Barcelona is one of the world’s leading tourist, economic, trade fair/exhibitions and cultural-sports centres, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world’s major global cities.It is a major cultural and economic centre in southwestern Europe,
24th in the world (before Zürich, after Frankfurt)and a financial centre. In 2008 it was the fourth most economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world with GDP amounting to €177 billion. In 2012 Barcelona had a GDP of $170 billion; it is leading Spain on both employment and GDP per capita change. In 2009 the city was ranked
Europe’s third and one of the world’s most successful as a city brand. In the same year the city was ranked Europe’s fourth best city for business and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year, but it has since been in a full recession with declines in both employment and GDP per capita, with some recent signs of the beginning of an
economic recovery. Barcelona is a transport hub with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe’s principal seaports and busiest European passenger port, an international airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles above 35 million passengers per year, an extensive motorway network and a high-speed rail line with a link to France and the rest of Europe.
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Barcelona is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain and the country’s 2nd largest city, with a population of 1.6 million within its administrative limits. Its urban area extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.5 million people, being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European
Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan. About five million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is
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 headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and
expositions and also many international sport t ou nr a m e n t
512 metres (1,680 ft) high. Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important
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Barcelona was founded by Phoenicians and Carthaginians. The original name of the city was Barcino, probably named after the Carthaginian ruler Hamilcar Barca. The Romans arrived on the 1st century B.C. choosing as capital of the region, first Tarraco (current Tarragona) and since the 3rd century A.D. Barcino
(Barcelona) . Remainings from this period can still be found in Barcelona especially in the Plaza del Rei and in the Gothic quarter. After the Romans, the Visigoths occupied the city and changed its name to Barcinona in the 5th century A.D. Later on, during the 8th century Barcinona was occupied by the
Moors remaining under their
control for another 100 years until the Franks conquered the city again. The Spanish Reconquest began in this zone, who became known as the Spanish Marches (La Marca Hispรกnica).
During this period, the region was divided into Counties, the most important of which was the County of Barcelona. The Count of Barcelona Wilfred the Hairy gave origin to the Catalan nation establishing a hereditary system of succession. In the year 988 Count
Borrell II achieved independence from the Carolingian empire for the County of Barcelona, the territory of the County expanded
forming the region which would be later known as Catalonia.
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In this war Spain lost the region of the Roussillon and other parts of Catalonia which are nowadays French territories, a situ
again in the history of Catalonia when it was invaded by the French troops of Napoleon, however, this time
the territories were returned to Spain after the fall of the French Empire.
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