Fundamentals: Geography and climate Flashcards
What percentage of the Iberian peninsula does Spain occupy?
85%
Among European countries, where does Spain rank for:
largest land area
most mountainous
highest elevation
…and where does Madrid rank for highest capitals
3rd largest
3rd most mountainous
2nd highest
2nd highest capital
Name the principal mountain ranges in Spain
Cordillera Cantábrica
Pirineos
Sistema Ibérico
Sistema Central
Sierra Morena
Sistema Bético
Las Islas Canarias
Which mountains are at the western end of the Cordillera Cantábrica?
Macizo Galaico
In which mountain range are the Picos de Europa, home to some of the world’s deepest caves?
Cordillera Cantábrica
Which two areas are separated by the Sistema Ibérico?
Meseta
El Valle del Ebro
Which two primary mountain ranges exist within the Sistema Central? Name the highest peak, and the range it’s in.
Sierra de Guadarrama
Sierra de Gredos (Pico Almanzor 2,591m)
Name the mountain range in Cataluña
Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas
Where are the Montes de Toledo, and which rivers do they separate?
Meseta
Tajo and Guadiana
Which primary mountain range forms Las Islas Baleares?
Sistema Bético
How does the Sistema Bético subdivide into four mountain ranges? Highest peak?
Prebética
Subbética
Penibética
contains Sierra Nevada
which contains Mulhacén 3,479m (highest in mainland Spain)
Highest peak in Spain? Where?
Pico del Teide 3,718m
Tenerife
Name the two significant lowland areas in Spain, and the mountain ranges that surround them
Ebro Basin
Cordillera Cantábrica, Pirineos, Sistema Ibérico
Andalusian Plain
Sierra Morena, Sistema Bético
Spain is surrounded by which primary bodies of water?
Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean
Mediterranean Sea (with Balearic Sea)
Roughly how many rivers are there in Spain? Name the five biggest, starting with the longest, and where they drain to.
1,800
Tajo/Tagus
Ebro
Duero
Guadiana
Guadalquivir
All drain to the Atlantic, except the Ebro.
Which of Spain’s five biggest rivers:
provide hydroelectric power?
is used mainly for irrigation?
is the longest entirely within Spain?
flows through Toledo?
has the largest drainage basin?
Tajo, Duero
Guadiana
Ebro
Tajo
Ebro
What are the three main soil categories in Spain?
Volcanic (igneous)
Metamorphic
Sedimentary
According to the book, which rock types metamorphose into shale, slate and schist?
clay, mud, and basalt
Which mountain ranges in Spain are the main areas for metamorphic rock?
north near Cordillera Cantábrica, Sistema Ibérico, Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas
Which metamorphic rock is famous in Priorat? What kind of rock is it?
llicorella
Decomposed Devonian and Carboniferous slate/shale with low organic content
How is sedimentary rock formed?
Water or wind deposits, or sedimentation in large bodies of water
Limestone, and its variant chalk, are ideal for high quality wines from which red grape?
Tempranillo
Which geographical features in Spain are most associated with sedimentary soils?
Coastline
Meseta
Islas Baleares
Where is Spain is famous for a unique type of chalk? What is it called?
Andalucía
albariza
Volcanic rock:
is poor in what?
rich in what?
holds what?
produces wines with pronounced what?
poor in organic matter
rich in carbonates, sulphates
holds air, water
pronounced aromatics
Names an area in Spain where you find a lot of:
volcanic soil
granite
Las Islas Canarias
Rías Baixas
What are the three main climatic zones in mainland Spain, and where are they?
maritime (N: Green Spain)
continental (central Spain, Meseta)
Mediterranean (the coast from Andalucía to Cataluña)
Which climatic zones in Spain have the:
lowest diurnal and seasonal temperature range?
coldest winters?
lowest rainfall?
irregular rainfall?
autumn frost?
maritime
continental
mediterranean
continental
continental
What are the climates of the islands?
Las Islas Baleares: Mediterranean
Las Islas Canarias: subtropical
When are the usual rainy seasons in the Meseta? Which is heavier in the northern Meseta?
spring and autumn
spring in the north
autumn in the south
(but irregular and unpredictable)
Why is Tempranillo suited to the continental climate of the Meseta?
Early ripening, reduced risk of damage from autumn frost
Which part of Spain’s dry Mediterranean climate zone has the most rainfall?
The northern areas including Cataluña
Which part of Spain’s Mediterranean climate zone is affected by the Leveche wind? Describe the wind.
Central part (Valencia and Alicante).
Hot, dry, dusty, from North Africa
Rain on the Andalusian Plain can cause what?
Flash floods (it falls in one to two days)
