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KJ Spanish
KJ Spanish
Geographically, Spain is bounded to the north by the Bay of Biscay, France, and
Andorra; to the east by the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by the Mediterranean Sea
and the Atlantic Ocean; and on the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. In the
south west the 13km wide Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from Africa.
Map of Spain
Spain occupies about 85 percent of the Iberian Peninsula and is surrounded by water
for about 88 percent of its periphery. Its Mediterranean coast is 1,660 km (1,030 mi)
long, and its Atlantic coast is 710 km (440 mi) long.
The British dependency of Gibraltar is situated at the southern extremity of Spain.
The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic
Ocean off the coast of Africa are governed as provinces of Spain. Also, Spain
administers Ceuta and Melilla on the Moroccan mainland.
Mountains of Spain
The Pyrenees separate Spain from France and are the country's principal mountain
range. They extend 435 km (270 mi) from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean
Sea. The highest peak is Pico de Aneto (3,404 m/11,168 ft)
Away from the Pyrenees, Mulhacén in the Sierra Nevada above Granada is the
highest peak at 3,477 m (11,407 ft). The highest point in Spain is Pico de Teide (3,715
m/12,188 ft) on the volcanic island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Spain Rivers
The main rivers of Spain flow west and south to the Atlantic Ocean. The Duero
(Douro), Miño, Tajo (Tagus), and Guadiana rivers rise in Spain and flow through
Portugal to the Atlantic. The Guadalquivir River is the deepest and most navigable.
The Ebro River which flows through Zaragoza flows into the Mediterranean Sea and
is navigable for part of its course. The rivers are a good source of electric power.
Spain Climate
Spain experiences extremes of temperature and generally low rainfall (less than 610
mm) except for in the north. Along the northern Atlantic coast the climate is usually
quite damp and cool. The central plateau has very hot, dry summers and drought is
common. In Madrid the local saying is that the climate is "9 months of winter and 3
months of hell" which describes the freezing winters and scorching summers. In
Seville, Cordoba and Granada temperatures reached 50ºC (over 120ºF) in the summer
of 2003, forest fires caused major damage. On the southern Mediterranean coast a
subtropical climate prevails with Málaga enjoying an average winter temperature of
14°C (57°F).
Spain Natural Resources
Although Spanish soils need careful irrigation and cultivation, they are they are the
country's most valuable natural resource with nearly a third of the land available for
cultivation. Semiarid chestnutbrown soils cover the central plateau, and red
Mediterranean soils cover the southern area and the northeastern coastal region. A
gray desert soil, often saline, is found in the southeast. The forest of northern Spain
has graybrown forest soils, and the forest in the Cantabrian Mountains has leached
podzolic soils.
The country also has many mineral resources, including hard and brown coal, small
petroleum and natural gas deposits, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar,
gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, and potash.
Spain Flora
Only a small part of Spain is forested, and forests are located mainly on mountain
slopes, particularly in the northwest. A common Spanish tree is the evergreen oak.
Cork oak, from which the bark may be stripped every ten years, is abundant, growing
chiefly as second growth on timbered land. Poplar trees are grown throughout the
country and the cultivation of olive trees is a major agricultural activity. Other
Spanish trees include the elm, beech, and chestnut. Shrubs and herbs are the common
natural vegetation on the central plateau. Grapevines flourish in the arid soil. Esparto
grass, used for making paper and various fiber products, grows abundantly in both the
wild and cultivated state. On the Mediterranean coast sugarcane, oranges, lemons,
figs, almonds, and chestnuts are grown.
Spain Fauna
The Spanish fauna includes the wolf, lynx, wildcat, fox, wild boar, wild goat, deer,
and hare. Among the more famous domesticated animals are the bulls bred near
Seville and Salamanca for bullfighting, the Spanish national sport. Birdlife is
abundant, with varieties of birds of prey. Insect life abounds. Mountain streams and
lakes teem with fish such as barbel, tench, and trout.
Spain and the Environment
Spain faces numerous environmental threats. Deforestation and the erosion and river
pollution that accompany it are major concerns. Other problems include the
encroachment of agriculture onto land designated as protected, desertification in
badly managed agricultural zones, and soil salinization in irrigated regions. Increased
use of nitrogen fertilizers has added to the problem of nitrates in rivers.
In April 1998, a serious toxic waste spill occurred as the result of a burst reservoir at
an iron ore mine in southern Spain. Attempts were made to divert the spillage from an
important wetland area toward the Guadalquivir River, which flows into the Atlantic
Ocean. It was estimated that the toxic mud from the spill threatened millions of birds
and other wildlife. The black toxic mud covered farms, fields, and orchards, causing
farmers to suffer enormous economic losses.
Lowland regions
The major lowland regions are the Andalusian Plain in the southwest, the Ebro Basin
in the northeast, and the coastal plains. The Andalusian Plain is essentially a wide
river valley through which the Río flows. The river broadens out along its course,
reaching its widest point at the Golfo de Cadiz. The Andalusian Plain is bounded on
the north by the Sierra Morena and on the south by the Sistema Penibético; it narrows
to an apex in the east where these two mountain chains meet. The Ebro Basin is
formed by the Río Ebro valley, contained by mountains on three sides—the Sistema
Ibérico to the south and west, the Pyrenees to the north and east, and their coastal
extensions paralleling the shore to the east. Minor lowlying river valleys close to the
Portuguese border are located on the Tagus and the Río Guadiana.
The Coastal Plains regions are narrow strips between the coastal mountains and the
seas. They are broadest along the Golfo de Cádiz, where the coastal plain adjoins the
Andalusian Plain, and along the southern and central eastern coasts. The narrowest
coastal plain runs along the Bay of Biscay, where the Cordillera Cantábrica ends
close to shore.
Climate
Continental climate
The locally generated tempered Continental Climate covers the majority of peninsular
Spain, influencing the Meseta Central, the adjoining mountains to the east and the
south, and the Ebro Basin. A Continental Climate is characterized by wide diurnal
and seasonal variations in temperature and by low, irregular rainfall with high rates of
evaporation that leave the land arid. Annual rainfall generally is 300 to 640 mm (11.8
to 25.2 in); most of the Meseta region receives about 500 mm (19.7 in). The northern
Meseta, the Central , and the Ebro have two rainy seasons, one in spring (AprilJune)
and the other in autumn (OctoberNovember ), with late spring being the wettest time
of the year. In the southern Meseta also, the wet seasons are spring and autumn, but
the spring one is earlier (March), and autumn is the wetter season. Even during the
wet seasons, rain is irregular and unreliable. Continental winters are cold at −1 °C
(30.2 °F), with strong winds and high humidity, despite the low precipitation. Except
for mountain areas, the northern foothills of the Sistema Iberico are the coldest area,
and frost is common. Summers are warm and cloudless, producing average daytime
temperatures that reach 21 °C (69.8 °F) in the northern Meseta and 24 °C (75.2 °F) to
27 °C (80.6 °F) in the southern Meseta; nighttime temperatures range from 7 °C
(44.6 °F) to 10 °C (50 °F). The Ebro Basin, at a lower altitude, is extremely hot
during the summer, and temperatures can exceed 40 °C (104 °F). Summer humidities
are low in the Meseta Central and in the Ebro Basin, except right along the shores of
the Río Ebro, where humidity is high.
Oceanic Climate
"Green Spain"
An Oceanic Climate prevails in the northern part of the country, often called “Green
Spain", from the Pyrenees to the northwest region, characterized by relatively mild
winters, warm but not hot summers, and generally abundant rainfall at 1,000 mm
(39.4 in) spread out over the year, with the driest month above 30 mm (1.2 in).
Temperatures vary only slightly, both on a diurnal and a seasonal basis, averages
range from 9 °C (48.2 °F) in January to 21 °C (69.8 °F) in July. The moderating
effects of the sea, however, abate in the inland areas, where temperatures are more
extreme than temperatures on the coast. Distance from the Atlantic Ocean also affects
precipitation, and there is less rainfall in the east than in the west. Autumn (October
through December) is the wettest season, while July is the driest month. The high
humidity and the prevailing offshore winds make fog and mist common along the
northwest coast, this phenomenon is less frequent a short distance inland, however,
because the mountains form a barrier keeping out the sea moisture.
Mediterranean climate
The Mediterrean Climate region roughly extends from the Andalusian Plain along the
southern and eastern coasts up to the Pyrenees, on the seaward side of the mountain
ranges that parallel the coast. Total rainfall in this region is concentrated mostly in
late autumnwinter and spring periods. The rain pattern is often irregular which make
drought periods likely. Temperatures in the Mediterranean region are higher in winter,
and diurnal temperature changes more limited, than those of the continental inland
region. Temperatures in January normally average 10 °C (50 °F) to 13 °C (55.4 °F) in
most of the Mediterranean region, getting cooler in the northeastern coastal area
north of Barcelona. In winter, temperatures inland in the Andalusian Plain are slightly
lower than those on the coasts. Temperatures in July and August average 22 °C
(71.6 °F) to 27 °C (80.6 °F) on the coast and 29 °C (84.2 °F) to 31 °C (87.8 °F) farther
inland, with high humidity. The Mediterranean region is marked by Leveche winds:
hot, dry, easterly or southeasterly air currents that originate over North Africa.
Episodes of these winds, which sometimes carry fine Saharan dust are more likely in
spring, associated to a sudden, usually shortlived, rise of the temperatures. A cooler
easterly wind, the Levante, funnels between the Sistema Penibetico and the Atlas
Mountains of North Africa. These easterly winds are the ones which most influence
the Mediterranean climate, for they are mild in temperature and humid.