European and Spanish Topography, Rivers, and Climates

Posted on Nov 24, 2024 in Geography

European Physical Geography

Europe, with an area of 10.4 million km2, is the second smallest continent. Its territory features low and medium altitudes, averaging 340m. There are three main geographical units:

  • Mountains, Ancient Massifs, and Plateaus: Located to the northwest and east, including the Scandinavian mountains, Ural Mountains, and the French Central Massif.
  • Plains: Situated in central and eastern Europe, stretching from France to Russia.
  • Alpine Ranges: Found along the Mediterranean coast, including the Pyrenees, Alps, Balkans, Carpathians, and Caucasus. The Caucasus boasts Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak at 5,633m.

European Rivers and Lakes

European rivers and lakes are essential for transportation and communication.

  • Arctic Slope: Navigable rivers in spring and autumn, such as the Northern Dvina and Pechora.
  • Atlantic Coast: Large rivers with year-round flow due to rainfall, including the Western Dvina, Vistula, Oder, Elbe, Rhine, Seine, and Loire.
  • Mediterranean Side: Short and irregular rivers, such as the Ebro, Rhone, and Po.
  • Black Sea: Receives water from two of Europe’s longest rivers, the Danube and Dnieper.
  • Caspian Sea: The mouths of the Ural and Volga rivers, the latter being the continent’s longest at 3,500km.
  • Lakes: Primarily glacial, with the largest being Ladoga and Onega.

European Climates

Temperate climates dominate Europe.

  • Oceanic: Along the Atlantic coast from northern Portugal to Norway, characterized by Atlantic forests and heathlands (heather, gorse, rushes).
  • Continental: Central and Eastern Europe, with grassland vegetation and taiga (pine and fir forests) in colder areas.
  • Mediterranean: Southern Europe, featuring bushes, shrubs, oaks, and pines.
  • Cold: Polar regions and high mountain ridges, with tundra vegetation in the Arctic Circle and a mix of woods and meadows in high mountain areas.

Spanish Physical Geography

Peninsular Relief

The Iberian Peninsula is dominated by a large central plateau with an average elevation of 660m.

  • Central System: Divides the plateau into two sub-plateaus, north and south. The north comprises the Douro River basin, while the south includes the Tagus and Guadiana basins, separated by the Toledo Mountains.
  • Surrounding the Plateau: The Galician Massif (NW), Cantabrian Mountains (N), Iberian System (E and S).
  • External Systems: Pyrenees (N, forming the border with France), Catalan Coastal System (NE), and Betic Systems (S), including the Penibética and Subbética mountains. Mulhacén peak in the Penibética is the peninsula’s highest at 3,578m.
  • Depressions: The Ebro Depression (NE) between the Iberian System, Pyrenees, and Catalan Coastal System, and the Guadalquivir Depression (S) between the Sierra Morena and Betic Systems. The Galician coast has a rugged relief.

Island Relief

  • Balearic Archipelago: Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera, and Cabrera, with flat relief except for the Sierra de Tramuntana in Mallorca, an extension of the Betic Systems.
  • Canary Archipelago: Volcanic islands including Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera, El Hierro, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote. Mountainous terrain prevails, with flat areas in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Teide volcano on Tenerife is Spain’s highest peak at 3,718m.

Spanish Rivers

Spanish rivers drain into the Cantabrian Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea.

  • Cantabrian Side: Short rivers with abundant and regular flow, such as the Bidasoa, Nervión, Pas, Sella, Nalon, and Navia.
  • Atlantic Side: Short Galician rivers, including the Miño and its tributary Sil, are plentiful. Others are longer with significant flow at the mouth, such as the Douro, Tagus (the longest), Guadiana, and Guadalquivir. Some are navigable.
  • Mediterranean Side: Shorter rivers with low and irregular flow, subject to floods in autumn and spring and droughts in summer. Notable rivers include the Turia, Júcar, Segura, and the Ebro, Spain’s longest river at 910km, flowing through the Ebro Depression into the Mediterranean. Island streams are short and fast-flowing during rainfall.

Spanish Landscapes and Climates

Spain predominantly has a Mediterranean climate.

  • Oceanic or Atlantic Climate: Found in a band from Galicia to the Pyrenees, with abundant greenery, evergreen shrubs, and heathlands.
  • Mediterranean Climate: Covers the rest of the peninsula, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. Precipitation is low, with hot summers and mild winters on the coast, more extreme temperatures inland, and very dry conditions in the southeast. Vegetation includes Mediterranean scrub and woodland.
  • Subtropical Climate: In the Canary Islands, with warm temperatures year-round, concentrated winter rainfall (often torrential), and laurel forests, arid scrub, and species adapted to dry conditions.
  • Mountain Climate: Occurs in higher elevations.