Geography, Climate, Weather, and Economic Activities in Spain

Posted on Nov 25, 2024 in Geography

Geography and Climate

Geography: Climate and weather refer to the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and geographical area.

Temperature

  • Factors:
    • Latitude: Temperature drops from the Equator to the poles.
    • Altitude and Relief: Temperature drops an average of 6 degrees per 1000 meters.
    • Sea Influence: The sea warms and cools more slowly than land.
    • Sea Surface Currents: These streams, depending on their temperature, heat or cool coastal areas.

Precipitation

Precipitation consists of water falling to Earth’s surface as rain, hail, or snow. It is measured with a rain gauge and expressed in liters per square meter.

  • Types and Factors:
    • Convective: Intense solar heat warms the air near the surface, causing it to rise, cool, and condense, forming clouds and precipitation.
    • Orographic: Moist air is forced to ascend a barrier like a mountain, cooling and condensing to form rain.
    • Frontal: Precipitation originates when a warm air mass contacts a cold air mass. The contact area is called a front.

Pressure

Barometer: Measures the pressure the atmosphere exerts on the Earth’s surface.

  • High Pressure: Pressure is higher than 1013mb, associated with stable, dry weather or anticyclones.
  • Low Pressure: Pressure is below 1013mb, associated with unstable weather and precipitation or storms.

Weather Maps

A weather map represents atmospheric conditions at a specific time and place.

  • Isobars: Lines joining points of equal pressure.
  • Centers of Action: Anticyclones are represented by isobars.
  • Fronts: Warm fronts are represented by a red line with triangles, and cold fronts by a blue line.
  • Gradient: Isobars close together indicate strong winds.

Climates

  • Equatorial: High temperatures, high rainfall, dense vegetation (selva).
  • Tropical Rainy: High temperatures, high rainfall, tropical vegetation.
  • Tropical Dry Forest: Warm temperatures, mild winters, long dry summers, savanna vegetation.
  • Desert: High temperatures, little to no rain, scarce vegetation.
  • Mediterranean: Warm summers, mild winters, maximum precipitation in spring and autumn, dry summers, evergreen forest and scrub vegetation.
  • Oceanic: Mild winters and cool summers, precipitation throughout the year, deciduous forest, heath, and meadow vegetation.
  • Continental: Cold winters and warm summers, maximum rainfall in summer, taiga vegetation.
  • Chinese: High temperatures in summer and mild in winter, high rainfall throughout the year, more in summer, similar vegetation to oceanic.
  • Polar: Very low temperatures, precipitation in the form of ice or snow, tundra vegetation.
  • High Mountain: Cold winters, cool summers, precipitation as snow, stepped vegetation.

Spain

Spain is a European country situated in the Northern Hemisphere. The Spanish state comprises most of the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands archipelago, and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

Economic Activity

The economy is concerned with the administration of existing resources to meet people’s needs.

Economic Goods

To meet their needs, people produce economic goods, which can be either products (tangible objects) or services (tasks provided to individuals or groups). These goods are limited and are bought and sold.

Economic Activities

Economic activities produce economic goods using different kinds of resources called factors of production, including natural resources, human resources, fixed capital, and circulating systems.

Economic Systems

There are two main types of economic systems:

  • Planned Economy: Controlled by the state (socialist countries).
  • Capitalist Market Economy: Found in most countries, with freedom in buying and selling goods and services. The state respects private property and is only involved in elaborating and implementing economic policy. It is based on the law of supply and demand: if supply is scarce, prices rise; if supply is abundant, prices fall.

The Family

A family or individual is a consumer of goods and services, reflected in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Families provide factors of production and have income and expenses. Income minus expenses equals profit or loss.

The State

The state is responsible for government and administration.

Workers and Human Resources

Workers and human resources are an essential factor of production. Employment status or unemployment positively or negatively affects the economy of the country and families. Social security protects citizens in need. Changes in employment have increased the number of people seeking employment. Information technology and communication have revolutionized production in enterprises. Companies can hire and fire employees more easily. Workers are increasingly skilled. Globalization of the economy has created a global market and influenced media and ICT multinationals.

Economic Integration Blocs

Economic integration blocs, such as free trade areas and common markets, remove tariffs and allow the free circulation of people and capital. The European Union promotes globalization. The United Nations (UN) also plays a role.