Belarus / 13.01.2024

Landforms of Spain. Climate and topography of Spain. Geography of Spain: Geographical crossroads, favorable location

The location at the junction of Europe and Africa, the enclosed Mediterranean and the endless Atlantic has left an indelible mark on the entire appearance of Spain. In this country, at the same time you can admire the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean Sea and the evergreen meadows on the Atlantic coast; the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the almost inaccessible mountains of the Pyrenees - and the fertile plains of Andalusia, i.e. the landscape of one part of Spain is radically different from the other. This is the unprecedented beauty and uniqueness of the nature of this region.

Differences in the landscapes of individual areas Iberian Peninsula due to the isolation of its internal parts, with a continental climate, which creates different features of nature compared to coastal areas.

In addition, due to the significant height of the mountains and plateaus, the role of vertical climatic and landscape zonation is quite clearly manifested on the Iberian Peninsula.

But, despite these features and originality of the Iberian Peninsula, in terms of nature it is close to Southern Europe, belonging together with it to a single large Mediterranean geographical area, remarkable for the vivid expression of its typical landscapes.

The average surface height of Spain is 660 meters above sea level: the country is one of the most mountainous in Europe (after Switzerland). Most of the territory is occupied by a system of mountain ranges and high mountain plateaus (90% of the territory!).

Almost half of Spain's territory is occupied by Europe's largest plateau, the Meseta.

Their further continuation is high and powerful. In fact, the Cantabrian Mountains are a tectonic continuation of the most powerful mountain system in Spain - the Pyrenees. The Pyrenees are several parallel ridges stretching from west to east for 450 kilometers.

The Pyrenees Mountains separate Spain from France. More precisely, it is a mountain system that is located in Spain, France, and also in the Principality of Andorra. It stretches from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the most inaccessible part of Europe. The Spanish southern slope of the Pyrenees is a major international center for mountain tourism.

The average altitude of the Pyrenees is not very high(about 2,500 meters), but they only have a few conveniently located passes. All passes are at an altitude of 1,500-2,000 m. Therefore, only four railways go from Spain to France, two bypass the Pyrenees along the coast from the north-west and south-east, two more cross the Pyrenees in the Aerbe-Oloron-St. Marie and Ripoll Prade, through a tunnel system.

The main peak of the Pyrenees - Aneto peak – about 3,405 meters. The entire grandiose Iberian-Cantabrian mountain system is elongated in the latitudinal direction.

The most inaccessible part of Europe - the Pyrenees Mountains

The next major system of tertiary fold mountains is (Sistema Ibérico, or Celtiberian, Also Hesperides) - located along the northeastern edge of the Meseta. They stretch from the Cantabrian Mountains to the Mediterranean coast (north of Valencia).

The length of the mountains is from 450 to 500 km, width up to 250 km. The Iberian system is the largest mountain range in the country in terms of uplift area. It occupies over 40 thousand square meters. km.

Highest point - Mount Moncayo (2316 m).

Many major Spanish rivers originate in the Iberian Mountains - Duero, Tajo, right tributaries Ebro, Jucar, Guadalavyar (Turia).

Iberian mountains give rise to many rivers flowing in both Spain and Portugal

On the island part of Spain - in the Canary Islands - there is the Teide volcano

Lowlands

The remaining (from the mountains and plateaus) about 11% of the territory of Spain is occupied by plains and lowlands.

The largest lowland in Spain is Andalusian(Depresión Bética), about 300 km long, is located in the south of Spain, at the southern edge of the Meseta, on the site of a foothill trough. In origin, it is a former sea bay filled with Cenozoic marine and river sediments. One of the main rivers of Spain, the Guadalquivir, flows through the lowlands.

The Andalusian lowlands are an agricultural region where the world famous wines of Malaga, Jerez and Montilla Moriles are produced.

Also on the Mediterranean coast there are narrow strips, small in area, Murcia And Valencian lowlands - The Valencian Lowland lies at the southeastern edge of the Iberian Mountains system, which descends to the sea, and to the south, between capes Nao, Palos and Gata, wide open bays with a narrow strip of the Murcian Lowland (lying at the southeastern foot of the Beta Mountains) are cut into the coast.

In the north-east of Spain, in the valley of the Ebro River, there is a large Aragonese plain. It is located at a slightly higher altitude than the lowlands.

The height of the plain is about 250 m, near the mountains - up to 500-700 m (located between the Iberian, Pyrenees and Catalan mountains). Length - 300 km, width - up to 120 km. The surface of the plain is hilly, it itself has a triangular shape and stretches, expanding, from the northwest to the southeast.

Rivers

One of the main rivers of Spain (the only navigable one in the lower reaches) flows through the Andalusian lowland - (length 657 km). The river is polluted by sewage and is used for irrigation and electricity generation.

Navigable Guadalquivir River

The remaining rivers are characterized by sharp seasonal level fluctuations and rapid flows. The longest river peninsula- Her total length - 1,038 km, in Spain its length 716 km, on the border of Spain and Portugal - 47 km.

The longest river of the Iberian Peninsula is the Tagus

Mila Baskova, especially for

Introduction

Spain (Spanish) Spain), officially - the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish and Galician. Reino de España, cat. Regne d "Espanya, Basque. Espainiako Erresuma, Ox. Reialme d "Espanha, Astur. Reinu d "España) - a state in southwestern Europe. Occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula, the country's name comes from the Phoenician expression “i-spanim” - “coast of rabbits”.

Borders with:

Portugal in the west of the Iberian Peninsula;

British possession of Gibraltar in the south of the Iberian Peninsula;

Morocco in northern Africa (enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla);

France and Andorra in the north.

Spain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south and east.

1. Physiographic characteristics

1.1. Relief

The relief of Spain is very diverse. The center of the country is located 300 kilometers from the sea. The dominant role in the relief is played by systems of mountain ranges and high-mountain plateaus.

Plateaus and mountains make up about 90 percent of its territory. Almost half of the country's surface is occupied by a vast high plateau, the largest in Europe - with an average height of 660 meters Meseta. It is distinguished by alternating plateaus, folded-block ridges and mountain basins. The Cordillera Central divides the Meseta into two parts: northern and southern.

In the north, Meseta is bordered by the powerful Cantabrian Mountains, which stretch along the coast of the Bay of Biscay for 600 kilometers, isolating the interior from the influence of the sea. In their central part there is the Picos de Europa massif (from Spanish - Peaks of Europe) with heights of up to 2648 m. These alpine-type mountains are composed mainly of deposits of the Carboniferous period - limestones, quartzites, sandstones. The Cantabrian Mountains are an orographic and tectonic continuation of the most powerful mountain system in Spain - the Pyrenees.

The Pyrenees are several parallel ridges stretching from west to east for 450 kilometers. This is one of the most inaccessible mountainous countries in Europe. Although their average height is not very high (just over 2500 meters), they have only a few conveniently located passes. All passes are at an altitude of 1500-2000 m. Therefore, only four railways go from Spain to France: two of them bypass the Pyrenees along the coast from the northwest and southeast, and two more railways cross the Pyrenees in the sections Aerbe - Oloron - Sainte-Marie and Ripoll - Prades, through a tunnel system. The widest and highest part of the mountains is the central one. Here is their main peak - Aneto Peak, reaching 3405 meters.

From the northeast, the Meseta is adjacent to the Iberian Mountains system, the maximum height (Mont Cayo peak) is 2313 meters.

Between the eastern Pyrenees and the Iberian Mountains stretch the low Catalan Mountains, the southern slopes of which drop off into the Mediterranean Sea. The Catalan Mountains (average heights 900-1200 meters, peak - Mount Caro, 1447 meters) run for 400 kilometers almost parallel to the Mediterranean coast and actually separate the Aragonese plateau from it. The areas of coastal plains developed in Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia north of Cape Palos to the French border are highly fertile.

The entire southeast of the Iberian Peninsula is occupied by the Cordillera Betica, which is a system of massifs and ridges. Its crystalline axis is the Sierra Nevada mountains. In height they are second only to the Alps in Europe. Their peak, Mount Mulacén, reaching 3,478 meters, is the highest point in peninsular Spain. However, the highest mountain peak in Spain is located on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) - the Teide volcano, whose height reaches 3718 meters.

Most of Spain's territory is located at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level. It is the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland.

The only large lowland - the Andalusian - is located in the south of the country. In the northeast of Spain in the river valley. The Ebro is the Aragonese plain. Smaller lowlands stretch along the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main rivers of Spain (and the only navigable one in the lower reaches) flows through the Andalusian lowland - the Guadalquivir. The remaining rivers, including the largest: Tagus and Duero, the lower reaches of which are located in neighboring Portugal, Ebro, Guadiana, are distinguished by sharp seasonal fluctuations in level and rapids.

Large areas of the country suffer from water shortages. Related to this is the problem of erosion - millions of tons of topsoil are blown away every year.

The capital of Spain, Madrid, is located in the geographical center of the country and is the highest capital in Europe.

There are more than two thousand beaches on the coast of Spain: Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Assar, Costa de Almeria, Costa Blanca, Mar Menor, Costa del Sol, Costa de la Luz, Rias -Bajas, Rias Altas, Costa Cantabric, Canary and Balearic Islands.

1.2. Climate

Spain is one of the warmest countries in Western Europe. The average number of sunny days is 260-285. The average annual temperature on the Mediterranean coast is 20 degrees Celsius. In winter, temperatures usually drop below zero only in the central and northern regions of the country. In summer, temperatures rise to 40 degrees and above (from the central part to the southern coast). On the northern coast the temperature is not so high - about 25 degrees Celsius. Spain is characterized by very deep internal climatic differences, and it can only conditionally be entirely attributed to the Mediterranean climatic region. These differences are manifested both in temperature and in annual amounts and precipitation patterns. On extreme northwest The climate is mild and humid with little temperature variation throughout the year and high rainfall. Constant winds from the Atlantic bring a lot of moisture, mainly in winter, when foggy and cloudy weather prevails with drizzling rain, almost without frost and snow. The average temperature of the coldest month is the same as in northwestern France. Summers are hot and humid, with average temperatures rarely exceeding 16 degrees Celsius. Annual precipitation exceeds 1070 mm, and in some places reaches 2000 mm. Completely different conditions in internal parts countries - on the plateau of Old and New Castile and the Aragonese plain. These areas are influenced by the plateau-basin topography, significant altitude and local continental air. They are characterized by relatively low precipitation (no more than 500 mm per year) and sharp temperature fluctuations between seasons. In Old Castile and the Aragonese plain there are quite cold winters with frosts and strong, sharp winds; Summers are hot and fairly dry, although maximum precipitation occurs during this season of the year. Nueva Castile has a slightly milder climate, with warmer winters but also low rainfall. Agriculture in all these areas requires artificial irrigation.

1.3. Minerals

The subsoil of Spain is replete with minerals. Particularly significant are the reserves of metal ores, the deposits of which are associated with the outcrops of the folded base of the Meseta or with volcanic rocks of mountain structures. Along the northwestern edge of the Meseta, within the Gallic massif, there are tin, tungsten and uranium ores in Caledonian and Proterozoic granite intrusions. A strip of lead-zinc-silver deposits stretches along the southern outskirts of Meseta. There is also a large deposit of mercury of global importance - Almaden. Iron ores are found in the north and south of Spain. They are confined to the structures of the Mesozoic and Alpine magmatic cycles. These are well-known deposits in the Bilbao region on the northern slope of the Biscay Mountains and in Almeria on the southern slope of the Beta Cordillera. In the north, in the Carboniferous sediments that fill the foothill depression of the Asturian Mountains, there is the largest coal basin in the country. In addition, there are small deposits of coal on the southern slope of the mountains and in some other areas. The Cenozoic sediments of intermountain and intramountain depressions contain strata of salts and brown coal. Significant reserves of potassium salts are located within the Ebro Plain. It is worth noting, however, that most of the mineral deposits in the country are very modest in size and are quite depleted, like many deposits in other European regions, which makes Spain dependent on the export of minerals, mainly from North Africa.

2. Economy

Today's Spain- a highly developed country. In terms of total industrial production in 1995, the country ranked tenth in the world and fifth in Western Europe. GNP per capita is $14,000 (1999). Major advances have been achieved in recent decades. After World War II, Spain was isolated. The US did not provide economic assistance to the country (under the Marshall Plan) and Spain began to develop a closed, self-sufficient economy. This entailed a high degree of state intervention in market relations and an increase in the share of state ownership.

In the early 1960s, a stabilization plan was adopted, later known as the "Spanish miracle". In 1960-1974. economic performance grew at an average annual rate of 6.6%, which was higher than any other country in the world (except Japan). The discovery played a major role Spain as a world resort center.

In 1959-1974. more than 3 million Spaniards left the country in search of work in order to send the money they earned to their homeland. The energy crisis of 1973 hit Spain, due to its dependence on other countries very much, unemployment rose to 21% in 1975. But in the 1980s. Economic growth began again in Spain. Although growth figures were lower than those of the 1960s, they were still the highest in Western Europe. But now the growth in production was accompanied by inflation and high unemployment (up to 22% of the working population).

In the 1990s. the country has become one of the leaders of the EU (although it is still a recipient, that is, it receives subsidies to support agriculture and some areas from pan-European funds).

Companies from the USA, France, Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland occupy strong positions in the country's economy. They own more than 50 percent of mechanical engineering and metallurgy enterprises. About 40% of the share capital falls on the share of the 8 largest Spanish financial, industrial and banking groups (Marchey, Fierro, Urquijo, Garrigues, Ruiz-Mateos, etc.).

In 2004, Spanish exports amounted to over 135 billion euros, imports - about 190 billion euros. The main partners in foreign trade are the EU countries, the USA, and Latin America.

Major ports: Bilbao, Barcelona; oil - Algeciras, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tarragona, coal - Gijon. Spain is one of the largest centers of international tourism (62 million hours in 1997, 95% of tourists are from EU countries; the main tourist centers are Madrid and Barcelona), as well as resorts - Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol. In 2004, 53.6 million foreign tourists visited Spain (2nd place in the world). Industry revenues in 2004 were about 35 billion euros. More than 65% of tourists are from EU countries. 1.3 million people are employed in this area.

Distinctive industry- procurement and export of cork bark.

The Spanish banking system is one of the most stable in Europe. Among its distinctive features are the following: a high degree of concentration of banking capital along with a small number of credit institutions (395), a significant level of foreign exchange reserves (13.9 billion euros), an extensive network of branches of private banks and state savings banks. The dominant role is played by national banks with 100% Spanish capital. The leader in the value of market assets is the financial group Banco Santander Central Hispano, which was formed in 1999 as a result of the merger of two large banks.

GDP - 798.67 billion € (2004). Its growth was 2.6%.

2.1. Mining industry

The oldest industry is mining. Spain, rich in minerals, is one of the world leaders in the production of mercury (about 1.5 thousand tons per year; the main center is Almaden) and pyrites (about 3 million tons per year; mainly in the Huelva region); in Europe it is distinguished by the mining of polymetallic and uranium ores and silver. Iron (1.4 million tons in 1996; provinces of Vizcaya, Santander, Lugo, Oviedo, Granada, Murcia), lead-zinc, tungsten copper, titanium ores, quartz, gold, potassium salts, etc. are mined. Oil and gas are imported. Annual oil production is about 30 million tons, and covers less than 10 percent of needs. Spain ranks ninth in the world and first among EU countries in the extraction of metal-containing raw materials. In terms of energy resources it ranks 40th in the world.

2.2. Mechanical engineering

Among the branches of mechanical engineering, shipbuilding stands out (old centers are located in the north of the country: Bilbao, Gijon, Santander; new ones are in the northwest: El Ferrol, Vigo, in the east: Cartagena, Valencia, Barcelona, and in the south: Seville, Cadiz) automotive industry (production of automobiles, including the Seat of the Volkswagen concern 2.2 million in 1996; centers: Barcelona, Madrid, Valladolid, Vitoria, Pamlona, Vigo) and the electrical industry. The production of equipment for the chemical, light, food and building materials industries has also been developed.

In Spain, the distance from north to south does not exceed 870 km, from east to west - 1000 km, and the length of the coastline is 2100 km (including about 1130 km in the Mediterranean Sea and 970 km in the Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Biscay) . From the border with France west to Cape Ortegal, the Cantabrian Mountains stretch along the seashore; there are several fairly large bays in which ports are located. South of Cape Ortegal, spurs of the mountains approach the sea, forming a coast indented by deep bays with steep cliffs and numerous islands. The fishing ports of La Coruña and Vigo are located in this area. In the southwest, from the border with Portugal to the Strait of Gibraltar, the coast is low and swampy in places; the only convenient port here is Cadiz. East of Gibraltar to Cape Palos, the foothills of the Cordillera-Penibetics come close to the Mediterranean Sea; there are no coastal plains. But to the north of Cape Palos, coastal plains are fragmentarily developed, separated by mountain spurs. The main ports in the area are Cartagena, Valencia and Barcelona.

Spain is a massive, elevated plateau of the Meseta, composed predominantly of ancient crystalline rocks combined with alpine mountains formed during the Paleogene and Neogene. Among the rocks that make up the Meseta, Precambrian crystalline schists and gneisses with numerous granite intrusions stand out. During the era of the Hercynian orogeny, the Meseta experienced a general tectonic uplift and then underwent folding processes and disjunctive dislocations. During subsequent denudation, it was leveled to the level of a flat plain, and in the Paleogene and Neogene it was covered with sedimentary rocks. About 1 million years ago, the Meseta was again raised to a level of 600 m and acquired a general slope from northeast to southwest. That is why such large rivers as the Duero, Tagus and Guadiana flow in this direction through the territory of the Meseta to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Meseta occupies approx. 2/3 of the territory of Spain and is bordered by high mountains. In addition, in its central regions there rise the large horst ranges of the Cordillera Central (including the Sierra de Guadarrama with Peñalara, 2430 m, and the Sierra de Gredos with Almanzor, 2592 m). These mountains are separated by the Old and New Castile plateaus, drained respectively by the Duero and Tagus rivers. The plateaus are composed of sedimentary rocks and alluvial deposits and are characterized by an extremely flat and monotonous topography. Only in some places there are table remains of an oblong shape - fragments of ancient river terraces.

To the south of New Castile rise the Toledo Mountains (the highest point is Mount Corocho de Rosigaldo, 1447 m), also of horst origin. To the south are the plateaus of Extremadura and La Mancha, which are part of the Meseta. The southernmost edge of the Meseta Sierra Morena rises to heights of about 900 m (the highest point is Mount Estrella, 1299 m). The Sierra Morena drops steeply to the vast Andalusian lowland, drained by the Guadalquivir River. In the Tertiary period, marine transgressions spread in this area and sedimentary rocks were deposited, and in the Quaternary period alluvial strata accumulated, so the soils are characterized by very high fertility. The Guadalquivir River flows into the Gulf of Cadiz; Not far from its mouth is the vast wetland of the Doñana National Park.

In the southeast of Spain stretch the folded mountains of the Cordillera Penibetica with the country's highest peak, Mount Mulacén (3482 m), crowned with snowfields and glaciers, which occupy the southernmost position in Western Europe.

The Iberian mountains separate the Meseta from the Aragonese plateau, drained by the Ebro River, and have an arcuate shape in plan. In some places they exceed 2100 m (up to 2313 m in the Sierra del Moncayo). The Ebro River originates in the Cantabrian Mountains, flows to the southeast and cuts through the chain of the Catalan Mountains before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. In some places its bed is at the bottom of deep, almost impassable canyons. The waters of the Ebro are intensively used for irrigation, without which farming on the adjacent plains would be impossible.

The low Catalan Mountains (average heights 900–1200 m, peak – Mount Caro, 1447 m) run for 400 km almost parallel to the Mediterranean coast and actually separate the Aragonese plateau from it. The areas of coastal plains developed in Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia north of Cape Palos to the French border are highly fertile.

From the north, the Aragonese plateau is bordered by the Pyrenees. They stretch for almost 400 km from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Biscay and form a powerful insurmountable barrier between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. These folded mountains, formed during the Tertiary period, exceed 3000 m in places; the highest peak is Aneto Peak (3404 m). The western continuation of the Pyrenees are the Cantabrian Mountains, which also have a sublatitudinal extension. The highest point is Mount Pena Prieta (2536 m). These mountains were formed as a result of intense folding, broken by faults and severely dissected under the influence of river erosion.

More than 65% of the territory of Spain is located above 500 m (including more than 25% above 1000 m). The highest altitude is 3478 m (Mount Mulacen in the Sierra Nevada range). The general plan of the surface structure corresponds to the main tectonic structures: the northwestern, western and central parts of the country are occupied by plateaus and mid-altitude ridges and plateaus formed on the site of the Epihercynian platform; the northern, eastern and southern outskirts are represented by folded mountains and accumulative plains of foothill troughs. Plateaus and plateaus are widespread (the main one is Meseta) with an altitude of 800-1000 m in the north-west. (in Old Castile) and 500-600 m in the south-east. (in New Castile), above the surfaces of which rise island mountain ranges of remnant or blocky origin. Between the plateau of Old and New Castile from the south-west. to the north-east stretches a system of en echelon folded-block and blocky flat-topped steep-sided ridges of the Central Cordillera. To the north-west The country is located in the Galician massif and the Leon Mountains, strongly dissected by faults with deep river valleys embedded in them. The Cantabrian Mountains stretch along the Bay of Biscay, passing in the east into a powerful system of weakly dissected Pyrenees Mountains (height up to 3404 m, Aneto Peak) with mountain-glacial relief. From the south, the Pyrenees are limited by the narrow Aragonese plain with the river. Ebro, south of which are the Iberian Mountains. On the north-east country, between the Pyrenees and the lower reaches of the river. Ebro, stretches the Catalan Mountains, strongly dissected by river valleys. Yu. and Yu.-V. occupied by the Andalusian mountains with a number of ranges (Sierra Nevada, etc.), between which there are numerous intramountain basins. S.-W. The country is occupied by the alluvial Andalusian lowland - the most extensive in India, with hilly relief in the northern and eastern parts near the mountains and weakly dissected near the Gulf of Cadiz.

The relief of Spain is very diverse. The center of the country is located 300 kilometers from the sea. The dominant role in the relief is played by systems of mountain ranges and high plateaus.

Plateaus and mountains make up about 90 percent of its territory. Almost half of the country's surface is occupied by the vast Meseta plateau, the highest in Europe - with an average height of 660 meters. It is distinguished by alternating plateaus, folded-block ridges and mountain basins. The Cordillera Central divides the Meseta into two parts: northern and southern.

The Pyrenees are several parallel ridges stretching from west to east for 450 kilometers. This is one of the most inaccessible mountainous countries in Europe. Although their average height is not very high (just over 2500 meters), they have only a few conveniently located passes. All passes are at an altitude of 1500-2000 m. Therefore, only four railways go from Spain to France: two of them bypass the Pyrenees along the coast from the northwest and southeast, and two more railways cross the Pyrenees in the Aerbe sections - Oloron-Sainte-Marie and Ripoll - Prades, through a tunnel system. The widest and highest part of the mountains is the central one. Here is their main peak - Aneto Peak, reaching 3405 meters.

The Iberian Mountains system adjoins the Meseta from the northeast, the maximum height (Mont Cayo peak) is 2313 meters.

Between the eastern Pyrenees and the Iberian Mountains stretch the low Catalan Mountains, the southern slopes of which drop off into the Mediterranean Sea. The Catalan Mountains (average heights 900-1200 meters, peak Mount Caro, 1447 meters) run for 400 kilometers almost parallel to the Mediterranean coast and actually separate the Aragonese Plateau from it. The coastal plain areas developed in Murcia, Valencia and Catalonia north of Cape Palos to the French border are highly fertile.

Most of Spain's territory is located at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level. It is the second highest country in Europe after Switzerland.

The only large lowland - the Andalusian - is located in the south of the country. In the northeast of Spain in the river valley. The Ebro is the Aragonese plain. Smaller lowlands stretch along the Mediterranean Sea. One of the main rivers of Spain (and the only navigable one in the lower reaches) flows through the Andalusian lowland - the Guadalquivir. The remaining rivers, including the largest: Tagus and Duero, the lower reaches of which are located in neighboring Portugal, Ebro, Guadiana, are characterized by sharp seasonal fluctuations in level and rapid flow.

Large areas of the country suffer from water shortages. Related to this is the problem of erosion - millions of tons of topsoil are blown away every year.

Spain has never been a world leader in terms of natural resources. Due to the specifics of economic development (after all, Spain was predominantly an agricultural country), most of the land was given over to pastures and arable land. Spain imports most of its raw materials and mineral reserves from richer countries (oil and gas mainly from the Gulf countries; coal from neighboring France). However, in some areas of the country (mainly in the southwest and east) mining is still developed. Coal, iron ore, lead, copper and mercury are the country's most important mineral resources, with developed deposits located on the northern Atlantic coast. A small number of mines produce: uranium, mercury, pyrite, fluorite, gypsum, zinc, tungsten, kaolin, potash.

Spain is also a world leader in the production of mercury and zinc ore. Deposits of lead-zinc ores are concentrated in the Sierra Morena mountains in Galicia. Huge reserves of uranium ores are located in the provinces of Salamanca and Cordoba. Mercury reserves are concentrated in the river valley. Baldeazaga, in the Almaden area.

Due to the mountainous terrain and elevation changes, the rivers Ebro, Duero, Miño and its tributaries Sol, and the Tagus are also used to generate hydroelectric power.

An almost exhaustive overview of the general features of the geography of Spain, its climate and geographical areas separately according to Spanish sources.

We thank the Spanish Embassy in Moscow for the material provided - the publication translated by the embassy - “Geography of Spain”, on which this review was prepared.

Contrasts of Spanish geography: Sierra Nevada Mountains (translated as “snow-capped mountains”) in Andalusia (view of the municipality of Salobreña).

In the Sierra Nevada mountains, low rainfall is not accompanied by mild winter temperatures and the absence of frost, which is typical for the typical climate of the southern and eastern Mediterranean of Spain, but on the contrary - there are often frosts and low temperatures, especially in winter.

Despite the fact that the warm, fertile region of Spain Andalusia is located very close, and here, under the cover of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the southern part of the Mediterranean coast even acquires the characteristics of a tropical climate, which allows the cultivation of sugar cane, pineapples and bananas.

In the foreground we see dolphins splashing in the Mediterranean Sea.

Spain, covering an area of 505,990 square kilometers, is one of the 50 largest countries in the world by area. On the European continent, Spain ranks third in this indicator after the Commonwealth of Independent States (former USSR) and France.

Geography of Spain: Geographical crossroads, favorable location

The area occupied by Spain makes up most of the Iberian Peninsula: 505,990 square meters. km out of 580.825 sq. km (the rest of the territory belongs to Portugal). In addition, 4,992 sq. m should be added here. km area of the Balearic Islands, located east of the Iberian Peninsula and 7.447 sq. km area of the Canary Islands, lying more than a thousand kilometers from the center of the peninsula off the African coast - the route to America runs through this archipelago in the central Atlantic. It is also worth mentioning several more small islands and adding two Spanish cities located in northern Africa: Ceuta, whose area is 20 square meters. km, and Melilla, with an area of 12 sq. km.

Europe is often spoken of as the “Asian Cape”, as the westernmost tip of the Ancient World - Eurasia. In this case, the Iberian Peninsula is the most western and southern point of this Asian cape. In addition, the Iberian Peninsula, along with other peninsulas located to the east, where Italy and Greece are located, as well as Turkey, which lies even further to the east, where the border with Asia passes, forms the southern flank of the European continent, the length of which from east to west exceeds 3 thousand kilometers. This southern flank of Europe, whose border runs along the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and rises above the northern part of Africa, where the Sahara Desert is located, was the scene of major historical events in the Western world during the period when its territory was occupied by the Roman Empire, and the Mediterranean Sea itself was called Mare Nostrum.

According to its geographical location, the Iberian Peninsula is the furthest in Europe from Asia and closest (at a distance of only 14 kilometers) to Africa and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, through which lies the route to the American continent, which gives the Iberian Peninsula special strategic importance. This explains the fact that the Iberian Peninsula and Spain in particular have become the most important crossroads of historical events in the development of world history, the meeting place of Europe and Africa, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

Thus, by its geography, Spain is part of the peninsular lands of southern Europe and, in particular, the Mediterranean world - a region where mountain ranges ringed an inland sea, on the peninsulas and islands of which the mixing and interpenetration of European influences took place in close contact for thousands of years , Asia and Africa.

At the same time, the location of the Iberian Peninsula on the southwestern tip of Europe determines its distance from the important sea routes of the North Atlantic, which through the North Sea connect Europe with the east coast of the United States, and, especially, from the large transport artery that connects the North Atlantic along the Rhine River. Atlantic and USA with the Central Mediterranean.

Geography of Spain: Spain - a continent full of contrasts in miniature

In the Mediterranean world, the geography of Spain is somewhat specific. The Iberian Peninsula is larger in size than all the others; for example, its area is 40% larger than the area of the Apennine Peninsula, where Italy is located. With its compact and solid form, according to the Greek historian and geographer Strabo, written more than two thousand years ago, it resembles the stretched skin of a bull.

The configuration of the territory of the Iberian Peninsula is like a large pentagon, the center of which is Madrid, located at a distance of 530 km from the outskirts, separating the capital from Cape Tarifa (Cadiz) in the south, up to 590 km between the capital and Finisterre (La Coruña) northwest. The correctness of this geometric figure is especially noticeable when we consider that the coastline is nowhere more than 120 kilometers from the corresponding side of the superimposed imaginary; the average distance from the center of the peninsula to the sea always exceeds 300 km, while in Great Britain it barely reaches 50 km, and in Italy - 100 km.

The length of the Spanish coast is large and amounts to 4,830 km on the peninsula, 1.428 km in the Balearic Islands 1- 583 km in the Canary Islands; it is washed by the waters of two quite different water areas - the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas. This circumstance contributed to the fact that since time immemorial, the inhabitants of the peninsula have had a craving for navigation. However, at the same time, the long distance separating the coast from a large part of the interior of the peninsula, as well as the difficult terrain, created obstacles to this desire to conquer the seas. In turn, the lack of deep waterways leading to the coast is another, additional difficulty for navigation, since the tidal mouth of the Tagus River, the main water basin of the peninsula, barely reaches 50 kilometers in length, and the Gulf of Valencia, the main sea bay of the Mediterranean coast of the peninsula, is a large but slightly concave arc.

As a result of the peculiarities of the geography of Spain, the territory of the peninsula is dense and compact, and the limited influence of the seas washing it creates here a pronounced continental climate with relative isolation, different from the characteristic conditions of oceanic penetration to which the rest of Europe is subject. Thus, we have the right to speak of the Iberian Peninsula and, in particular, of Spain, as a “continent in miniature”, where variety and variety are the main factors characterizing this territory and the people who live on it.

The above factors of Spain's geography reduce the possibility of Spain connecting with the rest of the world, especially with Europe. At the same time, they limit the ability to benefit more from its geographic location as a major global crossroads.

The picture is aggravated by the impassability of the isthmus that connects Spain with the rest of Europe, because this makes Spain much less accessible than countries located on other large peninsulas of Europe: in the Apennines or in the Balkans. The length of the Iberian Isthmus 440 kilometers and is a mountain range - the Pyrenees Mountains, the height of which is on average 2,000 meters, and the highest point, the Aneto peak, located in their central part, reaches 3,404 meters. With a maximum width of 150 kilometers in the central and highest parts, the Pyrenees are difficult to cross, except on its eastern and western edges. All this further strengthens, as a factor in the geography of Spain, the nature of the isolation and isolation of the Iberian Peninsula compared to the rest of the peninsulas of the European Mediterranean.

The European “Finis Terrae” (end of the Earth), the “Non plus Ultra” (last frontier) of the Ancient World, a large transcontinental and interoceanic crossroads, isolation and isolation, a continent in miniature - these are the characteristics that undoubtedly determine the special position of Spain as a composite parts of Europe, and indirectly bring it closer to Lesser Africa and the territories of the Middle East. These features will become more clear if we add to them other characteristic features of the Spanish relief, in particular, the increased average altitude above sea level, as well as the predominance of mountain ranges on the periphery, almost on the coast.

Features of the geography of Spain: High altitude and contrasting relief

Table: Surface height of the Iberian Peninsula:

Territories of the Iberian Peninsula by altitude.

Source: National Geographical Institute of Spain.

The average altitude in Spain is 660 meters, which is significantly higher than the European average. It is surpassed only by Switzerland, where the altitude above sea level reaches 1300 meters. At the same time, in France, whose territory includes a significant part of the Alps and Pyrenees, this figure is only 342 meters. And in countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany it does not exceed 200 meters at all.

The high altitude is due to the predominant presence of lands located at an altitude of 600 to 1200 meters, which occupy 47% of the country's area. In contrast, plains, the height of which does not exceed 200 meters, occupy only 11% of the territory, and mountainous areas, the height of which exceeds 2500 meters, do not account for 1% of the area. It is noteworthy that in Europe, plains, no more than 200 meters high, make up two-thirds of the territory, and highlands, over 1000 meters above sea level, occupy little more than 10% of the entire territory.

The distribution of these hypometric areas also demonstrates difference and originality. In the rest of the European continent, the main element of its territory - a large central plain stretches from west to east, from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to Siberia, shifting all other relief formations to the outskirts. And on the Iberian Peninsula, the main mountain ranges are located in close proximity to the coast: the Pyrenees Mountains, forming the isthmus, are at its northeastern tip; Cordillera Betica - on the southern edge; The Cantabrian and Galician mountains are in the west and north.

Features of the geography of Spain: The Meseta Plateau is the core of the peninsula

Physical map of Spain.

The structure of the Iberian Peninsula is sometimes compared to a huge natural fortress, where the Meseta plateau serves as a large armory, crowned with a vassal oath tower, the role of which is performed by the Central System, and surrounded, like a fortress wall, by the massifs of the Galician and Cantabrian mountains (i.e. Cordillera Cantabric ), the Iberian mountain system and the Sierra Morena mountains.

The difficult passage of the isthmus that connects Spain with the rest of Europe makes Spain much less accessible than countries located on other large peninsulas of Europe: the Apennines or the Balkans. The Iberian Isthmus is 440 kilometers long and consists of a mountain range - the Pyrenees Mountains.

Thus, as a result of the peculiarities of the geography of Spain, the territory of the peninsula is dense and compact, and the limited influence of the seas washing it creates in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula a pronounced continental climate with relative isolation, different from the characteristic conditions of ocean penetration to which the rest of Europe is subject.

So, in the center of the map we see the Meseta plateau.

Surrounded by a ring of mountains, this plateau only in its southwestern part, in the region of Extremadura, has a free descent to the sea - to the Atlantic Ocean through the Portuguese province of Alentejo. After the anti-Islamic resistance descended from the Peaks of Europe - the top of the Cantabrian Mountains (Cordillera Cantabric), 2.615 meters high, to their southern foot, already located on the Meseta; it covered Asturias and Cantabria and moved first to Leon - to the western part of the northern plateau, and then to the northeastern part of Castile, through a passage created by nature to connect the Meseta with the Basque Country and the upper reaches of the Ebro.

It was there that the Castilian kingdom arose, the basis of which was the territory of the Meseta, which subsequently gradually spread to other historical regions, after which the Spain we know arose.

The difference in the climatic conditions of Meseta is based on the continentality of this part of the Iberian Peninsula due to the isolation of Meseta and the Ebro River valley.

But, for example, in Andalusia, in the highlands surrounding the city of Granada, the climatic conditions of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains (the Cordillera Betica mountain system) are more reminiscent of the cold winter southern part of the Meseta and differ from the Mediterranean climate of the Guadalquivir River valley located a stone's throw away, where the most Europe's high summer temperatures and mild winters.

In general, climatically there are two Spains: arid Spain, and wet Spain.

Wet Spain mainly includes the entire western and northern territory, together with Galicia, northern Portugal, as well as areas adjacent to the Bay of Biscay and the Pyrenees Mountains. In addition, humid Spain includes mountainous areas, especially open and west-oriented ones, as well as areas exposed to the influence of the Atlantic, such as the Gulf of Cadiz and its orographic (i.e. mountainous) front.

In turn, dry Spain occupies almost three-quarters of the country's territory. This is the zone of the Mediterranean climate dominant on the Iberian Peninsula, which, however, is divided into two options: the Mediterranean proper (the entire coast washed by the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the entire south of Spain - Andalusia) and continental (in the center of the country) - in a smaller part of the territory of dry Spain .

Landforms of Spain. Climate and topography of Spain. Geography of Spain: Geographical crossroads, favorable location