Spanish Geography: Relief, Rivers, and Climate Zones
Relief of Spain
The Spanish territory occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa, and the Canary Islands. Its relief shows great diversity and a high average altitude (660 meters).
- Central Plateau (Meseta Central): A large central plateau, divided into two sub-plateaus (north and south) by the Central System, which includes the mountain ranges of Somosierra, Guadarrama, and Gredos.
- Peripheral Mountain Ranges: Surrounding the plateau are the Galician Massif, the Mountains of Leon, the Cantabrian Mountains (Picos de Europa), the Basque Mountains, the Iberian System (Sierra de la Demanda, Moncayo, Serrania de Cuenca), and Sierra Morena.
- Outer Regions: Beyond the plateau are the Pyrenees, the Catalan Coastal Range, and the Ebro Depression in the northeast; and the Guadalquivir Depression and the Baetic Mountains (Sierra Nevada, Mulhacen) in the south and southeast.
The Balearic Islands are an extension of the Baetic System, except for Menorca. The major islands are Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza, along with smaller ones like Formentera and Cabrera.
The Canary Islands have predominantly volcanic soils. The island of Tenerife is home to Mount Teide (3718m), the highest mountain in Spain. The archipelago consists of seven islands.
Rivers of Spain
On the Peninsula, there are three drainage basins corresponding to the three seas:
- Cantabrian Watershed: Due to the proximity of the Cantabrian Mountains to the coast, these rivers are short with steep gradients. However, they are quite regular and abundant.
- Atlantic Watershed: This can be divided into three areas: Galicia, the plateau, and western Andalusia. Galician rivers have similar characteristics to those of the Cantabrian, but the Miño River is longer. On the plateau, rivers are long, originating in the eastern mountains and flowing towards the Atlantic. The Douro is the largest river, and the Tagus is the longest on the peninsula.
- Mediterranean Watershed: Rivers are generally shorter due to the proximity of mountains to the sea. They experience major floods in autumn and severe summer droughts. The Ebro River is an exception, as it originates in the Cantabrian Mountains.
Climate Zones and Vegetation of Spain
A. Wet or Atlantic Spain
This region encompasses the northern coast and most of Galicia. It is dominated by a maritime climate open to the influence of the Atlantic, with precipitation exceeding 1000 mm. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year. Temperatures are mild with small thermal oscillation.
The vegetation is abundant, featuring meadows and deciduous forests with species like oak, beech, chestnut, elm, and ash.
The disappearance of forests, due to human action or other factors, favors the emergence of a tall scrub landscape known as moorland.
B. Dry Spain
This region has a Mediterranean climate. Due to its size, there are two subregions: coastal and interior. Both make up dry Spain because they receive less precipitation annually. Inland areas experience more extreme temperatures.
Evergreen forests dominate, with species including oak, cork oak, and a variety of pines. It is a low and clear forest, fragile because when it disappears, the soil erodes, making recovery difficult. Maquis, formations of small trees and tall, thick bushes (arbutus, heather), appear, and in more arid areas, garrigue with low, separated bushes (rosemary, thyme) emerges. When aridity is accentuated, a steppe landscape arises.
C. The Landscape of the Islands
The landscape is conditioned by the climatic characteristics and the insular volcanic character. The eastern areas are desert-like, but the northern slopes receive moist winds that bring heavy rains, supporting evergreen forests with laurel species.
D. Mountain Areas
In the main mountain systems, different landscapes appear according to altitude (high altitude starts from 2000 meters) and marine influence. Plant formations vary with altitude. Forests of oak, beech, and pine trees disappear, and crops emerge between 1200 and 2000 meters.