Salamanca (Spain)
| Salamanca | |||
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View of Salamanca
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 Location of Salamanca in Spain |
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| Coordinates: 40°58′N 5°40′W / 40.967°N 5.667°W | |||
| Country | Spain | ||
| Autonomous community | Castile and León | ||
| Province | Salamanca | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Alfonso Fernando Fernández Mañueco (Partido Popular) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 38.6 km2 (14.9 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 802 m (2,631 ft) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | metropolitan:213,399 city:154,462 | ||
| • Density | 4,034/km2 (10,450/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Area code(s) | 34 (Spain) + 923 (Salamanca) | ||
| Website | www.salamanca.es | ||
| Old City of Salamanca | |
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| Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
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| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, iv |
| Reference | 381 |
| UNESCO region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1988 (12th Session) |
Salamanca (Spanish pronunciation: [salaˈmaŋka]) is an ancient Celtic city in northwestern Spain that is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the community of Castile and León. The city lies on several hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. With a metropolitan population of 228,881 in 2012 according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), Salamanca is the second most populated urban area in Castile and León, after Valladolid (414,000), and ahead of León (187,000) and Burgos (176,000).
It is one of the most important university cities in Spain and supplies 16% of Spain's market for the teaching of the Spanish language, partially due to the usage of a neutral Castilian Spanish variant which is greatly appreciated. Salamanca attracts thousands of international students, generating a diverse environment.
It is situated approximately 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of the Spanish capital Madrid and 80 km (50 mi) east of the Portuguese border. The University of Salamanca, which was founded in 1218, is the oldest university in Spain and the fourth oldest western university, but the first to be given its status by the Pope Alexander IV who gave universal validity to its degrees. With its 30,000 students, the university is, together with tourism, a primary source of income in Salamanca.
The city was founded in the pre-Ancient Rome period by the Vaccaei, a Celtic tribe, or the Vettones, a Celtic or pre-Celtic indo-European tribe, as one of a pair of forts to defend their territory near the Duero river. In the 3rd century BC, Hannibal laid siege to the city. With the fall of the Carthaginians to the Romans, the city of Helmantica, as it was known, began to take more importance as a commercial hub in the Roman Hispania due to its favorable location. Salamanca lay on a Roman road, known as the Vía de la Plata, which connected it with Emerita Augusta (present day Mérida) to the south and Asturica Augusta (present-day Astorga) to the north. Its Roman bridge dates from the 1st century, and was a part of this road.
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