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2. Panoramic View of Madrid 2Pavlidou Parthena

3. Location The city is located on the Manzanares River in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid (which comprises the city of Madrid, its conurbation and extended suburbs and villages); this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile- La Mancha. 3Pavlidou Parthena

4. Geographic Characteristic  Despite the existence of a great city of 5 million people, the Community of Madrid still retains some remarkably unspolit and diverse habitats and landscapes.  Madrid is home to mountain peaks rising above 2,000m, holm oak dehesas and low lying plains. The slopes of Guadarrama are cloaked in dense forests of Scot`s pine and Pyrenean oak. The Valle de Lozoya supports a large black (monk) vulture colony, and one of the last bastions of the Spanish Imperial Eagle in the world is found in the Park Regional del Suroeste in dehesa hills between the Gredos and Guadarrama ranges.  The recent possible detection of the existence of Iberian lynx in the area between the Cofio and Alberche rivers is testament to the biodiversity of the area. However, much of this is currently under threat as the Spanish capital continues to sprawl every outwards and upwards into the Sierra, 4

5. History  Madrid, originally called Mayrit, was founded by the emir Muhammad at the end of the IX century. It was under the Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, that the city gained importance, since initially the main city in the Spanish plain had been Toledo.  During the Reconquest of Spain by the Christians, Madrid passed from Muslim to Christian hands several times, it was the origin of the mixture of cultures which characterizes the city still today.  The present location of Madrid, in the centre of Spain, was established by the king Alfonso I in 1083. Under Christian control, all symbols of the Muslim world were removed from the city and part of the cultural heritage of Madrid was lost. 5

6. Sightseeing  Royal Palace  Royal Theatre The Palacio Real de Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, but is only used for state ceremonies. Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) or simply El Real is a major opera house. 6

7. Sightseeing  Almudena Cathedral  Plaza Mayor Square Santa María la Real de La Almudena is the Catholic cathedral in Madrid, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. It was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993. The Plaza Mayor was built during Philip III's reign (1598– 1621) and is a central plaza in the city of Madrid. 7

8. Other Sights…  Prado Museum  Queen Sofía Museum  Gran Vía Avenue  Puerta del Sol  Thyssen Museum  Cibeles Square  Plaza España  Alcalá Gate  Santa Ana Square  Jerome Church  Santa Cruz Palace 8Pavlidou Parthena

9. Special Characteristics  Country: Spain  Language: Spanish  Religion: Catholics  Population: 3.3 million  Culture: Galleries, Museums, Theaters, Monasteries, Literature, Philosophers, Painters  Currency: Euro  Area: 698 sq. km  Population: 2.905.100  Government: Parliamentary Monarchy 9Pavlidou Parthena

10. Their Alphabet Gracias! (thank you) 10 By Pavlidou Parthena

11. Presentation Resources  Wikipedia  Google 11Pavlidou Parthena