UNIT 6: EUROPE AND SPAIN
1.
THE
RELIEF OF EUROPE
Europe is in the Northern
Hemisphere. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Arctic
Ocean in the north and the Mediterranean Sea in the south. The Ural Mountains
and the Caspian Sea separate it from Asia in the east. In the south-east, its
boundary is the Black Sea and the Caucasus region. Europe is the fifth largest continent. As it is relatively small, it does not have the highest mountain
chains, the longest rivers or the most extreme climates.
- Its coasts are generally
short and irregular. There are many seas along its coastline, such as the Baltic, the North Sea, the Adriatic, the Aegean and
the Cantabrian Sea.
- There are several large
peninsulas, such as Scandinavia, Jutland, Italy,
the Balkans and the Iberian Peninsula.
- There are many islands in
Europe. The biggest islands include Iceland, the British Isles, Corsica,
Sardinia, Sicily, Crete and Cyprus. There
are also groups of islands, called archipelagos, like the Balearic
and Canary Islands.
EUROPEAN LANDFORMS
Europe is at moderate
altitude, averaging around 340 metres. Its relief is very varied, and includes the following features:
- The European Plain is
a large sedimentary basin that stretches from the Atlantic coast to the Urals,
at an altitude of about 200 metres. Its relief is mainly flat, and includes low
hills and valleys. It is crossed by many rivers.
- Ancient mountains and
massifs, or highland regions, have been worn down by erosion. They include
the Scandinavian Mountains in the north, the Central Massif in the west and the
Ural Mountains in the east.
- Young mountain ranges
are found in the south of Europe. As these mountains are more recent, they have
been less affected by erosion. Consequently, they are steeper and more jagged.
The Alps and the Caucasus are the highest regions in Europe. The Carpathian
Mountains, the Apennines and the Pyrenees are also young mountain ranges.
2.
THE RELIEF OF SPAIN
Most of Spain’s territory is
on the Iberian Peninsula. The Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and the
autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla form the rest of its territory. Spain is in the south-west
of Europe. Its main frontiers are:
- The Pyrenees and the
Cantabrian Sea in the north.
- Portugal and the Atlantic
Ocean in the west.
- The Mediterranean Sea in
the east.
- The Strait of Gibraltar,
connecting the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, in the south.
Nearly all the country is
in the temperate zone, except for the Canary Islands. Spain has a long coastline of over 3,500 kilometres. Spain’s average altitude is fairly high, at
about 660 metres. This is due to a vast plateau called the Central Plateau
as well as a considerable number of mountain ranges.
Unit 6: Europe and Spain
THE RELIEF OF THE PENINSULA
- The Central Plateau
is a vast inland plateau at an altitude
of 650 metres. It is divided into
two parts by the Central Chain, which is 700 kilometres long. The Central Plateau is also surrounded by several
inland mountain regions: the Galician Massif, the Cantabrian Chain, Iberian
Chain and the Morena Range.
- Other mountain regions are beyond the Central Plateau. They include the Pyrenees, the Catalan Coastal Chain
and the Baetic Chain. The Pyrenees
mountain range is 435 kilometres long and its highest peaks are at an altitude
of over 3,000 metres.
- Lowland regions
include the basins formed by the
Ebro and Guadalquivir rivers. Most coastal plains are narrow strips between the
mountains and the sea. Most of Spain’s coastline is flat and regular, except in
Galicia, where there are many rías, or coastal inlets.
THE RELIEF OF THE ISLANDS
- The Balearic Islands.
The main mountain range, the Tramontana
Range, is on Majorca, which has the steepest relief. Ibiza also has steep
relief. Minorca and Formentera have flatter relief.
- The Canary Islands
were formed by volcanic eruptions. The
Teide is the highest mountain in Spain.
3.
THE RIVERS AND LAKES OF EUROPE ND SPAIN
Europe’s rivers flow into
the following oceans and seas:
- The rivers that flow
into the Arctic Ocean, such as the Pechora, are long and have a considerable discharge. Some of them freeze
in winter, and cause flooding when they melt.
- Rivers that flow into the Atlantic
Ocean and Baltic Sea are also long and have a considerable discharge. However, their flow is more regular. Their water
is used for navigation and hydro-electric energy. They include the Oder, the
Rhine, the Loire, the Duero and the Tagus.
- Most rivers that flow
into the Mediterranean Sea are
short and have a low discharge. They
carry little water in the summer, but swell in the autumn and spring. They
include the Po, the Rhône and the Ebro.
- Rivers that flow into
the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea are
long and have a considerable discharge. Their water is used for navigation
and they are important routes of communication. They include the Volga, the Don
and the Danube.
LAKES
There are many lakes in
Europe, especially in Finland, Sweden and Russia.
Lake Ladoga in Russia is the largest lake in Europe. There are also mountain lakes in Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
The largest is Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
Unit 6: Europe and Spain
THE RIVERS OF SPAIN
The rivers of Spain flow into three oceans and
seas.
-The Cantabrian Sea.
The Cantabrian Chain is close to the sea so these rivers are very short. As relief is very steep, they flow very quickly and cause erosion.
As it rains all year round in the region, these
rivers have a regular and abundant flow. They include the Bidasoa, the
Nervión, the Sella and the Nalón.
- The Atlantic Ocean.
These rivers flow from east to west because of the inclination of the Central
Plateau. They are long rivers with an
irregular flow because their discharge is less in summer.
- The Miño flows into the Atlantic but is
similar to the Cantabrian rivers
because it is in an area with regular rainfall.
-
The source of the Duero river is in
the Urbión Peaks and its river mouth is in Porto, Portugal.
- The Tagus river is the longest river on the peninsula. Its source is in the
Albarracín Range and it flows into the Atlantic in Lisbon.
- The Guadiana flows across the
south-west of the Peninsula and enters the Atlantic at Ayamonte in Huelva.
-
The source of the Guadalquivir is in the Cazorla Range.
It crosses Andalusia from east to west and flows into the Gulf of Cádiz.
-The Mediterranean Sea.
These rivers are mainly short with a low
and irregular discharge. They include the Turia, Júcar and Segura. However the Ebro is much longer, and has a far
greater discharge. It flows southeast from its source in Cantabria and
forms a delta on the Mediterranean coast.
4.
THE CLIMATES OF EUROPE
There is a wide range of
climates in Europe. They are influenced by several factors:
- Latitude.
Nearly all Europe is in the temperate zone.
- The sea. In
general, seas make climates milder.
- Wind. West
winds predominate, pushing areas of low pressure from the Atlantic towards the
coasts.
TEMPERATURE CLIMATES
- Oceanic climate.
This is found along the west of Europe
from Portugal to Scandinavia. Temperatures
are mild all year round, but they are higher in the south. Precipitation is
regular and abundant, especially near the coast.
- Mediterranean climate.
This is the climate in the south of
Europe in regions bordering the Mediterranean. Summers are hot and dry, and winters are cool. Rainfall is abundant in
spring and autumn.
- Continental climate.
This is found in central and eastern
Europe, where there are hot summers and cold winters. There is moderate
rainfall, mainly in the summer. This climate is more extreme in regions that
are a long way from the sea.
COLD CLIMATES
- Polar climate.
This is characteristic of a narrow strip
near the Arctic circle, in the
northern regions of Iceland, Norway, Finland and Russia. There are low temperatures during a long winter,
which is followed by a short summer.
Precipitation is scarce, and falls as
snow.
- High mountain climate.
This is found in the main European
mountain ranges. Temperatures fall
and precipitation is greater as altitude increases.
Unit 6: Europe and Spain
DRY AND HOT CLIMATES
- Steppe climate.
This is found to the north and south of
the Caucasus. Precipitation is
scarce. Temperatures are high in summer and very low in winter.
- Sub-tropical climate.
This is the climate of the Canary
Islands, which is in the tropical
zone. Temperatures are mild and precipitation is scarce.
5.
THE CLIMATES OF SPAIN
Spain has a mainly temperate
climate. Its climatic diversity is
influenced by the following factors:
- Latitude influences
temperatures, which are lower as we go north. It
also influences precipitation, which is greater at higher latitudes.
- Atmospheric pressure.
Atlantic depressions carry rain across
the Iberian peninsula from east to west. Consequently, there is higher precipitation in the west than in the east. The Azores anticyclone causes dry, sunny weather in the summer. However, in winter this anticyclone moves south and
polar winds enter the Peninsula.
- Altitude causes
temperature to fall and precipitation to increase in mountain areas.
- Distance from the sea.
The mountain ranges that surround the
Central Plateau form a barrier against the influence of the sea.
Consequently, temperatures are milder
near the coast and more extreme inland. This also explains why precipitation is greater near the coast
than in central Spain.
OCEANIC CLIMATE
This is the climate in the
north and north-west of the Peninsula. All
year round, precipitation is abundant and regular, at more than 800 millimetres annually. Temperatures are mild in winter and cool in summer due to the influence
of the sea. Further from the coast there are greater variations in
temperature and there is less precipitation.
MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE
This is found in the rest
of the Peninsula, but it varies between different regions.
- In coastal regions,
it is dry in the summer and there is
moderate rainfall in spring and autumn.
Temperatures are mild in winter and high
in summer.
- Inland, there
is a marked difference between hot
summers and cold winters.
- Semi-arid
temperatures are similar to the Mediterranean coast, but precipitation is less
than 350 millimetres annually.
SUB-TROPICAL CLIMATE
We find this climate in the
Canary Islands, which are close to the Tropic of Cancer. Temperatures are mild all year round and
precipitation is scarce.
HIGH MOUNTAIN CLIMATE
This is found in the highest
mountain ranges. Temperatures are lower than in the rest of Spain and average precipitation
is over 1,500 millimetres annually.
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