Madrid

Capital and largest city of Spain, located in the central part of the country at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama (Upland Castile) on the river Manzanares. The administrative area of 607 km ², population 3.28 million (2011), the capital of the autonomous region (comunidad autónoma) of the same name (area of 7993 km ², population 6.3 million). One of the largest cities in the European Union and the third largest metropolitan area (after Paris and London) in the EU. Madrid is the seat of government, parliament, ministries, agencies and other international representative offices and also the official residence of the King of Spain.