Editing Geography of Spain (section)

===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" />