Quiz #2: Big Cities in Spain

A quiz about population size, metro systems and ports. Spain has more than 47 million inhabitants, making the country one of Western Europe’s most populous states. The country has undergone a rapid urbanization process in modern times. Until 1950, about 80 percent of the Spanish population lived in rural areas, where they were mainly employed in agriculture. That is, they worked on land that was mostly owned by the nobility or the Catholic Church. Today, 80 percent of Spaniards live in cities, four of which have more than one million inhabitants. Many Spanish cities have a long and colorful history. Try our quiz and test your knowledge of Spanish cities.

(The figures we are using are for the population within the city limits and the naturally associated surrounding area.)

You will find additional information to each answer below this map of Spain.

And here are the answers with some additional information you may find interesting.

Answer to question #1: Spain’s most populous city has about 5.2 million inhabitants. Which city is it?

1) Toledo Wrong: Toledo with just under 100,000 inhabitants is far from large enough to be Spain’s largest city. But, this city in central Spain has admittedly been important in many ways and for a number of peoples throughout history. Toledo is mentioned in Roman writings from before the birth of Christ, and the city was the capital of a Visigoth kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula from 542 to 725 AD. Later, Christians, Muslims and Jews have all left their mark on the city and its history.

Toledo is known for its exquisite metal work. Hundreds of years ago, representatives of rich people and rulers from large parts of Europe traveled to Toledo to forge swords and other weapons for themselves and their elite soldiers. Toledo’s skilled blacksmiths used metals with a high degree of purity and had developed methods that resulted in weapons with a hard surface and a somewhat more flexible core. This meant that the Toledo swords withstood hard blows better than most of the contemporary weapons. You can read more about Toledo’s production of metal tools and weapons here: Warriors and peaceful people in Toledo.

2) Madrid Correct: The capital Madrid is with its approximately 5.26 million inhabitants, Spain’s largest city. The city was only a small village when Philip II in 1561 decided to move the country’s management and administration from the nearby castle town of El Escorial. Madrid’s location – roughly in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula – is convenient in several ways: It protects against invading troops, while providing a relatively short journey to all corners of the empire. Madrid is the political center of present-day Spain, although each of the country’s 17 regions has its own parliament and varying degrees of autonomy, including its own laws. Foreign policy, Spanish EU membership, defense affairs, etc. are governed by Madrid. And as you may well know, the Royal House has its base here.

3) Barcelona Wrong: Even with 4.25 million inhabitants, Barcelona is not Spain’s largest city. The city on the northeastern coast of Spain is nevertheless a very important trade center and a favorite tourist destination. Barcelona is Spain’s most visited city. The city has significant freight and cruise traffic. The location near the French border is also a favorable starting point for trade with other parts of Europe.

The picture above: Madrid is the capital of Spain and is located approximately in the middle of the country on the Spanish plateau.

Answer to question # 2: What is the name of Spain’s third largest city?

1) Valencia: Correct: Valencia and the surrounding area are among Spain’s biggest city areas. Shortly after drawing the boundaries of the urban area, statisticians estimate that the city on the east coast has at least 1.5 million inhabitants. The city, which is the capital of the region of the same name, is Spain’s third largest in terms of population size. The Valencia region has large agricultural areas and a significant food export industry. Rice is also grown in Valencia, so it is not without reason that the most famous dish from the region is paella. The city was founded by the Romans as early as 138 BC and then called Valentia Edetanorum.

2) Las Palmas Wrong: Las Palmas is not among the largest cities in the country, but clearly the largest city in the Canary Islands. The city was founded in 1478 by Juan Rejón who gave it the name Real de Las Palmas. At the head of troops from Castile, Rejón invaded the archipelago that has since been part of Spain. By the way, Columbus anchored in Las Palmas both on his way to “India” in 1492 and on his way home from America.

3) Murcia – Orihuela: Wrong: Even with the addition of nearby Orihuela, Murcia is not big enough. The city, which was founded by the Moors in 825 AD, is located in the region of Murcia, which is known for its large and varied agricultural production. In earlier times, Murcia was actually a center for silk production in Europe.

The photo above: The city of Barcelona is known for its La Sagrada Familia Cathedral.

Answer to Question # 3: What is the name of the fourth largest city in Spain?

1) Seville: Correct: Seville with its surroundings has almost 1.26 million inhabitants, which rightly makes it Spain’s fourth largest city. The city was founded by the Romans under the name Hispalis and later became known as Ishbiliyya under the Moors. After the “discovery” of America, Seville became one of the really great economic centers of the Spanish Empire, and the city was given trading privileges by the crown – it was almost a monopoly on Spanish trade on the world’s oceans.

Despite the fact that Seville is located about 80 kilometers from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, the city has throughout history been an important center for shipping and trade. The explanation is that it is located by a large river, Guadalquivir. We know, for example, that the Vikings used the river to reach Seville, and Magellan began his world voyage from the city in 1519. From the 17th century, Seville gradually lost status and prosperity and eventually lost its trading privileges to the port city of Cádiz.

2) Bilbao Wrong: Bilbao is one of the major cities in northern Spain, but not the country’s largest. With almost a million inhabitants, Bilbao is admittedly the largest Basque city in Spain. Bilbao is close to the Pyrenees and the supply of minerals, has an enterprising population and a protected port that have made Bilbao a major industrial center. Bilbao has attracted labor from other parts of Europe for generations, including British miners bringing the sport of football to Bilbao and the Basque Country. The waters off Bilbao are known to be quite rough, yet the city’s port is important for shipping goods and trade with France, Britain and other European countries.

3) Burgos Wrong: Burgos, located inland in northern Spain has about 200,000 inhabitants, but is no longer among the largest Spanish cities. The city has played a particularly important role in Spanish history and was at times the capital of the Kingdom of Castile during the long Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula. A number of famous people from Spanish history are associated with the city and its immediate surroundings. The most celebrated of these is probably Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, he is the individual who comes the closest to being a Spanish national hero.

The picture above: Seville is Spain’s fourth largest city and is known for its huge Gothic-style cathedral and the nearby Alcázar Castle.

Answer to question # 4: Which Spanish city has the largest tram / metro system?

1) Barcelona Wrong: Barcelona, ​​Spain’s second largest city, has the third longest metro network amongst the country’s cities. The city’s metro system opened in 1924 and as of today has just over 151 km of rails that carry 426 million passengers a year. The number of stations is about 180.

2) Bilbao Wrong: Bilbao’s metro system is one of the newest in Spain. It was opened as late as in 1995 and has approximately 45 kilometers of rails that carry almost 90 million passengers per year. The number of stations is 48.

3) Madrid Correct: With almost 295 km of rails, Madrid has by far the longest metro system in Spain. Madrid’s metro opened as early as 1919, but has since been expanded in several stages. Just over 625 million passenger journeys a year are distributed between 301 stations.

The picture above: Several cities in Spain have a public metro system to transport people around the city and to the suburbs. This picture is from Bilbao.

Answer to question # 5: Which Spanish city has the largest port for freight transport?

1) Valencia: Correct: The port of Valencia is Spain’s busiest freight port. The port is in fact the fifth largest in Europe and the largest container port on the Mediterranean.

2) Cartagena: Wrong: Cartagena is both historically and in modern times a very important Spanish port city, but it is far smaller than both Valencia and Barcelona. Cartagena is first and foremost important as a port for the Spanish navy and for cruise traffic. The city which was founded by Carthaginians from North Africa in the year 227 BC aptly named “New Carthage”, is located in the region of Murcia on the southeastern coast of Spain. It has served as a naval base and important port under various kingdoms and powers, including the Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, Moors and Castilians.

3) Barcelona: Wrong: Barcelona has a large port and is the busiest Spanish cruise port. But even Barcelona must give way to Valencia when it comes to sea transport of goods.

The picture above: Valencia is Spain’s third largest city and is known amongst other things for its modern conference and exhibition center.

---

We at Find Your Spain will continue to write and publish our own articles as well as provide links to content from other sources that we hope you will find useful, interesting and informative. Got a tip for us? Drop us a line, comment on a post.

Like this article? Please share it with your friends and family.