Transcript geography of Spain

geography of Spain
Today most of Spain's area is located in southwestern Europe with
the mainland of the country that is south of France and the Pyrenees
Mountains and east of Portugal. However it also has territory in
Morocco, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, islands off the coast of
Morocco as well as the Canary Islands in the Atlantic and the Balearic
Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. All of this land area makes Spain the
second largest country in Europe behind France.
The Spanish mainland is
bordered to the south and east
almost entirely by the ea (except for
a small land boundary with
Gibraltar); to the north by France,
Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay;
and to the west by the Atlantic
Ocean and Portugal. With an area
of 504,030 km², Spain is the
second largest country in Western
Europe (behind France) and with
an average altitude of 650 m, the
second highest country in Europe
(behind Switzerland).
http://geography.about.com/od/spainmaps/a/spain-geography.htm
The climate of Spain is
temperate
with
hot
summers and cold winters
inland and cloudy, cool
summers and cool winters
along the coast. Madrid,
located inland in the center
of Spain has a average
January low temperature of
37˚F (3˚C) and a July
average high of 88˚F (31˚C).
Most of the topography
of Spain consists of flat
plains that are surrounded
by rugged, undeveloped
hills. The northern part of
the country however is
dominated by the Pyrenees Mountains. The highest
point in Spain is located in
the Canary Islands with
Pico de Teide at 12,198
feet (3,718 m).
http://podroze.onet.pl/hiszpania-pireneje-baskijskie/cx53d
External boundaries and landform regions
Most of Spain's boundaries are water: the Mediterranean Sea on the south to the French border and the Atlantic
Ocean on the northwest and southwest (in the south as the Golfo de Cádiz and in the north as the Bay of Biscay).
Spain also shares land boundaries with France and Andorra along the Pyrenees in the northeast, with Portugal on the
west, and with the small British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar near the southernmost tip. The affiliation of
Gibraltar has continued to be a contentious issue between Spain and Britain. The sovereignty of the plazas de
soberanía on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco is disputed by Morocco.
Spain also has a small exclave inside France called Llívia.
The majority of Spain's peninsular region consists of the Meseta Central, a highland plateau rimmed and dissected by
mountain ranges. Other landforms include narrow coastal plains and some lowland river valleys, the most prominent
of which is the Andalusian Plain in the southwest. The country can be divided into ten natural regions or subregions:
the dominant Meseta Central, the Cantabrian Mountains (Cordillera Cantabrica) and the northwest region, the Ibérico
region, the Pyrenees, the Penibético region in the southeast, the Andalusian Plain, the Ebro Basin, the coastal plains,
the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands. These are commonly grouped into four types: the Meseta Central and
associated mountains, other mountainous regions, lowland regions, and islands.
The Inner Plateau and associated mountains
The Meseta Central ("Inner Plateau") is a vast plateau in the heart of peninsular Spain, which has elevations that range from
610 to 760 m. Rimmed by mountains, the Meseta Central slopes gently to the west and to the series of rivers that form some of
the border with Portugal. The Sistema Central, described as the "dorsal spine" of the Meseta Central, divides the Meseta into
northern and southern subregions, the former higher in elevation and smaller in area than the latter. The Sistema Central rims
the capital city of Madrid with peaks that rise to 2,400 m north of the city and to lower elevations south of it. West of Madrid,
the Sistema Central shows its highest peak, Pico Almanzor, of 2,592 m. The mountains of the Sistema Central, which continue
westward into Portugal, display some glacial features; the highest of the peaks are snow-capped for most of the year. Despite
their height, however, the mountain system does not create a major barrier between the northern and the southern portions of
the Meseta Central because several passes permit road and railroad transportation to the northwest and the northeast.
The southern portion of the Meseta (Spanish: Submeseta Sur) is further divided by twin mountain ranges, the Montes de Toledo
running to the east with the Sierra de Guadalupe, to the west. Their peaks do not rise much higher than 1,500 m. With many
easy passes, including those that connect the Meseta with the Andalusian Plain, the Montes de Toledo do not present an
obstacle to transportation and communication. This chain of lower mountain ranges is separated from the Sistema Central to
the north by the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula: the Tagus River.
Other mountainous regions
External to the Meseta Central lie the Pyrenees in the northeast and the Sistema Penibético
in the southeast. The Pyrenees, extending from the eastern edge of the Cordillera Cantábrica
to the Mediterranean Sea, form a solid barrier and a natural border between Spain and both
France and Andorra that, throughout history, has effectively isolated the countries from each
other. Passage is easy in the relatively low terrain at the eastern and western extremes of
the mountain range; it is here that international railroads and roadways cross the border. In
the central section of the Pyrenees, however, passage is difficult. In several places, peaks
rise above 3,000 m; the highest, Pico de Aneto, surpasses 3,400 m.
The Sistema Penibético extends northeast from the southern tip of Spain, running parallel to
the coast until it merges with the southern extension of the Sistema Ibérico near the Rio
Júcar and with the eastern extension of the Sierra Morena. The Sierra Nevada, part of the
Sistema Penibético south of Granada, includes the highest mountain on the peninsula and
continental Spain, Mulhacén, which rises to 3,479 m. Other peaks in the range also surpass
3,000 m.
Lowland regions
The major lowland regions are the Andalusian Plain in the southwest, the Ebro Basin in the
northeast, and the coastal plains. The Andalusian Plain is essentially a wide river valley
through which the Río Guadalquivir flows. The river broadens out along its course, reaching
its widest point at the Golfo de Cadiz. The Andalusian Plain is bounded on the north by the
Sierra Morena and on the south by the Sistema Penibético; it to an apex in the east where
these two mountain chains meet. The Ebro Basin is formed by the Río Ebro valley, contained
by mountains on three sides—the Sistema Ibérico to the south and west, the Pyrenees to the
north and east, and their coastal extensions paralleling the shore to the east. Minor low-lying
river valleys close to the Portuguese border are located on the Tagus and the Río Guadiana.
The Coastal Plains regions are narrow strips between the coastal mountains and the seas.
They are broadest along the Golfo de Cádiz, where the coastal plain adjoins the Andalusian
Plain, and along the southern and central eastern coasts. The narrowest coastal plain runs
along the Bay of Biscay, where the Cordillera Cantábrica ends close to shore.
The islands
The major lowland regions are the Andalusian Plain in the southwest, the Ebro Basin in the
northeast, and the coastal plains. The Andalusian Plain is essentially a wide river valley through
which the Río Guadalquivir flows. The river broadens out along its course, reaching its widest point
at the Golfo de Cadiz. The Andalusian Plain is bounded on the north by the Sierra Morena and on the
south by the Sistema Penibético; it to an apex in the east where these two mountain chains meet.
The Ebro Basin is formed by the Río Ebro valley, contained by mountains on three sides—the Sistema
Ibérico to the south and west, the Pyrenees to the north and east, and their coastal extensions
paralleling the shore to the east. Minor low-lying river valleys close to the Portuguese border are
located on the Tagus and the Río Guadiana.
The Coastal Plains regions are narrow strips between the coastal mountains and the seas. They are
broadest along the Golfo de Cádiz, where the coastal plain adjoins the Andalusian Plain, and along
the southern and central eastern coasts. The narrowest coastal plain runs along the Bay of Biscay,
where the Cordillera Cantábrica ends close to shore.
Climate
Three main climatic zones can be separated, according to geographical situation and orographic
conditions:
The Mediterranean climate, characterized by dry and warm summers. According to the Köppen
climate classification, it is dominant in the peninsula, with two varieties: Csa and Csb.
● The semiarid climate (Bsh, Bsk), located in the southeastern quarter of the country, especially in
the region of Murcia and in the Ebro valley. In contrast with the Mediterranean climate, the dry
season extends beyond the summer.
● The oceanic climate (Cfb), is located in the northern quarter of the country, especially in the
regions of Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabria and partly Galicia. In contrary to the
Mediterranean climate, winter and summer temperatures are influenced by the ocean.
Apart from these main types, other sub-types can be found, like the alpine climate in the Pyrenees and
Sierra Nevada, and a typical subtropical climate in the Canary Islands.
Population geography
Largest cities by population
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Madrid 3,300,000
Barcelona 1,582,738
Valencia 797,654
Seville 709,975
Zaragoza 626,081
Málaga 547,105
Murcia 391,146
Las Palmas 377,600
Palma 367,277
Bilbao 353,567
Valladolid 321,143
Córdoba 318,628
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Alicante 305,911
Vigo 292,566
Gijón 270,875
Hospitalet de Llobregat 246,415
A Coruña (Corunna) 243,902
Granada 237,663
Vitoria-Gasteiz 223,257
Santa Cruz de Tenerife 220,022
Badalona 214,440
Oviedo 207,699
Elche 207,163
Móstoles 201,789
Terrassa 200,000
Pamplona 198,750
made by
Izabela Leśniak