Editing Castilla–La Mancha (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Castilla-La Mancha NASA.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|Satellite image of Castilla–La Mancha.]]
Castilla–La Mancha is located in the middle of the [[Iberian Peninsula]], occupying the greater part of the Submeseta Sur, the vast plain composing the southern part of the [[Meseta Central]]. The Submeseta Sur (and the autonomous community) is separated from the Submeseta Norte (and the community of [[Castilla y León]]) by the mountain range known as the [[Sistema Central]]. Despite this, the region has no shortage of mountain landscapes: the southern slopes of the aforementioned Sistema Central in the north, the [[Sistema Ibérico]] in the northeast, and the [[Sierra Morena]] and [[Montes de Toledo]] in the south.

Castilla–La Mancha is the third largest of Spain's autonomous regions, with a surface area of {{convert|79463|km2|sqmi}}, representing 15.7 percent of Spain's national territory.

The regional urban structure is polycentric, with no dominant central city.{{Sfn|Alonso Talón|Cabado García|Gómez Sánchez|Oliveros Navarro|2019|p=20}} Insofar the largest municipality (Albacete) is located in the peripheral southeast, Madrid (outside the region), exerts influence over the extension of the so-called {{ill|Corredor del Henares|es}} into the province of Guadalajara (including the provincial capital) as well as the north of the province of Toledo.{{Sfn|Alonso Talón|Cabado García|Gómez Sánchez|Oliveros Navarro|2019|p=20}} The rest of urban centres lie on the central plains (with for example, the presence of intermediate agro-cities in La Mancha), contrasting with the sparsely populated mountains and other peripheral areas.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.afi.es/webAfi/descargas/1879080/1252800/Estudio-Caixabank-Research-La-economia-de-la-Comunidad-Autonoma-de-Castilla-La-Mancha-diagnostico-estrategico.pdf|pages=20–22|title=La economía de la comunidad autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha: diagnóstico estratégico|publisher=[[CaixaBank]]|location=Barcelona|year=2019|series=Colección comunidades autónomas|first1=Pablo|last1=Alonso Talón|first2=Manuel|last2=Cabado García|first3=Cristina|last3=Gómez Sánchez|first4=Rosa|last4=Oliveros Navarro|first5=Ramón|last5=Villagrasa Martínez|first6=María|last6=Romero Paniagua|archive-date=2021-06-06|access-date=2021-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606154849/https://www.afi.es/webAfi/descargas/1879080/1252800/Estudio-Caixabank-Research-La-economia-de-la-Comunidad-Autonoma-de-Castilla-La-Mancha-diagnostico-estrategico.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Relief ===
The Meseta is the dominant landscape unit of a great part of the territory of Castilla–La Mancha: a vast, uniform plain with little relief.

The west-to-east [[Montes de Toledo]] range cuts across the meseta separating the (northern) [[Tagus]] and the (southern) [[Guadiana]] drainage basins. The most outstanding peaks of this modest mountain range include [[La Villuerca]] ({{convert|1601|m|sp=us|ft}}) and [[Rocigalgo]] ({{convert|1447|m|sp=us|ft}}).

In contrast, a more mountainous zone surrounds the Meseta and serves as the region's natural border. In the north of the [[Province of Guadalajara]], bordering Madrid and [[Segovia]], is a mountain range forming part of the [[Sistema Central]], among which can be distinguished the mountain ranges Pela, [[Sierra de Ayllón|Ayllón]], Somosierra, Barahona and Ministra, with the headwaters of the rivers [[Jarama]], [[Cañamares (river)|Cañamares]] and [[Henares]]. The Sistema Central also penetrates the northwest of the province of Toledo: a southwest to northeast sub-range known as the [[Sierra de San Vicente]], bordered on the north by the [[Tiétar (river)|Tiétar]] and on the south by the [[Alberche]] and the Tagus, rising up to its maximum heights at the summits of Cruces (1373 m), Pelados (1331 m) and San Vicente (1321 m).<ref>{{Cite journal|first=Paloma|last=Cantó|title=Estudio fitosociológico y biogeográfico de la sierra de San Vicente y tramo inferior del valle del Alberche (Toledo, España)|journal=Lazaroa|publisher=[[Complutense University of Madrid|Ediciones Complutense]]|location=Madrid|volume=25|issn=0210-9778|year=2004|url=https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/LAZA/article/view/LAZA0404110178A/9133|page=187}}</ref>

On the northwest is the [[Sistema Ibérico]], where there is important fluvial and especially [[karst]]ic activity, which has given rise to such landscapes as the [[Ciudad Encantada]], the [[Callejones de Las Majadas]] and the [[Hoces del Cabriel]].

In the southeast is the ridge of the Sierra Morena, the southern border of the Meseta Central and the region's border with [[Andalusia]]. Within the Sierra Morena, distinction can be made between the [[Sierra Madrona]], [[Sierra de Alcudia]] and [[Sierra de San Andrés]]. At the other southern extreme of Castilla–La Mancha, the [[Sierra de Alcaraz]] and [[Sierra del Segura]] form part of the [[Sistema Bético]].

<gallery mode="packed">
File:El Cardoso, picos 1.jpg|The Pico del Cervunal (foreground) and the Pico del Lobo (background) in [[El Cardoso de la Sierra]]. The Pico del Lobo stands as the tallest summit in the region at 2,273 metres above mean sea level.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.revistamedioambientejccm.es/images/pdf/macm19.pdf|journal=Castilla-La Mancha Medio Ambiente|title=Inicio del Plan de Ordenación de los Recursos Naturales de la Sierra Norte de Guadalajara|first=Juan|last=Sanz Martínez|page=3|issue=19|issn=1579-7589|year=2008}}</ref>
File:LA MANCHA CONSUEGRA.jpg|The ''meseta sur'' plateau in [[Consuegra]], Toledo.
File:09042009 164759 CEC 0091 - WLE Spain 2015.jpg|Natural land formations in [[Ciudad Encantada]].
</gallery>

=== Hydrography ===
[[File:013754 - Toledo - Flickr - M.Peinado.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Tagus]] passing through the province of Toledo.]]
The territory of Castilla–La Mancha is divided into five principal [[drainage divide|watersheds]]. The [[Tagus]], [[Guadiana]], and [[Guadalquivir]] drain into the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and the [[Júcar]] and [[Segura (river)|Segura]] into the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. The Tagus provides water for some 587,000 inhabitants in a watershed of {{convert|26699|km2|sqmi}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Distribución territorial y de la población por CC.AA. de la Cuenca Hidrográfica del Tajo |url=http://www.chtajo.es/cuenca/ds_poblacion.htm |access-date=12 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512075017/http://www.chtajo.es/cuenca/ds_poblacion.htm |archive-date=12 May 2008 |work=Confederación Hidrográfica del Tajo |language=es |publisher=Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino |year=2005}}</ref> It includes the entire province of Guadalajara and the greater part of the province of Toledo, including the two largest cities of the latter province: the capital, Toledo, as well as [[Talavera de la Reina]].

The Guadiana watershed extends {{convert|26646|km2|sqmi}} in Castilla–La Mancha, 37 percent of that river's entire watershed, with a population of 583,259 inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web |title=La gestión del agua en Castilla–La Mancha |url=http://www.jccm.es/ces/pdf/gestion_agua/3_2_4.pdf |access-date=12 May 2008 |archive-url=http://pagina.jccm.es/ces/pdf/gestion_agua/3_2_4.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2011 |work=Consejo Económico y Social de Castilla–La Mancha |pages=137–144 |language=es |publisher=Junta de Castilla–La Mancha}}</ref> It includes the southern part of the province of Toledo, nearly all of the province of Ciudad Real (except the very south), the southwest of the province of Cuenca and the northwest of the province of Albacete. The Guadalquivir watershed extends over 5.2 percent<ref>{{cite web |title=Distribución Territorial de la Cuenca Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir |url=http://www.chguadalquivir.es/chg/opencms/chg-web/menu_izquierda/la_cuenca/distribucion_territorial/contenido.html#22 |access-date=12 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414193146/http://www.chguadalquivir.es/chg/opencms/chg-web/menu_izquierda/la_cuenca/distribucion_territorial/contenido.html#22 |archive-date=14 April 2008 |work=Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir |publisher=Ministerio del Medio Ambiente |language=es}}</ref> of the surface area of the autonomous community, extending {{convert|4100|km2|sqmi}} through the southern parts of the provinces of Ciudad Real and Albacete, including such important population center as [[Puertollano]].<ref>{{cite web |title=¿Quién debe gestionar los ríos? |url=http://hispagua.cedex.es/documentacion.php?c=detalle&pg=0&localizacion=Noticias%20de%20prensa&id=10786 |access-date=12 May 2008 |date=8 January 2007 |first=Manuel |last=Ramos Sevilla |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228174957/http://hispagua.cedex.es/documentacion.php?c=detalle&pg=0&localizacion=Noticias%20de%20prensa&id=10786 |archive-date=28 February 2008 |work=Hispagua |language=es |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Júcar watershed had, in 2006, 397,000 inhabitants in an area of {{convert|15737|km2|sqmi}}, 19.9 percent of the Castillian-Manchegan territory and 36.6 percent of total of the Júcar watershed.<ref>{{cite web | title = Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar | url = http://www.chj.es/ | access-date = 2008-05-12}}</ref> It includes the eastern parts of the provinces of Cuenca and Albacete, including their respective capitals. Finally, the 34 municipalities of southeastern Albacete fall in the Segura watershed, with an extent of {{convert|4713|km2|sqmi}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Distribución Territorial de la Cuenca Hidrográfica del Segura |url=http://www.chsegura.es/chs/cuenca/resumendedatosbasicos/marcoadministrativo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070107025307/http://www.chsegura.es/chs/cuenca/resumendedatosbasicos/marcoadministrativo/ |archive-date=7 January 2007 |access-date=12 May 2008 |language=es |work=[[Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura]] |publisher=Ministerio de Medio Ambiente}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
[[File:Clima Castilla-La Mancha.jpg|thumb|right|Climates of Castilla–La Mancha.]]
The predominant climate in Castilla-La-Mancha is the [[mediterranean climate|hot summer mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Csa''), while the  [[semi-arid climate|cold semi-arid climate]] (''BSk'') is also significant occupying most of the provinces of [[Province of Toledo|Toledo]] and [[Province of Albacete|Albacete]]. The [[mediterranean climate|warm summer mediterranean climate]] (''Csb'') can also be found, especially in the north of the community. To a lesser extent, there is the presence of an [[oceanic climate]] (''Cfb'') along the border with [[Aragon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aemet.es/documentos/es/conocermas/recursos_en_linea/publicaciones_y_estudios/publicaciones/NT_37_AEMET/NT_37_AEMET.pdf|title=Evolucion de los climas de Köppen en España 1951-2020|publisher=[[Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia]]|language=es|access-date=5 December 2024}}</ref> 

Lack of a marine influence leads to much more extreme temperatures: hotter summers and quite cold winters, with a daily oscillation as high as {{convert|18.5|C|F}} on some areas.  Summer is the driest season, with temperatures often exceeding {{convert|30|°C|°F}}, and temperatures above {{convert|35|°C|°F}} are common in several areas. In winter, temperatures often drop below {{convert|0|°C|°F}}, producing frosts on clear nights, and occasional snow on cloudy nights. Most of the community has [[continental climate|continental]] influences, although the climate is not exactly continental, as the average temperatures in the coldest month are above {{convert|0|C|F}}. Annual temperature ranges can reach over {{convert|20|C|F}}.

Castilla–La Mancha is part of what has traditionally been called ''España Seca'' ("Dry Spain"). [[Precipitation (meteorology)|Precipitation]] in general is relatively scarce, even in areas with a Mediterranean climate, although there are areas that receive more than {{convert|1000|mm|in}}. Precipitation presents a notable gradient from the center of the region, where it does not surpass {{convert|400|mm|in}} per year, to the mountains where it can exceed {{convert|1000|mm|in}} per year, on the slopes of the Sierra de Gredos and the [[Serranía de Cuenca]]. The greater part of the region has less than {{convert|600|mm|in}} of rain annually. The driest area of Castilla-La-Mancha is in the southeast of the community, near the border with the [[Region of Murcia]], where rainfall does not exceed {{convert|300|mm|in}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos|title=Valores Climatologicos Normales|publisher=AEMET|access-date=5 December 2024}}</ref>