Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia and the second most populous city in Spain. It is located in the comarca of Barcelonès, along the Mediterranean coast  between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs. It is 160 km (100 mi) south of the Pyrenees mountain range.

To its north, the city borders the Besòs river and the municipalities of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs; to the south it borders the Zona Franca, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Esplugues de Llobregat; to the east is the Mediterranean; and to the west are Montcada i Reixach and Sant Cugat del Vallès.

Barcelona is divided into several districts. The following list favors Catalan-language names over Spanish-language names; as of 2004, they are the most commonly used and the only official ones:

• Ciutat Vella (old city): the Raval (also known as the Barri Xinès), the Barri Gòtic, and the Barri de la Ribera.
• The Eixample: Sant Antoni, Esquerra de l'Eixample ("the left side of the Eixample" with the sea at your back) Dreta de l'Eixample ("the right side of the Eixample"), Barri de la Sagrada Família
• Sants - Montjuïc: Can Tunis, Montjuïc, Hostafrancs, Sants, Poble Sec
• Les Corts
• Sarrià - Sant Gervasi: Pedralbes, Sarrià, Sant Gervasi, Vallvidrera
• Gràcia: Vallcarca, Barri de la Salut, Gràcia, El Camp d'en Grassot
• Horta-Guinardó: Horta, Barri del Carmel, La Teixonera, El Guinardó
• Nou Barris: Can Peguera, Porta, Canyelles, Ciutat Meridiana, Guineueta, Prosperitat, Vallbona, Verdum, Vilapicina, Roquetes, Trinitat Vella, Trinitat Nova, Torre Baró, Torre Llobeta and Turo de la Peira.
• Sant Andreu: Barri del Congrés, Sant Andreu de Palomar
• Sant Martí: Fort Pius, Sant Martí de Provençals, Poble Nou, La Verneda, el Clot