Spain has diverse geography and is divided into several regions. It has over 1800 rivers that flow into three main watersheds - the Cantabrian, Atlantic, and Mediterranean. Rivers in the Cantabrian watershed are short and fast flowing due to their source in the nearby mountains. Rivers vary in the other watersheds depending on the climate and terrain of the different regions of Spain. The country is also mountainous overall with several mountain ranges and a large plateau called the Meseta in the center.

1. Geography of Spain

3. Discover!
• Spain is the fourth largest country in Europe. It is 504 030
km2 and forms 85 per cent of the Iberian Peninsula. The
territory of Spain also covers the Islas Baleares off the east
coast, the Islas Canarias off the north-west coast of Africa,
and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla in the north of Africa.
• Mainland Spain borders several different countries:
France, Andorra and Portugal.
Link it up! How many Autonomous Communities and
Autonomous Cities is Spain divided into? Do you remember?

6. River
• An esturay is where a river
flows into the sea and
fresh water meets salt
water. The estuaries in
Spain flow into one of the
tree main watershed: the
Cantabrian watershed, the
Atlantic watershed or the
Mediterranean watershed.

8. Check out 1(in the class)
1. In which watersheds are the mouths of these rivers? Mark them A
(Atlantic), C (Cantabrian) or M (Mediterranean)
• Ebro, Tajo, Duero, Miño, Eo, Navia, Júcar, Guadalquivir
2. Find out about the River Tinto in Spain.
• Where is it and why is it peculiar?
3. Think of examples of these in Spain:
mountains, capes, rivers, islands, lakes

10. The physical geography of Spain
• Rivers
• There are about 1800 rivers in Spain although some of them
are dry at certain times of the year. The major rivers, and
many of their tributaries (smaller rivers flowing into them),
have dams built on them to form reservoirs which provide
Spain with water and electricity. Rivers have different
characteristics according to the climate and relief.

11. Watershed
• Rivers in the Cantabrian watershed are very short, but very fast.
• Because they flow from the Cordillera Cantabrica or the Montes Vascos
which are close to the sea. These rivers have a large water flow because of
high precipitation due to the Atlantic climate.
• Rivers in the Atlantic watershed vary depending on the region. For example,
rivers in Galicia are short with a large water flow; whereas rivers in the
Meseta are long but with an irregular water flow because they pass through
areas of low precipitation.
• In the Mediterranean watershed the amount of precipitation varies
throughout the year so most rivers in this area are short with an irregular
water flow.

12. Mountains
• Spain is a
mountainous country.
There are many
mountain ranges and
a plateau called the
Meseta that occupies
the central part of the
peninsula.

14. Interactive games
• https://mapasinteractivos.didactalia.net/comunidad/mapasflashinteractivos/
MapasDidactalia
• https://www.mundoprimaria.com/juegos-educativos/juegos-mapas-espana
• http://serbal.pntic.mec.es/ealg0027/mapasflash.htm