- Barcelona is the capital and the most populous city of Catalonia Demonym: Barcelonan, barcelonés, barceloní, barcelonesa, barcelonina.
- Area city: 101.9 km² (39.3 sq mi)
- Mean Altitude: 12 meters above sea level.
- Annual Rainfall: 584 mm/year.
- Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid.
- Population Province: 5,350,000.
- Nickname: Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts).
- Average Temperature: 16.5 Celsius (62 Fahrenheit), Summer 25 C (77 F), Winter 10 C (50 F)
- Barcelona is the 6th-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Ruhr area, Madrid and Milan.
- The city name comes from the ancient Iberian Phoenician Barkeno.
- During the Middle Ages, Barcelona was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelona, and Barchenona.
- Over 268.000 foreigners live in Barcelona currently.
- Barcelona is Europe’s largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast.
- There are 4 police forces in Catalonia: the Guardia Urbana (traffic), the Policía
- Nacional (National Police), the Guardia Civil (Civil Guard), and the Mossos d'Escuadra (Catalonia's autonomous police force).
- In the Nineteenth century, Barcelona’s restaurants were know to be some of the best in Europe.
- The famous Sagrada Família, is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926).
- Although incomplete, the Sagrada Familia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Interesting facts about Barcelona
