Editing Catalonia (section)

== Geography ==

=== Climate ===
[[File:Mapa climàtic de Catalunya.png|thumb|Climates of Catalonia:
{{unbulleted list
|{{Legend|#00A86B|[[Oceanic climate]]}}
|{{Legend|#9966CC|[[Alpine climate]]}}
|{{Legend|#77B5FE|Mediterranean climate of alpine influence}}
|{{Legend|#FFE5B4|Inland Mediterranean climate}}
|{{Legend|#FF7F00|[[Mediterranean climate|Coastal Mediterranean climate]]}}
|{{Legend|#FF9271|Mediterranean climate of [[Continental climate|continental influence]]}}
}}]]
The climate of Catalonia is diverse. The populated areas lying by the coast in Tarragona, Barcelona and Girona provinces feature a [[Hot-summer Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Csa''). The inland part (including the Lleida province and the inner part of Barcelona province) show a mostly [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Csa''). The Pyrenean peaks have a [[continental climate|continental]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''D'') or even [[Alpine climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''ET'') at the highest summits, while the valleys have a maritime or [[oceanic climate]] sub-type ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfb'').

In the Mediterranean area, summers are dry and hot with sea breezes, and the maximum temperature is around {{convert|26|-|31|°C}}. Winter is cool or slightly cold depending on the location. It snows frequently in the Pyrenees, and it occasionally snows at lower altitudes, even by the coastline. Spring and autumn are typically the rainiest seasons, except for the Pyrenean valleys, where summer is typically stormy.

The inland part of Catalonia is hotter and drier in summer. Temperature may reach {{convert|35|°C}}, some days even {{convert|40|°C}}. Nights are cooler there than at the coast, with the temperature of around {{convert|14|-|17|°C}}. Fog is not uncommon in valleys and plains; it can be especially persistent, with [[freezing drizzle]] episodes and subzero temperatures during winter, mainly along the [[Ebro]] and [[Segre River|Segre]] valleys and in [[Plain of Vic]].

=== Topography ===
{{See also|List of mountains in Catalonia}}
[[File:Catmorfo.png|thumb|[[Geomorphologic]] map of Catalonia:
{{unbulleted list
|{{legend2|#ff3f3f|[[Pyrenees]]}}
|{{legend2|#ffa545|[[Pre-Pyrenees]]}}
|{{legend2|#fff915|[[Catalan Central Depression]]}}
|{{legend2|#d8c03d|Smaller mountain ranges of<br /> the Central Depression}}
|{{legend2|#917654|[[Catalan Transversal Range]]}}
|{{legend2|#487048|[[Catalan Pre-Coastal Range]]}}
|{{legend2|#679772|[[Catalan Coastal Range]]}}
|{{legend2|#a0d486|[[Catalan Coastal Depression]]<br /> and other coastal and pre-coastal plains}}
}}]]
[[File:Beciberri.JPG|thumb|left|[[Besiberri]] in Catalan [[Pyrenees]] ]]
Catalonia has a marked geographical diversity, considering the relatively small size of its territory. The [[geography]] is conditioned by the Mediterranean coast, with {{convert|580|km|mi|abbr=off}} of coastline, and the towering Pyrenees along the long northern border. Catalonia is divided into three main geomorphological units:<ref>{{cite web|title=Geological map of Catalonia|url=http://www.icgc.cat/en/Public-Administration-and-Enterprises/Downloads/Geological-and-geothematic-cartography/Geological-mapping/Geological-map-of-Catalonia-1-50.000|publisher=Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya|access-date=11 October 2017|date=2016|archive-date=12 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012044144/http://www.icgc.cat/en/Public-Administration-and-Enterprises/Downloads/Geological-and-geothematic-cartography/Geological-mapping/Geological-map-of-Catalonia-1-50.000|url-status=live}}</ref>

*The Pyrenees: mountainous formation that connects the Iberian Peninsula with the [[Continental Europe|European continental territory]] (see passage above);
*The Catalan Coastal mountain ranges or the Catalan Mediterranean System: an alternating delevacions and planes parallel to the Mediterranean coast;
*The [[Catalan Central Depression]]: structural unit which forms the eastern sector of the Valley of the Ebro.

[[File:2012 Montserrat.jpg|thumb|left|Mountain of [[Montserrat (mountain)|Montserrat]] and the [[Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey|monastery]]]]
The Catalan Pyrenees represent almost half in length of the Pyrenees, as it extends more than {{convert|200|km|abbr=off}}. Traditionally differentiated the Axial Pyrenees (the main part) and the [[Pre-Pyrenees]] (southern from the Axial) which are mountainous formations parallel to the main mountain ranges but with lower altitudes, less steep and a different geological formation. The highest mountain of Catalonia, located north of the comarca of Pallars Sobirà is the Pica d'Estats (3,143{{spaces}}m), followed by the Puigpedrós (2,914{{spaces}}m). The [[Serra del Cadí]] comprises the highest peaks in the Pre-Pyrenees and forms the southern boundary of the [[Cerdanya]] valley.

The Central Catalan Depression is a plain located between the Pyrenees and Pre-Coastal Mountains. Elevation ranges from {{convert|200|to|600|m|ft|abbr=off}}. The plains and the water that descend from the Pyrenees have made it fertile territory for [[agriculture]] and numerous irrigation canals have been built. Another major plain is the [[Empordà]], located in the northeast.

The Catalan Mediterranean system is based on two ranges running roughly parallel to the coast (southwest–northeast), called the Coastal and the Pre-Coastal Ranges. The Coastal Range is both the shorter and the lower of the two, while the Pre-Coastal is greater in both length and elevation. Areas within the Pre-Coastal Range include [[Montserrat (mountain)|Montserrat]], [[Montseny Massif|Montseny]] and the [[Ports de Tortosa-Beseit]]. Lowlands alternate with the Coastal and Pre-Coastal Ranges. The Coastal Lowland is located to the East of the Coastal Range between it and the coast, while the Pre-Coastal Lowlands are located inland, between the Coastal and Pre-Coastal Ranges, and includes the [[Vallès]] and [[Penedès]] plains.

=== Flora and fauna ===
[[File:BennyTrapp Montseny-Gebirgsmolch Calotriton arnoldi Montseny-Gebirge Spanien.jpg|thumb|Montseny brook newt (''[[Calotriton arnoldi]]''), [[endemic]] to the [[Montseny Massif]]]]
Catalonia is a showcase of European [[landscapes]] on a small scale. Just over {{convert|30000|km2|sqmi|abbr=off}} hosting a variety of substrates, soils, climates, directions, altitudes and distances to the sea. The area is of great ecological diversity and a remarkable wealth of landscapes, habitats and species.

The fauna of Catalonia comprises a minority of animals endemic to the region and a majority of non-endemic animals. Much of Catalonia enjoys a Mediterranean climate (except mountain areas), which makes many of the animals that live there adapted to Mediterranean ecosystems. Of mammals, there are plentiful [[wild boar]], red foxes, as well as [[roe deer]] and in the Pyrenees, the [[Pyrenean chamois]]. Other large species such as the [[bear]] have been recently reintroduced.

The waters of the [[Balearic Sea]] are rich in biodiversity, and even the [[megafauna]]s of the oceans; various types of whales (such as [[fin whale|fin]], [[sperm whale|sperm]], and [[long-finned pilot whale|pilot]]) and [[dolphin]]s can be found in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edmaktub.org/en/home-2/|title=EDMAKTUB I Estudio de cetáceos|website=www.edmaktub.org|access-date=22 March 2017|archive-date=25 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325202832/http://www.edmaktub.org/en/home-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Casinos, A.; Vericad, R. J. (2009). [https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/mamm.1976.40.issue-2/mamm.1976.40.2.267/mamm.1976.40.2.267.xml "The Cetaceans of the Spanish Coasts: A Survey".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525195641/https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/mamm.1976.40.issue-2/mamm.1976.40.2.267/mamm.1976.40.2.267.xml|date=25 May 2017}}. ''Mammalia''. Volume 40. Issue 2, pp. 267–90. {{ISSN|1864-1547}}. {{ISSN|0025-1461}}. {{doi|10.1515/mamm.1976.40.2.267}}</ref>

=== Hydrography ===
{{See also|List of rivers of Catalonia}}
[[File:Aerea estany de banyoles.png|thumb|[[Lake of Banyoles]] ]]
[[File:Tossa de Mar Buchten 1.JPG|thumb|[[Tossa de Mar]], Costa Brava]]
Most of Catalonia belongs to the [[Mediterranean Basin]]. The Catalan hydrographic network consists of two important basins, the one of the [[Ebro]] and the one that comprises the internal basins of Catalonia (respectively covering 46.84% and 51.43% of the territory), all of them flow to the [[Mediterranean]]. Furthermore, there is the [[Garona]] river basin that flows to the [[Atlantic Ocean]], but it only covers 1.73% of the Catalan territory.

The hydrographic network can be divided in two sectors, an occidental slope or Ebro river slope and one oriental slope constituted by minor rivers that flow to the Mediterranean along the Catalan coast. The first slope provides an average of {{convert|18700|hm3|cumi|lk=on|abbr=off}} per year, while the second only provides an average of {{convert|2020|hm3|cumi|abbr=on}}/year. The difference is due to the big contribution of the Ebro river, from which the [[Segre (river)|Segre]] is an important tributary. Moreover, in Catalonia there is a relative wealth of groundwaters, although there is inequality between ''[[comarca|comarques]]'', given the complex geological structure of the territory.<ref name="GEC clima">{{cite web|url=http://www.enciclopedia.cat/enciclop%C3%A8dies/gran-enciclop%C3%A8dia-catalana/EC-GEC-0016439.xml|title=Catalunya: El clima i la hidrografia|language=ca|work=l'Enciclopèdia|location=Barcelona|editor=Gran Enciclopedia Catalana}}{{dead link|date=January 2014}}</ref> In the Pyrenees there are many small lakes, remnants of the [[Quaternary glaciation|ice age]]. The biggest are the [[lake of Banyoles]] and the recently recovered [[lake of Ivars]].

The Catalan coast is almost rectilinear, with a length of {{convert|580|km}} and few [[landform]]s—the most relevant are the [[Cap de Creus]] and the [[Gulf of Roses]] to the north and the [[Ebro Delta]] to the south. The [[Catalan Coastal Range]] hugs the coastline, and it is split into two segments, one between [[L'Estartit]] and the town of [[Blanes]] (the [[Costa Brava]]), and the other at the south, at the Costes del [[Garraf]].

The principal [[List of rivers of Catalonia|rivers in Catalonia]] are the [[Ter (river)|Ter]], [[Llobregat]], and the [[Ebro]] (Catalan: {{lang|ca|Ebre}}), all of which run into the [[Mediterranean]].

=== Anthropic pressure and protection of nature ===
The majority of Catalan population is concentrated in 30% of the territory, mainly in the coastal plains. Intensive agriculture, livestock farming and industrial activities have been accompanied by a massive [[Mass tourism|tourist]] influx (more than 20{{spaces}}million annual visitors), a rate of urbanization and even of major metropolisation which has led to a strong urban sprawl: two thirds of Catalans live in the urban area of Barcelona, while the proportion of urban land increased from 4.2% in 1993 to 6.2% in 2009, a growth of 48.6% in sixteen years, complemented with a dense network of transport infrastructure. This is accompanied by a certain agricultural abandonment (decrease of 15% of all areas cultivated in Catalonia between 1993 and 2009) and a global threat to [[natural environment]]. Human activities have also put some animal species at risk, or even led to their disappearance from the territory, like the [[gray wolf]] and probably the [[brown bear]] of the Pyrenees. The pressure created by this model of life means that the country's [[ecological footprint]] exceeds its administrative area.<ref>{{in lang|ca}} [http://www.gencat.cat/mediamb/publicacions/monografies/bd_conservacio/bd_catalunya_ca_basic.pdf ''Biodiversitat a Catalunya'', Generalitat de Catalunya] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924082817/http://www.gencat.cat/mediamb/publicacions/monografies/bd_conservacio/bd_catalunya_ca_basic.pdf|date=24 September 2015}} Retrieved 29 July 2017.</ref>

Faced with these problems, Catalan authorities initiated several measures whose purpose is to protect natural ecosystems. Thus, in 1990, the Catalan government created the Nature Conservation Council (Catalan: {{lang|ca|Consell de Protecció de la Natura}}), an advisory body with the aim to study, protect and manage the natural environments and landscapes of Catalonia. In addition, the Generalitat has carried out the Plan of Spaces of Natural Interest ({{lang|ca|Pla d'Espais d'Interès Natural}} or PEIN) in 1992 while eighteen Natural Spaces of Special Protection ({{lang|ca|Espais Naturals de Protecció Especial}} or ENPE) have been instituted.

There is a [[National Park]], [[Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park|Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici]]; fourteen [[Natural park (Spain)|Natural Parks]], [[Alt Pirineu Natural Park|Alt Pirineu]], Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, [[Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park|Cadí-Moixeró]], [[Cap de Creus]], Sources of Ter and Freser, [[Collserola]], [[Ebro Delta]], [[Ports de Tortosa-Beseit|Ports]], [[Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park|Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter]], [[Montseny Massif|Montseny]], [[Montserrat]], Sant Llorenç del Munt and l'Obac, [[Serra de Montsant]], and the [[Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa Natural Park|Garrotxa Volcanic Zone]]; as well as three Natural Places of National Interest ({{lang|ca|Paratge Natural d'Interes Nacional}} or PNIN), the [[Pedraforca]], the [[Poblet Monastery|Poblet]] Forest and the [[Albères]].