1984 Click on image thumbnail for full resolution image	2004 Click on image thumbnail for full resolution image

Twenty years separate these two Landsat thematic mapper images of Madrid, the capital of Spain, of the province and autonomous community of Madrid.

The two images clearly show the substantial growth the city has undergone in the last 20 years. By drawing a comparison between the 1984 image on the left and the 2004 image on the right, it is evident that most of the changes occurred in the Eastern and North-eastern parts of Madrid. The Barajas International Airport and the IFEMA trade fair grounds at the Campo de Las Naciones are visible as the bright areas on the left side of the 2004 image. The airport is situated fifteen kilometres from the city centre. A major European hub; it was finished in 1928 and has grown to be one of the most important aviation centres of any Hispanic country. Just to the left of the Airport is the Chamartín district, a residential area running from North of the Bernabéu soccer stadium to the Chamartín train station.

The Manzanares River runs through the city and divides the Casa de Campo, the green area to the centre left of the images, from the city centre. The Manzanares flows mostly in a south-eastern direction and then takes a Southern direction, entering the Monte del Pardo, a heritage protected park belonging to the city of Madrid. From here, the river is canalised and serves as a dividing line between the old centre of the city and the Carabanchel and Usera neighbourhoods to the South-West. The river leaves the city at its southernmost tip and makes a strong eastern turn before ending its 83km (51 mile) journey.

Contemporary Madrid came into its own after the death of the dictator Franco in 1975. The years spent under the Franco regime left Madrid and much of the country in economic shambles due to isolation. At present, modern Madrid is home to over three million people. It is a cosmopolitan European city which plays host to the headquarters for Public Administration, the Spanish Parliament and the Spanish Royal Family.

The first Landsat-5 image was acquired on 17 July 1984 – Madrid began to prosper after the death of the dictator, Franco, whose regime led the city into financial ruin. During the 1908’s, Madrid consolidated its position as the leading economic, cultural, industrial, educational and technological centre on the Iberian Peninsula.

The second Landsat-5 image was acquired on 25 August 2004 – The image clearly shows the substantial growth the city has undergone in recent times, especially in its Eastern and North-eastern parts. The Barajas International Airport and the IFEMA trade fair grounds at the Campo de Las Naciones are visible as the bright areas on the left side of the image. The airport is situated fifteen kilometres from the city centre. A major European hub; it was finished in 1928 and has grown to be one of the most important aviation centres of any Hispanic country. Just to the left of the Airport is the Chamartín district, a residential area running from North of the Bernabéu soccer stadium to the Chamartín train station.

At present, modern Madrid is home to over three million people. It is a cosmopolitan European city which plays host to the headquarters for Public Administration, the Spanish Parliament and the Spanish Royal Family. In its attempts to establish itself as a leading southern European city and as the most important link between the European Union and Latin America, the city is still in the midst of transformation. The population of the city of Madrid was 3,093,000 and the population of the metropolitan area (urban area plus satellite towns) was 5,603,000 as of 2003 estimates.