This document provides an overview of the geography and bodies of water of the Galicia region in Spain. It notes that Galicia has over 1,500 km of coastline along the Cantabrian Sea and Atlantic Ocean, including many rias (estuaries). The rias, such as the Rias of Coruña, Betanzos and Ferrol, are important for fishing and recreation. Galicia also has many rivers, the most significant being the Miño and Sil Rivers, which are used for human/drinking water supply, power generation, irrigation and recreation. The region has coastal lagoons, harbors and ports that support its fishing and naval industries.

1. Geography of Galicia
and its bodies of water
March 2012

2. Spain: location

3. Southern Europe
Area: 504,645 km²
7.800 km of coast,
incluiding the
Canary and
Balearic Islands
Spain: location

4. Spain: seas and oceans

5. Mediterranean Sea: warmer than
the others
Cantabric Sea
Atlantic Ocean

6. The mediterranean coasts:
∗ Mild temperatures
∗ Irregular rainfall
Spain: different climates
Inland : the climate is more extreme
• Low temperatures in Winter and high in Summer
• Irregular rainfall
North:
•Low temperatures in Winter and mild in
Summer
•Abundant rainfall

7.  Situated in Northwestern Spain
 Area of 29,574 km²
 1500 km of coast
 Four provinces: three of them are in the sea shore.
 Oceanic climate: Winters and Summers are mild with abundant rainfall
Galicia: our region

8. ∗ Ocean/Seas. Most important. They condition the
climate
∗ Rivers
∗ Lakes (fresh water) and lagoons (salt water)
∗ Subterranean waters
Galicia’s bodies of water: types

9. ∗ The most important geographical feature of our coast
∗ Inlet that advances into the ocean
∗ They coincide with the mouth of a river
∗ They are subject to the tides
Rias (estuaries)
Rivers that flow into the rias

10. Rias
Northern
Rias:
Ferrol,
Coruña…
Southern
Rias:
Arousa,
Pontevedra
…
They are different in the
height of the coast and in
their size

11. They are very productive due to the rise of cold waters
coming from Atlantic currents
Rias
Rias of Coruña, Betanzos and Ferrol

12. TIDES
The average tide is approximately 2.7 meters
Today (March 15th) High tide: 1 m Low tide: 1,1 m

13. Ria of Ferrol:
data
 Average salt in sea: 34-
35,6/1000 g salt/kg water
 Mix of fresh water and sea
salt water.
 Salinity suffers variations in
Winter due to continental
water.
 This influence is much
smaller at depths over 20
meters
Surface water temperature
Minimum of 10-12 ºC in Winter
Maximum of 18-20 ºC in Summer

14. Rias uses
 Fishing
 Recreation
Cariño harbour (near Ferrol)Coruña harbour

15. Fishing in Galicia
1,500 km of coast
4,500 km2
aprox. of fishing ground
INDICATORS:
1 boat/km2
17 fishermen/km of coast
4 fishermen/km2
4 sale points/100km of coast
Cedeira harbour (near Ferrol)

16. Fishing
• Shellfish on foot: 5,693
people
• Shellfish on boat: 4,836
people
• Inshore fishing: 9,249 people
• Deep-sea fishing: North Sea
5,177 people
• Aquaculture (turbot): 4,264
people
• Rafts: mussels and oysters Ría of Vigo with rafts

17. Shellfishing

18. Main species captured

19. ∗ Ferrol
∗ A Coruña
∗ Vigo
∗ Vilagarcía
∗ Marín
∗ San Ciprián
Harbours
Ferrol harbour with a huge cruise

20. ∗ A Coruña
∗ Vigo
∗ Cedeira
∗ Celeiro
∗ Ribeira
Fishing ports
Gran Sol fleet, Vigo Celeiro (Lugo)
A Coruña

21. ∗ Beaches. In Galicia there are hundreds of beaches. Only 15
km from Ferrol we have more than 21 beaches
Water sports:
∗ Surf
∗ Rowing
∗ Sailing
∗ Canoeing
∗ Scuba diving
Recreational uses
Galicia has:
• 86 nautical installations (20% of Spain’s)
•12,000 moorings
•19,000 licenses to practice water sports
Doniños beach. Ferrol

22. The Pantin Classic
International
Competition takes place
in Pantín, near Ferrol,
every September
Surf

23. Dinghy sailing race. Ferrol,
August 2011
Tall ships Atlantic
Challenge 2009. Vigo
Sailing
Sailing is a sport with a big tradition here in Galicia

24. Tradicional Galician Boats
Chalana
Dorna

25. NATIONAL PARKS
Atlantic Islands National Park (Southwestern
Galicia)
Cies Island National Park

26. Coastal Lagoons
They are small and briny in different degrees
They are important to safeguard the typical Galician
flora and fauna (wetland
Near Ferrol we have two lagoons
Doniños lagoon Valdoviño lagoon

27. ∗ Shipyards in Ferrol and Vigo
∗ 2011: 55 % of all the vessels built in Spain.
∗ 2012: 28 % of all the vessels built in Spain.
The Naval restructuring began in 1982 and hasn’t finished yet.
Naval Industry
Ferrol shipyard

28. In Galicia there are many small rivers, but the most important
ones are the Miño(310 km) and its tributaire the Sil
Rivers
Miño river and Roman bridge
in Ourense
Sil river

29.  Human supply.
 Recreation.
 Power
 Irrigation
River Uses
Traditional irrigation channel in Galicia

30. Human supply: dam
Forcadas dam: Ferrol’s supply of drinking water

31. Used years ago to wash clothes by hand. Now they
are being restored and preserved as part of Galicia’s
ethnographic heritage.
Human supply: washing places

32. Waste water treatment plants
in Galicia

33. Energetic use of the rivers
 Galicia is one of the
biggest producers of
hydroelectric power in
Spain
 147 hydroelectric power
stations (large and small)
 38 large hydrolectric
power stations
Fervenza dam in the Xallas river
(Coruña)

34. Small Hydroelectric Power Stations
(less than 10 MW)
Belelle river

35. Hydroelectric Power Stations
(10-50 MW)

36. Subterranean Waters
• Wells: used years ago to get drinking water.
• Fountains: very common in many Galician towns and
villages.
St. Roque fountain (18th
century) FerrolFurado river fountain (Ferrol)

37. ∗ Very common in Galicia.
∗ Used since Roman times to treat respiratory, rheumatic or skin deseases.
∗ The most important ones are in Ourense and the hot water flows at more
than 60 ºC.
∗ Nowadays, most of them are part of spas.
Hot springs
Roman hot spring in Ourense

38. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR YOUR
ATTENTION