Barcelona
Barcelona (/ˌbɑːrsəˈloʊnə/ ⓘ BAR-sə-LOH-nə, Catalan: [bəɾsəˈlonə] ⓘ, Spanish: [baɾθe
ˈlona] ⓘ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city
of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous
municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within city limits, [8] its urban
area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the province of
Barcelona and is home to around 4.8 million people, [3] making it the fifth most
populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,
the Ruhr area, Madrid and Milan.[3] It is one of the largest metropolises on
the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the
rivers Llobregat and Besòs, bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain
range.
Barcelona
City and municipality
Skyline of Barcelona
Sagrada Família
Torre Glòries
Arc de Triomf
Edificio Colón and La Rambla
Venetian Towers and Palau Nacional
La Barceloneta
Casa Milà
Flag
Coat of arms
Nicknames:
Ciutat Comtal (Catalan)
Ciudad Condal (Spanish)
"Comital City" or "City of Counts"
Cap i Casal de Catalunya (Catalan)
'Head and Hearth of Catalonia'
Abbreviation(s):
Barna, BCN
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Coordinates: 41°22′58″N 02°10′37″E
Country Spain
Autonomous Catalonia
community
Province Barcelona
Comarca Barcelonès
Districts 10
Ciutat Vella
Eixample
Gràcia
Horta-Guinardó
Les Corts
Nou Barris
Sant Andreu
Sants–Montjuïc
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
Sant Martí
Government
• Type Ayuntamiento
• Body City Council of Barcelona
• Mayor Jaume Collboni[1] (PSC–
PSOE)
Area
[2]
• City 101.4 km2 (39.2 sq mi)
Elevation 12 m (39 ft)
(AMSL)
Population
(2018)[5]
• City 1,620,343
• Rank 2nd
• Density 16,000/km2 (41,000/sq mi)
• Urban 4,840,000[3]
• Metro 5,474,482[4]
Demonyms Barcelonan, Barcelonian
barceloní, -ina (Catalan)
barcelonés, -esa (Spanish)
GDP
[6]
• Metro €159.8 billion (2020)
Postal code 080xx
Area code +34 (E) 93 (B)
INE code 08 0193
City €3.6 billion[7]
budget (2023)
Official Catalan and Spanish
language
Main festivity La Mercè
Patron saint Eulalia of Barcelona
Website www.barcelona.cat
Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of
the County of Barcelona. After joining with the Kingdom of Aragon to form the
confederation of the Crown of Aragon, Barcelona, which continued to be the capital
of the Principality of Catalonia, became the most important city in the Crown of
Aragon and the main economic and administrative centre of the Crown, only to be
overtaken by Valencia, wrested from Moorish control by the Catalans, shortly before
the dynastic union between the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon in 1492.
Barcelona became the centre of Catalan separatism, briefly becoming part
of France during the 17th century Reapers' War and again in 1812 until 1814
under Napoleon. It was the capital of Revolutionary Catalonia during the Spanish
Revolution of 1936, and the seat of government of the Second Spanish Republic later
in the Spanish Civil War, until its capture by the fascists in 1939. After the Spanish
transition to democracy in the 1970s, Barcelona once again became the capital of an
autonomous Catalonia.
Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a
major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni
Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World
Heritage Sites. The city is home to two of the most prestigious universities in Spain:
the University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University. The headquarters of
the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona. The city is known for
hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and
expositions. In addition, many international sport tournaments have been played
here.
Barcelona is a major cultural, economic, and financial centre in southwestern Europe,
[9]
as well as the main biotech hub in Spain.[10] As a leading world city, Barcelona's
influence in global socio-economic affairs qualifies it for global city status (Beta +).[11]
Barcelona is a transport hub, with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe's
principal seaports and busiest European passenger port, [12] an international
airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles over 50 million passengers per year,
[13]
an extensive motorway network, and a high-speed rail line with a link to France
and the rest of Europe
