DO NOW Where is Spain located? How far from Africa is it located? What major body of water separates it from the US? Name at least one famous person from Spain. With which country does Spain share it’s peninsula?

Geography of Spain Occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula's land area (approximately 85%), Spain is the third largest country in Europe and 45% is covered by the Meseta Plateau.

Spain’s Geography Keep in mind that the system of mountains will have more than one set of mountains.

Geography of Spain That plateau is rarely flat, and is in reality a mostly hilly highland area divided by the Cordillera Central (mountains), and then ringed by additional mountain ranges, north, east and south. In the west the Meseta slopes gently down into neighboring Portugal.

Geography of Spain Significant mountains in Spain include the limestone Cordillera Cantabrica and rugged Sistema Iberico (north); massive Pyrenees (northeast) where many peaks exceed 3,000 meters; the deeply eroded and rocky Sierra de Cuenca (east), and the lower Montes de Toledo and Serrania de Cuenca (south-central).

Geography of Spain In the far south the mountains of the Cordillera Betica and Sierra Nevada dominate the landscape. Mainland Spain's highest point (Mulhacen at 3,481 meters) stands in the Sierra Nevada.

Geography of Spain Significant lowlands include the fertile Andalusian Plain in the southwest, and the Ebro River Basin in the northeast. In addition, much of Spain is fronted by a low and narrow coastal plain, one that separates the mountains from the sea.

Geography of Spain Those deeply indented coastal areas include countless bays and coves, and most have sandy beaches. In the far northwest, along the Bay of Biscay, rugged cliffs front the coastline.

Geography of Spain In the far south, the Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain and Europe from Morocco (Africa), and here, the two continents are only 13 km (8 miles) apart.

Geography of Spain The country is drained by an estimated 1,500 rivers (mostly small). The longest and most significant rivers include the Douro (Duero), Ebro, Jucar, Tagus (Tejo), Guadiana and Guadalquivir.

How many bays, rivers, and mountain ranges are there in Spain? Reflect Now How many bays, rivers, and mountain ranges are there in Spain?