Geography and Ecosystems of Spain, Andalusia, and Europe

Geography of Spain and Andalusia

Relief Features

The very heart of the Iberian Peninsula is a plateau, which is centrally crossed by the Mountains of Northern Toledo. Through this plateau run the Duero River to the north, and the Tagus and Guadiana Rivers to the south.

Surrounding the plateau are the Galician Massif, the Iberian System, the Cantabrian Mountains, and the Southern Highlands of the plateau, known as the Sierra Morena. Outside the main plateau, other significant ranges include the Pyrenees, the Basque Mountains, the Catalan Coastal Mountain Range, and the Baetic Systems.

Outside the plateau, there are also the depressions of the Ebro and the Guadalquivir rivers. In Andalusia, two distinct Baetic mountain ranges can be differentiated:

• Subbaetic System: This range encircles the interior, including peaks like Sierra de Grazalema, Sierra de la Luz, and Sierra de Cazorla.
• Penibaetic System: This range runs along the coast and includes prominent peaks such as Sierra Nevada and Sierra de los Filabres.

Climates and Vegetation Zones

Global Climate Zones

• Warm Zones: Equatorial, Tropical, Desertic
• Temperate Zones: Oceanic, Mediterranean, Continental, Chinese
• Cold Zones: Polar, Mountain

Characteristics of Climate Types

• Equatorial Climate: Rains all year long.
• Tropical Climate: Rains heavily in summer.
• Desert Climate: Experiences very little to no rain.
• Oceanic Climate: Rains consistently throughout the year.
• Mediterranean Climate: Characterized by summer drought.
• Continental Climate: Features cold winters and high rainfall in summer (e.g., Chinese climate).

Vegetation by Zone

• Warm Zones:
  • In rainy and hot equatorial rainforests (e.g., the Amazon), trees never lose their leaves.
  • In tropical zones, grasslands such as the savanna are common.
• Temperate Zones:
  • Wet forests with deciduous trees like oak and beech are found.
  • Other forests, such as holm oak forests, feature trees that lose their leaves.
  • In colder areas, a resilient cold forest called the taiga consists of coniferous pines.
• Cold Zones:
  • In polar regions, there is hardly any vegetation due to extreme wind, cold, and lack of light.

Physical Environment of Europe

Geographical Situation

Europe is located in the Northern Hemisphere, primarily within the temperate zone, situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Arctic Ocean to the north.

European Relief

Northern and Central Europe feature extremely eroded ancient massifs, such as those found in Scotland and Ireland. Most of Europe is a large plain that extends eastward to the Ural Mountains. To the south, prominent mountain ranges include the Pyrenees, the Carpathian Mountains, the Alps, and the Caucasus.

European Climates

The entire southern part of Europe has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild winters and hot summers with little rain. Inland areas, however, experience more significant rainfall.