Glossary of Geography and Environmental Terms
Vocabulary
A
Aquaculture
The farming of aquatic plant and animal species, marine or freshwater. Spain excels in raising trout in freshwater and mussels, clams, and other species in seawater.
Aquifer
An underground water reservoir that forms when rainwater infiltrates, encounters a waterproof layer, and accumulates on it. In Spain, aquifers are common in sedimentary basins of the Meseta Central.
Alluvial Deposits
Deposits left by flowing water (boulders, sand, etc.) when the water flow is not strong enough to carry them.
Accessibility
The degree of ease or difficulty of reaching a place from other locations. It depends on the distance, available infrastructure, and transport services.
AVE (Spanish High Speed)
A public high-speed train system capable of reaching 250 kilometers per hour. Since its launch in 1992, the network has expanded significantly with several lines in full operation (Madrid-Seville/Malaga, Madrid-Barcelona, Madrid-Valladolid, and Madrid-Valencia) and others in preparation or planned. It is currently the largest high-speed network in Europe, with over 2,600 km in service, and the second largest in the world, behind China.
Agro-industry (Food Industry)
Factories that convert agricultural raw materials (plants and animals) into semi-finished products. In Spain, the largest agro-industries are owned by multinationals, but smaller industries remain the basis of endogenous industrialization in many rural areas.
Highway
A large-capacity road with separate roadways for both directions of traffic (usually with at least two lanes in each direction) and without intersections. A motorway is similar but may have intersections.
Biogeography
The geographical discipline that describes and explains the distribution of living organisms based on climate, vegetation, and soil. It is a synthetic science that deals with the relationships between living beings and their environment.
C
Cliserie
A graph representing the distribution of vegetation in terms of altitude.
Dryland Farming
Agricultural production that relies only on rainwater. In Spain, the most important dryland crops are the so-called “Mediterranean trilogy”: wheat, grapes, and olives.
GM Crops
Crops that have been genetically modified to enhance certain properties, such as greater resistance to pests or weeds, or improved yield (very typical for maize).
Consolidation of Land
A land policy that aims to reduce smallholdings by reorganizing and concentrating municipal plots.
D
Delta
A triangular landform at the mouth of some rivers, formed by the deposit of materials transported by the water.
Deforestation
The destruction of vegetation cover due to massive logging and forest fires (mostly unintentional), leading to increased soil erosion and loss of biodiversity.
Desertification
The destruction or degradation of topsoil in arid, semiarid, and sub-humid areas, resulting from natural or human factors.
Declining Industrial Areas
Areas characterized by specialized, mature industrial sectors in crisis (metallurgy, petrochemicals, shipbuilding) without much industrial diversification and with environmental deterioration. Examples in Spain include Asturias, Cantabria, and some isolated areas (Ferrol, Bay of Cadiz, Puertollano, and Ponferrada).
Sustainable Development
Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Industrial Relocation
The movement of companies, generally multinationals, that transfer their workplaces from developed countries to countries with lower costs, usually in the developing world.
Runoff
The movement of water across the soil surface or through groundwater.
Drought
A period during which rivers reach their lowest levels. This is particularly noticeable in the southern Mediterranean rivers.
E
Estuary
A funnel-shaped narrowing of a river mouth. The Thames estuary is an example.
Extensive Agriculture
An agricultural mode characterized by low investment and traditional techniques, resulting in low yields. In Spain, it is typical of rainfed crops in the interior.
Intensive Agriculture
Farming that uses all possible improvements to achieve high yields: insecticides, fertilizers, irrigation, and other new technologies. In Spain, this type of farming is characteristic of the Mediterranean coast.
Partnership
A type of indirect land ownership where the owner gives the farm to another person in exchange for a percentage of the crop. When a lease is involved, it is called a leasehold.
Endemism
Unique vegetation specific to a particular region.
Evergreen Forest
Composed of medium-height trees with thick, rough, non-rectilinear trunks and evergreen leaves. Their branches form globular and large crowns that mitigate sunlight and reduce evaporation. The most characteristic species are the holm oak and cork oak.
F
Flow
The amount of water in m3 that passes a point in a river in one second. The measurement is expressed in m3/sec.
Flooding
The moment of maximum flow of a river.
Watershed
The territory whose waters flow into a main river and its tributaries. Watersheds are separated by divides located at changes in slope. In Spain, the main watersheds are: Duero, Tagus, Guadiana, Guadalquivir, Ebro, Júcar, and Segura.
Fallow
A traditional farming practice in drylands, involving leaving the land to rest for a variable period, during which the surface crust of the soil is broken.
Foreign Trade
Trade in products and services between a country and the rest of the world. The sale of domestic products abroad is called export, and the purchase of foreign products is called import.
Fishing
The activity of catching fish.
G
Greenhouse Effect
The retention in the atmosphere of energy emitted by the Earth when heated by solar energy. This effect is intensified by the accumulation of gases from the burning of fossil fuels in industries, cars, heaters, fires, etc., leading to climate change due to an increase in average global temperature, droughts, floods, etc., which will increase sea levels and affect biodiversity.
Grounds
Places for setting and pulling fishing nets.
H
Hydropower
Harnessing the potential energy of water to generate electricity. It is a renewable energy source, although not strictly alternative, as it has been used for many years as a major source of electricity. The amount of hydroelectric power that can be obtained in an area depends on the water flow and the available head, and there is therefore a maximum amount of energy obtainable by this method.
I
Internal Trade
The exchange of goods and services within a country’s borders. Its spatial location is determined by efficient transportation and communication systems and the presence of a broad consumer market.
L
Lagoon
A body of water formed in lowlands adjacent to the sea.
M
Marescente Forest
A forest type found in the transition zone of oceanic climates, consisting of Pyrenean oak and other species, with shorter trees that retain their leaves until new buds emerge.
Multinational Firm
A firm with subsidiaries in different countries, operating under a common strategy decided at headquarters located in more developed countries (USA, Japan, Germany, France, etc.).
P
Power Sources
Natural resources that provide the driving force necessary to carry out work. They can be renewable or non-renewable.
S
Sclerophyll
Vegetation with hard, leathery leaves, well-adapted to drought due to a tissue formed by cells with a very thick membrane (sclerenchyma).
Steppe
Vegetation consisting of low grasses among thorny, low, and discontinuous bushes in poor soils. Notable species include the palm, thyme, and esparto grass. It is found in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula, the Ebro Valley, and where scrubland has been degraded by human intervention.
T
Tributary
A stream that does not reach the sea but joins another major watercourse at a point called a confluence.
Trap
A traditional fishing gear used to catch tuna in Andalusia, Valencia, Murcia, and Ceuta, taking advantage of the Atlantic-Mediterranean tuna migration. It consists of a labyrinth of nets, usually installed near the coast.
Terrace Cultivation
The creation of natural or artificial level platforms on mountains or steep terrain for cultivation, preventing soil erosion.
Trade Balance
The difference between the value of exports and imports. In Spain, it is traditionally in deficit.
Balance of Payments
A document recording a country’s economic transactions with the rest of the world during a specific period, showing income and expenditure for each operation, resulting in a positive or negative balance.
Tourist Season
The concentration of tourist demand in certain months of the year. In Spain, with the dominant model of sun and beach tourism, demand is concentrated in the summer months.
E
Ecotourism
A type of tourism focused on studying ecosystems. It aims to be an alternative to traditional sun and beach tourism, contributing to tourism development in non-traditional areas, mitigating seasonality, and promoting public interest in environmental knowledge and conservation.
F
FEOGA (European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund)
Responsible for agricultural structural policy, financing the modernization of the sector and the development of new economic activities in rural areas.
ESF (European Social Fund)
Promotes vocational training and employment.
R
Renewable Energy
Energy derived from inexhaustible sources and therefore usable indefinitely, such as the sun, water, wind, or the Earth’s internal heat.