Madrid

Autonomous community and province of central Spain; area 7,995 sq km/3,087 sq mi; population (2001 est) 5,372,400. Situated on the country's central plateau (meseta), the region is bounded by the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains in the northwest, and by the River Tagus in the southeast. It is crossed by several rivers, including the Jarama, a tributary of the Tagus. Products include cereals, potatoes, fruit and vegetables, grown in the south and southeast; timber from the forests in the northeast, and lime, granite, and gypsum from quarries in the mountains. The Escorial palace lies in the northwest; Aranjuez in the south has had a royal palace since the 15th century and has luxurious gardens. The capital is Madrid.