Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and the country’s principal industrial center.

Although local legends link the name Barcelona to Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, it can be more firmly traced to Barcino, the name the Romans gave to the original nucleus of the city.

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, Spain’s autonomous northeast region, bordering with France.

Its location on the Mediterranean Sea, hemmed in by the deltas of the Besós and the Llobregat rivers and the Collserola Mountains, accounts for its temperate, humid climate.

The mountains, which rise to more than 518 m (1,700 ft) within 13 km (8 mi) of the city center, form a dramatic backdrop.

Barcelona is a major Mediterranean port and also a financial and publishing center of Spain.