Spain: A Geographical and Socioeconomic Analysis

Posted on Dec 2, 2024 in Geography

Spain: A Comprehensive Analysis

Geographical Uniqueness

Topic 1: The Geographical Uniqueness of Spain

  • The Spanish territory: natural territorial units and major political and administrative divisions.
  • Spain’s geographical uniqueness and its dynamics: causes and consequences.
  • Spain’s situation in the world.

Relief and Climate

Topic 2: General Characteristics of Spanish Relief

  • Overview of the mainland and island (Balearic and Canary) relief.
  • The variety of Iberian Peninsula, Balearic, and Canary relief formations.
  • Dynamics of major geological processes in the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic, and Canary Islands.

Topic 3: Major Morphostructural Units

  • The Iberian Peninsula, Balearic, and Canary Islands.
  • The Plateau and its internal and external units.
  • The mainland, Canary, and Balearic Island coasts.

Topic 4: The Climate of Spain

  • Elements and factors: climate concept.
  • Differences between climate elements and factors.
  • Elements of the Spanish climate: temperature, precipitation, humidity, atmospheric pressure, sunshine, cloudiness, and wind.
  • Climate factors in Spain: astronomical, dynamic, and geographical.

Topic 5: Climatic Domains in Spain

  • Regional differences.
  • Classification criteria.
  • Regional climates of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands: the temperate-cold and warm-temperate domains.
  • The Canary climate.
  • Nuances introduced by mountain climates.

Hydrography and Natural Resources

Topic 6: The Rivers of Spain

  • Ebro Basin: layout, flow, river system, and its factors.
  • Watersheds and major river basins of the Peninsula.
  • River regulation: water reservoirs.

Topic 7: Natural Vegetation in Spain

  • Factors of Spain’s biogeographic diversity.
  • Biogeographic regions: Euro-Siberian, Mediterranean, and Macaronesian.
  • Main vegetation types: deciduous forest and heathland, evergreen forest and Mediterranean scrub, riparian forest, mountain vegetation, and Canary Islands landscapes.

Population and Migration

Topic 8: Population Evolution in 20th Century Spain

  • Natural population dynamics.
  • Fertility, birth, marriage, death, and natural increase or decrease.
  • Spanish population evolution: factors and results in spatial distribution and demographic structures.

Topic 9: Migration in Spain and its Spatial Impact

  • Spatial population movements: concepts.
  • Internal migration: factors, trends, and consequences.
  • External or international migration: stages and destinations; consequences.

Urbanization and Settlement

Topic 10: Evolution of the City in Spain

  • Morphology and urban structure.
  • Urban settlement and the concept of city.
  • Urbanization process in Spain.
  • Pre-industrial city: old town, medieval town, and city in the Old Regime.
  • Industrial city: beginnings of planning, reform projects, and urban development.
  • Post-industrial city: urban periphery and metropolitan areas.

Topic 11: The Interurban System

  • Urban network or systems of cities in Spain.
  • Urban hierarchy, city functions, and areas of influence.
  • System of Spanish cities.
  • National, regional, and sub-urban development axes.

Economic Activities

Topic 12: Agriculture in Spain

  • Physical constraints of Spanish agricultural areas: climate, topography, and soil.
  • Human constraints: historical, socioeconomic, political, and technical.
  • Structure of agrarian property regimes, land tenure, and land use.
  • Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in crops, livestock, and forest areas.

Topic 13: Types of Agricultural Landscapes

  • Atlantic agricultural landscapes.
  • Interior landscapes.
  • Mediterranean landscapes.
  • Canary Islands landscapes.

Topic 14: Fishing in Spain

  • Fishing: basic concepts and historical changes.
  • Fishing regions.
  • Material and human resources: fleet, fishing techniques, species caught, and fishing and aquaculture volumes.
  • Law of the Sea and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Topic 15: Industry in Spain

  • General characteristics and geographical distribution.
  • Factors of industrial location: raw materials, energy, capital, space, environment.
  • Stages of the industrialization process in Spain.
  • Regional distribution of industry in Spain: industrial areas.

Topic 16: Areas of Industrial Activity

  • Key sectors: basic industry and consumer goods industry.
  • Traditional sectors: metallurgy, steel, shipbuilding, and textiles.
  • Dynamic sectors: automotive, chemical, food industry, and cutting-edge technologies.

Topic 17: Transport in Spain

  • Transport: basic element of territorial and economic articulation.
  • Road transport: characteristics of the road network.
  • Railway transport.
  • Maritime transport.
  • Air transport.
  • Transport and environment: impacts on the region and society.

Tourism

Topic 18: Tourism in Spain

  • Evolution of tourism in Spain.
  • Characterization and typology of tourism models in Spain.
  • Main tourist areas in Spain.
  • Significance of tourism in the Spanish economy and society.
  • Tourism and the environment in Spain.