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8 the Physical Geography of Spain

8 the Physical Geography of Spain

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The is a bridge The Physical between two continents: 8 Geography and . It is also a bridge between bodies of water: the of to the South and East and the to the North and West.

Where is the Iberian Peninsula? Which ocean and sea surround it?

Spain is in the southwest of Europe. Spanish territory includes most Where is Spain of the Iberian Peninsula, located? What except , the does the Spanish Balearic and Canary territory consist Islands, and of? .

The physical Look at this geography of picture. What kind Spain offers a great of landscape is it? variety of landscapes. What is the Spain is a geography of Spain mountainous country. like? It is joined to the rest of Europe by a chain of 94 mountains, the . 094_105_16310_U8.qxd:2º ciclo primaria 20/3/09 22:32 Página 95

Read, listen and answer 41 1. Who was Amerigo Vespucci? The Italian explorer and 2. What did he do? cartographer Amerigo Vespucci 3. How did he know the new lived in Spain and land was not Asia? travelled to America. 4. Who did he travel with?

A Mappa Mundi was a map medieval map that My words represented what we 42 knew of the world. A What did a Basin, Delta, Mappa Mundi was Mappa Mundi usually large and represent? Can you Estuary, Peak, Plain, made of cloth. The name a person Plateau, Range, largest one was who made one? 3.5 metres in Relief, Tributary, diameter. Valley.

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Relief in Spain

1 Can you name a mountain

Naranjo de Bulnes range in Spain? Is Spain a 2519 Monte ORDILLERA C Perdido C ANTÁBR P Aneto mountainous country? ICA Montes I 3355 Vascos R I 3404 Peña Trevinca N E O 2095 S D S I ep S r o T es er ió t Spain is mainly a mountainous SUBMESETA E n os Moncayo M d C na el ra la ero 2313 A E le a Du b il at del r rd C Valle o o country. Some mountain ranges Peñalara I C NORTE B 2430 É L S A d er R surround the Central Plateau R e ra N T C n I C E u ía C S I S T E M A en c O (the Meseta), and others are j o a Sierra T a e l Tramuntana V a l l e d t e s de Toled separate from the Meseta. The o n o M average altitude of the Iberian SUBMESETA SUR A I C É T R E N A B Peninsula is 500m. M O U B R R A S S I E A L E R D I L O R Mulhacén C 3478 CA PENIBÉTI The Meseta and its CORDILLERA mountain ranges 3712 The Meseta consists of elevated plains or plateaus. The rivers Duero, Tajo and flow The mountain across it. ranges in Spain. Two mountain ranges cross the Meseta: the , consisting of the Sierras de Gata, Gredos, Guadarrama, and Somosierra, and Los , a low mountain range in the south that includes the Sierras de Montánchez and the Sierra de Guadalupe.

2 Where is the Meseta located? What rivers flow across the Meseta?

The Meseta is surrounded by different mountain systems. The Montes de León, to the northeast, separate the Meseta from the Macizo Galaico. Teleno and Segundera are its main ranges. A range is a group of mountains within a system. The Cordillera Cantábrica, to the north, separates the Meseta from the . The is the main range. The Sistema Ibérico, to the east, separates the Meseta from the Valley. Its main ranges are Picos de Urbión, Moncayo, Albarracín and the Montes del . The , to the south, separates the Meseta from the Language Point Valley. It is not a high mountain system. The main ranges Average - The middle value are Despeñaperros, Almadén, Madrona and Alcaráz. The average altitude of the Iberian Peninsula is 3 What mountain ranges surround the Meseta? Where are the 500 m. Picos de Europa?

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Mountains far from the Meseta

Peña de Sierra Amboto The mountain systems in Spain that are not del Gistral 1296 Monte Perdido Peña Montes P 3355 Aneto Faro I de Avión Sierra Gorbea Vascos R 3404 Puigmal del Faro I N 2913 connected to the Meseta are the following: 1551 1475 E O S Macizo Galaico Cabeza de sech Manzaneda Sierra del Mont ero 1778 al st entr o a ión C a C n Depres er la ill ata The Macizo Galáico is a group of low mountains Montserrat rd C o 1224 C in the north east of the Peninsula. Its main ranges are Los Ancares and the Sierras de Manzaneda and Trevinca.

C A T I E N A É M O R B B R A U I E R S S A The Montes Vascos are in the north of the L E R D I L O R Mulhacén C Veleta 3478 3395 A Peninsula. They are low mountains. The main PENIBÉTIC CORDILLERA ranges are the Sierras of Aralar and Aizkorri.

The Pyrenees are a large mountain system. They Mountains far from the Meseta separate the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe, and extend for about The Sistema Bético consists of the Cordillera 430 km. The highest peak in the Pyrenees is the Subbética, where we find the Sierras of Cazorla Aneto (3,404 m). and , and the Cordillera Penibética with The Cordilleras Costeras Catalanas run parallel the Serranía de Ronda and , which to the Mediterranean Coast. They are quite low includes the highest peak of the Peninsula, mountains, and include the Montseny range. Mulhacén (3,478 m).

River basins

4 What are the two main low areas in the Iberian Peninsula? What mountain ranges surround the Ebro lowlands? Flatlands and lowlands with rivers running across them are another feature of Spanish geography. These areas are called basins. The main depression is the Ebro basin, between the Pyrenees and the Sistema Ibérico. This basin grows wider when the Ebro reaches the Mediterranean coast. There, it forms a large delta. The Guadalquivir basin is situated between the Sierra Morena and the Cordillera Subbética. It widens at the point where the Guadalquivir reaches the Atlantic Ocean. Doñana. 5 What is a basin? Where are the main depressions in the Iberian Peninsula?

Listen 43 Now I know What places in the Iberian Peninsula are being Write two facts about each of these. described? a. The Mulhacén. d. The Sistema Ibérico. b. The Sistema Central. e. The Pyrenees. c. The Teide. f. The Macizo Galaico.

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Coasts, Islands and Rivers

1 What Spanish islands do you know? Can you name the most important rivers in Spain?

Ría Punta de Estaca de Are de Bares Bay of Biscay s y B etan Go zos lfo de Vizcaya

Cabo Fisterra

The Coast of the Iberian Peninsula usa e Aro Ría d Cabo de Creus Golfo de Roses

The Iberian Peninsula has more than 5,000 km of coast. N

A Golfo de Sant Jordi E

C ia c We can divide this coast into five parts. The Cantabrian n e O l a V

e C d

o I f l coast is rocky. It has many cliffs, bays and beaches. The o T G

N Cabo de La Nao A

Galician Atlantic coast is high and rocky. It has many L

T

A Cabo de Palos capes and rías. The Andalusian Atlantic coast is low and a e S a n Cabo de Gata e a n r r sandy. It has many beaches. The Southern Mediterranean Punta de Tarifa i t e ar d f Gibralt M e coast has many cliffs and is rocky. The Eastern ATLANTIC OCEAN Strait o Mediterranean coast is low, straight and sandy.

2 What geographical features are present along the coast of the Iberian Peninsula?

The Mahón The Balearic Islands are located in the Mediterranean Sea. S.ª de TramontanaPalma e Levante They are made up of an archipelago of five islands: d Mallorca, Menorca, , and Cabrera. S.ª

Mallorca and Ibiza are joined to the Cordillera Bética under the Cabrera sea. They are mainly flat islands. Mallorca has two mountain Ibiza Ibiza San Francisco ranges, the Sierra Tramuntana and the Sierras de Levante. de Formentera Formentera 3 Which islands make up the Balearic Islands?

The

The Canary Islands are in Alegranza the Atlantic Ocean. They La Graciosa include the islands of La Language Point

Palma, , El La Gomera Teide Hierro, Tenerife, Gran 3 712 Adjectives ending in ‘-y’ Sand – sandy (with lots Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. These islands of sand) have a volcanic origin. Some of their volcanoes are still active. On Rock – rocky (with lots average they are high. The highest peak in Spain, El Teide, is in of rocks) Tenerife. The coasts here are rocky with cliffs. The Eastern Mediterranean coast is 4 Which islands make up the Canary Islands? How did these low, straight and sandy. islands form?

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The rivers in Spain

Rivers are determined by climate and Bay of Biscay

o a E ce N N r a a B relief. Most of the rivers in Spain are lón e a v P i a r d e bre N s v m a a D i s T P ó oa lla o n U r

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n berc a u G Al h J j ó e a g T la Mija Spanish rivers flow into three seas or A Tiétar res C Tajo la T I e Ca u mon ü b ria ajo Al te ig r T C i oceans. This means there are three Sa e T lo u l r B ll a q u

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N Zá G Guadiana ua car groups of estuaries. J di Jú a a M b na aló A a G n u Ján t r ad du a a a l r j l a n a und c ú m é M o

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l G z d a S ila ua Ard di a d eg Be at u a par u T m o G u i ra The Mediterranean estuaries: the G u b Bia é Q r za r ir a A iv l lqu Guad r e ada a le A i o u jo a t G z E rivers that flow into the Mediterranean d C s G n o O i e anzor S m T r d Al a b r e a e G n F il n N e s nd A te A ara Sea usually carry little water and are le x E a d N ua G A R R short (except for the Ebro). The main T E D I Mediterranean rivers are the Ebro, M E Cantabrian Estuaries Júcar, Ter, Llobregat, Almanzora, Atlantic Estuaries Andarax, Guadalfeo, Guadalhorce, Mediterranean Estuaries Mijares, Segura and Turia. The Atlantic estuaries: the rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean are The rivers in Spain. long and the volume of water they carry depends on the season. The main Atlantic rivers in the Meseta are the Duero, the Tajo and the Guadiana. In Andalucía, they are the Guadalquivir, the Tinto and the Odiel. The most important Galician rivers are the Miño, the Eume, the Tambre and the Ulla. Find out more The Cantabrian estuaries: the rivers that flow into the Bay of Biscay Use the Internet to find out are short and have a regular and abundant volume of water. The main the length of these Spanish rivers are the Bidasoa and the Nervión in the Basque Country, the rivers: the Tajo, the Ebro, Besaya and the Pas in and the Sella, the Nalón and the the Duero, the Guadiana, Narcea in . the Guadalquivir, the Júcar, the Segura and the Miñon. 5 What are the main Spanish estuary groups? Which rivers carry Put them in order of the most volume of water? length.

Listen 44 Now I know Listen and correct the mistakes Copy these sentences into your notebook and complete them. 1. The rivers on the Cantabrian estuaries flow 4. We can divide the Spanish coast in five parts: into ...... 2. The rivers in Spain are affected by ...... 5. Most of the rivers in Spain are short 3. The islands in the Canary Islands are ...... and have ......

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The Climates in Spain

1 What is the climate like in your town? What is precipitation?

Atmospheric conditions are called weather when we measure them at one specific time. Climate consists of the average weather conditions in an area over a period of time. Climate includes temperature, precipitation, wind and humidity. Climate depends on these factors: 1. The latitude, or distance of an area from the Equator. 2. The distance of an area from the sea. Places close to the sea have less difference between summer and winter temperatures. 3. The altitude of an area. In mountain areas temperatures are lower and there is more precipitation (rain, fog and snow). Mountain climate. 2 What factors affect the climate? What is the temperature like in places near the coast?

P. de Asturias Cantabria P. Vasco Types of climate C. F. de Navarra La There are five types of climates in Castilla y León Cataluña Spain. Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias Aragón and the Basque Country have an C. de . These places are

near the Atlantic Ocean. The Castilla-La Mancha C. Valenciana Extremadura characteristics of this climate are Islas Baleares

mild temperatures throughout year Región and abundant precipitation. The de Andalucía most common types of vegetation Atlantic Climate in these climate areas are Continental Climate Islas Canarias deciduous oak, chestnut and Ceuta Melilla conifer forests. There are also Subtropical Climate eucalyptus trees. The continental climate is found in most of the central areas of Spain The climates in Spain. such as The Meseta, the Ebro valley and parts of Andalucía and Extremadura. Temperatures are extreme. It is very hot in summer and Language Point in winter it is colder than in coastal areas. Precipitation is light in these areas, but it often snows in winter. is found = we find The continental climate The vegetation is adapted to more extreme temperatures. There are is found in most of the pines, firs, oaks, poplar trees and smaller plants like thyme and central areas of Spain = rosemary. We find the continental climate in most of the 3 What is the climate in Asturias like? What vegetation can you central areas of Spain. find in the Meseta?

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More climate types

The coastal areas near the Mediterranean Mediterranean and the Atlantic climate. coast of have a Mediterranean climate. There are high temperatures in summer and mild winters. Precipitation is light and infrequent. Plants in the Mediterranean climate are adapted to receiving little water. The most common types of vegetation are pine forests, oaks and chestnuts, shrubs, thyme, rosemary and in some places, palms. High altitude areas in the mountains (over 1000 m) have a mountain climate. Temperatures are low in winter (often below 0° Celsius), and cool in summer. These places have abundant precipitation in the form of snow. Their vegetation is affected by its location and the amount of sunshine. There are oak trees in the coldest places and evergreen trees in the warmest places. Mountain climate. The Canary Islands have a subtropical dry climate. Temperatures are warm all year and precipitation is light and Find out more infrequent. Their vegetation is affected Apart from oak trees and by the altitude. evergreen trees, what other In low areas bushes and cacti are plants and animals live in common, and in medium altitude mountain climates. Use the areas bay, holly and lime trees can be Internet to find out and found. In addition, Canary pines grow make a poster. at higher altitudes. The Canary Islands.

1 Why is the temperature in a subtropical dry climate warm all the year? What type of precipitation does a mountain climate have?

Listen 45 Now I know Listen and guess the types of climate. Read and complete. subtropical dry continental oceanic mediterranean

1. Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias have ..... climate. 2. Palms grow in places with a ..... climate 3. In a ..... climate, plants are adapted to need little rain. 4. Most of the central areas of Spain have a ..... climate.

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My turn Make a climate diagram

Climate diagram of Madrid (mm) (ºC) 60 30 50 25 40 20 30 20 15 10 10 0 5 0 0 JFMAM J JAS O N D Rainfall 37 35 26 47 52 25 15 10 28 49 57 56 Average temperature 6711 12 16 21 25 24 21 15 9 7

A climate diagram shows the weather conditions in a particular place during a period of time.

1 Make a climate diagram for the place where you live. Ask your teacher for the information to complete the table.

MONTHS Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (Cº)

TOTAL PRECIPITATION (MM)

2 Copy the table and add the data.

3 Draw the main axes on a piece of graph paper. Find out more 4 Make twelve marks at 5 mm intervals on the horizontal axis. Write the months below them. Choose a foreign city you would like to visit and 5 Label the left axis “Temperature” and the right axis “Precipitation”. investigate its climate. Make a climate diagram 6 Make 10 marks at 5mm intervals on the right axis. One for each with the information you 5 mm of precipitation from 0 to 50. find then display the diagrams in the class. 7 Draw a bar to represent the amount of precipitation. Colour them.

8 Mark ten marks at 5mm intervals on the left axis, one for each five degrees of temperature from 0 to 40.

9 Mark each month’s temperature with a red dot.

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Our world High Mountains Spain is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, with an average altitude of 500 metres. Only Switzerland has a higher average altitude than Spain. However, in the world, there are many countries with a higher average altitude and higher peaks.

1 Which two countries in Europe have the highest average altitude? Mountains cover 24% of the Earth’s surface. 64% of Asia, 36% of North America, 25% of Europe, 22% of South America, 17% of Australia, and 3% of Africa. The Teide. The world’s highest mountain is Mount Everest. It is 8.848 m high. It is located in the Himalayan mountain range. There are more than 30 peaks in the Himalayas over 7,620 m. The Himalayas is one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world and it is still growing.

2 Where are the highest mountains in the world located?

But there is a mountain that is even higher than Mount Everest! Mount Olympus is the highest known and mountain in the Solar System. It is located on the planet Mars. It is three times higher than Mount Everest. When we are at the top of a high mountain we often feel weak and disorientated. This is because the air pressure at the top of high mountains is lower than at The sea level and this affects our respiratory system. Himalayas.

3 Are there any mountains higher than Mount Everest?

4 What affects can high altitude have on our bodies?

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My progress

1 Complete the sentences with one or more words. 1. Spanish territory includes most of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic and Canary Islands ...... 2...... was the first person to show that the New World discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 was not Asia. 3. Spain is joined to Europe by a chain of mountains called ...... 4. Two mountains ranges cross the Meseta are ...... 5...... are flat and lowlands with rivers running through them. 6. The Balearic islands are made up of an archipelago of five islands: ...... 7. The main rivers in the Meseta that flow into the Atlantic Ocean are: ...... 8. Precipitation is the amount of ...... 9. The rivers in Spain are affected by ...... 10. The five types of climates in Spain are: ......

2 Explain these terms in your own words. 1. The Iberian Peninsula is ...... 4. The Meseta refers to ...... 2. A Mappa Mundi was ...... 5. Ceuta and Melilla are ...... 3. Vespucci was the man who proved ...... 6. Precipitation refers to ......

3 Copy and complete the map.

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Organising what I know

1 Look at the mind map. Copy and complete it.

RELIEF OF SPAIN

in the centre of Spain

.....

mountain ranges that cross it important rivers that cross it

......

Gata, Gredos, Montánez and Guadarrama and Somosierra Guadalupe

mountain ranges exterior around the Meseta mountain ranges

...... SISTEMA BÉTICO

......

2 Can you add any more words?

3 Listen. Which terms are defined? 46

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