Here you have the summary of the contents of the unit of Spain:
TERRITORIAL ORGANISATION
There are 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla) in Spain.
Depending on its size, each autonomous community has one or more provinces. Provinces are divided into municipalities.
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT
Elections for autonomous communities are held every four years. Citizens vote for representatives called deputies. The deputies form the Parliament and elect a President to head the Parliament. The president chooses the councillors.
A Statute of Autonomy defines de powers of an autonomous community or city. The elements of a Statute of Autonomy are:
- Territory and capital city
- Official language or languages
- Legal power and government institutions
- Symbols such as the flag, anthem and coat of arms.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Most provinces have a diputación made up of representatives from the different municipalities. The diputación helps to coordinate local services.
Municipal elections are held every four years to choose representatives called councillors. The councillors choose the mayor.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
RIVERS
Definitions:
- The place where a river begins is called the source.
- A tributary is a river or stream that flows into a larger river
- The mouth of a river is the place where it flows into a lake, sea or ocean.
Spain has three watersheds:
- Cantabrian watershed: Rivers flow from the Cordillera Cantábrica or Montes Vascos into the Cantabrian Sea. The rivers are short and flow quickly, with a large water flow.
- Atlantic watershed: Rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean. In Galicia rivers are short with a large water flow. Long rivers flow through the Meseta with irregular water flow.
- Mediterranean watershed: Rivers flow into the Mediterranean Sea. They are short and have an irregular water flow.
RELIEF
Spain has many mountain ranges:
- NORTH: Macizo Galaico, Pyrenees, Montes de León, Montes Vascos, Cordillera Cantábrica and cordillera Costerocatalana.
- SOUTH: Sistema Bético and Sierra Morena
- CENTRAL SPAIN: A plateau (the Meseta), Sistema Central, Sistema Ibérico, Montes de Toledo.
The highest mountain on mainland in Spain is the Mulhacén (3479m). the highest point in Spanish territory is the volcano Teide (3718m) in Tenerife. they are also important The Aneto (3404m), Posets (3375m) and Monte Perdido (3355m) in the Pyrenees.
CLIMATE
- Alpine climate:
- Location: Mountain regions in the North and high peaks.
- Tempetarures: Summers are cool and winters very cold.
- Precitation levels are high.
- Vegetation: decidious and coniferous trees, shrubs such as juniper.
- Continental climate:
- Location: inland areas.
- Tempetarures: very low in winter and very high in summer.
- Precitation: not much precipitation.
- Vegetation: decidious trees (beech and oak), grasslands and shrubs.
- Subtropical climate:
- Location: Canary Islands.
- Tempetarures:high temperatures all year.
- Precitation: very little precipitation.
- Vegetation: regional species (dragon tree), cacti, palm trees, aloe, juniper and pine forests.
- Mediterramean climate:
- Location: southern and eastern coastal areas and Balearic Islands.
- Tempetarures: mild winters and hot summers.
- Precitation: droughts in summer, some rain in autumn.
- Vegetation: olive, laurel, lavender and rosemary.
- Oceanic climate:
- Location: North and Northwest (coast of Cantabrian Sea).
- Tempetarures: summer and winters are mild.
- Precitation: high all year round.
- Vegetation: decidious trees (beech, oak, chestnut, mosses and ferns.
