City Analysis

1.  Based on Madrid's population of 3.234 million people I would place it as a regional metropolis on the hierarchy of central places. Madrid is the largest city in Spain and has a metropolitan area population of 6,321,389 people. This area covers about 5.335,97 km² of land. The largest suburbs are in the south and on the main areas leading out of Madrid. The main locations along the "inner ring" are Getafe, Coslada, and San Fernando de Henares. The second largest city in Spain is Barcelona with a population of 1.621 million people. Valencia is another large city in Spain 797,028 people. A smaller city in Spain is Zaragoza with a population of 679,624 people. 

2.  Not only is Madrid the largest city in Spain it is also the capital. Madrid has a very developed metro system. The metro is currently the sixth largest metro in the world and has an annual ridership of about 634,598,000. Since the city is located in the middle of the country it is the site for many routes to other parts of Spain. The Madrid-Barajas Airport is the international airport located in spain. It is the country's largest and busiest airport. Because it is a large city Madrid has a lot of clubs and restaurants to offer. Madrid is known for its nightlife and there are multiple clubs to visit throughout the night. Madrid also has many tourist destinations and attractions like the Museo del Prado. One thing that is locally unavailable in Madrid is a direct route to the ocean. The city is located in the middle of Spain so it is likely that there is a lot of importing of food into the city and very little growing of local foods.

A map of Madrid's metro system. 

View of Madrid.