Spain - February 19th, 2010
Madrid (lower left quadrant of this orthorectified image) is the capital and largest city of Spain. The city, which spans a total of 698 km² (234 sq mi), is located on the river Manzanares in the centre of the Community of Madrid (which comprises the city of Madrid, its conurbation and extended suburbs and villages).
North of the city lies the Sierra de Guadarrama, a mountain range forming the eastern half of the Sistema Central (a mountain range in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula), located between the Sierra de Gredos in the province of Ávila, and Sierra de Ayllón in the province of Guadalajara.
The range runs southwest – northeast, extending into the province of Madrid to the south, and towards the provinces of Ávila and Segovia to the north. The chain as a whole measures approximately 80 km in length, with its highest peak, Peñalara, reaching 2,428 m above sea level (7,965 ft).
