SEJARAH INDONESIA

 SEJARAH


Sejarah Indonesia meliputi suatu rentang waktu yang sangat panjang yang dimulai sejak zaman prasejarah berdasarkan penemuan "Manusia Jawa" yang berusia 1,7 juta tahun yang lalu. Periode sejarah Indonesia dapat dibagi menjadi lima era: Era Prakolonial, munculnya kerajaan-kerajaan Hindu-Buddha serta Islam di Jawa dan Sumatera yang terutama mengandalkan perdagangan; Era Kolonial, masuknya orang-orang Eropa (terutama Belanda) yang menginginkan rempah-rempah mengakibatkan penjajahan oleh Belanda selama sekitar 3,5 abad antara awal abad ke-17 hingga pertengahan abad ke-20; Era Kemerdekaan Awal, pasca-Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia (1945) sampai jatuhnya Soekarno (1966); Era Orde Baru, 32 tahun masa pemerintahan Soeharto (1966–1998); serta Era Reformasi yang berlangsung sampai sekarang.

Daftar isi  [sembunyikan]  1 Prasejarah 2 Era pra kolonial 2.1 Sejarah awal 2.2 Kerajaan Hindu-Buddha 2.3 Kerajaan Islam 3 Era kolonial 3.1 Kolonisasi Portugis dan Spanyol 4 Periode Kejayaan Portugis di Nusantara 4.1 Perlawanan Rakyat terhadap Portugis 4.1.1 Perlawanan Rakyat Malaka terhadap Portugis 4.1.2 Perlawanan rakyat Aceh terhadap Portugis 4.1.3 Perlawanan Rakyat Maluku terhadap Portugis 4.2 Kolonisasi Spanyol 4.3 Perjuangan Minahasa Melawan Spanyol 5 Tahun 1521 Spanyol Mulai Masuk perairan Indonesia 6 Dampak Spanyol Bagi Ekonomi Indonesia Utara 7 Garis waktu kolonialisasi 7.1 Kolonialisasi Spanyol 7.2 Kolonialisasi Portugis 7.2.1 1509 - 1520 7.2.2 1521 – 1530 7.2.3 1531 – 1540 7.2.4 1541 – 1550 7.2.5 1551 – 1560 7.2.6 1561 – 1570 7.2.7 1571 – 1580 7.2.8 1591 – 1659 7.3 Kolonisasi VOC 7.4 Kolonisasi pemerintah Belanda 7.5 Gerakan nasionalisme 7.6 Perang Dunia II 7.7 Pendudukan Jepang 8 Era kemerdekaan 8.1 Proklamasi kemerdekaan 8.2 Perang kemerdekaan 8.3 Demokrasi parlementer 8.4 Demokrasi Terpimpin 8.5 Nasib Irian Barat 8.6 Konfrontasi Indonesia-Malaysia 8.7 Gerakan 30 September 9 Era Orde Baru 9.1 Irian Jaya 9.2 Timor Timur 9.3 Krisis ekonomi 10 Era reformasi 10.1 Pemerintahan Habibie 10.2 Pemerintahan Wahid 10.3 Pemerintahan Megawati 10.4 Pemerintahan Yudhoyono 11 Catatan kaki 11.1 Lihat pula 11.2 Sumber dan bacaan lebih lanjut 11.3 Pranala luar

[sunting] Prasejarah

Artikel utama untuk bagian ini adalah: Nusantara pada periode prasejarah

Replika tempurung kepala manusia Jawa yang pertama kali ditemukan di Sangiran

Secara geologi, wilayah Indonesia modern (untuk kemudahan, selanjutnya disebut Nusantara) merupakan pertemuan antara tiga lempeng benua utama: Lempeng Eurasia, Lempeng Indo-Australia, dan Lempeng Pasifik (lihat artikel Geologi Indonesia). Kepulauan Indonesia seperti yang ada saat ini terbentuk pada saat melelehnya es setelah berakhirnya Zaman Es, sekitar 10.000 tahun yang lalu.
Pada masa Pleistosen, ketika masih terhubung dengan Asia Daratan, masuklah pemukim pertama. Bukti pertama yang menunjukkan penghuni awal adalah fosil-fosil Homo erectus manusia Jawa dari masa 2 juta hingga 500.000 tahun lalu. Penemuan sisa-sisa "manusia Flores" (Homo floresiensis)^[1] di Liang Bua, Flores, membuka kemungkinan masih bertahannya H. erectus hingga masa Zaman Es terakhir.^[2]
Homo sapiens pertama diperkirakan masuk ke Nusantara sejak 100.000 tahun yang lalu melewati jalur pantai Asia dari Asia Barat, dan pada sekitar 60 000 sampai 70 000 tahun yang lalu telah mencapai Pulau Papua dan Australia.^[3] Mereka, yang berfenotipe kulit gelap dan rambut ikal rapat, menjadi nenek moyang penduduk asli Melanesia (termasuk Papua) sekarang dan membawa kultur kapak lonjong (Paleolitikum). Gelombang pendatang berbahasa Austronesia dengan kultur Neolitikum datang secara bergelombang sejak 3000 SM dari Cina Selatan melalui Formosa dan Filipina membawa kultur beliung persegi (kebudayaan Dongson). Proses migrasi ini merupakan bagian dari pendudukan Pasifik. Kedatangan gelombang penduduk berciri Mongoloid ini cenderung ke arah barat, mendesak penduduk awal ke arah timur atau berkawin campur dengan penduduk setempat dan menjadi ciri fisik penduduk Maluku serta Nusa Tenggara. Pendatang ini membawa serta teknik-teknik pertanian, termasuk bercocok tanam padi di sawah (bukti paling lambat sejak abad ke-8 SM), beternak kerbau, pengolahan perunggu dan besi, teknik tenun ikat, praktik-praktik megalitikum, serta pemujaan roh-roh (animisme) serta benda-benda keramat (dinamisme). Pada abad pertama SM sudah terbentuk pemukiman-pemukiman serta kerajaan-kerajaan kecil, dan sangat mungkin sudah masuk pengaruh kepercayaan dari India akibat hubungan perniagaan.

[sunting] Era pra kolonial

[sunting] Sejarah awal

Lihat pula: Sejarah Nusantara

Para cendekiawan India telah menulis tentang Dwipantara atau kerajaan Hindu Jawa Dwipa di pulau Jawa dan Sumatra sekitar 200 SM. Bukti fisik awal yang menyebutkan mengenai adanya dua kerajaan bercorak Hinduisme pada abad ke-5, yaitu: Kerajaan Tarumanagara yang menguasai Jawa Barat dan Kerajaan Kutai di pesisir Sungai Mahakam, Kalimantan. Pada tahun 425 agama Buddha telah mencapai wilayah tersebut.
Di saat Eropa memasuki masa Renaisans, Nusantara telah mempunyai warisan peradaban berusia ribuan tahun dengan dua kerajaan besar yaitu Sriwijaya di Sumatra dan Majapahit di Jawa, ditambah dengan puluhan kerajaan kecil yang sering kali menjadi vazal tetangganya yang lebih kuat atau saling terhubung dalam semacam ikatan perdagangan (seperti di Maluku).

[sunting] Kerajaan Hindu-Buddha

Artikel utama untuk bagian ini adalah: Sejarah Nusantara pada era kerajaan Hindu-Buddha

Prasasti Tugu peninggalan Raja Purnawarman dari Taruma

Pada abad ke-4 hingga abad ke-7 di wilayah Jawa Barat terdapat kerajaan bercorak Hindu-Budha yaitu kerajaan Tarumanagara yang dilanjutkan dengan Kerajaan Sunda sampai abad ke-16. Pada masa abad ke-7 hingga abad ke-14, kerajaan Buddha Sriwijaya berkembang pesat di Sumatra. Penjelajah Tiongkok I Ching mengunjungi ibukotanya Palembang sekitar tahun 670. Pada puncak kejayaannya, Sriwijaya menguasai daerah sejauh Jawa Barat dan Semenanjung Melayu. Abad ke-14 juga menjadi saksi bangkitnya sebuah kerajaan Hindu di Jawa Timur, Majapahit. Patih Majapahit antara tahun 1331 hingga 1364, Gajah Mada berhasil memperoleh kekuasaan atas wilayah yang kini sebagian besarnya adalah Indonesia beserta hampir seluruh Semenanjung Melayu. Warisan dari masa Gajah Mada termasuk kodifikasi hukum dan dalam kebudayaan Jawa, seperti yang terlihat dalam wiracarita Ramayana.

[sunting] Kerajaan Islam

Artikel utama untuk bagian ini adalah: Sejarah Nusantara pada era kerajaan Islam

Islam sebagai sebuah pemerintahan hadir di Indonesia sekitar abad ke-12, namun sebenarnya Islam sudah sudah masuk ke Indonesia pada abad 7 Masehi. Saat itu sudah ada jalur pelayaran yang ramai dan bersifat internasional melalui Selat Malaka yang menghubungkan Dinasti Tang di Cina, Sriwijaya di Asia Tenggara dan Bani Umayyah di Asia Barat sejak abad 7.^[4]
Menurut sumber-sumber Cina menjelang akhir perempatan ketiga abad 7, seorang pedagang Arab menjadi pemimpin pemukiman Arab muslim di pesisir pantai Sumatera. Islam pun memberikan pengaruh kepada institusi politik yang ada. Hal ini nampak pada Tahun 100 H (718 M) Raja Sriwijaya Jambi yang bernama Srindravarman mengirim surat kepada Khalifah Umar bin Abdul Aziz dari Kekhalifahan Bani Umayyah meminta dikirimkan da'i yang bisa menjelaskan Islam kepadanya. Surat itu berbunyi: “Dari Raja di Raja yang adalah keturunan seribu raja, yang isterinya juga cucu seribu raja, yang di dalam kandang binatangnya terdapat seribu gajah, yang di wilayahnya terdapat dua sungai yang mengairi pohon gaharu, bumbu-bumbu wewangian, pala dan kapur barus yang semerbak wanginya hingga menjangkau jarak 12 mil, kepada Raja Arab yang tidak menyekutukan tuhan-tuhan lain dengan Allah. Saya telah mengirimkan kepada anda hadiah, yang sebenarnya merupakan hadiah yang tak begitu banyak, tetapi sekedar tanda persahabatan. Saya ingin Anda mengirimkan kepada saya seseorang yang dapat mengajarkan Islam kepada saya dan menjelaskan kepada saya tentang hukum-hukumnya.” Dua tahun kemudian, yakni tahun 720 M, Raja Srindravarman, yang semula Hindu, masuk Islam. Sriwijaya Jambi pun dikenal dengan nama 'Sribuza Islam'. Sayang, pada tahun 730 M Sriwijaya Jambi ditawan oleh Sriwijaya Palembang yang masih menganut Budha.^[5]
Islam terus mengokoh menjadi institusi politik yang mengemban Islam. Misalnya, sebuah kesultanan Islam bernama Kesultanan Peureulak didirikan pada 1 Muharram 225 H atau 12 November 839 M. Contoh lain adalah Kerajaan Ternate. Islam masuk ke kerajaan di kepulauan Maluku ini tahun 1440. Rajanya seorang Muslim bernama Bayanullah.
Kesultanan Islam kemudian semikin menyebarkan ajaran-ajarannya ke penduduk dan melalui pembauran, menggantikan Hindu sebagai kepercayaan utama pada akhir abad ke-16 di Jawa dan Sumatera. Hanya Bali yang tetap mempertahankan mayoritas Hindu. Di kepulauan-kepulauan di timur, rohaniawan-rohaniawan Kristen dan Islam diketahui sudah aktif pada abad ke-16 dan 17, dan saat ini ada mayoritas yang besar dari kedua agama di kepulauan-kepulauan tersebut.
Penyebaran Islam dilakukan melalui hubungan perdagangan di luar Nusantara; hal ini, karena para penyebar dakwah atau mubaligh merupakan utusan dari pemerintahan Islam yang datang dari luar Indonesia, maka untuk menghidupi diri dan keluarga mereka, para mubaligh ini bekerja melalui cara berdagang, para mubaligh inipun menyebarkan Islam kepada para pedagang dari penduduk asli, hingga para pedagang ini memeluk Islam dan meyebarkan pula ke penduduk lainnya, karena umumnya pedagang dan ahli kerajaan lah yang pertama mengadopsi agama baru tersebut. Kerajaan Islam penting termasuk di antaranya: Kerajaan Samudera Pasai, Kesultanan Banten yang menjalin hubungan diplomatik dengan negara-negara Eropa, Kerajaan Mataram, Kerajaan Iha, Kesultanan Ternate dan Kesultanan Tidore di Maluku.

BACELONA

This article is about the capital of Catalonia. For the football club, see FC Barcelona. For other uses, see Barcelona (disambiguation).

Barcelona
—  Municipality  —
From upper left: Barcelona skyline, Castell dels Tres Dragons, Port of Barcelona, Sagrada Família, Camp Nou, Mar Bella beach
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts), Barna, BCN
Barcelona Location of Barcelona within Spain
Barcelona Location of Barcelona within Catalonia
Coordinates: 41°23′N 2°11′E / 41.383°N 2.183°E / 41.383; 2.183Coordinates: Click the blue globe to open an interactive map. 41°23′N 2°11′E / 41.383°N 2.183°E / 41.383; 2.183
Country	Spain
Autonomous Community	Catalonia
Province	Barcelona
Comarca	Barcelonès
Districts	List[show] Ciutat Vella Eixample Gràcia Horta-Guinardó Les Corts Nou Barris Sant Andreu Sants–Montjuïc Sarrià-Sant Gervasi Sant Martí
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
• Body	Ajuntament de Barcelona
• Mayor	Xavier Trias (CiU)
Area
• Municipality	101.9 km2 (39.3 sq mi)
• Urban	803 km2 (310 sq mi)
Elevation(AMSL)	12 m (39 ft)
Population (2009)
• Municipality	1,621,537 (city limits) 3,218,071 (Greater Barcelona)
• Density	15,991/km2 (41,420/sq mi)
• Urban	4,223,000
• Urban zone	4,440,629
• Metro	5,083,000
Demonym	Barcelonan or Barcelonian barceloní, barcelonina (ca) barcelonés, barcelonesa (es)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	08001–08080
Area code	+34 (Spain) 93 (City)
Official language(s)	Catalan and Spanish
Website	www.barcelona.cat

Barcelona (English /bɑrsɨˈloʊnə/, Catalan: [bərsəˈɫonə], Spanish: [barθeˈlona]) is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km² (39 sq mi). The urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of between 4,200,000^[1] and 4,500,000^[2] within an area of 803 km² (310 sq mi),^[1] being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, the Ruhr, Madrid and Milan. About five million^[3][4][5][6] people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is also the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft).
Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona became one of the most important cities of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.
Barcelona is today one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair/exhibitions and cultural-sports centres, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.^[7][8] Indeed, it is a major cultural and economic centre in southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula), 26th in the world (after Moscow, before Dubai)^[9] and a growing financial centre (Diagonal Mar and Gran Via). It is the fourth economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world with an output amounting to €177 billion.^[10] As of 2009 the city was ranked Europe's third and one of the world's most successful as a city brand.^[11] At the same time, the city was ranked Europe's fourth best city for business and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year.^[12] Barcelona is the transport hub with one of Europe's principal ports, Barcelona international airport, which handles above 34 million passengers per year, extensive motorway network and also is a hub of high-speed rail, particularly that which is intended to link Spain with France and the rest of Europe as the second longest in the world.^[13]

Contents  [hide]  1 Names 2 History 3 Geography 3.1 Climate 4 Main sights 4.1 World Heritage Sites 4.2 Historic buildings and monuments 4.3 Museums 4.4 Parks 4.5 Beaches 5 Demographics 5.1 Population density 6 Economy 6.1 General information 6.2 Trade fair and exhibitions 6.3 Tourism 6.4 Manufacturing sector 6.5 Fashion 7 Government and administrative divisions 7.1 Districts 8 Education 9 Culture 9.1 Entertainment and performing arts 9.2 Media 9.3 Sports 10 Transport 10.1 Airports 10.2 Seaport 10.3 Public transport 10.4 Railway 10.5 Roads and highways 11 International relations 11.1 Twin towns and sister cities 12 Other sights 13 See also 14 References 14.1 Bibliography 14.2 Notes 15 External links

[edit] Names

The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Phoenician Barkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription in Iberian script as ,^[14] in Ancient Greek sources as Βαρκινών, Barkinṓn;^[15] and in Latin as Barcino^{[citation needed]}, Barcilonum^[16] and Barceno.^{[17][citation needed]}
During the Middle Ages, the city was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelonaa, and Barchenona.
Some sources say that the city may have been named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC.^[18]
Barcelona's name is sometimes abbreviated as 'Barna'. Nowadays, foreign people sometimes mistakenly refer to Barcelona as 'Barça', the name of the popular F.C. Barcelona sports club. Some people (mainly in Spanish/Catalan)also use the BCN acronym.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Barcelona

The founding of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends. The first attributes the founding of the city to the mythological Hercules. The second legend attributes the foundation of the city directly to the historical Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino after his family in the 3rd century BC.^[19]
In about 15 BC, the Romans redrew the town as a castrum (Roman military camp) centred on the "Mons Taber", a little hill near the contemporary city hall (Plaça de Sant Jaume). Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia,^[20] or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino^[21] or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Pomponius Mela^[22] mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour Tarraco (modern Tarragona), but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour.^[23] It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens.^[24] The city minted its own coins; some from the era of Galba survive.

Basilica of La Mercè (Mare de Déu de la Mercè)

Some important Roman ruins are exposed under the Plaça del Rei, its entrance located by the city museum (Museu d'Història de la Ciutat); the typically Roman grid plan is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter"). Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral.^[25] The cathedral, also known as the Basilica La Seu, is said to have been founded in 343. The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early 5th century, becoming for a few years the capital of all Hispania. After being conquered by the Arabs in the early 8th century, it was reconquered in 801 by Charlemagne's son Louis, who made Barcelona the seat of the Carolingian "Hispanic March" (Marca Hispanica), a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona.
The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include all of Catalonia. In 1137, Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged in dynastic union^[26][27] by the marriage of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon, their titles finally borne by only one person when their son Alfonso II of Aragon ascended to the throne in 1162. His territories were later to be known as the Crown of Aragon, which conquered many overseas possessions and ruled the western Mediterranean Sea with outlying territories in Naples and Sicily and as far as Athens in the 13th century. The forging of a dynastic link between the Crowns of Aragon and Castile marked the beginning of Barcelona's decline. The Bank of Barcelona, probably the oldest public bank in Europe, was established by the city magistrates in 1401. It originated from necessities of the state, as did the Bank of Venice (1402) and the Bank of Genoa (1407).^[28]

Barcelona in 1563

The marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in 1469 united the two royal lines. Madrid became the centre of political power whilst the colonisation of the Americas reduced the financial importance (at least in relative terms) of Mediterranean trade. Barcelona had always been the stronghold of Catalan separatism and was the center of the Catalan Revolt (1640–52) against Philip IV of Spain. The great plague of 1650–1654 halved the city's population.^[29]

The fortress at Montjuïc, most southerly point from which measurements were made when calculating the meridional definition of the metre

In the 18th century, a fortress was built at Montjuïc that overlooked the harbour. In 1794, this fortress was used by the French astronomer Pierre François André Méchain for observations relating to a survey stretching to Dunkirk that provided the official basis of the measurement of a metre.^[30] The definitive metre bar, manufactured from platinum, was presented to the French legislative assembly on 22 June 1799. The Napoleonic wars left the province ravaged, but the postwar period saw the start of industrialization.
The city was a Republican stronghold during the Spanish Civil War, and the fall of the city on 26 January 1939 caused a mass exodus of civilians who fled to the French border. The resistance of Barcelona to Franco's coup d'état was to have lasting effects after the defeat of the Republican government. The autonomous institutions of Catalonia were abolished,^[31] and the use of the Catalan language in public life was suppressed. Barcelona remained the second largest city in Spain, at the heart of a region which was relatively industrialised and prosperous, despite the devastation of the civil war. The result was a large-scale immigration from poorer regions of Spain (particularly Andalusia, Murcia and Galicia), which in turn led to rapid urbanisation. Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games in 1992, which helped revitalize the city.^[32]

A panoramic view of Barcelona (click to enlarge)

[edit] Geography

Barcelona from space

Barcelona is located on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Mediterranean Sea, on a plain approximately 5 km (3 mi) wide limited by the mountain range of Collserola, the Llobregat river to the southwest and the Besòs river to the north.^[33] This plain covers an area of 170 km² (66 sq mi),^[33] of which 101 km² (38.9 sq mi)^[34] are occupied by the city itself. It is 120 km (75 mi) south of the Pyrenees and the Catalan border with France.
Tibidabo, 512 m (1,680 ft) high, offers striking views over the city^[35] and is topped by the 288.4 m (946.2 ft) Torre de Collserola, a telecommunications tower that is visible from most of the city. Barcelona is peppered with small hills, most of them urbanised, that gave their name to the neighbourhoods built upon them, such as Carmel (267 m), Putxet (181 m) and Rovira (261 m). The escarpment of Montjuïc (173 m), situated to the southeast, overlooks the harbour and is topped by Montjuïc castle, a fortress built in the 17–18th centuries to control the city as a replacement for the Ciutadella. Today, the fortress is a museum and Montjuïc is home to several sporting and cultural venues, as well as Barcelona's biggest park and gardens.
The city borders on the municipalities of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs to the north; the Mediterranean Sea to the east; El Prat de Llobregat and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to the south; and Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Montcada i Reixac to the west.

This article is about the capital of Catalonia. For the football club, see FC Barcelona. For other uses, see Barcelona (disambiguation).

Barcelona
—  Municipality  —
From upper left: Barcelona skyline, Castell dels Tres Dragons, Port of Barcelona, Sagrada Família, Camp Nou, Mar Bella beach
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts), Barna, BCN
Barcelona Location of Barcelona within Spain
Barcelona Location of Barcelona within Catalonia
Coordinates: 41°23′N 2°11′E / 41.383°N 2.183°E / 41.383; 2.183Coordinates: Click the blue globe to open an interactive map. 41°23′N 2°11′E / 41.383°N 2.183°E / 41.383; 2.183
Country	Spain
Autonomous Community	Catalonia
Province	Barcelona
Comarca	Barcelonès
Districts	List[show] Ciutat Vella Eixample Gràcia Horta-Guinardó Les Corts Nou Barris Sant Andreu Sants–Montjuïc Sarrià-Sant Gervasi Sant Martí
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
• Body	Ajuntament de Barcelona
• Mayor	Xavier Trias (CiU)
Area
• Municipality	101.9 km2 (39.3 sq mi)
• Urban	803 km2 (310 sq mi)
Elevation(AMSL)	12 m (39 ft)
Population (2009)
• Municipality	1,621,537 (city limits) 3,218,071 (Greater Barcelona)
• Density	15,991/km2 (41,420/sq mi)
• Urban	4,223,000
• Urban zone	4,440,629
• Metro	5,083,000
Demonym	Barcelonan or Barcelonian barceloní, barcelonina (ca) barcelonés, barcelonesa (es)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	08001–08080
Area code	+34 (Spain) 93 (City)
Official language(s)	Catalan and Spanish
Website	www.barcelona.cat

Barcelona (English /bɑrsɨˈloʊnə/, Catalan: [bərsəˈɫonə], Spanish: [barθeˈlona]) is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km² (39 sq mi). The urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of between 4,200,000^[1] and 4,500,000^[2] within an area of 803 km² (310 sq mi),^[1] being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, the Ruhr, Madrid and Milan. About five million^[3][4][5][6] people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is also the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft).
Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona became one of the most important cities of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.
Barcelona is today one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair/exhibitions and cultural-sports centres, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.^[7][8] Indeed, it is a major cultural and economic centre in southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula), 26th in the world (after Moscow, before Dubai)^[9] and a growing financial centre (Diagonal Mar and Gran Via). It is the fourth economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world with an output amounting to €177 billion.^[10] As of 2009 the city was ranked Europe's third and one of the world's most successful as a city brand.^[11] At the same time, the city was ranked Europe's fourth best city for business and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year.^[12] Barcelona is the transport hub with one of Europe's principal ports, Barcelona international airport, which handles above 34 million passengers per year, extensive motorway network and also is a hub of high-speed rail, particularly that which is intended to link Spain with France and the rest of Europe as the second longest in the world.^[13]

Contents  [hide]  1 Names 2 History 3 Geography 3.1 Climate 4 Main sights 4.1 World Heritage Sites 4.2 Historic buildings and monuments 4.3 Museums 4.4 Parks 4.5 Beaches 5 Demographics 5.1 Population density 6 Economy 6.1 General information 6.2 Trade fair and exhibitions 6.3 Tourism 6.4 Manufacturing sector 6.5 Fashion 7 Government and administrative divisions 7.1 Districts 8 Education 9 Culture 9.1 Entertainment and performing arts 9.2 Media 9.3 Sports 10 Transport 10.1 Airports 10.2 Seaport 10.3 Public transport 10.4 Railway 10.5 Roads and highways 11 International relations 11.1 Twin towns and sister cities 12 Other sights 13 See also 14 References 14.1 Bibliography 14.2 Notes 15 External links

[edit] Names

The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Phoenician Barkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription in Iberian script as ,^[14] in Ancient Greek sources as Βαρκινών, Barkinṓn;^[15] and in Latin as Barcino^{[citation needed]}, Barcilonum^[16] and Barceno.^{[17][citation needed]}
During the Middle Ages, the city was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelonaa, and Barchenona.
Some sources say that the city may have been named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC.^[18]
Barcelona's name is sometimes abbreviated as 'Barna'. Nowadays, foreign people sometimes mistakenly refer to Barcelona as 'Barça', the name of the popular F.C. Barcelona sports club. Some people (mainly in Spanish/Catalan)also use the BCN acronym.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Barcelona

The founding of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends. The first attributes the founding of the city to the mythological Hercules. The second legend attributes the foundation of the city directly to the historical Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino after his family in the 3rd century BC.^[19]
In about 15 BC, the Romans redrew the town as a castrum (Roman military camp) centred on the "Mons Taber", a little hill near the contemporary city hall (Plaça de Sant Jaume). Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia,^[20] or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino^[21] or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Pomponius Mela^[22] mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour Tarraco (modern Tarragona), but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour.^[23] It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens.^[24] The city minted its own coins; some from the era of Galba survive.

Basilica of La Mercè (Mare de Déu de la Mercè)

Some important Roman ruins are exposed under the Plaça del Rei, its entrance located by the city museum (Museu d'Història de la Ciutat); the typically Roman grid plan is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter"). Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral.^[25] The cathedral, also known as the Basilica La Seu, is said to have been founded in 343. The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early 5th century, becoming for a few years the capital of all Hispania. After being conquered by the Arabs in the early 8th century, it was reconquered in 801 by Charlemagne's son Louis, who made Barcelona the seat of the Carolingian "Hispanic March" (Marca Hispanica), a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona.
The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include all of Catalonia. In 1137, Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged in dynastic union^[26][27] by the marriage of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon, their titles finally borne by only one person when their son Alfonso II of Aragon ascended to the throne in 1162. His territories were later to be known as the Crown of Aragon, which conquered many overseas possessions and ruled the western Mediterranean Sea with outlying territories in Naples and Sicily and as far as Athens in the 13th century. The forging of a dynastic link between the Crowns of Aragon and Castile marked the beginning of Barcelona's decline. The Bank of Barcelona, probably the oldest public bank in Europe, was established by the city magistrates in 1401. It originated from necessities of the state, as did the Bank of Venice (1402) and the Bank of Genoa (1407).^[28]

Barcelona in 1563

The marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in 1469 united the two royal lines. Madrid became the centre of political power whilst the colonisation of the Americas reduced the financial importance (at least in relative terms) of Mediterranean trade. Barcelona had always been the stronghold of Catalan separatism and was the center of the Catalan Revolt (1640–52) against Philip IV of Spain. The great plague of 1650–1654 halved the city's population.^[29]

The fortress at Montjuïc, most southerly point from which measurements were made when calculating the meridional definition of the metre

In the 18th century, a fortress was built at Montjuïc that overlooked the harbour. In 1794, this fortress was used by the French astronomer Pierre François André Méchain for observations relating to a survey stretching to Dunkirk that provided the official basis of the measurement of a metre.^[30] The definitive metre bar, manufactured from platinum, was presented to the French legislative assembly on 22 June 1799. The Napoleonic wars left the province ravaged, but the postwar period saw the start of industrialization.
The city was a Republican stronghold during the Spanish Civil War, and the fall of the city on 26 January 1939 caused a mass exodus of civilians who fled to the French border. The resistance of Barcelona to Franco's coup d'état was to have lasting effects after the defeat of the Republican government. The autonomous institutions of Catalonia were abolished,^[31] and the use of the Catalan language in public life was suppressed. Barcelona remained the second largest city in Spain, at the heart of a region which was relatively industrialised and prosperous, despite the devastation of the civil war. The result was a large-scale immigration from poorer regions of Spain (particularly Andalusia, Murcia and Galicia), which in turn led to rapid urbanisation. Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games in 1992, which helped revitalize the city.^[32]

A panoramic view of Barcelona (click to enlarge)

[edit] Geography

Barcelona from space

Barcelona is located on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Mediterranean Sea, on a plain approximately 5 km (3 mi) wide limited by the mountain range of Collserola, the Llobregat river to the southwest and the Besòs river to the north.^[33] This plain covers an area of 170 km² (66 sq mi),^[33] of which 101 km² (38.9 sq mi)^[34] are occupied by the city itself. It is 120 km (75 mi) south of the Pyrenees and the Catalan border with France.
Tibidabo, 512 m (1,680 ft) high, offers striking views over the city^[35] and is topped by the 288.4 m (946.2 ft) Torre de Collserola, a telecommunications tower that is visible from most of the city. Barcelona is peppered with small hills, most of them urbanised, that gave their name to the neighbourhoods built upon them, such as Carmel (267 m), Putxet (181 m) and Rovira (261 m). The escarpment of Montjuïc (173 m), situated to the southeast, overlooks the harbour and is topped by Montjuïc castle, a fortress built in the 17–18th centuries to control the city as a replacement for the Ciutadella. Today, the fortress is a museum and Montjuïc is home to several sporting and cultural venues, as well as Barcelona's biggest park and gardens.
The city borders on the municipalities of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs to the north; the Mediterranean Sea to the east; El Prat de Llobregat and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to the south; and Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Montcada i Reixac to the west.

[edit] Climate

Main article: Climate of Barcelona

Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate^[36] (Köppen climate classification: Csa),^[37] with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers.
Its average annual temperature is 20 °C (68 °F) during the day and 11 °C (52 °F) at night. The average annual temperature of the sea is about 18 °C (64 °F). In the coldest month – January, the temperature typically ranges from 8 to 17 °C (46 to 63 °F) during the day, 2 to 10 °C (36 to 50 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 13 °C (55 °F).^[38] In the warmest month – August, the typical temperature ranges from 25 to 31 °C (77 to 88 °F) during the day, about 20 °C (68 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 25 °C (77 °F).^[38] Generally – the summer / "holiday" season lasts about six months, from May to October. Two months – April and November – are transitional; sometimes the temperature exceeds 20 °C (68 °F), with an average temperature of 17–18 °C (63–64 °F) during the day and 8–9 °C (46–48 °F) at night. December, January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around 14 °C (57 °F) during the day and 5 °C (41 °F) at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare, particularly in the summer months.
Barcelona has average several rainy days per month (≥ 1 mm) and annual average relative humidity is 72%, ranging from 69% in July to 75% in October. Sunshine duration is 2,524 hours per year, from 138 (average 4.5 hours of sunshine at day) in December to 310 (average 10 hours of sunshine at day) in July.^[39]

Main article: Climate of Barcelona

Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate^[36] (Köppen climate classification: Csa),^[37] with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers.
Its average annual temperature is 20 °C (68 °F) during the day and 11 °C (52 °F) at night. The average annual temperature of the sea is about 18 °C (64 °F). In the coldest month – January, the temperature typically ranges from 8 to 17 °C (46 to 63 °F) during the day, 2 to 10 °C (36 to 50 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 13 °C (55 °F).^[38] In the warmest month – August, the typical temperature ranges from 25 to 31 °C (77 to 88 °F) during the day, about 20 °C (68 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 25 °C (77 °F).^[38] Generally – the summer / "holiday" season lasts about six months, from May to October. Two months – April and November – are transitional; sometimes the temperature exceeds 20 °C (68 °F), with an average temperature of 17–18 °C (63–64 °F) during the day and 8–9 °C (46–48 °F) at night. December, January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around 14 °C (57 °F) during the day and 5 °C (41 °F) at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare, particularly in the summer months.
Barcelona has average several rainy days per month (≥ 1 mm) and annual average relative humidity is 72%, ranging from 69% in July to 75% in October. Sunshine duration is 2,524 hours per year, from 138 (average 4.5 hours of sunshine at day) in December to 310 (average 10 hours of sunshine at day) in July.^[39]