The industries have shown a remarkable de velopment during the last decade, the chief manufactures being tobacco, leather goods, chocolate, beer, shoes, boots, plated ware, coaches, gloves and fans. There is a royal car pet and tapestry factory in the Pacifico suburb. The commerce is important, as Madrid is the entrepot for all the interior provinces. Retail business is mainly in the hands of foreigners, mostly French, but most of the wholesale trade is earned on by native houses. Madrid has railway communication with Paris and Lisbon, and the chief cities of the Peninsula.
Madrid in the Roman period probably was the insignificant hamlet Majoritum. Under the name Majorit it appears as a Moorish outpost of Toledo when captured in 932 by Ramiro II of Leon. Henry IV about 1461 made some additions to the older town, which was placed on the western eminence over the river. Ma drid only began to be a place of importance under Chaales V. Declared the seat of the court by Philip II in 1560 the city rapidly grew up at the expense of the older and better situated capitals. It was the creation of a century,
and its increase was very slow after the age of Philip IV. The gross mistake of a position which has no single advantage except the fan cied geographical merit of being in the centre of Spain was soon felt, and on Philip II's death his son, in 1601, endeavored to move the court again to Valladolid, which, however, was found to be impracticable, such had been the creation of new interests during the outlay in the pre ceding reign. Madrid was entered by the French under Murat, 23 March 1808, but they were soon obliged to evacuate it. It was again held by the French from 1809 to 1812, when the Duke of Wellington entered it and re stored it to the Spaniards. After the deposition of the crown by King Amadeus in 1873, Madrid, along with the rest of Spain, suffered greatly from the anarchy caused by the struggles be tween the Republicans, Carlists and Socialists. Pop. about 599,807. 'the of Madrid covers an area of 3,084 square miles, and has a population of about 920,493.