Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Geography

The Plateau

The Plateau is a high-altitude morphostructural unit that constitutes half of the peninsular relief units. Extensive plains alternate with hilly areas. The Alpine Orogeny caused the slope of the plateau towards the Atlantic Ocean. The Central System divides the plateau into two: the Northern Sub-Plateau and the Southern Sub-Plateau. These subunits were formed during downhill movement.

The Northern Sub-Plateau

It is situated within the northern half of the peninsula. Bordered to the northwest by the Galician-Leonese Massif, on the north by the Cantabrian Mountains, east by the Iberian System, and west by the gorges of the Douro and its tributaries. Its average altitude is 750m and it is crossed by a network of rivers, primarily the... Continue reading "Spain's Central Plateau: Formation and Features" »

Spain's Common Agricultural Policy Integration

Spain's entry into the European Union brought significant changes to its agricultural sector. The country integrated into the Community's internal market with fixed maximum and minimum prices. As Spanish prices were historically low, they experienced an upward trend, aligning with European equivalents. Trade with the EU was liberalized, adopting the Community preference, which reoriented Spain's import benefits within the EU.

This integration provided an opportunity to modernize the agricultural sector and increase its quality, productivity, and competitiveness. However, it also presented challenges:

• Low Product Prices: A persistent issue for many farmers.
• Agricultural Surpluses: Managing excess production

Sector 2: Construction and Industry

SECTOR 2: The second sector is composed of two activities: Construction and Industry.

Construction

Construction is the economic activity dedicated to creating buildings and infrastructure.

Industry

Industry: the main component of Sector 2. It covers the activities relating to the processing of raw materials into manufactured goods, goods to be consumed directly, or goods to be used, in turn, as raw materials in other industries (semi-finished products).

At a small production scale, in handicrafts the product was made manually: one person handled the entire process. The product was intended for self-consumption or a limited market and productivity was low. The industry as we know it emerged in the late nineteenth... Continue reading "Construction, Industry & Mining: Sector Two Insights" »

Understanding Population Dynamics

Population density is the ratio between the number of people and the land area occupied.

Birth rate is the number of births occurring in a population.

Fertility is the average number of children a woman has in her life.

Mortality is the number of deaths occurring in a population.

Infant mortality refers to children who die before completing their first year of life.

Vegetative growth is used to determine whether a population is growing.

Sources of Demographic Data

Key information for demographic analysis includes:

• Population of the reporting area
• Data contained within the source
• Institution that develops the data
• Periodicity of data collection

Census

Data: All the population of the country.

Source: Delhogar Demographic Data.... Continue reading "Understanding Population Dynamics: Growth, Fertility, and Mortality" »

The 1920s: International Landscape

The early postwar years were characterized by:

• A lack of international cooperation.
• Protectionist policies.

The Dawes Plan, implemented in 1924, aimed to improve the European economy, specifically by normalizing the German economy through:

• Stabilizing the German currency.
• Regulating the payment of war reparations.
• Having Americans help revive the German economy.

Germany created a new currency.

U.S. Economic Growth: Features

• Increased production and lower prices.
• Promotion of new industrial sectors.

The Situation in Europe

• France: Industrial growth.
• United Kingdom: Economic stagnation.
• Germany: Crisis until 1925, followed by subsequent recovery.

The Crisis of 1929

Causes

• Crisis in the industrial and construction sectors.
• Increased

Population Dynamics & Demographics

As populations evolve, several key demographic factors come into play:

• Birth Rate: The number of live births occurring in a population.
• Fertility Rate: An estimation of the number of children a woman will have in her lifetime.
• Mortality Rate: The number of deaths that occur in a population.
• Infant Mortality: Records the number of children who die before their first year of life.
• Natural Population Growth: Occurs when the birth rate exceeds the death rate in a population.

Life Expectancy & Population Age

Life expectancy in most underdeveloped countries is typically lower than in developed countries, often leading to a younger population structure.

Understanding Migrations

Migrations are the displacement of a... Continue reading "Demographic & Economic Fundamentals Explained" »

The Spanish Crisis of 1917

The year 1917 was marked by profound instability in Spain. The victory of the Russian Revolution in February gave new impetus to the labor movement.

The political system faced simultaneous attacks from three distinct fronts:

1. The Workers: High dissatisfaction among the working class fueled labor unrest.
2. The Bourgeoisie: Led by Francesc Cambó, the Catalan bourgeoisie demanded political renovation, calling for cuts and a total overhaul of the two-party political system.
3. The Army: Military corps formed associated Juntas (Defense Committees), claiming better facilities for promotion and demanding higher wages that had not kept pace with the rise in prices.

Against the Government's refusal to convene the Cortes (Parliament),... Continue reading "The Spanish Crisis of 1917 and the Collapse of the Cánovas System" »

Western Northwestern Catalan Dialects

Western Northwestern Catalan is characterized by the distinction between unstressed 'a' and 'e', the maintenance of unstressed 'u' in plural endings, and the use of the masculine articles 'el' and 'els'. The first person singular indicative of verbs ends in '-o' or '-e' (inchoative verbs end in '-eix'). Exclusive words include trèvol (clover) and words shared with other dialects like xai (lamb) or bajoca (green bean).

• Pallares Catalan

  Notable conservation of the imperfect indicative ending '-va', for example: dormiva (was sleeping).

• Ribagorçan Catalan

  Features palatalization of consonant clusters like 'cl', 'pl', 'gl', 'bl', 'fl' (e.g., cllau for 'key').

• Tortosa Catalan

  Shares vocabulary with Valencian, such

Road Transport in Spain

Road networks in Spain have different characteristics. Historically, radio network design was present radially, maintaining a centralist state that favored the connection of the capital and principal towns. The skills enable ECN. The road network is divided between the State, the autonomous communities, and councils.

• The state network includes general-interest itineraries.
• Autonomous communities handle intraregional mobility and links.

The technical nature of state roads is varied. State roads often receive assistance from local councils and provincial governments. A weakness of road transport is that it receives most traffic of passengers and goods, and is less price competitive because there is a direct relation between... Continue reading "Road and Rail Transport in Spain: Infrastructure and Integration" »

Cultural Change 13.3: Shifting Mindsets

Education and the Press

From the late 19th to early 20th centuries, Spain experienced significant economic, social, political, demographic, and cultural advancements. Between 1874 and 1914, Spain's per capita income grew by 60%, with notable industrial and railway expansion.

Politically, the recognition of universal suffrage expanded voting rights, consolidating individual freedoms. Socially, the rise of the middle class and urban growth were evident. Madrid's population surpassed 500,000, and Bilbao's grew from 30,000 to 85,000. Citizens increasingly mobilized through labor unions, employers' associations, feminist groups, farmers' leagues, chambers of retailers, sports clubs, and cultural organizations.... Continue reading "Spain's Transformation: 1874-1930" »