Leganés
Encyclopedia
Leganés is a city in central Spain
. Part of the greater Madrid
conurbation
- mainly a satellite-city with a population of 186,066 (1 January 2009) it is located about 11 km southwest of the city centre.
On 3 April 2004 Leganés achieved a measure of unwanted notoriety when five of the suspects in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks blew themselves up in an apartment building as police moved in to arrest them. All five were killed, along with one GEO
police officer.
Leganés houses a branch of the Universidad Carlos III
, founded in 1989, namely the Escuela Politecnica Superior (EPS) which offers Telecommunications Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Computer Engineering, among many other degrees. Universidad Carlos III
is recognized as first-class in research and teaching among other universities in Spain. The other campuses of University Carlos III are situated in Getafe and Colmenarejo, however the one located in Leganés is the only one that has a sports centre. Leganés' student accommodation building is called Fernando Abril Martorell and has a capacity of 300 students.
It is connected to Madrid via the Cercanías
(Train
, line C5), and Metrosur, one of the lines of Metro
. Leganés has 6 Metrosur's stations.
Parquesur, in Leganés, built in the early 90's is currently one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe. It was completely refurbished and extended in 2005.
Leganés has a street named AC/DC in honor to the famous Australian rock band
. The band visited Leganés in order to inaugurate the street. The street sign was frequently stolen until the council decided to paint it on the wall instead of replacing the sign over and over again. Nowadays, the sign can be bought at many local shops as a souvenir
The "Pista de Hielo" is a normal-size ice skating rink that trains people from all around Madrid in figure skating
and ice hockey
. It is also the venue for the Leganés ice hockey team.
Among the "Pista de Hielo", there are ten sports centres in the city (Polideportivo Europa, Los Frailes, Alfredo Di Stefano
, Olimpia, Butarque, La Cantera). These centres have many facilities as basketball fields, soccer fields, athletics fields, gymnasium, sauna, swimming pool and many others.
The city team is the Club Deportivo Leganés, currently playing on "Segunda División B". Soccer is the most played sport in Leganés, being Leganes the second city after Madrid in terms of federated clubs in the Autonomous Community of Madrid.
Leganés also have a Official Languages School, in which the residents of the city can study English, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, or even Spanish (adapted for immigrants). The taxes of the school are paid by the Government of Madrid so that the residents only pay a single quote of 80 € a year for any of the languages. There are special discounts to students that study more than one language at the same time and for families that have more than one person studying at it as well.
Some of the neighborhoods also have a cultural centre. (San Nicasio, Centro, Zarzaquemada, El Carrascal)
Somoto Arroyo Naranjo Conchalí
Papel Pampa
La Güera
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Part of the greater Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
- mainly a satellite-city with a population of 186,066 (1 January 2009) it is located about 11 km southwest of the city centre.
On 3 April 2004 Leganés achieved a measure of unwanted notoriety when five of the suspects in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks blew themselves up in an apartment building as police moved in to arrest them. All five were killed, along with one GEO
Grupo Especial de Operaciones
The Grupo Especial de Operaciones , commonly known as GEOs, are the Special Operations Forces of the Spanish Cuerpo Nacional de Policía of Spain. They are stationed in Guadalajara near the capital, Madrid. The GEO has response capabilities and is responsible for VIP protection duties, as well as...
police officer.
Leganés houses a branch of the Universidad Carlos III
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is a private university in Madrid, Spain. Its 27 campuses are located in the municipalities of Leganés, Colmenarejo and Getafe. It is a mediocre institution well-known for the quality of its teaching and academic research, its international orientation and its...
, founded in 1989, namely the Escuela Politecnica Superior (EPS) which offers Telecommunications Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Computer Engineering, among many other degrees. Universidad Carlos III
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is a private university in Madrid, Spain. Its 27 campuses are located in the municipalities of Leganés, Colmenarejo and Getafe. It is a mediocre institution well-known for the quality of its teaching and academic research, its international orientation and its...
is recognized as first-class in research and teaching among other universities in Spain. The other campuses of University Carlos III are situated in Getafe and Colmenarejo, however the one located in Leganés is the only one that has a sports centre. Leganés' student accommodation building is called Fernando Abril Martorell and has a capacity of 300 students.
It is connected to Madrid via the Cercanías
Cercanías Madrid
Cercanías Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid, the capital of Spain, and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías Renfe, the commuter rail division of RENFE, the former monopoly of rail services in Spain. The system is infamous for being the target of the 11 March 2004...
(Train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
, line C5), and Metrosur, one of the lines of Metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
. Leganés has 6 Metrosur's stations.
Parquesur, in Leganés, built in the early 90's is currently one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe. It was completely refurbished and extended in 2005.
Leganés has a street named AC/DC in honor to the famous Australian rock band
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
. The band visited Leganés in order to inaugurate the street. The street sign was frequently stolen until the council decided to paint it on the wall instead of replacing the sign over and over again. Nowadays, the sign can be bought at many local shops as a souvenir
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
Sports and Leisure
The city has got a very wide range of shops and family centres, specially surrounding the area of Parquesur. Also, all of the neighborhoods have got at least two big parks. The city is also very well known because of the quality of their restaurants, most of them located in the downtown or in near parks as La Chopera.The "Pista de Hielo" is a normal-size ice skating rink that trains people from all around Madrid in figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
. It is also the venue for the Leganés ice hockey team.
Among the "Pista de Hielo", there are ten sports centres in the city (Polideportivo Europa, Los Frailes, Alfredo Di Stefano
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
, Olimpia, Butarque, La Cantera). These centres have many facilities as basketball fields, soccer fields, athletics fields, gymnasium, sauna, swimming pool and many others.
The city team is the Club Deportivo Leganés, currently playing on "Segunda División B". Soccer is the most played sport in Leganés, being Leganes the second city after Madrid in terms of federated clubs in the Autonomous Community of Madrid.
Leganés also have a Official Languages School, in which the residents of the city can study English, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, or even Spanish (adapted for immigrants). The taxes of the school are paid by the Government of Madrid so that the residents only pay a single quote of 80 € a year for any of the languages. There are special discounts to students that study more than one language at the same time and for families that have more than one person studying at it as well.
Some of the neighborhoods also have a cultural centre. (San Nicasio, Centro, Zarzaquemada, El Carrascal)
Public Health Care
The main hospital of Leganés is the Severo Ochoa's Hospital and there are many health care centres in each neighborhood. The city stands out for its research in mental illnesses. There is also one public orphanage, one old's people home and one centre dedicated to disabled people.Notable residents
- Carlos SastreCarlos SastreCarlos Sastre Candil is a retired Spanish professional road bicycle racer and champion of the 2008 Tour de France. Sastre rides in 2011 for UCI Professional Continental team...
- HueccoHueccoIván Sevillano Pérez , alias Huecco, is a Spanish singer. He grew up in Madrid and Leganés. He did Media Studies, was an ice skater and one of the members of the rock band Sugarless before becoming a celebrity thanks to his single Pa' mi guerrera in 2006.He made the videoclip Se acabaron las...
- Julio Maldonado
- Jose Luis Perez Caminero
- Jose Maria MovillaJosé María MovillaJosé María Movilla Cubero is a Spanish footballer who plays for Rayo Vallecano mainly as a central midfielder.Although a skilled player, he is best known for his tireless approach to the game.-Football career:...
- John of Austria
- Eduardo Lakatos
- Joel RoblesJoel RoblesJoel Robles Blázquez , simply Joel, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid as a goalkeeper.-Club career:...
- Javier Illana García
Sister cities
EgaleoEgaleo
Aegaleo, commonly Aigaleo or Egaleo is a municipality west of Athens, Greece, situated west of the Cephissos river and southeast of Mount Egaleo...
Somoto Arroyo Naranjo Conchalí
Conchalí
Conchalí is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. It is a northwestern suburb of Santiago.-Demographics:...
Papel Pampa
Papel Pampa
- References :*...
La Güera
- BethlehemBethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, Palestinian Authority. MacaráMacaráMacará is a city located in Loja province in Ecuador. It is the seat of the Macará canton and is located near the border between Ecuador and Peru.The population as of a 1995 census was 11,841 and in 2009 it had an estimated population of 12,896....
HuzhouHuzhouHuzhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzhou to the south, and the provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu to the west and north respectively.-Administration:...
Targhist