ABSTRACT
The Iberian city network consists of two distinct urban systems. There seems to be a mismatch between Spanish and Portuguese cities, according to the hierarchical levels defined by their attractiveness and functionality. The Iberian city network is led by seven big urban areas, including the three metropolises of international renown (Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon) and four regional metropolises (Valencia, Seville, Porto and Bilbao). These urban areas contain 31.9 per cent and 33.5 per cent of Spain and Portugal’s populations, respectively. In Spain it is necessary to consider the existence of other urban agglomerations throughout the country, while in Portugal the paucity of medium sized cities, up to 500,000 inhabitants, explains the strong concentration of the population in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto.
