UNIT 2: THE PHYSICAL MAP OF SPAIN

1 THE LAND FELIEF OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA

1.1 The Spanish territory

Spain covers most of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean

Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which are

on the northern coast of Africa

1.2. Land relief forms on the Peninsula

• The Meseta Central has an altitude of 600 to 700 metres. Two ancient, low mountain

ranges run across it. The Central Sierra, which divides the Meseta into two, the northern

sub-plateau and the southern sub-plateau; and Toledo Mountains, dividing Southern

sub-plateau into two.

• The mountains that surround the Meseta are the Massif, the Cantabria Mountains, The

Iberian Mountains and the Sierra Morena.

• The land relief away from the Meseta includes various young mountain ranges the

Basque Mountains, the Pyrenees, the Catalan coastal range and the Baetic Mountains;

and two depressions: Ebro and the Guadalquivir,

1.3. The coastal land relief of the Peninsula

The peninsula has Straight coastlines • which are determined by the land relief of the

interior:

• The Cantabrian coasts are relatively straight and consist mainly of cliffs, with some

beaches and estuaries'. Galicia has the jagged coastline in Spain,

• Atlantic Coast of Andalusia is low and sandy. It is characterised by its marshes and

other sand formations such as bars dunes, or mounds of sand created by the wind.

• The Mediterranean coasts are lined with cliffs' where the mountain ranges reach the

coast, such as the Baetic Mountains and the Catalan coastal range.

2. THE LAND FELIEF OF THE ARCHIPELAGOS

2.1. The land relief of the Balearic Islands

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The Balearic archipelago•, in the Mediterranean Sea, is composed of islands of Majorca,

Ibiza, and Menorca, and Some 144 Smaller islets.

The land relief of the islands Of Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera is an extended part of

the relief of the Baetic mountain ranges. The terrain of the Island of Menorca, on the

other hand, is a continuation of the Catalan coastal mountain range.

The main mountain range is the Tramuntana Range on Majorca, Which is Where the

highest of the archipelago.

The Balearic coasts are cliffs in the north of Mallorca and Menorca where the

mountains reach the sex In the rest of the islands, long, sandy beaches alternate with

small coves, created by torrents.

2.2. The land relief of the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands lie in the Atlantic Ocean, near the African continent.

The archipelago is composed of seven main islands: La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera,

Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and some smaller islands.

The land relief is volcanic in origin, and it is formed from the lava from open fractures

at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. This created different volcanic forms such as ash

cones, lava needles and badlands, or, deeply eroded, jagged landscapes, The Volcano in

Tenerife, is highest in the archipelago and Spain

On the Coasts, predominate, though there are also sandy beaches, especially on the

eastern islands.

3. THE CONTINENTAL WATERS3.1. The rivers and their watersheds

The rivers of the Peninsula are grouped into three watersheds, depending on the sea, or

ocean they flow into:

The rivers of the Cantabrian watershed are short with a regular flow, they flow

across steeps terrain, descending rapidly down the mountains near the Cantabrian

Sea. The Main ones include the Nalón, the and Bidasoa,

The rivers of the Atlantic watershed are long and course over wide plains before

flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. In general, they carry a of Water are irregular, The

most important include Miño, the Duero, the Tagus, the Guadiana and the

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Guadalquivir

The rivers Of the Mediterranean Watershed, the Ebro, are short, descend Steep

terrain in the mountains near the Mediterranean Sea. In general, they do not carry

much water and they are very irregular. The main ones include the Llobregat, the

Ebro, the Mijares, the Turia, the Júcar and the Segura.

We find short streams and torrents, in the Balearic and Canary Islands, which only carry

water after heavy rainfall.

3.2 Lakes, wetlands and aquifers

Spanish lakes are small and not Very One of the most important is Lake Sanabria. There

are also lagoons that are less deep than the lakes, which dry out in summer.

Wetlands are areas of land covered by Waters, The most notable ones are the marshes of

Guadalquivir, the Ebro Delta and the lagoon in Valencia.

Aquifers or groundwater predominate in the northern and southern sub-plateaus and in

the Balearic and Canary Islands.

4 THE CLIMATES AND VEGETACION

4.1 Climate

Spain is located in the temperate zone, but there are different climates due to the

influence of the following factors:

Latitude that the temperature increases as you travel south precipitation in the north.

Affected all year round by fronts and storms, is higher than in the south, where the

influence of anti-cyclones is greater.

The altitude Causes temperatures to fall and precipitation to rise.

Distance to the Sea makes coastal temperatures milder and increases the Contrasts in

temperature in the interior of the peninsula; it is also very arid inland, as it is

surrounded by mountains.

4.2. The climate types and vegetation

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The oceanic climate is located in the and north-west of the peninsula.

It is characterised by regular, abundant and by mild temperatures the vegetation is

characterised by deciduous forest of oak and beech, heath and natural meadows.

The Mediterranean Climate extends throughout rest of the peninsula, the Balearic

Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. Precipitation is moderate and irregular. With droughts in

summer. The temperatures do not vary greatly on the coast, but there are sharp

seasonal contrasts in the interior. The vegetation includes evergreen forest of Holm

oaks and cork trees…

The mountain climate is found in the mountain systems of the peninsula above an

altitude of 1,000 metres. Precipitation is high, normally above 1,000 a year and

temperatures are cold, with low winters of around O ºC. The vegetation comprises

successive tiers of forest.

4.4. Climate and vegetation of the Canary Islands

The Subtropical Climate of the Canary Islands is due to its proximity to the tropics.

Precipitation is very sparse, between and 150 and even lower in certain desert areas. The

temperatures do not vary greatly, with warm winters of around 17º C and hot summers.

The vegetation includes some exclusive species: dragon trees and palm trees

predominate; in the more humid mid-altitude areas, laurisilva or laurel forest, faya tree

abound; and in the highest, coldest areas, the is mainly scrubland.

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