Understanding Agricultural Practices and Landscapes
Definitions
Primary Sector
The primary sector encompasses activities that involve obtaining natural resources, including agriculture, breeding, holding, forestry, fishing, and mining.
Agricultural Area
An agricultural area is created when humans modify natural spaces for agricultural, forestry, husbandry, and other related activities.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of plant products for human or animal consumption, or as raw materials for industry.
Cropping Systems
Cropping systems aim to overcome
Read MoreSpanish Urban Planning: A Historical Overview
Types of City Plans in Spain
Spanish cities exhibit diverse urban plans, often combining open spaces with built-up areas. While some cities maintain a single plan type, larger and older cities typically feature a mix. Common plan types include irregular, orthogonal, and radiocentric (circular).
Irregular Plans
The oldest plan type, found in ancient and medieval cultures, is characterized by a lack of formal planning. Narrow, non-rectilinear streets result in poor circulation, limited ventilation, and
Read MoreHistory of Spain: From Roman Hispania to the Catholic Monarchs
1. The Roots: Roman Hispania
1.1 Hominization in the Iberian Peninsula
The humanization process in the Iberian Peninsula reflects the expansion of hominids from Africa to Asia and Europe. The Sierra de Atapuerca findings are significant, revealing the oldest remains in Western Europe. These include Homo antecessor (circa 800,000 years old) and Homo heidelbergensis (350,000 years old). Later stages include Homo sapiens neanderthalensis (100,000 years old) and Homo sapiens sapiens (40,000 years old)
Read MoreThe Visigoths and Prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula
The Visigoths in Spain
Germanic Invasions (409-507)
Between 409 and 507, several Germanic peoples entered the Iberian Peninsula as part of a larger migration between the 2nd and 10th centuries. In 409, groups of Swabians, Vandals, and Alans arrived in Hispania. After two years of looting, they settled in different areas.
In 415, a small group of Visigoths settled in Tarraconensis, signing a pact with Rome to become the Empire’s military assistant. Until 507, the center of the Visigoth kingdom was
Read MoreSpanish Colonization of the Americas: Conquest, Impact, and Legacy
1. Discovery and Conquest of the Americas
1.1 European Context
Several factors in Europe fueled the conquest of the Americas:
- Demand for oriental spices (sugar, silk, herbs, etc.)
- Economic need for money and precious metals
- Economic expansion
- The end of the Reconquista period, leaving a surplus of warriors and a desire for military expansion
- A 16th-century yearning for adventure and wealth, fueled by commercial capitalism’s search for new products and markets
- The desire to spread Christianity
- Advancements
Spain’s Diverse Geography and Environmental Challenges
Physical Geography of Spain
Rivers
Atlantic: Guadiana, Tagus, Douro, Guadalquivir.
Cantabric: Bidasoa, Nervión, Nalón, Narcea, Eo.
Mediterranean: Ebro, Llobregat, Besòs, Turia, Júcar, Segura, Vinalopó.
Capes
- Palos
- Gata
- Trafalgar
- Finisterre
- Estaca de Bares
- San Vicente
Climate and Biomes
Spain has Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Continental climates. Its peninsular biomes include:
- Mediterranean temperate forests
- Deciduous forests (Atlantic)
- High mountain laurel forests
The peninsula’s latitude allows for two biogeographic
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