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Rivas-Vaciamadrid
Left: H2O mall, av. Almendros monolith, April 19th square, Bellavista park. Right: City hall, city centre, Santa Mónica church, Casco church
Left: H2O mall, av. Almendros monolith, April 19th square, Bellavista park. Right: City hall, city centre, Santa Mónica church, Casco church
Flag of Rivas-Vaciamadrid
Flag
Coat of arms of Rivas-Vaciamadrid
Coat of arms
Rivas-Vaciamadrid is located in Spain
Rivas-Vaciamadrid
Rivas-Vaciamadrid
Location in Spain
Country Spain Spain
Region Community of Madrid Community of Madrid
Comarca Cuenca del Henares
Area
 • Total 67.16 km2 (25.93 sq mi)
Elevation
590 m (1,940 ft)
Highest elevation
699 m (2,293 ft)
Lowest elevation
525 m (1,722 ft)
Population
 (2023)
 • Total 100,250
Demonym(s) ripenses
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
28521, 28522, 28523, 28524
Website www.rivasciudad.es

Rivas-Vaciamadrid is a city in the Community of Madrid, Spain. It is the 15th largest city by population in the region. The city is part of the greater Madrid metropolitan area. It is located about 15 kilometers (9 miles) southeast of central Madrid.

Two important rivers, the Manzanares and the Jarama, meet in the southern part of the city. This area is part of a special nature park called the Lower Manzanares and Jarama Rivers Regional Park. Most of Rivas-Vaciamadrid, nearly three-quarters, is inside this park. This makes it a very important place for nature, with many lakes and different kinds of animals and plants.

Rivas-Vaciamadrid has grown very quickly in recent years. In the 1980s, only about 500 people lived there. Today, over 100,000 people call it home! The city is surrounded by other towns. To the north are Madrid and San Fernando de Henares. To the south are Arganda del Rey and San Martín de la Vega. To the east are Mejorada del Campo and Velilla de San Antonio. To the west are Getafe and a part of Madrid called Villa de Vallecas.

This city has one of the lowest rates of people at risk of poverty in Spain, among cities with more than 50,000 residents. It is also the largest city in Spain that is governed by the United Left political party.

History of Rivas-Vaciamadrid

How the City Got Its Name

In 1845, an area called Vaciamadrid joined with the town of Rivas. Before this, Vaciamadrid was part of a village named Vallecas. When they joined, the new municipality was first called Ribas de Jarama. Later, in 1954, its name was changed to the current Rivas-Vaciamadrid.

Rebuilding After the Spanish Civil War

The area suffered a lot of damage during the Spanish Civil War. After the war ended, the city had to be rebuilt. In the late 1980s, Rivas-Vaciamadrid was chosen for new building projects. These projects were part of a plan called Rivas-Urbanizaciones (Rivas-Urbanizations). The first new neighborhoods built were Pablo Iglesias and Covibar.

Changes to the City Borders

In 2004, the border between Rivas-Vaciamadrid and the city of Madrid was changed. Some areas known as Covibar-Madrid were transferred to Rivas-Vaciamadrid. In return, some empty areas in Madrid's Los Berrocales district were given to Madrid. This allowed Madrid to build new homes there.

Getting Around Rivas-Vaciamadrid

Main Roads and Motorways

The main road that goes through Rivas-Vaciamadrid is the A-3 motorway. This important road connects Madrid with Valencia. There are three exits from the A-3 motorway that lead into Rivas-Vaciamadrid: exit 12 (West), exit 15 (Centre), and exit 17 (East).

Public Transport Options

The most common way to travel by public transport in Rivas-Vaciamadrid is by bus. There are four bus lines that connect the city with Madrid. Also, three bus lines connect Rivas-Vaciamadrid with other nearby towns.

The Madrid Metro also serves the city. Line 9 of the metro goes through Rivas-Vaciamadrid. It connects Madrid with Arganda del Rey. There are three metro stations in Rivas-Vaciamadrid:

  • Rivas-Urbanizaciones (in the west)
  • Rivas Futura (in the center)
  • Rivas-Vaciamadrid (in the east)

Fun Festivals in Rivas-Vaciamadrid

The city celebrates several exciting festivals throughout the year:

  • The festival of Romería del Cristo de Rivas is held on September 29th.
  • San Isidro is celebrated on May 15th.
  • The popular festivals of Rivas-Urbanizaciones take place on the second weekend of September.
  • The festivals of the Urbanisation La Partija are celebrated on June 15th.

Learning and Education

Rivas-Vaciamadrid has many schools for young people. There are 15 kindergartens, which include 6 public and 9 private schools. For older children, there are 14 public primary education schools. The city also has 5 secondary education institutions and two private schools.

Sports in the City

Rivas-Vaciamadrid is home to several successful sports teams that play at the highest level in Spain:

  • Rivas Osos is an american football team. They have been playing in the top league since 2000.
  • Rivas Ecópolis is a women's basketball team. They play in the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto, which is the top women's basketball division.
  • Dridma Rivas Softball club plays in the Liga Nacional Sófbol Femenino División de Honor. This is the highest division for women's softball in Spain.

See also

In Spanish: Rivas-Vaciamadrid para niños

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