Madrid is located in the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula. It sits on the Meseta Central, a vast high plateau that covers much of central Spain. The city is built across the undulating terrain surrounding the Manzanares River, a relatively small, slow-flowing river that cuts through the western and southern parts of the city.
To the northwest of Madrid lies the Sierra de Guadarrama, a mountain range that forms part of the Sistema Central. This range provides a scenic backdrop to the city and acts as a natural barrier, heavily influencing the local climate.
The surrounding geography outside the urban core consists largely of dry, open plains and Mediterranean pine and holm oak forests. The city has invested heavily in urban greening, most notably the Madrid Río project, which buried a major highway to create a sprawling linear park along the banks of the Manzanares.
