Geography Flashcards
What is the highest mountain range in the Iberian peninsula?
Sistema Bético - S Andulucía
What creates the natural border between Andalucía and Extremadura/La Mancha?
Sierra Morena
What 3 mountain chains form the Sistema Bético in Andalucía, La Mancha and Murcia?
Prebética, Subbética & Penbética (mostly in Murcia & La Mancha)
What is the highest peak in mainland Spain (3rd in EU)?
Pico Mulhacén in Andalucía in Sierra Nevadas (Granada)
Where are some of the highest vineyards planted in Europe (1,200m+)?
Pico Mulhacén in Andalucía in Sierra Nevadas (Granada)
What are the two main rivers flowing through Sherry country?
Guadalquivir, Guadalete
The Odiel, Tinto, Guadalete, Guadalquivir, Barbate
Rivers in Andalucía flowing to the Atlantic
Guadiaro, Guadalhorce, Guadalfeo, Andarax and Almanzora
Rivers in Andalucía flowing to the Mediterranean
What system of mountains form the western part of Galicia?
Macizo Galaico (Massif) part of Cordillera Cantábrica
What 3 primary mountain ranges form Macizo Galaico?
Sierras Eixe
da Enciña
do Courel
What are the 2 primary rivers in Galicia?
Miño and Sil Rivers
What region is known as the “country of a thousand rivers”?
Galicia
What are rías?
Submerged river valleys found in Galicia
What forms a natural border between Asturias/Cantabria and Castilla y León?
Cordillera Cantábrica
What is the highest peak in Asturias/Cantabria?
Pico de Europa
How are País Vasco’s districts defined?
Atlantic Basin, Inner Mountain Range (Montes Vascos) and Ebro River Basin
What makes up the País Vasco
and eastern section of the Cordillera Cantábrica?
Montes Vascos
What separates the mountains in País Vasco?
Álava Plain - rivers flow south from here to Ebro
What region is the northern part of the Meseta?
Castilla y León
What is the most important topographical feature of Castilla y León?
Duero River Basin - largest on the Iberian Peninsula
What protects Castilla y León from maritime influences of the Bay of Biscay?
Cordillera Cantábrica
What mountain range separates Castilla y León from Madrid and La Mancha?
Sistema Central
What mountain ranges naturally border la Rioja in the north?
Montes Obarenes, Sierra de Toloño part of Sierra Cantabria
What separates Alavesa from the rest of Álava province in Pais Vasco?
Sierra de Cantabria
What protects La Rioja from cold and rain from the North?
Sierra de Cantabria
What are the mountain ranges found in the south-central La Rioja protect from severe weather of the Meseta?
Sierra la Demanda (western Ibérico) and Sierra de Cameros (S-C)
What is La Rioja’s highest peak?
Monte San Lorenzo (part of la Demanda)
Where do many of the tributaries of the Ebro originate?
Monte San Lorenzo (La Rioja’s highest peak)
What is Spain’s longest river?
Ebro River
Where does the Ebro originate?
Cantabria
What mountains does the Ebro pass when entering La Rioja?
Montes Obarenes and Sierra Toloño
What is La Rioja called based on its rivers?
Zone of the Seven Valleys
Oja, Najerella, Iregua, Leza, Jubera, Cidacos and Alhama
7 Valleys on the Ebro in Rioja
What wind benefits Rioja by reducing humidity and heat and were is it most prominent?
Cierzo impacts Oriental the most
What are the eastern most part of Cordillera Cantábrica in Navarra?
Montes Vascos (north)
What is Navarra’s highest peak?
Mesa de los Tres Reyes
What regions does Mesa de los Tres Reyes overlap?
Aragón, Béarn, France, Navarra
Aragón, Arga and Ega Rivers
Navarra rivers which are tributaries of the Ebro River in Aragón
What are the 2 significant mountain ranges flanking Aragón?
Pyrenees (N) & Ibérico (S)
What is the highest peak in the Pyrenees and what province is it found?
Pico de Aneto in Aragón
What separates Ebro Valley from the Meseta in Aragón?
Sistema Ibérico
Jalón, Huerva, Gállego, Martin & Guadalope rivers
Argón river tributaries into the Ebro River
What dominates the central part of Aragón?
Ebro River Basin
What is the only VP in Aragón?
VP Aylés
What are the 3 major topographical features in Cantaluña?
Catalan Pirineos, Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas & Central Catalan Depression
What is Cantaluña natural border with France?
Pirineos
What is the highest peak within the Catalan Pirineos?
Pica d’Estats
What major mountain range runs parallel to Cantaluña’s coast?
Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas
What are the two ranges within the Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas?
Cordillera Litoral & Prelitoral (higher/inland)
What is located between Catalan Pirineos & Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas?
Central Catalan Depression
What is the Central Catalan Depression?
Eroded river basin at 600m from Pirineos run off and Ter & Llobregat rivers
What rivers run through the Central Catalan Depression?
Ter & Llobregat rivers
What is the longest river in Cantaluña?
Ter River
What is the 2nd longest river in Cantaluña?
Llobregat river
What two mountain ranges terminate in Valencia?
Sistema Ibérico & Bético
What is the highest peak in Valencia?
Pico Calderón
What are the 2 main rivers of Valencia?
Júcar & Segura Rivers
What is the L’Albufera de Valencia?
An estuary and national park
What range bisects Murcia?
Cordillera Prebética
What is unique about the topology of Murcia in terms of altitude?
30% of the region lies above 600m
What is the highest peak in Murcia?
Pico del Obispo (2014m)
Where is Pico del Obispo located?
Murcia, in Macizo de Revolcadores within Cordillera Prebética
What is the high plateau in northern Murcia between Meseta and Mediterranean?
Altiplano de Jumilla-Yecla (800m) best vineyards here
Where are Murcia’s best vineyards?
Altiplano de Jumilla-Yecla (800m)
What are the 2 principal rivers in Murcia?
Seugra & Gaudalentín rivers
What and where is Spain’s largest lagoon?
Mar Menor in Cartegena, Murcia
What are the largest river basins in La Meseta?
Tajo and Guardiana River Basins
What is the distinguishing character of La Meseta?
The Central Plateau represents 80% of the land
What are the mountains that surround Castilla-La Mancha?
N-Sistema Ibérico
S-Sierra Morena & Bético
W-Montes de Toledo
E-flat land to Valencia
What mountain range bisects Castilla-La Mancha?
Montes de Toledo
What are the primary rivers in Castilla-La Mancha?
Tajo & Guadiana flowing to Atlantic
Júcar & Segura flowing to Med
What is the primary topology of Madrid?
Central Meseta (600-1,000m)
What are the mountains that surround Madrid?
E - Sierra de Guadarrama (S. Central)
N - Sierra de Gredos
What forms the southern board of Madrid?
Tajo River
Alberche Guardarrama Manzanares Jarama Henares Tajuña
Tributary Rivers in Madrid to Tajo River
Where is the lowest point of the Tajo River Basin?
In Madrid (430m at lowest point)
What is the topology of Extremadura?
Largely flat framed by S. Central & S. Morena
What mountain range is the northern, natural barrier between Castilla y León and Extremadura?
Sistema Central
What mountain range is the southern, natural barrier between Andalucia and Extremadura?
Sierra Morena
What are the two primary river basins in Extremadura? What are the two less prominent?
Tajo & Guadiana
Guadalquivir & Duero
Tiétar & Alagón
Tributaries in Extremadura for the Tajo River
In what province does the Tajo River Basin reside within Extremadura?
Cáceres Province along Portuguese Border
In what province does the Guadiana River Basin reside within Extremadura?
Badajoz Province
Of what are the Islas Baleares an extension?
Sistema Bético in Andalucia to NW Mallorca
What is the extension of Sistema Bético in Mallorca called?
Serra de Tramuntana Mountains
What is the topology of the Islas Balearas?
Most flat other than Mallorca
What is the highest peak in Las Islas Balearas?
Puig Major (1,445m) on Mallorca in Sierra de Tramuntana
What are the rivers in Las Islas Balearas?
Virtually none. Santa Eulalia River in Ibiza (very small)
How were Las Islas Canarias formed?
Volcanic eruptions
What is the 3rd largest volcano on earth?
Pico del Teide, Tenerife, Las Islas Canarias (3,718m)
Lanzarote
Tenerife
La Palma
El Hierro
Las Islas Canarias islands with active volcanoes
What is the undersea plateau in Las Islas Canarias called?
Canary Ridge
What islands of Las Islas Canarias sit atop Canary Ridge
Fuerteventura
Lanzarote
How are Las Islas Canarias divided?
Western - ascending directly from the ocean
Eastern - from the Canary Ridge
What islands on Las Islas Canarias are from the Western Group?
Tenerife Gran Canaria El Hierro La Palma La Gomera
What is the highest point in Spain?
Pico del Tiede, Tenerife, Las Islas Canarias
Mountain ranges that surround DO Montsant?
Serra de Montsant (N)
Serra de La Figuera (SE)
DO Montsant rivers converging into Ebro?
Siurana & Montsant rivers used for irrigation when required
What are the 3 mountain ranges in Macizo Galaico?
Serra do Eixe
Serra da Enciña de Lastra
Serra do Courel
How many mountain ranges make up Sistema Betico and what are they?
3
Cordillera Subbetica - Andalucia
Cordillera Prebetica - Murcia/Castella La Mancha
Cordillera Penibetica - Andalucia
Capital of la Rioja?
Logroño
What are the two major geographical influences on DO Valdepañas?
Jabalón River which winds through the vineyards
Sierra Morena which blocks all Med influences from the south making it full on Continental
How many autonomous zones does the Cordillera Cantabrias cover?
4 zones.