MADRID – Anyone who thinks that there is only one Madrid in the world is quite wrong. Although the capital of Spain is the best known, there are no less than thirty other cities with the same name scattered around the world.
A popular expression in Spain is “De Madrid al cielo” (from Madrid to heaven). With that, people express that only heaven is a better place to be than Madrid. But the question arises: which Madrid?
Also read: Five curious places in the Spanish Capital Madrid
Several countries such as the United States, Mexico, Colombia, the Philippines and even Uzbekistan, have cities called Madrid within their borders. However, in these ‘Madrids’ it will be more difficult to see the traditional Madrid figures, the chulapos and chulapas. Nor do they have a majestic Schweppes sign adorning one of their main streets.
The ‘Madrids’ of the world
In the United States, there are nine cities called Madrid, found in Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia. It is also worth noting that there is a New Madrid in Missouri.
In Mexico, Madrid is one of the main cities of the municipality of Tocomán in the state of Colima. This city could be the envy of all Madrilenians, because unlike the Spanish city of Madrid, this Madrid is only an hour from the beautiful beaches of the Pacific Ocean. New Mexico also has its own Madrid.
In the Madrid in the Philippines, residents have probably never experienced traffic congestion and subway congestion. Moreover, only 16,000 inhabitants live here.
In Colombia, there was a city that was originally called Serrezuela, but was renamed Madrid in the 19th century. That was in honour of the politician and writer Pedro Fernández Madrid.
Uzbekistan
The most unusual city ‘Madrid’ on this list is located in Uzbekistan. It is not really a city, but a neighbourhood in the city of Samarkand. It’s called Motrid (an Arabic adaptation of Madrid) and its history goes back over 600 years.
In addition, there are also ‘Madrids’ in Canada, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Puerto Rico, Sweden and nine in South Africa.
Other Spanish cities with the same name abroad
Besides Madrid, other Spanish cities have the same name outside the Spanish borders. This is the case of Seville, three of which are in the United States (in Ohio, Georgia and Florida), as well as Colombia, Jamaica and Ecuador, the latter known as Seville del Oro. Outside of Asia there is also a Seville in the Philippines, two ‘Sevillas’ in Australia and one in South Africa.
Another interesting case is Guadalajara, whose version in Jalisco, Mexico, is more famous than the Spanish one. Of course there are also the Cordoba’s in Argentina, Mexico (in the state of Veracruz) and three in Colombia.
