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UNIDAD 2: SPAIN 2.1. SPANISH RELIEF Spain is a European country located between 36º and 43º north latitude. Spain is located on the Iberian peninsula and its territory also includes: the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic ocean and two autonomous cities in North Africa: Ceuta and Melilla. Spain's total surface area is 504,645 km2. It occupies around 80% of the Iberian peninsula. The Balearic Islands are 4,992 km2, while the Canary Islands are 7,447 km2. There are also a few smaller islands and territories including the two Spanish cities in North Africa : Ceuta , with 20 km2 and Melilla with 13 km2. 24% of Spain surface area is above 1000 m. and 76% between 500 and 1000 m. Spain has an average altitude of 660 metres. Only Switzerland, with an average altitude of 1,300 metres, is higher. The Meseta (a plateau) occupies about 40% of the country - 210,000 km2, and has an average altitude of 650 m. It is divided in two by the Sistema Central (Guadarrama and Gredos ranges), creating Old Castile to the north and New Castile to the south (nowadays called 'Castilla León' and 'Castilla La Mancha'). The northern 'submeseta' is the higher of the two at between 850-800m, while the southern 'submeseta lies between 500 and 700m high. Cantabrian Mountains The Cantabrian Mountains (Cordillera Cantábrica in Spanish) is a mountain range extending approximately 300 km across northern Spain. They run from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the borders of Galicia, limited by the valley of the river Miño, and several smaller rivers. They move nearly parallel to the coast of the Gulf of Biscay. Sistema Central The 'Sistema Central', sometimes described as the 'dorsal spine' of Spain, is a range of mountains splitting the Meseta Central into northern and southern regions. The 'Sistema Central' runs from east to west along the southern border of the Spanish autonomous community of 'Castilla y León' continuing into Portugal. It was formed more than 300 millions years ago The 'Sistema' can be divided into two major ranges divided by the Rio Alberche: the 'Sierra de Gredos' and the 'Sierra de Guadarrama'. Much of the range is made up of granite. The Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a range of mountains in northeast Spain that form a natural border between France and Spain. They separate the Iberian peninsula from the rest of continental Europe. It extends for about 430 km (267 miles) from the Gulf of Biscay to the Mediterranean sea.The Pyrenees are typically divided into three sections: the Atlantic (or Western), the Central, and the Eastern Pyrenees. The Central Pyrenees extend westward from the Aran Valley to the Somport pass, and they include the highest summits of this range: - Aneto: 3,404 metres (11,168 ft), - Posets: 3,375 metres (11,073 ft), - Monte Perdido 3,355 metres (11,007 ft). In the Western Pyrenees the average elevation gradually increases from the west to the east, from the Basque Mountains near the Gulf of Biscay of the Atlantic ocean. Baetic Mountains The Baetic 'Cordillera' is a mountain system in the southern and eastern part of Spain. Also known as the Baetic ranges or Baetic mountains, the Baetic 'Cordillera' is made up of multiple mountain ranges that reach from western Andalusia to Murcia, trending generally southwest-northeast. The 'Sierra Nevada' is part of the Baetic system. Sierra Morena The Sierra Morena is a mountain range which stretches for 400 km East-West across southern Spain, forming the border of the central plateau (Meseta central). It divides the valleys of the Guadiana to the north and the Guadalquivir to the south. The name is also applied to the highest point on Kings Mountains in Califirnia, in the U.S.A. 2.2. Rivers Of the roughly 1,800 rivers and streams in Spain, only the Tagus is more than 960 kilometers long; all but 90 extend less than 96 kilometers. These shorter rivers carry small volumes of water and they have seasonally dry river beds. However, when they flow, they are often torrential. Most major rivers rise in the mountains through the Meseta Central and flow westward across the plateau through Portugal to empty into the Atlantic ocean. One significant exception is the river with the most abundant flow in Spain, the Ebro, which flows eastward to the Mediterranean Sea. Rivers in the extreme northwest drain directly into the Atlantic Ocean. The northwestern coastline is also truncated by 'rias', waterbodies similar to fjords. The major river in the northwest region is the Miño. The major rivers flowing westward through the Meseta Central include the Duero, the Tagus, the Guadiana, and the Guadalquivir. The Guadalquivir is one of the most significant rivers in Spain because it irrigates a fertile valley, creating a rich agricultural area, and because it is navigable inland, making Seville the only inland river port in Spain. The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian peninsula. It measures 1,038 kilometers in length, 716 km of which are in Spain, 47 km as border between Portugal and Spain and the remaining 275 km in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of 80,100 km² (the second largest in the Iberian peninsula after the Duero). The Ebro is Spain's most voluminous river. Its source is in Fontibre (Cantabria). It flows through cities such as Logroño, Zaragoza, and Tortosa before discharging in a delta on the Mediterranean Sea in the province of Tarragona. The Duero is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in the province of Soria, across northerncentral Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto. Its total length is 897 km. of which only sections on the Portuguese river are navigable by light rivercraft. The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in Spain (after the Tagus, Ebro, Duero and Guadiana), and the longest in Andalusia. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers. It begins at Cañada de las Fuentes in the Cazorla mountain range (Jaén), passes through Cordoba and Seville and ends, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, flowing into the Gulf of Cádiz, in the Atlantic ocean. The marshy lowlands at the river's end are known as 'Las Marismas'. It borders Doñana National Park . The Guadalquivir river is the only great navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable up as far as Seville, but in Roman times it was navigable to Córdoba. 2.3. CLIMATE Due to Spain's geographical situation and orographic conditions, the climate is extremely diverse; discounting the mountain climate, it can be roughly divided into five areas: • A Continental Mediterranean Climate in the inland areas of the • • • • – Peninsula. A semiarid climate or arid Mediterranean in the southeast. A Mediterranean climate region extends from the Andalusian plain along the southern and eastern coasts up to the Pyrenees, on the seaward side of the mountain ranges that run near the coast. Also in Ceuta and Melilla. An Oceanic climate in Galicia and the coastal strip near the Cantabrian mountains. This area is often called 'green Spain' or 'wet Spain'. A Subtropical climate in the Canary Islands. Continental Mediterranean climate is a variant of Mediterranean climate in the interior of the Iberian peninsula, the interiors of the Anatolian peninsula, Sicily and the inland of Central Chile, due to the limited influence of the sea. It is a Mediterranean climate, but with some typical features of Continental like cold and dry winters and warm summers. The difference between average temperatures in winter and summer is 18.5ºC. In summer, temperatures are often above 30°C, and frosts are common in winter. Rainfall is very similar to Mediterranean climate: 400-600 mm, with peaks in autumn and spring. - A Semi-arid climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in). - A Mediterranean climate is the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin. It is also possible to find this climatic type in southern California, in parts of Western and South Australia, in southwestern South Africa, and in parts of central Chile. The climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. - An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate and British climate) is the climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of all the world's continents. - The term "subtropical" describes the climatic region found adjacent to the tropics, usually between 20 and 35 degrees latitude in both hemispheres, but occasionally found at slightly higher latitudes. Questions: 1. Fill in the gaps. 1. Spain is a European country located between ..............and 43º .................. latitude. 2. Spain is located on the ...................... peninsula. 3. Spain's total surface area is about .................... km2. 4. The Spanish cities and ......................... in North Africa are: ........................... 5. Spain has an average altitude of .................... metres 6. The 'Meseta' occupies ........................... of the country 7. Cantabrian Mountains run from the western limit of the .............. to the borders of .................... . 8. The 'Sistema Central' runs from ............... to .............. along the southern border of the Spanish autonomous community of 'Castilla y León'. 9. The Pyrenees are a range of mountains in northeast Spain that form a natural border between ................ and ................. . 10. The Baetic Cordillera is a mountain system in the ................... and eastern part of Spain. 2. Match the following words with their definitions: navigable river beds streams flow drain source – _____________________ : is the ground which a river flows over. – _____________________ : ths place where a river begins. – _____________________ : small rivers. – _____________________ : a river wide enough or deep enough for a boat to travel. – _____________________ : when rivers move continuously. – _____________________ : make a liquid, especially water, gradually flow out until there is move. 3. Find these words in the text about rivers and complete the sentences: navigable river beds irrigate source flow torrential empty drain – Some shorter rivers have seasonally dry __________ __________. – These shorter rivers sometimes carry big volumes of water and can become ________________. – Some rivers _____________ westward and others eastward. – In the past, the Guadalquivir was _______________ up to Cordoba. – The Tagus ______________ into Atlantic Ocean. – The _____________ of the Duero is near 'Duruelo de la Sierra' in Soria. – The Guadalquivir ___________ an area of about 58 000 sq. km. 4. Write down at least six words (nouns, verbs or adjectives) directly connected to climate and try to write one or two sentences using some of them. 5. Choose the correct answer: 1. The climate in Spain is: a) The same in all regions. b) Extremely diverse. c) Always cold in the north and hot in the south. 2. The subtropical climate is typically found in: a) The interior of the Iberian peninsula. b) Galicia. c) Tha Canary Islands. 3. The semiarid climate can be usually found in: a) In the Southeast. b) In Seville and Cadiz. c) In Madrid. 4. The continental Mediterranean climate is found: a) Only in Spain. b) In many countries in the Mediterranean. c) In the inland of some countries all over the world. 5. If you live in Cordoba you will not found: a) Oceanic climate. b) Semi-arid climate. c) Mediterranean climate.