Leganés facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leganés
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Spain
Region	Community of Madrid
Founded	1280
Area
• Total	43.09 km2 (16.64 sq mi)
Elevation	667 m (2,188 ft)
Population  (2018)
• Total	188,425
• Density	4,372.8/km2 (11,325.6/sq mi)
• Demonym	Leganense pepinero -a
Time zone	UTC+1 (EST)
Website	Leganes.org

Leganés is a city in the Community of Madrid, Spain. It is part of the larger Madrid metropolitan area. The city is located about 11 kilometers (7 miles) southwest of central Madrid. In 2018, Leganés had a population of 188,425 people. This makes it the fifth most populated municipality in the region. The city covers an area of 43.09 square kilometers (16.64 square miles). It is located 667 meters (2,188 feet) above sea level.

Leganés is home to a campus of the Carlos III University of Madrid. You can travel to Madrid from Leganés using the Cercanías train system (line C5). The city also has 6 stations on the Metrosur rapid transit line.

What's in a Name?

The name Leganés comes from an older word, Leganar. This word was used in the 1500s. It likely refers to the large amount of légamo (which means slime or mud) found in the area long ago.

Where is Leganés?

Leganés as seen from the Sentinel-2 satellite.

Leganés is located in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula. It sits about 667 meters (2,188 feet) above sea level. Major highways surround the city. These include the M-40, A-42, R-5, M-45, and M-50.

A Look Back in Time

Leganés was likely founded around the year 1280. For many centuries, it remained a small village. Not much information from that time is known. By the 1500s, it was part of the Land of Madrid. In 1626, it was sold by the Crown and became a mayorazgo. This meant it was a special type of estate.

How Leganés is Governed

Leganés has mostly been led by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party of the Community of Madrid. This party is part of the "red belt" area in the region. A mayor leads the city government. The mayor is like the boss of the city. They make decisions about how the city is run. The People's Party of the Community of Madrid has also governed the city at times.

Sports and Fun

Leganés has many shops and places for families. The area around Parquesur is especially popular. All neighborhoods have at least two large parks for outdoor activities. The city is also known for its good restaurants. Many of these are in the downtown area or near parks like La Chopera.

The "Pista de Hielo" is an ice skating rink. People from all over Madrid come here to learn figure skating and ice hockey. It is also the home rink for the Leganés ice hockey team.

Besides the ice rink, Leganés has ten sports centers. These include Polideportivo Europa and Alfredo Di Stéfano. These centers offer many facilities. You can find basketball courts, football fields, and athletics tracks. They also have gyms, saunas, and swimming pools.

The city's main football team is the Club Deportivo Leganés. They recently moved up to the La Liga division. This happened after they won their first Segunda title. Football is the most popular sport in Leganés. The city has the second-highest number of official football clubs in the Community of Madrid, after Madrid itself.

Leganés also has an Official Languages School. Here, residents can study many languages. These include English, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, and even Spanish for immigrants. The Government of Madrid helps pay for the school. This means residents only pay a small fee each year. There are also discounts for students who study more than one language. Families with more than one person studying also get special prices.

Some neighborhoods in Leganés also have cultural centers. These are places where people can enjoy arts and community events.

Culture and Art

The Museum of Sculpture is an outdoor museum in Leganés. It displays many large sculptures. These artworks are by famous Spanish sculptors from the 1900s to today. The museum opened in September 2005. Some of the sculptures come from important museums like the Prado Museum. Others are from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

Leganés has a street named AC/DC. This is to honor the famous Australian rock band. The band even visited Leganés to open the street. The street sign was often stolen by fans. So, the city decided to paint the name on the wall instead. There is also a street in Leganés named after the rock band Scorpions.

Parquesur is a very large shopping center in Leganés. It was built in the early 1990s. Today, it is one of the biggest shopping centers in Europe. It was completely updated and made larger in 2005.

Climate

Sister Cities

Leganés is twinned with several cities around the world. This means they have a special friendship and cultural exchange.

Famous People from Leganés

• John of Austria
• Dani Carvajal
• Huecco
• Javier Illana
• José María Movilla
• José Luis Pérez Caminero
• Joel Robles
• Carlos Sastre

See also

In Spanish: Leganés para niños