Expo 2008

2008 Zaragoza
Expo 2008 official logo
Overview
BIE-class	Specialized exposition
Category	International Recognized Exhibition
Name	Expo 2008
Area	25 hectares (62 acres)
Visitors	5,650,941
Mascot	Fluvi
Participant(s)
Countries	104
Organizations	21
Location
Country	Spain
City	Zaragoza
Coordinates	41°40′8.58″N 0°54′10.27″W / 41.6690500°N 0.9028528°W / 41.6690500; -0.9028528
Timeline
Bidding	June 2003
Awarded	16 December 2004 (2004-12-16)
Opening	14 June 2008 (2008-06-14)
Closure	14 September 2008 (2008-09-14)
Specialized expositions
Previous	Expo '98 in Lisbon
Next	Expo 2012 in Yeosu
Universal expositions
Previous	Expo 2005 in Aichi
Next	Expo 2010 in Shanghai
Horticultural expositions
Previous	Expo 2006 in Chiang Mai
Next	Expo 2012 in Venlo

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Expo 2008 was an international exposition held from Saturday 14 June to Sunday 14 September 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain, with the theme of "Water and Sustainable Development". The exposition was placed in a meander of the river Ebro. It was coordinated by the Bureau International des Expositions, the organization responsible for sanctioning World's Fairs.^[1]

Zaragoza, host city for the international exposition, is the administrative and financial capital of the autonomous community of Aragon and Spain's fifth most populous city. Zaragoza was elected the host city of Expo 2008 on 16 December 2004 by the BIE, beating Thessaloniki (Greece) and Trieste (Italy).

The exhibition's most emblematic buildings were the Water Tower, an 80-metre-high transparent building designed by Enrique de Teresa to evoke a drop of water, Zaha Hadid's Bridge Pavilion, and the river aquarium. The exposition site also hosted several events, including a daily parade by Cirque du Soleil called The Awakening of the Serpent.^[1]

Aside from the countries, non-government organizations and private companies took part in Expo 2008, always with the idea of water and sustainable development. Prior to the event, the Expo 2008 host committee estimated that the exposition could generate 135 million euros in receipts for admission to the exhibition centre.