, and occupying the 31st position in the world rank according to a report by Mercer Human Resource.

Government and administrative divisions

See also: Municipal elections in Barcelona and List of mayors of Barcelona

Barcelona is governed by a city council formed by 41 city councilors, elected for a four-year term by universal suffrage. Elections to the municipal council of Barcelona, Spain. May 2003 June 1999 May 1995 May 1991 June 1987 This is a list of Mayors of Barcelona since 1916.. Bartomeu Robert i Yarzábal ( 1899 - 1901 Elections to the municipal council of Barcelona, Spain. May 2003 June 1999 May 1995 May 1991 June 1987 Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to As one of the two biggest cities in Spain, Barcelona is subject to a special law articulated through the Carta Municipal (Municipal Law). A first version of this law was passed in 1960 and amended later, but the current version was approved in March 2006. ^[27] According to this law, Barcelona's city council is organized in two levels: a political one, with elected city councilors, and one executive, which administrates the programs and executes the decisions taken on the political level. ^[28] This law also gives the local government a special relationship with the central government and it also gives the mayor wider prerogatives by the means of municipal executive commissions. ^[29] It expands the powers of the city council in areas like telecommunications, city traffic, road safety and public safety. It also gives a special economic regime to the city's treasury and it gives the council a veto in matters that will be decided by the central government, but that will need a favourable report from the council. A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. ^[27]

The Comissió de Govern (Government Commission) is the executive branch, formed by 24 councilors, led by the Mayor, with 5 lieutenant-mayors and 17 city councilors, each in charge of an area of government, and 5 non-elected councilors. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. This is a list of Mayors of Barcelona since 1916.. Bartomeu Robert i Yarzábal ( 1899 - 1901 ^[30] The plenary, formed by the 41 city councilors, has advisory, planning, regulatory, and fiscal executive functions. ^[31] The six Commissions del Consell Municipal (City council commissions) have executive and controlling functions in the field of their jurisdiction. They are composed by a number of councilors proportional to the number of councilors each political party has in the plenary. ^[32] The city council has jurisdiction in the fields of city planning, transportation, municipal taxes, public highways security through the Guardia Urbana (the municipal police), city maintenance, gardens, parks and environment, facilities (like schools, nurseries, sports centres, libraries, etc. The Guàrdia Urbana is the Municipal police force for the city of Barcelona, Spain. ), culture, sports, youth and social welfare. "Social welfare" redirects here For other uses see Welfare A social welfare provision refers to any program which seeks to provide Some of these competencies are not exclusive, but shared with the Generalitat de Catalunya or the central Spanish government. Chief of State King Juan Carlos I, since November 22 1975; Queen Sofia Prince of Asturias Felipe

The executive branch is led by a Chief Municipal Executive Officer which answers to the Mayor. It is made up of departments which are legally part of the city council and by separate legal entities of two tipes: autonomous public departments and public enterprises. ^[33]

The seat of the city council is on the Plaça Sant Jaume, opposite the seat of Generalitat de Catalunya. Since the coming of the Spanish democracy, Barcelona has been governed by the PSC, first with an absolute majority and later in coalition with ERC and ICV. The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the Dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. Elections to the municipal council of Barcelona, Spain. May 2003 June 1999 May 1995 May 1991 June 1987 Socialists' Party of Catalonia (Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya PSC is a Political party in Catalonia, Spain. The Republican Left of Catalonia (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya ERC) is a left-wing Catalan independentist political party in Spain campaigning for Initiative for Catalonia Greens ( Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds, ICV is a Political party in Catalonia, Spain. Since the May 2007 elections, PSC is governing in minority only with IC, since ERC decided against a renewal of the previous coalition. The second most voted party in Barcelona is CiU, followed by PP, both currently in the opposition. Convergence and Union (Convergència i Unió CiU) is a Political party in Catalonia, Spain. The People's Party ( Spanish: Partido Popular, PP) is the main right Political party in Spain.

Districts

Since 1997, the city has been divided into 10 administrative districts (districtes in Catalan, distritos in Spanish), each one with its own council led by a city councillor. The composition of each district council depends on the number of votes each political party had in that district, so a district can be led by a councillor from a different party than the executive council.

The districts are based mostly on historical divisions. Several of the city's districts are former towns annexed by the city of Barcelona in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that still maintain their own distinct character. The official names of these districts are in the Catalan language. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official

Neighbourhoods

Main article: Districts of Barcelona

• Ciutat Vella ("Old City"): El Raval (also known in Spanish as the Barrio Chino, ("Chinatown"), the Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter"), La Barceloneta and the Barri de la Ribera. Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain proper is presently divided into 10 districts. Ciutat Vella is a district of Barcelona, numbered District 1. El Raval is a Barrio in Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Spain. A Chinatown is a section of an urban area with a large number of Chinese outside the majority-Chinese countries of Greater China. The Barri Gòtic ('Gothic Quarter' in Catalan; Spanish: Barrio Gótico) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Barceloneta is a Neighborhood in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. La Ribera ('The Shore' in Catalan) is one of the quarters of Ciutat Vella ("the old city" of Barcelona.
• Eixample: Sant Antoni, Esquerra de l'Eixample ("the left side of the Eixample" facing away from the sea), Dreta de l'Eixample ("the right side of the Eixample"), Barri de la Sagrada Família, Fort Pienc, Sant Antoni
• Sants–Montjuïc: Poble Sec, La Marina, La Font de La Guatlla, La Bordeta, Hostafrancs, Sants, Badal. The Eixample ( Catalan for "extension" Spanish: Ensanche) is a district of Barcelona between the old city ( Ciutat Vella) Sants is a neighbourhood of Barcelona, in the southern zone of the city Montjuïc (ˌmɔntˈdʒuik alternatively spelled Montjuic or Montjuich) is a hill located in Barcelona,
• Les Corts: Les Corts, La Maternitat, Pedralbes.
• Sarrià-Sant Gervasi: Tres Torres, Sarrià, Vallvidrera, Bonanova, Sant Gervasi, Putxet-Farró, Galvany. Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is one of the biggest districts of Barcelona, Spain, situated on the north-west of the city surrounded by districts of Les Corts Gràcia
• Gràcia: Vallcarca, El Coll, La Salut, Gràcia, El Camp d'en Grassot
• Horta-Guinardó: Horta, El Carmel, La Teixonera, El Guinardó (Alt i Baix), La Clota, La Vall D'Hebron, Montbau
• Nou Barris: Can Peguera, Porta, Canyelles, Ciutat Meridiana, Guineueta, Prosperitat, Vallbona, Verdum, Vilapicina, Roquetes, Trinitat Vella, Trinitat Nova, Torre Baró, Torre Llobeta and Turó de la Peira. Gràcia is a district of the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. El Coll is a neighbourhood of Gràcia, one of the 10 districts Barcelona is divided in Horta-Guinardó (ˈɔɾtə ginəɾˈðo is the name of one of the districts of Barcelona, located in its North-Eastern corner Barri del Carmel (also El Carmel or simply Carmel) is a Neighbourhood in the district of Horta-Guinardó, in Barcelona, Catalonia Nou Barris is one of the ten districts into which Barcelona has been officially divided since 1984
• Sant Andreu: La Sagrera, Congrés, Trinitat Vella, Bon Pastor, Sant Andreu, Navas, Baró de Viver
• Sant Martí: Diagonal Mar, Fort Pius, San Martí de Provençals, Poble Nou, La Verneda, El Clot, Vila Olímpica del Poblenou. Sant Andreu is one of the ten districts into which Barcelona has been divided up since 1984. Sant Martí, is a district of Barcelona located on its eastern side usually numbered 10 out of the ten districts of the city

Education

Main article: Education in Catalonia

Barcelona has a well-developed higher education system of public universities. This article describes the framework of Education in Spain. The current education system is called LOGSE ( Ley de Ordenación General del Sistema Educativo) Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges A public university is a University that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government as opposed to private universities. Most prominent among these is the University of Barcelona, a world-renowned research and teaching institution with campuses around the city. The University of Barcelona (Officially in Universitat de Barcelona UB; in Spanish Universidad de Barcelona) is a public University located in the A campus is traditionally the land on which a College or University and related institutional buildings are situated Barcelona is also home to the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the newer Pompeu Fabra University and, in the private sector, the Ramon Llull University encompassing internationally renowned institutions like ESADE Business School. The Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya is one of the largest engineering universities in Catalonia. Pompeu Fabra University (Universitat Pompeu Fabra is a Public university in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Ramon Llull University is a top private University in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain founded in 1990 ESADE is an academic institution containing a Business school and Law School. The Autonomous University of Barcelona, another public university, is located in Bellaterra, a town in the Metropolitan Area. The Autonomous University of Barcelona ( Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, UAB) is a public university mostly located in Bellaterra, near the city The Barcelona metropolitan area is integrated by three territorial organisms of management

The city has a network of public schools, from nurseries to high schools, under the responsibility of the city council (though the student subjects are the responsibility of the Generalitat de Catalunya). There are also many private schools, some of them Roman Catholic. Like other cities in Spain, Barcelona now faces the integration of a large number of immigrant children from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Barcelona

Barcelona's cultural roots go back 2000 years. Barcelona' s rich culture stems from the city's 2000 years of history To a greater extent than the rest of Catalonia, where Catalonia's native Catalan is more dominant, Barcelona is a bilingual city: Catalan and Spanish are both official languages and widely spoken. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official The Catalan spoken in Barcelona, Central Catalan, is the one closest to standard Catalan. Central Catalan is the Eastern Catalan Dialect with the highest number of speakers since it is commonly spoken in densely populated areas such as the whole Barcelona Since the arrival of democracy, the Catalan culture (very much repressed during the dictatorship) has been promoted, both by recovering works from the past and by stimulating the creation of new works. The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the Dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. Barcelona is designated as a world-class city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network. ^[34]

Entertainment and performing arts

Main article: List of theatres and concert halls in Barcelona

Barcelona has many venues for live music and theatre, including the world-renowned Gran Teatre del Liceu opera theatre, the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, the Teatre Lliure and the Palau de la Música Catalana concert hall. This is a list of theatres and concert halls in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (TNC is a public theatre in Barcelona, Catalonia, created by the Culture Department of the Catalan Government. The Teatre Lliure is a Theatre in Barcelona considered one of the most prestigious in Catalonia. The Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music is a concert hall designed in the Catalan modernista style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Barcelona also is home to the Sónar Music Festival^[35] which takes place around June every year, and to the Barcelona and Catalonia National Symphonic Orchestra (Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, usually known as OBC) is the largest symphonic orchestra in Catalonia. Sónar is a annual three-day Music Festival held in Barcelona Spain. In 1999, the OBC inaugurated its new venue in the brand-new Auditorium (l'Auditori). It performs around 75 concerts per season and its current director is Eiji Oue. is a Japanese conductor. Oue was born in Hiroshima, and began his conducting studies with Hideo Saito of the Toho Gakuen School of Music. ^[36] It has a thriving alternative music scene, with groups such as The Pinker Tones receiving international attention. Artists and Music The Pinker Tones are the brainchild of Barcelona natives Mister Furia and Professor Manso ^[37]

Museums

Main article: List of museums in Barcelona

Barcelona houses a great number of museums, which cover different areas and eras. This is a list of museums in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Archaeology Museum of Barcelona (MAC Museu d'Art The National Museum of Art of Catalonia possesses a well-known collection of Romanesque art while the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art focuses on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art. The National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya abbreviated as MNAC, is a Museum of Catalan Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century or later depending on region The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona or MACBA) is situated in the Plaça dels Àngels, in El Raval, The Fundació Joan Miró, Picasso Museum and Fundació Antoni Tàpies hold important collections of these world-renowned artists. The Fundació Joan Miró Centre d'Estudis d'Art Contemporani ( Joan Miró Foundation) is a museum of Modern art honoring Joan Miró and located on This article refers to the museum in Barcelona. There are a number of other Picasso museums. The Fundació Antoni Tàpies is a cultural center and museum located in Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain dedicated mainly to the life and works of the painter

Several museums cover the fields of history and archeology, like the City History Museum, the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia, the Barcelona Maritime Museum and the private-owned Egiptian Museum. The Archaeology Museum of Catalonia, (Abbreviated MAC for M useu d' A rqueologia de C atalunya was created under the Museums of Catalonia Act in The Erotic museum of Barcelona is among the most peculiar ones, while Cosmocaixa is a science museum that received the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006. A science museum or a science centre is a Museum devoted primarily to Science. The European Museum of the Year Award is awarded to two kinds of museums Established museums that have undergone modernization or expansion during the past two years

Architecture

The Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter" in Catalan) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. The Barri Gòtic ('Gothic Quarter' in Catalan; Spanish: Barrio Gótico) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernisme architecture (often known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe), developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. Catalan Modernisme (not to be confused with Modernism) was the Catalan equivalent to a number of fin-de-siècle movements such as Symbolism, Art Nouveau ( nu vo anglicised /ˈɑːt nuːvəu/ ( French for 'new art' also known as Jugendstil ( German for 'youth style' is an international A great number of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. His best known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by private donations. The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (official Catalan nameTemplo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia "Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family" often simply As of 2007, completion is planned for 2026.

Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture,^[38] the first (and as of 2007, only) time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA is a Professional body for Architects in the United Kingdom. The Royal Gold Medal for Architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch in recognition of an individual's

World Heritage Sites in Barcelona

• Works of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, included in the list in 1997. DomènechiMontanerCasaFuster1BarcelonaJPG|thumb|250px|Casa Fuster]] Lluís Domènech i Montaner ( Barcelona, December 21, 1850 - Barcelona The Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music is a concert hall designed in the Catalan modernista style by the architect Lluís Domènech i The present Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau ( Catalan for Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul) in the Guinardó, Barcelona, Catalonia
• Works of Antoni Gaudí, including Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Milà, Casa Vicens, Sagrada Família (Nativity façade and crypt), Casa Batlló, Crypt in Colonia Güell. Park Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, The Palau Güell is a town mansion (translated literally a "palace" in Barcelona, Catalonia, designed by the Catalan Architect Antoni Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera ( Catalan for 'The Quarry' is a building designed by the Catalan Architect, Antoni Gaudí, Casa Vicens is a family residence in Barcelona ( Catalonia) designed by Antoni Gaudí and built for industrialist Manuel Vicens The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (official Catalan nameTemplo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia "Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family" often simply Casa Batlló ('kazə bəʎ'ʎo bəd'ʎo in Catalan) is a building restored by Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol, built in the year 1877 and remodelled The first three works were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1984. The other four were added as extensions to the site in 2005.

Media

El Periódico de Catalunya (Catalan and Spanish editions) and La Vanguardia (Spanish) are Barcelona's two major daily newspapers while Sport and El Mundo Deportivo (both in Spanish) are the city's two major sports daily newspapers, published by the same companies. El Periódico de Catalunya is a morning Daily newspaper based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and owned by Grupo Zeta. La Vanguardia is the highest-circulation Daily newspaper based in Barcelona and Catalonia, trailing only the three main Madrid dailies Sport is a Spanish sports Daily newspaper based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. El Mundo Deportivo is a Spanish nationwide daily Sports Newspaper. The city is also served by a number of smaller publications such as Avui and El Punt (both in Catalan), by nation-wide newspapers with special Barcelona editions like El Pais and El Mundo (both in Spanish), and by several free newspapers like Metro, 20 minutos, ADN and Què (bilingual). El Mundo ( Spanish for "The World" full name El Mundo del Siglo Veintiuno, "The World of the 21st century" is the second largest Metro International is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the Metro newspapers 20 minutos is a free Spanish newspaper with local editions in several Spanish cities published by "Multiprensa & Mas S

Several major FM stations include Catalunya Ràdio, RAC 1, RAC 105 and Cadena SER. Catalunya Ràdio is Catalonia 's public Radio network. It is part of the Catalonian Broadcasting Corporation (CCRTV, owned by the Generalitat Description RAC 1 is the main Catalan language private Radio station. Cadena SER ( S ociedad E spañola de R adiodifusión - Spanish Society of Radio is the principal radio station in Spain covering news Barcelona also has several local TV stations, among them BTV (owned by city council) and 8TV (owned by the Godó group, that also owns La Vanguardia). 8tv is a common name for television channels It may refer to News Channel 8 8TV (Catalonia in Catalonia, The headquarters of Televisió de Catalunya, Catalonia's public network, are located in Sant Joan Despí, in Barcelona's metropolitan area. Televisió de Catalunya (or TVC for short is Catalonia 's Public broadcasting network officially composed of six channels: TV3 Sant Joan Despí ( Catalan for Saint John of-the-Pine) is a city and Municipality located in the Baix Llobregat area ( Barcelona province

Sports

Barcelona has a long sporting tradition and hosted the successful 1992 Summer Olympics as well as several matches from the 1982 Football World Cup. The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Barcelona, The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. It has also been host to the X FINA World Championships and twice of the Eurobasket. Barcelona, Spain was the host city of the X FINA World Aquatics Championships or the 10th FINA World Championships in Aquatics, which were held from EuroBasket is the name commonly used to refer to the men's Basketball championship contested biennially by the national teams of the European Continent under

FC Barcelona is a sports club best known for its football team, one of the biggest in Europe, twice winner of the UEFA Champions League. Fútbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan fudˈbɔɫ ˌklup bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish ˈfutβol ˌkluβ baɾθeˈlona known familiarly as Barça (Spanish ˈbaɾsa Catalan A sports club, athletics club or sports association is an eclectic institution oriented to multiple Sports which fields many Teams and in several Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club FC Barcelona also has teams in the Spanish basketball ACB league (AXA FC Barcelona), the handball ASOBAL league (FC Barcelona-Cifec), and the roller hockey league. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The ACB ( Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto) is the premier professional Basketball league in Spain. FC Barcelona Bàsquet, known for sponsorship reasons as Regal FC Barcelona, is a Spanish - Catalan professional Basketball team Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a Team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six Liga Asobal, is the premier professional Handball league in Spain. History The handball section of Futbol Club Barcelona was founded on November 29 1942 during the presidency of Enrique Piñeyro. Roller hockey is a form of Hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels The club's museum is the second most visited in Catalonia. RCD Espanyol is the city's other Liga football team. RCD Espanyol de Barcelona (Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a Sports club based in Barcelona. The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or Barcelona also has other clubs in lower categories, like CE Europa and UE Sant Andreu. Club Esportiu Europa is a Spanish / Catalan Sports club, based in the Barcelona district of Gràcia Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu is a Spanish football team formed in 1907 and based in the city of Barcelona, on the district of Sant Andreu.

Barcelona has two UEFA 5-star rated football stadiums: FC Barcelona's Camp Nou and the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, used for the 1992 Olympics and the current home of Espanyol, pending completion of the club's new stadium. The Union of European Football Associations (Union des associations européennes de football is the administrative and controlling body for European football. The Camp Nou (kam ˈnɔw Catalan for "new field" often erroneously called the Nou Camp in both Spanish and English) is a football The Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (formerly known as the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc) is a Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Barcelona,

The Open Seat Godó, a 50-year-old ATP Tour International Series Gold tennis tournament, is held annually in the facilities of the Reial Club de Tenis Barcelona (Barcelona Royal Tennis Club). The Torneo Godó, also known as Trofeo Conde de Godó, Open SabadellAtlántico (current official name and Open SEAT (official name from 1995 to 2007 The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP was formed in 1972 to protect the interests of male professional Tennis players International Series Gold (previously known as the Championship Series) is a series of professional Tennis tournaments held internationally that are part of the Several popular running competitions are organized year-round in Barcelona: Cursa del Corte Inglés (with about 60,000 participants each year), Cursa de la Mercè, Cursa Jean Bouin, Milla Sagrada Família and the San Silvestre. Also, each Christmas, a swimming race across the port is organized. Near Barcelona, in Montmeló, the 131,000 capacity Circuit de Catalunya racetrack hosts the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix and the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix. Montmeló is a municipality north of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. The Circuit de Catalunya is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona, Catalonia. The Spanish Grand Prix ( Español Gran Premio de España, Català Gran Premi d'Espanya) is a Formula One The Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event held at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Catalonia, Spain, as part of the Barcelona has also become very popular with skateboarders, which has led to a new anti-skateboarding law, which came into effect in 2006. Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a Skateboard.

Transportation and infrastructures

Airports

Barcelona is served by Barcelona International Airport in the town of El Prat de Llobregat, about 3 km (2 mi) from Barcelona. Barcelona International Airport, also known as El Prat, is the main Airport serving Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. El Prat de Llobregat, commonly known as El Prat, is a Municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Baix Llobregat in Catalonia, It is the second-largest airport in Spain, and the largest on the Mediterranean coast. It is a main hub for Vueling Airlines and Clickair, and also a focus for Spanair, Air Europa and Iberia. Vueling Airlines ( is a low-fare airline based in Barcelona, Spain. Clickair is a low-cost airline based in Barcelona, Spain, operating services from Spanish cities to nearly 40 destinations in Europe. Spanair is an Airline based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. It is a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines Systems that provides a scheduled Air Europa Líneas Aéreas SAU is an Airline based in Palma, Majorca, Spain. Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España SA (Iberia Airlines of Spain ( or Iberia as it is commonly known is the largest Airline of Spain, based The airport mainly serves domestic and European destinations, but some airlines offer destinations in Asia and the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The airport is connected to the city by highway, commuter train and scheduled bus service. The airport handled 32,800,570 passengers ^[39] in 2007. A new terminal is being built, and it is expected to enter service in 2008.

Sabadell Airport is a smaller airport in the nearby town of Sabadell, devoted to pilot training, advertising flights, aerotaxi and private flights. The Sabadell Airport is located next to the city of Sabadell, 10 km from Barcelona. Sabadell is the largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia. Some low-cost airlines, like Ryanair and Martinair, prefer to use Girona-Costa Brava Airport, situated about 90 km (56 mi) to the north of Barcelona and Reus Airport, situated 77 km (48 mi) to the south. Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK Martinair is an Airline based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It operates passenger and cargo services to over 50 destinations worldwide Girona-Costa Brava Airport is an Airport located 12 km south of the city of Girona, next to the small village of Vilobí d'Onyar, in the north-east The Reus Airport is located by the beaches of Costa Daurada, equidistant in relation to the towns of Constantí and Reus and approximately 7

Seaport

The Port of Barcelona has a 2000-year history and a great contemporary commercial importance. It is Europe's ninth largest container port, with a trade volume of 2. Containerization (or containerisation) is a system of Intermodal freight transport Cargo Transport using standard ISO containers 3 million TEU's in 2006. ^[40] The port is managed by the Port Authority of Barcelona. Its 7. 86 km² (3 sq mi) are divided into three zones: Port Vell (the Old Port), the commercial port and the logistics port (Barcelona Free Port). The Barcelona Free Port or Zona franca de Barcelona is a tariff-free industrial park that has developed within the Port of Barcelona across the flat land of the Llobregat The port is undergoing an enlargement that will double its size thanks to diverting the mouth of the Llobregat river 2 km (1¼ mi) to the south. The Llobregat ( IPA pronunciation:) is the second longest River in Catalonia, Spain. ^[41]

The Port Vell area also houses the Maremagnum (a commercial mall), a multiplex cinema, the IMAX Port Vell and an aquarium. IMAX (short for Image MAXimum is a Film format created by Canada 's IMAX Corporation that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and

Public transportation

Main article: Autoritat del Transport Metropolità

Barcelona is served by a comprehensive local public transport network that includes a metro, a bus network, two separate tram networks (one of them, the Tramvia Blau,^[42] connects to the Funicular del Tibidabo), and several funiculars and aerial cable cars. Autoritat del Transport Metropolità ( Metropolitan Transportation Authority) shortened as ATM, is the organization in charge of the coordination of several public A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Tramvia Blau ( Catalan for "blue tramway" is one of Barcelona 's three Tram systems The Funicular del Tibidabo (or Tibidabo funicular is a funicular railway in the the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, that connects the Tibidabo An aerial tramway is a type of Aerial lift in which a cabin is suspended from a cable and is pulled by another cable The Barcelona Metro network comprises nine lines, identified by an "L" followed by the line number as well as by individual colours. The Barcelona Metro ( Catalan and Spanish: Metro de Barcelona) part of the Mass transit Public transport system of Most of the network is operated by the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), but three lines are FGC commuter lines that run through the city. Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB is the main Public transit authority in Barcelona, made up of two formerly separate companies Ferrocarril Metropolità When finished, the L9 will be the second longest underground metro line in Europe with 42. 6 km; only shorter than London's 76 km Central Line.

The TMB also operates the city's tram networks, known as Trambaix and Trambesòs, and the city's daytime bus network, as well as a tourist bus service. The Trambaix is a Light rail ( Tram) system connecting the Baix Llobregat area with the city of Barcelona in Spain. The Trambesòs is a Light rail ( Tram) system connecting Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona with the city of Barcelona in Spain The night bus network, known as Nitbus, is operated by Mohn. Transports Ciutat Comtal operates the regular Tomb Bus (along the Diagonal avenue) and Aerobus (to the airport) services. Other companies operate services that connect the city with towns in the metropolitan area.

The Funicular de Montjuïc climbs the Montjuïc hill. The Funicular de Montjuïc, or Montjuïc funicular, is a funicular railway in the the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. Montjuïc (ˌmɔntˈdʒuik alternatively spelled Montjuic or Montjuich) is a hill located in Barcelona, The Vallvidrera and Funicular de Tibidabo funiculars climb the Tibidabo hill. The Funicular de Vallvidrera, or Vallvidrera funicular, is a funicular railway in the Vallvidrera district of the city of Barcelona, in The city has two aerial cable cars: one to the Montjuïc castle and another that runs via Torre Jaume I and Torre Sant Sebastia over the port. Torre Jaume I is a 107 meter (351 feet high Steel Truss Tower in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, which was built in Torre Sant Sebastia is a 78 metre tall Lattice tower in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona is a major hub for RENFE, the Spanish state railway network, and its main intercity train station is Barcelona-Sants station. Renfe Operadora is the State-owned company which operates freight and passenger Trains on the 1668-mm " Iberian gauge " and 1435-mm " Barcelona Sants (also known as Estació de Sants) is the name of the main Railway station in Barcelona, operated by RENFE. The AVE high-speed rail system was recently extended from Madrid to Tarragona in southern Catalonia, and is expected to reach Barcelona by 2007. Ave! or aue! is a Latin phrase used by the Romans as a salutation and Greeting, meaning 'hail' Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Tarragona (tərəˈɣonə in Catalan) is a city located in the south of Catalonia and east of Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. Renfe cercanías/rodalies and the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) run Barcelona's widespread commuter train service. Cercanías (θeɾkaˈnias is the name given to the Commuter rail systems of Spain 's major metropolitan areas Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government Railways or FGC, is a Railway company which operates several unconnected lines in Catalonia Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns

The Estació del Nord (Northern Station), a former train station that was renovated for the 1992 Olympic Games, now serves as the terminus for long-distance and regional bus services.

Barcelona has a metered taxi fleet governed by the Institut Metropolità del Taxi (Metropolitan Taxi Institute), composed of more than 10,000 cars. A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of Public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers typically for a non-shared ride Most of the licenses are in the hands of self-employed drivers. ^[43] With their black and yellow livery, Barcelona's taxis are easily spotted.

On March 22, 2007^[44], Barcelona's City Council started the Bicing service, a bicycle service understood as a public transport. Bicing is the name of a Community bicycle program in Barcelona inaugurated in March 2007, similar to the Vélô service in Toulouse Vélo'v Once the user has their user card, they can take a bicycle from any of the 100 stations spread around the city and use it anywhere the urban area of the city, and then leave it at another station^[45]. The service has been a success, with 50,000 subscribed users in three months. ^[46]

Roads and highways

Barcelona is belted by two Rondes, Ronda de Dalt (on the mountain side) and Ronda del Litoral (alongside the coast), two partially covered^[47] fast highways with several exits that allow to bypass the city.

The city's main arteries include Diagonal Avenue, which crosses the city in diagonal (hence the name); Meridiana Avenue which leads to Glòries and connects with Diagonal Avenue and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, which crosses the city from north to south, including the center of the city. Avinguda Diagonal is the name of one of Barcelona 's most important avenues Avinguda Meridiana is a major avenue in Barcelona, Spain, spanning parts of the Sant Andreu, Nou Barris and Sant Martí northern Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, most often shortened to Glòries, is a large square in Barcelona, first designed by Ildefons Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, often popularly known as just Gran Via, is one of Barcelona 's major avenues

Sister cities

Barcelona has a sister relationships with the following cities (chronological order):^[48]

Montpellier, France, 1963 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1972 Monterrey, Mexico, 1977 Boston, USA, 1983 Busan, South Korea, 1983 Cologne, Germany, 1984 São Paulo, Brazil, 1985 Montevideo, Uruguay, 1985 St.Petersburg, Russia, 1985 Havana, Cuba, 1993 Kobe, Japan, 1993

Antwerp, Belgium, 1997 Istanbul, Turkey, 1997 Tel Aviv, Israel, 1998 Gaza, Palestinian National Authority, 1998 Dublin, Ireland, 1998 Athens, Greece, 1999 Isfahan, Iran, 2000 Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2000 Valparaíso, Chile, 2001 Shanghai, China, 2001 Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2006

Other forms of cooperation and city friendship similar to the twin city programmes:

• Niš, Serbia^[49]

Other sights

Barcelona Cathedral	Sagrada Família at night	Santa Maria del Mar Church	Santa Maria del Pi Church
Portal de l'Àngel	Casa Batlló	Casa Milà (La Pedrera)	The Palau Nacional which houses the MNAC
Palau de la Música Catalana	The Arc de Triomf	Casa Vicens	Castell dels tres Dracs
Hotel Arts (l. Montpellier ( Occitan Montpelhièr) is a City in the south of France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld This article is about the Mexican city for other uses see Monterrey (disambiguation. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Esfahān or Isfahan (historically also rendered as Ispahan or Hispahan, Old Persian: Aspadana, Middle Persian: Spahān For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. TemplateInfobox City for more fields--> Sarajevo is the Capital city and largest urban center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Valparaíso (literally in Spanish: Valle Paraíso (Paradise Valley and also called "Valpo" locally is a major city in Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Dubai (in دبيّ,) is one of the seven emirates and most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country The Cathedral of Santa Eulalia (also called La Seu) is the Gothic Cathedral seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (official Catalan nameTemplo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia "Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family" often simply Portal de l'Àngel is a Pedestrian street in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona by Plaça Catalunya, and part of the large shopping Casa Batlló ('kazə bəʎ'ʎo bəd'ʎo in Catalan) is a building restored by Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol, built in the year 1877 and remodelled Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera ( Catalan for 'The Quarry' is a building designed by the Catalan Architect, Antoni Gaudí, The National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya abbreviated as MNAC, is a Museum of Catalan The National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya abbreviated as MNAC, is a Museum of Catalan The Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music is a concert hall designed in the Catalan modernista style by the architect Lluís Domènech i The Arc de Triomf ( English Triumphal Arch) is an archway structure in Barcelona, Spain Casa Vicens is a family residence in Barcelona ( Catalonia) designed by Antoni Gaudí and built for industrialist Manuel Vicens The Hotel Arts is a 43-story 600 room luxury Hotel on the seafront of Barcelona, in Spain. ) and Torre Mapfre (each 154 m (505 ft) in height) seen from Platja de la Barceloneta	Torre Agbar	Rambla de Mar in Port Vell (Old Harbour)	The Torre de Collserola in the Tibidabo Hill is the highest structure in Barcelona (288m). Torre Mapfre is a Skyscraper in the Port Olímpic (Olympic Port the maritime neighborhood of the Old City of Barcelona in Spain. The Torre Agbar, or Agbar Tower is a 21st-century Skyscraper at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Torre de Collserola (or Torre Foster) is a uniquely designed tower located on the Tibidabo hill in the Serra de Collserola, in Barcelona
The View from Gaudi's Park Güell

See also

• Barcelona metropolitan area
• Urban Region of Barcelona
• List of tallest buildings and structures in Barcelona
• Flag of Barcelona
• Guardia Urbana

References

Bibliography

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography by William Smith (1856). The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, first published in 1854, was the last of a series of classical dictionaries edited by the English scholar Sir William Smith (1813 &ndash 1893 English Lexicographer, was born at Enfield in 1813 of Nonconformist parents
• "Barcelona". Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana. Barcelona: Ed. Enciclopèdia Catalana S. A. .  

External links

• Official Website of Barcelona
• Official Website Of Barcelona's Metropolitan Transports
• Barcelona travel guide from Wikitravel
• Wiki.WorldFlicks @ Barcelona: Wiki with Geolocated photos on Map/Sat

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