1. UNIT 8
LANDSCAPES

5. Guadulupe and Montánchez The plains of the mancha
LA MESETA
EL SISTEMA CENTRAL
Mountain ranges
Gredos
Almanzor
Gata
Guadarrama
Somosierra
lowland
Valle del Duero
LOS MONTES DE TOLEDO
Guadulupe and Montánchez
The plains of the mancha
Campo de Calatrava
Valle del Tajo
The eastern part of La Meseta is higher than the western part, for this the rivers in La Meseta flow east to west into the Atlantic Ocean.

6. Cordillera Cantábrica La Cordillera Costero- Catalana
LA MESETA
Cordillera Cantábrica
Los Picos de Europa
Los Montes Vascos
La Cordillera Costero- Catalana
Los Pirineos
El sistema Bético
El sistema Ibérico
Sierra Morena
Los Montes de león
El macizo Galaico
It’s a group of rounded mountain ranges in the north west
It separates La Meseta from the coast.
They form part of the border with France
They separate the coastal area from the interior
Low mountains in the north east, near the coast
It separates La Meseta from el valle del Ebro
Subbética
Cazorla, Segura & La Sagra
It separates La Meseta from el valle del Guadalquivir
Penibética
Sierra nevada Mulhacén
Mulhacén is the highest mountain on the peninsula

7. Natural Depressions
They are low plains surrounded by higher land. We can also call a depression a river basin.

8. COASTLINES

9. C0STA CANTÁBRICA is in the north of the peninsula
C0STA CANTÁBRICA is in the north of the peninsula. From Estaca de Bares to the border with France.
Some places have high, rocky cliffs. (influence of Cordillera Cantábrica y Montes Vascos)
Other places, like Santander, the coast has low and sandy beaches.
GALLEGA is in the northwest of the peninsula. From Estaca de Bares to the mouth of the river Miño (border with Portugal).
It’s high and irregular with rocky cliffs.
Bajas in the south.
It’s famous for its Rías
Altas in the North.
ANDALUZA extends from el Estrecho de Gibraltar to Portugal.
A low sandy coastline with saltwater marshes and sand dunes.
COSTA MEDITERÁNEA is in the South and east of the peninsula. It’s the longest coast. From el Estrecho de Gibraltar to the French border in Cataluña.
It has mostly long, sandy beaches.
COSTA
ATLÁNTICA

10. ISLANDS
ISLAS CANARIAS

11. RIVERS
Rivers are continuous currents of water which flow into the sea, another river or a lake.
The characteristics of rivers depend on climate and relief.
The course is the path of the river from its source to its mouth.
The water flow is the amount of water that a river carries.

12. watersheds
It’s the area of land where different rivers flow into the same sea.
Cantabrian watershed – The rivers are very short and very fast because the mountains where they begin are close to the sea.
- The water flow is large owing to high precipitation in the Atlantic zone.
Atlantic watershed – The largest watershed.
- It has three regions:
Galicia: they are short and fast flowing, with the largest water flow because their courses pass through the Atlantic climate zone.
La Meseta: They are much longer, with an irregular water flow because they pass through areas of low precipitation in the continental climate zone. El TAJO IS THE LONGEST RIVER ON THE PENINSULA.
Western Andalucia
Mediterranean watershed –They are mainly short rivers, with an irregular water flow.
- They pass through the Mediterranean climate zone where the amount of precipitation varies greatly. 12