Salamanca is a city in western Spain, the capital of the province of Salamanca, which belongs to the autonomous community of Castile and Leon (Castilla y León). The Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
It is situated about 200 km west of Madrid and 80 km east of the Portuguese border. With a population around 160,000 and with its metropolitan area the population rises to more than 200,000, also it is necessary to count the resident students, it is the third most populated city in Castile and Leon, following Valladolid. Salamanca is known both for its monumental sights and the University of Salamanca, which was founded in 1218 and is the oldest university in Spain and the fifth oldest western university. With its 30,000 students, the university is, together with tourism, the economic engine of the city. Salamanca is also known for the teaching of the Spanish language; in this field, Salamanca supplies 16% of the market within Spain and attracts thousands of foreign students.
source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamanca
