Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia in the Kingdom of Spain, as well as the second most populous municipality in the country, with a population of 1.6 million within the city limits. Its urban area extends beyond the administrative limits of the city with a population of about 4.7 million people, being the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union, after Paris, London, Madrid, Ruhr and Milan. the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the Llobregat and Besòs rivers, and limited to the west by the Sierra de Collserola, whose highest peak is 512 meters high.

Founded as a city in Ancient Rome, during the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of Barcelona County. After the merger with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon as a real economic and administrative center and the capital of the Principality of Catalonia. Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural center and a popular tourist destination. Particularly well-known are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 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 exhibitions and also many international sport tournaments.

Barcelona is one of the main tourist, economic, commercial and cultural centers in the world, and its influence on commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science and arts contribute to its status as one of the main cities in the world. It is an important cultural and economic center in the Iberian Peninsula, 24th in the world (before Zurich and after Frankfurt) and a financial center. In 2008, it had the fourth largest urban GDP in the European Union and the 35th in the world, with a GDP of 177 billion dollars.

In 2009, the city was ranked as the fourth best city in Europe for business. Since 2011, Barcelona has been considered a leading smart city on the European continent. The Catalan capital is a transport hub, its port being one of the busiest in Europe; an international airport, Barcelona-El Prat Airport, which serves more than 40 million passengers a year; a motorway network and a high-speed rail line connecting to France and the rest of Europe.