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Featured Article: Madrid

Madrid, capital city of Spain

Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU). Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula at about 650 meters above mean sea level. The capital city of both Spain and the surrounding autonomous community of Madrid (since 1983), it is also the political, economic, and cultural center of the country. Due to its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is a major financial center and the leading economic hub of the Iberian Peninsula and of Southern Europe.

Popular Article: Session musician

Session musician Hal Blaine, 1995

A session musician, studio musician, or backing musician is a musician hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. Session musicians are usually not permanent or official members of a musical ensemble or band. They work behind the scenes and rarely achieve individual fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders. However, top session musicians are well known within the music industry, and some have become publicly recognized.

Did you know?

American Samoa is the location of early twentieth-century American anthropologist Margaret Mead's controversial study, "Coming of Age in Samoa." (source: American Samoa)

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