Southern Europe

1. Southern Europe The Iberian Peninsula

2. Spain Portugal The Iberian Peninsula Andorra

3. Madrid, Spain’s capital city Spain: Past meets Present

4. Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city Portugal:The Western Edge • Portugal was a leading nation during the Age of Discovery • Vasco da Gama set sail for the New World from the city of Belém

5. Andorra la Vella, the capital city of Andorra Andorra:Perched in the Pyrenees • Andorra is a small country (185 square miles) • It is perched high in the Pyrenees, dividing Spain and France

6. The Land • The Iberian Peninsula—High and Rugged • Northern region—Pyrenees Mountains divide the peninsula from the rest of Europe. • Southern region—Sierra Nevada range

7. Meseta = a huge central plateau Meseta – “tableland” Plateau – a flat landmass higher than the surrounding land Covers 2/3 of the peninsula Farmers raise wheat and vegetables Irrigation is necessary because of the dry climate and poor, reddish-yellow soil Farmers also herd sheep and goats The Meseta

8. The Meseta • Many major rivers begin in the Meseta: • The Tagus, Spain’s longest river • The Guadalquivir, flows from the Meseta to the Atlantic Ocean • The Guadalquivir River Basin is in southern Spain

9. Coastal areas: Mediterranean climate Mild winters Hot summers Northern areas: Marine west coast climate Warm winds from the Atlantic bring a lot of rain The Climate • The Meseta: • Cold winters, hot summers, very little rain

10. The Economy • Tourism and farming benefits all three countries on the Iberian Peninsula • Both Spain and Portugal are developing countries; they are catching up with other EU countries in economic devlopment

11. Tourism--Spain • Sunny climate • Beautiful beaches • Storybook castles

12. La Alhambra • http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Destacados%20Multimedia/Videos/visorVid.htm?Video=00128GRENWM.WMV?Tipo=wm • Mohammed I turned a 9th century castle, in Granada, into his royal residence. • La Alhambra is one of the finest examples of Moorish architecture in the world • It is among Europe’s most visited tourist attractions

13. Tourism--Portugal • Relics of the past • Architecture • Beautiful beaches • Water sports • Golf

14. Tourism--Andorra • What about Andorra? • Skiing • Shopping • Mountain Climbing

15. The Economy--Spain • Growing industrial and service economy • Machinery, Trucks, Cars, Clothing • Farming and Fishing • Acres and acres of olive groves • World’s largest producer of olive oil • Also export citrus fruits, cork, and wine

16. The Economy--Portugal • Benefits from textile (clothing) • Subsistence farming • Wine grapes, citrus fruits, olives, rice, cork, wheat • World’s leading exporter of cork

17. The People • Spain and Portugal share similar histories and cultures. • Iberians migrated from North Africa • Romans later followed from Italy • Moors also came from North Africa • Culture, religion, and architecture were influenced by these early civilizations

18. The People • By the late 1900s… • Independent • Powerful • Roman Catholic • Sponsored… • Christopher Columbus • Vasco da Gama

19. The Culture--Portugal • Portugal developed a unified culture based on the Portuguese language

20. The Culture—Spain“A country of different countries” • Spain’s regions remain culturally unique • Castile • Has dictated the culture for centuries • The dialect of the Castilian people became the major language of Spain • dialect – a local form of language • Catalonia • Speak Catalan, a language related to French • Galicia (northwest) and Andalusia (south) also have unique cultural traditions • Basque • In northern Spain • Speak a language unlike any other in Europe • Think of themselves as separate from Spain—want their own independence

21. The Running of the BullsPamplona, Spain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONZtJyOY6j0 • The Running of the Bulls takes place in Pamplona, Spain to help kick off the festival of San Fermin, during the fiesta week (early to mid July)

22. Questions?