Madrid, metro

• State:
• Country: Spain
  Madrid, located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula on the Castilian plain 2120 ft. (646 meters) above sea level, traces its origins to the era of Arab Emir Mohammed I (852-886) who ordered the construction of a fortress on the left bank of the Manzanares River. Soon it became a flash point during the interminal war between the Christians and Arabs until it was conquered by Alonso VI in the 11th century. By the end of the 17th century an excellent network of roads to Segovia, Toledo and Valencia were constructed. During the 18th century, under the reign of Carlos III, the great arteries of the city, such as the Paseo del Prado and Paseo las Acacias were designed and constructed. At the beginning of the 19th century, Joseph Bonaparte undertook the reform of the Puerta del Sol and vicinity. The commercial street known as the Gran Vía was built as an east-west avenue at the start of the 20th century. In the 1950's the north-south boulevard called Paseo de la Castellana was extended; modern buildings (a menage