madrid

taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain.The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million (as of December 2009); the entire population of the metropolitan area (urban area and suburbs) is calculated to be 6,386,932. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous in the European Union after Paris and London. The city spans a total of 698 km² (234 sq mi).

The city is located on the river Manzanares 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. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political centre of Spain.[9] The current mayor is Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón from the People's Party (PP). He has been in office since 2003, when he left the Presidency of the Autonomous Community of Madrid and stood as the candidate to replace outgoing mayor José María Álvarez del Manzano, also from the PP. In the last local elections of 2007, Ruiz-Gallardón increased the PP majority in the City Council to 34 seats out of 57, taking 55.5% of the popular vote and winning in all but two districts

barcelona

taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona
Barcelona is the capital and the most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,621,537 in 2009. It is the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Ruhr area, Madrid and Milan, with a population of 4,200,000.About 5 million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. 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 because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education and tourism. This is a major economic centre with one of Europe's principal Mediterranean ports, and Barcelona International Airport is the second largest in Spain (handles about 30 million passengers per year). Barcelona was the 12th-most-visited city in the world and 4th most visited in the Europe (after London, Paris, Rome) also the most popular tourist attraction in Spain (about 5 million tourists every year). According to lifestyle magazine Monocle, Barcelona occupies 15th place in the world on ranking World's most livable cities. According to Innovation Analysts 2thinknow, Barcelona occupies 13th place in the world on ranking Innovation Cities globally. Also, it is the 4rd richest city in European Union and 28th (according to City Mayors.com or 35th in the World (according to PricewaterhouseCoopers). The city is 3rd of Europe's and one of the world's most successful city brands, both in terms of reputation and assets.

Lisbon

taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with a population of 564,477 within its administrative limits[1] on a land area of 84.8 km2 (33 sq mi). The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 2.4 million there is 12th most populous urban area in the European Union. About 2,824,000 people live in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (which represents approximately 26% of the population of country) and 3.34 million people live in the broader agglomeration of Lisbon Metropolitan Region (includes cities ranging from Leiria to Setúbal). This is the furthest westernmost located large city in Europe. It lies in western Iberian Peninsula, on the Atlantic Ocean.

Lisbon is recognised as a Alpha World City because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education and tourism. The Lisbon region is the wealthiest region in Portugal, GDP per capita is 26,100 euro (it is higher results of 4.7% from the average European Union's GDP per capita) and it produces 37% of the Portuguese Gross domestic product (GDP). According to lifestyle magazine Monocle, Lisbon occupies 25th place in the world on ranking World's most livable cities.It is also the political centre of the country, as seat of government and residence of the Head of State. The seat of the district of Lisbon and the centre of the Lisbon region.

Lisbon enjoys a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate. Among the all capitals in Europe, here are second the warmest winters in Europe, with average temperatures above 15.2 °C (59.4 °F) during the day and 8.9 °C (48.0 °F) at night in the period December to February. The summer season lasts for about 6 months, from May to October, although also in November, March and April sometimes there are temperature above 20 °C (68.0 °F).

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world. Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding to the name Olissipo. Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century, it was captured by Moors in the 8th century. In 1147, the Crusaders under Afonso Henriques reconquered the city for the Christians and since then it has been a major political, economic and cultural center of Portugal. Unlike most capital cities, Lisbon's status as the capital of Portugal has never been granted or confirmed officially – by statute or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention, making its position as de facto capital a part of the Constitution of Portugal.

Lisbon hosts two agencies of the European Union, namely, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), is also headquartered in Lisbon.

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality (central area), with over 2.7 million residents in 1,285.3 km2 (496.3 sq mi). While the population of the urban area was estimated by Eurostat to have been 3.46 million in 2004, the metropolitan area of Rome was estimated by OECD to have had a population of 3.7 million no later than 2006.

In 2007 Rome was the 11th-most-visited city in the world, 3rd most visited in the EU, and the most popular tourist attraction in Italy. The city is one of Europe's and the world's most successful city brands, both in terms of reputation and assets. Its historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Monuments and museums such as the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are amongst the world's 50 most visited tourist destinations (the Vatican Museums receiving 4.2 million tourists and the Colosseum receiving 4 million tourists every year).

Taken From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Paris Region, French: Région parisienne). The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,203,817 but the Paris aire urbaine (or metropolitan area) has a population of 11,769,433 and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe.

An important settlement for more than two millennia, Paris is today one of the world's leading business and cultural centres, and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.

Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The Paris region receives 45 million tourists annually, 60% of whom are foreign visitors. The city and region contain numerous iconic landmarks, world-famous institutions and popular parks.