Geography of Spain

Spain is had in the southwest of Europe and occupies approximately 85% of terrain of Iberian peninsula, and also Balearsky and Pitiuzsky islands in Mediterranean sea and Canary Islands in Atlantic ocean. A country total area - nearby 505 òûñ  sq. km. It bounds with France, Portugal, Andorra and the English colony Gibraltar. Spain is as though a bridge between Mediterranean sea and Atlantic, the important crossroads of the shipping lanes going through strait of Gibraltar. Natural contrasts in Spain are amazing: if the country northwest occupies one of the first places in Europe on a precipitation in the south of Spain, the most droughty region of these parts of the world, it is possible to meet almost African semidesert landscapes with a tangle of a fan-shaped dwarf palm, a unique wild-growing palm tree in Europe.

Spain after Switzerland consider as the most high-mountainous country of Europe. Plateaus and mounts compound about 90% of its terrain. Almost half of surface of the country the biggest in Europe high occupies plateau Meseta (in Spanish - a table) its average altitude 660  m. Meseta are huge monotonous dry flat spaces with very hot summer and in the cold winter. Local residents speak about the land so: At us three months hlada and nine months of a hell.

The Most powerful range of Spain represents the Pyrenees some the parallel ridges which have been drawn through from the West to the east on 450  km and abjointing Iberian peninsula from other Europe. It is one of the most remote highlands of Europe, but also one of the most picturesque. The Pyrenees in the central part where there are the glacial forms of a landform, high-mountainous loches and snezhniki are especially diverse and beautiful. Main apex Pireneev - pico de Aneto (3404 .

The Spanish Pyrenees - large region of the international tourism with perfect conditions for mountaineering, mountain skiing, bicycle sport, the Alpine skis.

All southeast of Iberian peninsula is occupied Kordileroj-Betikoj, representing system of hills and ridges. The highest mountain ridge - Sierra Nevada - concedes on altitude in Europe only to the Alpes. Here the highest apex of Iberian peninsula - a mount Mulhacen (3478 is had.

Valleys, hollows and lowlands occupy only 11 % of terrain of Spain. The largest plain - Andalussky on which the river Guadalquivir proceeds. In the country northeast, in a river Ebro valley, the Aragonsky plain was stretched. A rather narrow strip lowlands along the Mediterranean coast last.

Approximately 60% of terrain of Spain zasushlivy, therefore a water problem - one of the major in the country. A water power of Spain is distributed extremely non-uniform: in northern and northwest regions - it is a lot of water, whereas in the Mediterranean and central ranges huge deficiency of water is felt.

The Main rivers of the country - Ebro, Tagus, Guadiana, Duero, Mino, Guadalquivir, Hukar. The majority of the rivers are shallow, it is strong melejut in the summer. They almost have no transport significance. The unique navigable river - Guadalquivir, and that only to the city of Seville.