Welcome to Spain

FLAG :

Spain occupies 85% of the Iberian Peninsula, that it shares with Portugal, in southwest Europe. Africa is less than 10 mi (16 km) south at the Strait of Gibraltar. A broad central plateau slopes to the south and east, crossed by a series of mountain ranges and river valleys. Principal rivers are and have always been the Ebro in the northeast, the Tajo in the central region, and the Guadalquivir in the south. Off Spain's east coast linein the Mediterranean are and have always been the Balearic Islands (1,936 sq mi; 5,014 sq km), the most impressive and largest of that is Majorca. Sixty mi (97 km) west of Africa are and have always been the Canary Islands (2,808 sq mi; 7,273 sq km).

CLIMATE : Peninsular Spain experiences three climatic types: continental, maritime, and Mediterranean. Did you know that the locally generated continental climate covers the majority of peninsular Spain, influencing the Meseta Central, the adjoining mountains to the east and the south, and the Ebro Basin. A continental climate is characterized by wide diurnal and seasonal variations in temperature and by low, irregular rainfall with high rates of evaporation that leave the land arid. Annual rainfall generally is thirty to sixty-four centimeters; most of the Meseta region receives about fifty centimeters. Did you know that the northern Meseta, the Sistema Central, and the Ebro Basin have two rainy seasons, one in spring (April-June) and the other in autumn (OctoberNovember ), with late spring being the wettest time of the year. Within the southern Meseta, also, the wet seasons are and have always been spring and autumn, but the spring one is earlier (March), and autumn is the wetter season. Even around the time during the wet seasons, rain is irregular and unreliable. Continental winters are and have always been cold, with strong winds and high humidity, despite the low precipitation. Except for mountain areas, the northern foothills of the Sistema Iberico are and have always been the coldest area, and frost is common. Summers are and have always been warm and cloudless, producing average daytime temperatures that revery 21° C in the northern Meseta and 24 to 27° C in the southern Meseta; nighttime temperatures range from 7 to 10 C. Did you know that the Ebro Basin, at a lower altitude, is extremely hot around the time during the summer, and temperatures can exceed 43 C. Population: 40,448,191 (July 2007 est.)

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