SWS-País Vasco/Climate-Topography-Soils

Question 1

How many Basque provinces are there?

Answer 1

• 7
• 3 in SW France
  
  • Labourd
  • Lower Navarra
  • Soule
• 4 in northern-central Spain
  
  • Álava (Basque: Araba)
  • Vizcaya/Biscay (Bizkais)
  • Guipúzcoa (Gipuzkoa)
  • Navarra

Question 2

Where is País Vasco located?

Answer 2

• northern coast of Spain; next to Bay of Biscay
• France and Navarra to the east
• Cantabria and Castilla y León to the west
• La Rioja to the south
• southern País Vasco border runs along Ebro River

Question 3

What is the unofficial capital of País Vasco?

Answer 3

Vitoria-Gaseiz in Álava province

Question 4

What is the climate in País Vasco?

Answer 4

• maritime climate along the coast
• continental climate with maritime influence inland

Question 5

What is the climate in the coastal provinces of Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa?

Answer 5

• cool and damp due to Atlantic
• mild winters with occasional snow and frost
• high rainfall
  
  • Bilbao = 1,200mm/year
  • San Sebastián = 1,500mm/year
• no dry season; rain falls year-round

Question 6

What is the climate in the mountainous province of Álava in the south?

Answer 6

• mostly continental with some maritime influence
• winters colder and summers warmer
• diurnal temperature swings
• generally drier than northern provinces during growing season

Question 7

What are the main topographical areas in País Vasco?

Answer 7

1. Atlantic basin
2. inner mountain ranges (Montes Vascos)
3. Ebro river basin

Question 8

What are the topographical features of the Atlantic basin?

Answer 8

• runs along northern coast
• coastline made of valleys with short rivers flowing from mountains to Bay of Biscay
• high cliffs and small estuaries like the rías of Galicia

Question 9

Where are the vineyards located in the Atlantic basin area?

Answer 9

txakoli vineyards run from coastline to interior hillsides

Question 10

What are the topographical features of the Montes Vascos/Basque Mountains?

Answer 10

• set of parallel mountain ranges
• run west to east
• encompass eastern section of Cordillera Cantábrica
• mountains up to 1,500m
  
  • separated by high plateau called Álava Plain
• rivers flow south and empty into Ebro River

Question 11

Where is the southern part of Álava province located?

Answer 11

within Ebro River Basin

Question 12

The southern part of Álava province is shared with which area?

Answer 12

DOCa Rioja; called Rioja Alavesa

Question 13

What are the soils in Guipúzcoa?

Answer 13

sandy topsoil with alluvial clay subsoils

Question 14

What are the soils in Vizcaya?

Answer 14

shallow, slightly acidic with clay-loam topsoils with limestone subsoil

Question 15

What are the soils in southern Álava?

Answer 15

mostly alluvial with gravelly clay, but DO has mostly limestone

Question 16

What is a common soil feature of all the Basque DOs?

Answer 16

rich in organic matter

Question 17

What is the elevation in País Vasco?

Answer 17

50-200m