Editing Geography of Spain (section)

== Regions ==

=== Peninsular region ===
Most of Spain's peninsular region consists of the [[Meseta Central]], a highland plateau rimmed and dissected by mountain ranges.<ref name=":1" /> Other landforms include narrow coastal plains and some lowland river valleys, the most prominent of which is the Andalusian Plain in the southwest.<ref name=":1" /> The country can be divided into ten natural regions or subregions: the dominant Meseta Central, the [[Cantabrian Mountains]] (Cordillera Cantabrica) and the northwest region, the ''[[Sistema Ibérico|Ibérico]]'' region, the Pyrenees, the ''[[Baetic Cordillera|Penibético]]'' region in the southeast, the [[Andalusia]]n Plain, the [[Ebro Basin]], the coastal plains, the [[Balearic Islands]], and the [[Canary Islands]].<ref name=":1" /> These are commonly grouped into four types: the Meseta Central and associated mountains, other mountainous regions, lowland regions, and islands.<ref name=":1" />

===The Inner Plateau and associated mountains===<!-- This section is linked from [[Campoo]] -->
{{Main|Meseta Central}}
The ''Meseta Central'' ("Inner Plateau") is a vast plateau in the heart of [[peninsular Spain]], which has elevations that range from 610 to 760&nbsp;m.<ref name=":1" /> Rimmed by mountains, the Meseta Central slopes gently to the west and to the series of rivers that form some of the border with [[Portugal]].<ref name=":1" /> The [[Sistema Central]], described as the "dorsal spine" of the Meseta Central, divides the Meseta into northern and southern subregions, the former higher in elevation and smaller in area than the latter.<ref name=":1" /> The Sistema Central rims the capital city of [[Madrid]] with peaks that rise to over 2,400&nbsp;m within the Madrid region.<ref name=":1" /> South-west of Madrid, the Sistema Central shows its highest peak, [[Pico Almanzor]], of almost 2,600&nbsp;m.<ref name=":1" /> The mountains of the Sistema Central, which continue westward into Portugal, display some glacial features; the highest of the peaks are snow-capped for most of the year.<ref name=":1" /> Despite their height, however, the mountain system does not create a major barrier between the northern and the southern portions of the Meseta Central because several passes permit road and railroad transportation to the northwest and the northeast.<ref name=":1" />

The southern portion of the Meseta ({{langx|es|Submeseta Sur}}) is further divided by twin mountain ranges, the [[Montes de Toledo]] running to the east with the [[Sierra de Guadalupe, Spain|Sierra de Guadalupe]], to the west.<ref name=":1" /> Their peaks do not rise much higher than 1,500&nbsp;m.<ref name=":1" /> With many easy passes, including those that connect the Meseta with the Andalusian Plain, the Montes de Toledo and the Sierra de Guadalupe do not present an obstacle to transportation and communication.<ref name=":1" /> The two mountain ranges are separated from the Sistema Central by the [[Tagus River]].<ref name=":1" />
[[Image:Lamedo I.jpg|thumb|The [[Picos de Europa]] in Northern Spain]]

The mountain regions that rim the Meseta Central and are associated with it are the [[Sierra Morena]], the [[Cantabrian Mountains|Cordillera Cantábrica]], and the [[Sistema Ibérico]].<ref name=":1" /> Forming the southern edge of the Meseta Central, the Sierra Morena merges in the east with the southern extension of the Sistema Iberico and reaches westward along the northern edge of the Rio Guadalquivir valley to join the mountains in southern Portugal.<ref name=":1" /> The massif of the Sierra Morena extends northward to the [[Guadiana|Río Guadiana]], which separates it from the Sistema Central.<ref name=":1" /> Despite their relatively low elevations, seldom surpassing 1,300&nbsp;m, the mountains of the Sierra Morena are rugged at their southern edge.<ref name=":1" />

The Cordillera Cantábrica, a limestone formation, runs parallel to, and close to, the northern coast near the Bay of Biscay.<ref name=":1" /> Its highest points are the [[Picos de Europa]], surpassing 2,500&nbsp;m.<ref name=":1" /> The Cordillera Cantábrica extends 182&nbsp;km and abruptly drops 1,500&nbsp;m some 30&nbsp;km from the coast.<ref name=":1" /> To the west lie the hills of the northwest region<ref name=":1" /> and to the east the [[Basque mountains]] that link them to the Pyrenees.

The Sistema Ibérico extends from the Cordillera Cantábrica southeastward and, close to the Mediterranean, spreads out from the [[Ebro|Río Ebro]] to the [[Júcar|Río Júcar]].<ref name=":1" /> The barren, rugged slopes of this mountain range cover an area of close to 21,000 square kilometers.<ref name=":1" /> The mountains exceed 2,000&nbsp;m in their northern region and reach a maximum height of over 2,300&nbsp;m east of the headwaters of the Rio Duero.<ref name=":1" /> The extremely steep mountain slopes in this range are often cut by deep, narrow gorges.<ref name=":1" />

===Lowland regions===
[[Image:Echium Wildpretii at The Teide.jpg|thumb|[[Teide]], the highest mountain in Spain ([[Tenerife]], [[Canary Islands]])]]

The major lowland regions are the Andalusian Plain in the southwest, the Ebro Basin in the northeast, and the coastal plains.<ref name=":1" /> The Andalusian Plain is essentially a wide river valley through which the Río [[Guadalquivir]] flows.<ref name=":1" /> The river broadens out along its course, reaching its widest point at the Golfo de Cadiz.<ref name=":1" /> The Andalusian Plain is bounded on the north by the Sierra Morena and on the south by the Sistema Penibético; it narrows to an apex in the east where these two mountain chains meet.<ref name=":1" /> The Ebro Basin is formed by the Río Ebro valley, contained by mountains on three sides—the Sistema Ibérico to the south and west, the Pyrenees to the north and east, and their coastal extensions paralleling the shore to the east.<ref name=":1" /> Minor low-lying river valleys close to the Portuguese border are located on the Tagus and the Río Guadiana.<ref name=":1" />

The Coastal Plains regions are narrow strips between the coastal mountains and the seas.<ref name=":1" /> They are broadest along the Golfo de Cádiz, where the coastal plain adjoins the Andalusian Plain, and along the southern and central eastern coasts.<ref name=":1" /> The narrowest coastal plain runs along the Bay of Biscay, where the Cordillera Cantábrica ends close to shore.<ref name=":1" />

===The islands===
[[File:Tossa de Mar View.jpg|thumb|The Mediterranean coast of Spain]]
The remaining regions of Spain are the [[Balearic Islands]] and the [[Canary Islands]], the former located in the Mediterranean Sea and the latter in the Atlantic Ocean.<ref name=":1" /> The Balearic Islands, encompassing a total area of 5,000 square kilometers, lie 80 kilometers off Spain's central eastern coast.<ref name=":1" /> The mountains that rise up above the Mediterranean Sea to form these islands are an extension of the [[Baetic System|Sistema Penibetico]].<ref name=":1" /> The archipelago's highest points, which reach 1,400 meters, are in northwestern [[Mallorca]], close to the coast.<ref name=":1" /> The central portion of Mallorca is a plain, bounded on the east and the southeast by broken hills.<ref name=":1" />

The Canary Islands, ninety kilometers off the west coast of [[Africa]], are of volcanic origin.<ref name=":1" /> The large central islands, [[Tenerife]] and [[Gran Canaria]], have the highest peaks.<ref name=":1" /> [[Pico de Las Nieves]], on Gran Canaria, rises to 1,949&nbsp;meters, and the [[Teide]], on Tenerife, to 3,715&nbsp;meters.{{Fact|date=August 2021}} Teide, a dormant [[volcano]], is the highest peak of Spain and the third largest volcano in the world from its base.{{Fact|date=August 2021}}