Grupo Santander

The Santander Group (English pronunciation: /ˌsɑntɑnˈdɛər grʊp/) is a Spanish banking group centered on Banco Santander, S.A. (Spanish: [ˈbaŋko santanˈder]), the largest bank in the Eurozone and one of the largest banks in the world in terms of market capitalisation. According to Forbes Magazine Global 2000, it is the 13th largest public company in the world. It originated in Santander, Cantabria, Spain. The 1999 merger of Banco Santander (founded in 1857) and Banco Central Hispano (founded in 1991) following the merger of Banco Central [est. 1919] and Banco Hispanoamericano [est. 1900], created Banco Santander Central Hispano, or BSCH.. This merger between Santander and Banco Central Hispano (BCH) was designed to be a "merger of...