Spain’s Diverse Agricultural Regions and Farming
Northern Atlantic Agricultural Landscape
The population is currently sparse and aged due to forced rural exodus. Settlement is predominantly dispersed. Farms are typically smallholdings (minifundistas). In the past, polyculture was practiced (corn, potatoes, apples, etc.), supplemented by family livestock raising (primarily cattle, followed by sheep and horses). Currently, agriculture tends towards specialization in horticultural crops and forage (mostly pastures). Livestock farming remains significant. In Galicia, small and medium-sized family farms dominate. Along the Cantabrian coast, farms have undergone more significant changes.
Interior Continental Mediterranean Landscape
Characterized by plains, high altitudes, and a continental Mediterranean climate. The farming population is sparse and aged due to rural exodus. Settlement is concentrated. Farm sizes vary. Smallholdings (minifundios) are predominant in the Douro Valley. Large estates (latifundios) dominate in Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, and Aragón. Extensive farming practices prevail, characterized by the so-called Mediterranean triad: cereals, grapes, and olives. Currently, wheat has largely been replaced by barley. The expansion of irrigated areas, using sprinkler systems (for cereals) and drip irrigation (for vines and olives), has diversified production to include tobacco, fodder crops, fruits, and important vegetables. Sheep graze on fallow land and stubble. The dehesas (wooded pastures) of Extremadura, Salamanca, Zamora, and Andalusia are agricultural exploitations that also profit from timber and cork oak. These pastures support herds of sheep and pigs, and secondarily, cattle.
Coastal Mediterranean Agricultural Landscape
This landscape covers the Mediterranean coast and littoral, the Guadalquivir Valley, and the Balearic Islands. Previously dispersed settlement now tends towards concentration, except in the irrigated orchard areas (huertas) of Murcia and Valencia. Farm sizes vary. Rainfed crops include cereals, grapes, olives, and almonds. Irrigated crops benefit from significant international demand. These include open-air market gardening, horticulture, and fruit cultivation under plastic covers (citrus fruits, stone fruits, and pome fruits). The rural and agricultural landscape in this zone is increasingly modified by rural and coastal tourism.
Mountain Agricultural Landscape
This landscape presents challenging conditions: high altitudes, steep slopes, and cool climates. Population density is very low, although tourism activities are leading to some recovery. Livestock production is extensive. In the northern mountains, cattle or sheep farming prevails. In the Mediterranean mountains, sheep farming dominates. Logging is more significant in the northern mountains.
Canary Islands Subtropical Landscape
The physical environment features volcanic terrain and a warm climate year-round, with low and irregular rainfall except in areas influenced by trade winds on the western islands. The agricultural population is declining, partly due to the growth of tourism. Settlement is dispersed and interlayer. Coastal areas are dominated by export-oriented monoculture (bananas, tomatoes, early potatoes) and newer tropical fruit plantations (mangoes, pineapples).