| Barcelona | |||
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 | |||
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| Nickname(s): Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts), Barna, BCN | |||
  Barcelona | |||
 Barcelona | |||
| Coordinates: 41°23′N 2°11′E | |||
| Country | Spain | ||
| Autonomous Community | Catalonia | ||
| Province | Barcelona | ||
| Comarca | Barcelonès | ||
| Districts | Ciutat Vella, Eixample,Gràcia, Horta-Guinardó, Les Corts, Nou Barris, Sant Andreu, Sants–Montjuïc,Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Sant Martí | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Mayor-council | ||
| - Body | Ajuntament de Barcelona | ||
| - Mayor | Jordi Hereu i Boher (PSC) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 101.9 km2 (39.3 sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 803 km2 (310 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation(AMSL) | 12 m (39 ft) | ||
| Population (2009) | |||
| - City | 1,621,537 3,186,461 (Greater Barcelona) | ||
| - Rank | 2nd in Spain | ||
| - Density | 15,991/km2 (41,416.5/sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 4,200,000 | ||
| - Metro | 5,000,000 | ||
| Demonym | Barcelonan barceloní, barcelonina barcelonés, barcelonesa | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 08001–08080 | ||
| Area code | +34 (Spain) 93 (City) | ||
| Website | www.bcn.cat | ||
Barcelona (Catalan IPA: [bəɾsəˈɫonə], Spanish IPA: [baɾθeˈlona]) is the capital and the most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km2 (39 sq mi). The urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of over 4,200,000 on an area of 803 km2 (310 sq mi), it is the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Ruhr area, Madrid and Milan. About 5 million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is also Europe's largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast. The main part of a union of adjacent cities and municipalities named Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) with a population of 3,186,461 in an area of 636 km² (density 5.010 hab/km²). It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft).
Barcelona is recognised as a Global City due to its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education and tourism. Indeed, it is a major economic centre and a growing financial centre (Diagonal Mar area); one of Europe's principal Mediterranean ports can be found here as well as Barcelona international airport, which handles about 30 million passengers per year. It also boasts an extensive motorway network and is a hub of high-speed rail, particularly that which will link France with Spain and later Portugal. Barcelona was the 12th-most-visited city in the world and 4th most visited in Europe after London, Paris and Rome. It is in addition the most popular tourist destination in Spain (receiving over 5 million tourists every year). Barcelona is the 15th most livable city in the World according to lifestyle magazine Monocle. Similarly, according to Innovation Analysts 2thinknow, Barcelona occupies 13th place in the world on Innovation Cities globally. It is the 4th richest city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world with an output amounting to €177 billion, a figure nonetheless smaller than alternative estimates. Consequently, its GDP per capita output stands at €35,975 - some 44% higher than the European Union average. Similarly, the city of Barcelona stands in 29th place in a list of net personal earnings headed by Zurich. The city is Europe's 3rd and one of the world's most successful as a city brand, both in terms of reputation and assets.
Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the Counts of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, it became one of the most important cities of the Crown 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. The city is well known in recent times for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona.
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. The city is also the capital of the Province of Barcelona and the Barcelonès comarca (shire).
Barcelona enjoys a Mediterranean climate. The summer lasts about 6 months, from May to October, although sometimes temperatures in November and April rise above 20 °C (68.0 °F). Winter, lasting from, December to March, are mild, with average temperatures over 14.5 °C (58.1 °F) during the day and 5.5 °C (41.9 °F) at night.
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Names
The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Phoenician Barkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription in Iberian script as Barkeno in Levantine Iberian script, in Ancient Greek sources as Βαρκινών, Barkinṓn; and in Latin as Barcino[citation needed], Barcilonum and Barceno.
During the Middle Ages, the city was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelona, and Barchenona.
Some sources say that the city could have been named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC,.
Barcelona History,
History of Barcelona,
The foundation of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends. The first attributes the founding of the city to the mythological Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome. The second legend attributes the foundation of the city directly to the historical Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino after his family, in the 3rd century BC.
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). Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia, or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Mela 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. It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens.The city minted its own coins; some from the era of Galba survive.
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"). Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral. 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 becoming for a few years the capital of the whole Hispania. Afterwards by the Arabs in the early eighth century, reconquered 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 Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include all of Catalonia. In 1137, Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged by dynastic union by the marriage of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon and their titles were finally borne by only one person when their son Alfonso II of Aragon ascended to the throne in 1162. His territories were later to be known as 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 forging of a dynastic link between the Crowns of Aragon and Castile marked the beginning of Barcelona's decline.
The marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in 1469 united the two royal lines. The centre of political power became Madrid and the colonisation of the Americas reduced the financial importance (at least in relative terms) of Mediterranean trade. Barcelona was always the stronghold of Catalan separatism and was the center of the Catalan Revolt (1640–52) against Philip IV of Spain. The great plague of 1650–1654 had halved the city's population. The Napoleonic wars left the province ravaged, but the postwar period saw the start of industrialization.
The resistance of Barcelona to Franco's coup d'état was to have lasting effects after the defeat of the Republican government. The autonomous institutions of Catalonia were abolished and the use of the Catalan language in public life was suppressed. Barcelona remained the second largest city in Spain, at the heart of a region which was relatively industrialised and prosperous, despite the devastation of the civil war. The result was a large-scale immigration from poorer regions of Spain (particularly Andalucia, Murcia and Galicia), which in turn led to rapid urbanisation. Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games in 1992, which helped revitalize the city,.
A panoramic view of Barcelona
Barcelona Geography,
Barcelona from space
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. This plateau has 170 km2 (66 sq mi),of which 101 km² (38.9 sq mi) are occupied by the city itself. It is 160 km (100 mi) south of the Pyrenees and the Catalonian border with France.
Tibidabo, 512 m (1,680 ft) high, offers striking views over the city and is topped by the 288.4 m (946.2 ft) Torre de Collserola, a telecommunications tower that is visible from most of the city. 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). 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. 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; the Mediterranean Sea to the east; El Prat de Llobregat and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to the south; and Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Montcada i Reixac to the west,.
Barcelona Climate,
Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa), with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers. Barcelona is located on the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, so Atlantic west winds often arrive in Barcelona with low humidity, producing no rain. The proximity of the Atlantic, its latitude, and the relief, are the reasons why the summers are not as dry as in most other Mediterranean Basin locations. Lows (not surface lows but high-atmospheric "cold invasions") can easily affect the area of Barcelona (and Catalonia), causing storms, particularly in August. Some years, the beginning of June is still cool and rainy, like April and May. Together with August, September, October and November these months are the wettest of the year. The driest are February, March, June and July. As in many parts of Catalonia, the annual weather pattern varies greatly from year to year.
Its average annual temperature is 15.6 °C (60.1 °F): 20 °C (68 °F) during the day and 11 °C (52 °F) at night. Average annual temperature of sea is 17.8 °C (64.0 °F). In the coldest month – January, the typically temperature ranges from 7 to 15 °C (45 to 59 °F) during the day, -2 to 9 °C (28 to 48 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 13 °C (55 °F).[36] In the warmest month – August, the typically temperature ranges from 25 to 31 °C (77 to 88 °F) during the day, about 20 °C (68 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 25 °C (77 °F).[36] Generally – summer's season, lasts about 6 months, from May to October, with average temperature of these six months amounting 24.6 °C (76.3 °F) during the day and 15.8 °C (60.4 °F) at night. Two months – April and November – are transitional, sometimes there are temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F), with average temperature of these two months amounting 17.3 °C (63 °F) during the day and 8.3 °C (46.9 °F) at night. December, January, February and March is the coldest months, with average temperatures over 14.5 °C (58.1 °F) during the day and 5.5 °C (41.9 °F) at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare, particularly in summer months. Sunshine hours is 2,524 per year, from 138 (average 4.5 hours of sunshine / day) in December to 310 (average 10 hours of sunshine / day) in July. Average relative humidity is 72%, from 69% in July to 75% in October.
The highest temperature recorded in the city centre was 39.9 °C (103.8 °F) on 27 August 2010.The coldest temperature recorded was −6.7 °C (19.9 °F) on 11 February 1956 and −5 °C (23 °F) on 12 January 1985. However, in the 19th century −9.6 °C (14.7 °F) was recorded in January 1896. At the Fabra Observatory, situated on the Tibidabo hill, 412 m (1,351.71 ft) above the sea level, the record summer temperature is 39.8 °C (104 °F) [39] on 7 July 1982, and the lowest temperature ever registered, −10 °C (14 °F) on 11 February 1956.
| [hide]Climate data for Barcelona | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 13.4 (56.1) | 14.6 (58.3) | 15.9 (60.6) | 17.6 (63.7) | 20.5 (68.9) | 24.2 (75.6) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.0 (82.4) | 25.5 (77.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 17.0 (62.6) | 14.3 (57.7) | 20.0 (68) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.9 (48) | 10.0 (50) | 11.3 (52.3) | 13.1 (55.6) | 16.3 (61.3) | 20.0 (68) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.7 (74.7) | 21.1 (70) | 17.1 (62.8) | 12.6 (54.7) | 10.0 (50) | 15.6 (60.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) | 5.3 (41.5) | 6.7 (44.1) | 8.5 (47.3) | 12.0 (53.6) | 15.7 (60.3) | 18.6 (65.5) | 19.3 (66.7) | 16.7 (62.1) | 12.6 (54.7) | 8.1 (46.6) | 5.7 (42.3) | 11.1 (52) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 41 (1.61) | 39 (1.54) | 42 (1.65) | 49 (1.93) | 59 (2.32) | 42 (1.65) | 20 (0.79) | 61 (2.4) | 85 (3.35) | 91 (3.58) | 58 (2.28) | 51 (2.01) | 640 (25.2) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 55 |
| Sunshine hours | 149 | 163 | 200 | 220 | 244 | 262 | 310 | 282 | 219 | 180 | 146 | 138 | 2,524 |
| Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN), Agencia Estatal de Meteorología | |||||||||||||
Snowfalls are not common, seldom causing any disruption to traffic, but frost is common on the outskirts of the city. Nonetheless, the city has experienced its share of heavy snowfalls, as for example at Christmas 1962, when a true blizzard affected the city, with 50 cm (19.69 in) of snow falling within the city and at least 1 metre on the hills. But, according to old news sources, the greatest snowfall took place in 1887, with over 50 cm (19.69 in). The third heaviest snowfall was in December 1933, with 30 cm (11.81 in) on Montjuïc hill. The most recent ones took place on 8 March 2010, 6 January 2009, 27 January 2006, 28 February 2005, 29 February 2004, 18 February 2003, 14 December 2001 and the 21st November 1999 (the only snowfall so early in winter at least 3 centuries).
Thunderstorms, which occasionally reach severe limits, are common from mid August until November. The most recent major summer storm was on the 31 July 2002, when over 200 mm (7.87 in) of rain were recorded at some observatories.
Though Barcelona is normally not a windy city, it is affected by sea breezes from May/June to September and winds from the west and north-west in winter. Eastern gales sometimes cause floods on the coastline. East and north-east winds can exceed 100 km/h (62.14 mph). In winter Barcelona is sometimes affected by the tramontana or mistral winds, like other places in the Northwestern Mediterranean Basin.
Barcelona is generally a sunny city, however, some days of fog and spells of cloudy days are not rare. Sea fog is frequent in early spring, when the first warm African air masses come in over the cold sea water. Cloudy days are most frequent from April to October/November,.
Barcelona Main sights,
La Sagrada Família church, Gaudi's masterpiece
The Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter" in Catalan) 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. A great number of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. 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. As of 2007, completion is planned for 2026.
Barcelona was also home to Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion. Designed in 1929 for the International Exposition for Germany, it is an iconic building that came to symbolize modern architecture as the embodiment of van der Rohe's aphorisms "less is more" and "God is in the details." The Barcelona pavilion was intended as a temporary structure, and was torn down in 1930 less than a year after it was constructed. A modern re-creation by Spanish architects now stands in Barcelona, however, constructed in 1986.
Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first (and as of 2009, only) time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect.
(source:wikipedia)
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