Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The city is also a municipality and is located in the center of the country, on the Spanish Plateau. It is the fifth largest city in Europe and a so-called alpha world city. Madrid is the capital of the autonomous region of the same name. Madrid is the second largest city in the European Union after Berlin in terms of population.

Due to the city's central location, history, political and financial functions, Madrid is considered the most important city of the Iberian Peninsula. The city has a population of 3,165,541 (1 January 2016) and more than six million people live in the metropolis of Madrid. The inhabitants of the city are called Madrileños, in Spanish Madrileños. Although the city has a busy traffic network and the third largest metro network in Europe, most of the city's neighborhoods have managed to retain some of their original atmosphere.

Frequently visited sights in Madrid include the Palacio Real, or Royal Palace, the Retiro Park, the Archaeological Museum, and three internationally renowned art museums: the Museo del Prado, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.