CeipToursScience6: UNIT 2 SOCIAL SCIENCE: SPANISH CLIMATES AND THE TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION OF SPAIN

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Weather is the state of the atmosphere al specific time and place.

Climate is the weather in a particular region over a long period of time.

Spain has four main types of climate:

This is the climate of the north of the Iberian Peninsula. These are its main characteristics:

Temperatures are warm in summer and mild in winter due to the proximity of the sea.
Precipitation is abundant and regular throughout the year.
Vegetation is abundant. It consists of forests with oak, chestnut and beech trees.

This is the climate of mountainous regions above 1.500 meters. These are its main characteristics:

Temperature are cool in summer and very low in winter.
Precipitation is bundant. It often snows in winter.
Vegetation is scarce. At higher altitudes, it consists of meadows. In lower areas, there are forests with pine, oal and fir trees.

This is the climate of the Canary Islands. This is only region of Spain that has a subtropical climate. These are its main characteristics:

Temperatures are mild throughout the year and do not vary much.
Precipitation is higher in the northern parts of islands. In contrast, it is scarce in the south of the islands and in the islands closest to Africa, such as Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
The vegetation includes laurel forests, Canary Island pines, palm trees and dragon trees.

This is the most common climate in Spain. There are three variations:

TYPICAL MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE. This is the climate of the Balearic Islands, most of the Mediterranean coast and a few areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Temperatures are high in summer and mild in winter. Precipitation is scarce and irregular. Rainfall is highest in spring and autumn. Drought is common in summer.
CONTINENTAL MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE. This is the climate of most areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Temperatures are high in summer and low in winter. Precipitation is scarce. It sometimes snows in winter.
DRY MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE. This is the climate of the southeastern areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Temperatures are mild along the coast and extreme inland. Precipitation is very scarce throughout the year, with extremly dry summers.

Vegetation is diverse, but scarce. It mostly consists of shrubs, rockrose and thyme, and forests with holm oaks, cork oaks and pine trees.

Spain is divided in 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla). These autonomous communities are divided in 50 provinces.