Spain's Natural Environment
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BEXT 0S1CSLA.06 11/3/11 13:43 Página 85 Spain’s natural environment KEY WORDS In this unit you will learn the answers to these questions: relief: the differences between the high Where is Spain? What territories does it consist of? and low areas of a section of land What is the geographical relief of Spain? landscape: the physical elements of the land Where do Spain’s rivers flow? climate: the typical weather conditions What are the main features of Spain’s landscape and climate? of an area What natural hazards are there in Spain? natural hazards: risks or dangers such as floods or earthquakes which What environmental problems are there in Spain and how can occur naturally we solve them? environmental: relating to the area and conditions in which Before you start, check you understand the meaning people, animals and plants live of the words in blue. (the ‘environment’) 85 BEXT 0S1CSLA.06 11/3/11 13:43 Página 86 KEY WORDS 1 Location, relief and rivers peninsula: an area of land almost surrounded by water 1.1. Geographical location hemisphere: one of the halves into which the Earth is divided Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands (in the Mediterranean), the Canary Islands (in the Atlantic), Ceuta and Melilla (on the north coast of Africa). Location: Northern hemisphere, south-west Europe Area: 505 370 km2 (five hundred and five thousand, three hundred and seventy square kilometres) Seas: Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Cantabrian Sea Fact: Spain is the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France. 30º 20º 10º 0º 10º 20º 30º 40º 50º 60º 70º LOCATION OF SPAIN 40º 60º 50º N º rcle 60 Arctic ci 0 1 000 km Greenwich meridian 1 :28 204 000 North Sea 50º ATLANTIC OCEAN 40º Punta de Estaca de Bares C. Touriñán FRANCE ANDORRA Black Sea 40º PORTUGAL Iberian C. de Creus Peninsula 30º Isleta de Tarifa Balearic Ceuta Islands Canary Melilla Islands MOROCCO Mediterranean Sea 30º 10º 0º 10º 20º 30º 40º Activities 1 Listen to the names of the countries and say which ones share a border with Spain. 2 Use a ruler and the map above to work out the distance in kilometres between the Punta de Estaca de Bares and the Cabo de Creus. The scale bar on the map will help you work out your answer.Activities 86 UNIT 6 BEXT 0S1CSLA.06 11/3/11 13:43 Página 87 1.2. Relief KEY WORDS The Peninsula plateau: a high, flat area of land mountain range: a chain of In the centre: the Meseta, a plateau, is divided into two regions – mountains Submeseta Norte and Submeseta Sur. cliff: a steep rock face, often found Around the Meseta: mountain ranges – the Cordillera at the edge of the sea Cantábrica, the Macizo Galaico-Leonés, the Sistema Ibérico and the Sierra Morena. Beyond the Meseta: the Ebro and Guadalquivir Valleys and mountain ranges: the Pyrenees, the Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas and the Sistemas Béticos. The coast: the Cantabrian and north-west Atlantic coasts are high and rocky with cliffs and tidal inlets (rías). The Mediterranean and south-west Atlantic coasts are usually low and sandy with long beaches. Activities 3 Find the places listed below on the map. Then use compass directions (such as south-west or north-east) to say where they are. Example: Cabo Ortegal is in the north-west. a) Cabo Ortegal c) Golfo de Vizcaya b) Cabo de Gata d) Golfo de Cádiz Spain’s natural environment 87 BEXT 0S1CSLA.06 11/3/11 14:02 Página 88 KEY WORDS Island relief island: an area of land with water The Canary Islands consists of seven islands: Tenerife, all around it Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, El Hierro navigable: wide or deep enough and La Gomera. There are volcanoes on the islands, including to be sailed on or through safely Teide on Tenerife (3 715 m), which is the highest point in Spain. vertiente: the area of land containing all the rivers that The Balearic Islands consist of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, flow into the same sea or ocean Formentera and Cabrera. The main mountain range is the Sierra flow (noun): the amount and de Tramontana on the island of Mallorca. speed of water in a river The coastlines of the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands consist of cliffs and beaches. 1.3. Rivers Most rivers in Spain flow irregularly and are not navigable except for the River Guadalquivir between Sevilla and the Atlantic Ocean. The rivers of mainland Spain can be classified into different vertientes according to the sea or ocean they flow into: Cantabrian ț Main rivers: Bidasoa, Nervión, Nalón ț River description: short, regular flow Atlantic ț Main rivers: Miño, Duero, Tajo, Guadiana, Guadalquivir ț River description: long, irregular flow, except for the river Miño Mediterranean ț Main rivers: Ebro, Turia, Júcar, Segura ț River description: short, light, irregular flow (except for the Ebro) 88 UNIT 6 BEXT 0S1CSLA.06 11/3/11 13:47 Página 89 Activities 4 Listen, repeat and, in your exercise book, 10 Look at the map showing the relief of Spain. underline the stressed syllables. In which range of mountains are these peaks? a) Mediterranean a) Almanzor d) Las Villuercas b) Atlantic b) Aneto e) Moncayo c) peninsula c) Mulhacén f) Sierra Nevada d) hemisphere 11 Copy and complete the sentences in your exercise e) kilometre book. 5 Copy and complete the sentences in your exercise a) The highest peak in Spain is Mulhacén / Teide . book. b) The highest point in the Iberian Peninsula is a) The Canary Islands are in the Ocean. Mulhacén / Teide . b) The Balearic Islands are in the Sea. 12 Are these islands in the Balearic Islands or the Canary Islands? 6 a) Copy the compass into your exercise book. Then add these compass points: north, south, east, west, a) Mallorca north-east, north-west, south-east, south-west. b) La Gomera c) Menorca d) Lanzarote e) La Palma f) Ibiza 13 In your exercise book, match each adjective to the word that means the opposite. high short regular small large low long irregular b) Listen, repeat and point. 14 Using information from the map showing the rivers of Spain, copy and complete the sentences in your 7 What latitude is Spain: north or south? What exercise book. longitude are the Canary Islands and the Balearic a) The River Bidasoa is longer / shorter than the Islands: east or west? Duero. 8 Match each place on the map showing the location b) The Turia and the Júcar are Mediterranean / Atlantic of Spain to its coordinates. rivers. Punta de Estaca de Bares 36° 00’ 08’’ N c) The River Tajo is longer/ shorter than the Nalón. Isleta de Tarifa 3° 19’ 05’’ E d) The River Nalón has a more / less regular flow Cabo de Creus 43° 47’ 36’’ N than the Segura. Cabo Touriñán 9° 17’ 46’’ W e) The Duero and the Tajo have a lot of / not many tributaries. 9 Tell your partner about some places you have visited in Spain. Then, using the map showing the relief 15 Name three tributaries of the River Duero and three of Spain, point to their approximate locations. of the Ebro. Example: 16 Which sea or ocean do these rivers flow into? A: I’ve been to (Sevilla). a) Miño d) Júcar B: Where is it? b) Tajo e) Nalón A: Here, in the south-west. c) Ter f) Ebro Spain’s natural environment 89 BEXT 0S1CSLA.06 11/3/11 14:04 Página 90 KEY WORDS 2 Climate and natural landscapes temperate climate: a mild or moderate climate that is neither too hot nor too cold 2.1. Climate inland: not on the coast The Peninsula, Balearic Islands, and Ceuta and Melilla are in the Earth’s temperate climate zone; the Canary Islands are in the warm zone. Spain has a variety of climate types: Temperature Santander Climate type Rainfall Winter Summer 160 140 Oceanic mild cool regular, abundant all year 120 Mediterranean coastal mild hot scarce 100 40 80 Mediterranean inland cold hot scarce 30 60 20 40 Subtropical warm warm irregular, scarce 10 20 0 0 Alpine cold cool abundant, often snow ºC J F MAM J J A NOS D mm Valladolid SPAIN´S CLIMATE TYPES Cantabrian Sea 160 Santander 140 120 ATLANTIC 100 Valladolid 40 80 OCEAN 30 60 20 40 10 20 0 0 Oceanic climate Puerto de ºC J F MAM J J A NOS D mm Navacerrada Mediterranean Almassora inland climate Almassora Mediterranean coastal climate Subtropical climate 160 Mediterranean Sea 140 Alpine climate 120 100 Greenwich meridian 40 80 N 30 60 ATLANTIC OCEAN 20 40 Santa Cruz 10 20 de Tenerife 0 0 0 200 km ºC J F MAM J J A NOS D mm 1 :11 333 000 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Activities 160 140 120 17 Study the climate table. Then cover it and take turns to ask your partner 100 40 80 questions about the table. 30 60 20 40 Example: 10 20 0 0 A: What’s the Mediterranean inland climate like? ºC J F MAM J J A NOS D mm B: Cold in winter, hot in summer with scarce rainfall. Puerto de Navacerrada (1 890 m) 18 Look at the climate graphs for Santander and Valladolid. Choose the 200 correct comparative adjectives and complete the sentences in your exercise 180 160 book. 140 120 100 a) Winters are hotter / colder in Valladolid than in Santander. 40 80 30 60 b) Summers are cooler / hotter in Valladolid than in Santander.