UNIT The landscapes

1 oo of inland Spain
k
t eb
Work in yo ur no

Landscapes
Track 1
Wherever we look, we can see a landscape.
A landscape is an area of land that you can
see from a particular point.

Elements of a landscape
In a landscape, there are natural and man-
made elements.
Natural elements are things that are not made Natural elements
by man:
• Relief, such as mountains, plains and valleys.
• Water, such as rivers, seas and lakes.
• Vegetation, or plants, and the fauna, or all
the animals.
Man-made elements are the things that are
made by man. These include houses, roads
and train tracks. Man-made elements

Changes in landscapes
Over time, all landscapes change. These changes can be caused by
nature or by man.
• N
 atural causes can be earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions.
Natural causes can destroy buildings, bridges and vegetation.
• M
 an-made causes can be the building of roads, buildings, tunnels
and bridges. Man-made causes can change the landscape a lot.

1 W
 hat are the elements of landscapes? Give two examples of each.

2 T hink about the landscape where you live and answer the questions
in your notebook.
volcano!
wn
1 How has it changed?
ke your o

2 Are these changes man-made or natural?

3 Are these changes positive or negative?
Ma

4
 Unit 1

Track 2
Interior landscapes
Mountain landscapes
Mountains are the most common landform in mountain landscapes.
• The highest part is called the summit.
• The lowest part is called the foot.
• The sides are called slopes.
When mountains are close together they form groups called mountain
ranges. A group of mountain ranges is called a mountain system.
There are also elevations that are isolated. They include:
• Hillocks. These aren’t very high and are rounded in shape.
• Hills. These are similar to mountains but they aren’t as high.
• Massif. This is a group of old, corroded mountains.

Flat landscapes
Flat landscapes have several types of landforms. Large areas of flat
land are called plains. Flat land that is close to a river is called a
fertile plain. It is often used to grow crops.
Flat land that is higher than the land around it is called a plateau.
Flat land that is between mountains is called a valley. Flat land that
is lower than the land around it is called a gorge.

fertile plain gorge valley

1 C
 opy and complete the sentences.

1 A ... is flat land higher than the land around it.

2 A ... plain is used to grow crops.
3 A ... is a large area of flat land.
4 A ... is flat land between two mountains.
5 A ... is flat land that is lower than the land around it.

5
 Interior landscapes in Spain (I)
Track 3

The Meseta
The Meseta is a plateau in the centre of Spain. It is very large
and covers the areas of Castilla y León, Madrid, Castilla-La
Mancha and Extremadura. It is high, with an average elevation
of 650 metres.
There are two mountain systems on the Meseta:
• T
 he Central System divides the Meseta into two regions,
the northern Sub-plateau and the southern Sub-plateau. The
Central System includes the Somosierra, Guadarrama, Gata
and Gredos mountains.
• T
 he Toledo Mountains are in the centre of the southern
Meseta, between the Tajo and Guadiana River Valleys.

Mountains Cantabrian Sea

and valleys Torrecerredo
2 648
of the Meseta Picos de Europa
Peak
CANTABRIAN RA NGE
Elevation (m)
eón
3 500 of L
2 000 ta ins
n
ou Teleno
Mt dera

1 500
M Mts. IB
1 000
s.
un

700
E
Seg

Picos de R
400
NORT HERN Urbión IA Moncayo
0 2 313
Duero Valley
N

SUB- PLAT EAU

S
Y

M
ANTIC OCEAN

E Somosierra
S

T
A L

YS ts.
T

S rram
aM Al
L ba
E

RA Guada M rrac
M

T
C E NGredos Mt
s. ts. ín
Gata
Mts.
T U G

Almanzor
2 592
T a j o V a l l e y iterranean Sea
Las Villuercas
Toledo Mountains
San P s.
edro
1 601
e Mt
M ts. alup
Guad S OUTHE R N
P O R

l ey
Val
AT L

ana
adi S UB -P LATE AU
Gu
Bañuela
1 323
Madrona
Mts.
ORE NA
RRA M
S I Ea Mts. Hornachu. elo
s
Med

Aracen Mts
0 100 200 km

1 In your notebook, write three sentences saying what the Meseta
is, where it is located and what mountains are found on it.

6
 Unit 1

Mountains on the edge of the Meseta

Track 4

The Meseta is surrounded by four mountain systems:

• T
 he Mountains of León are in the northwest, between Castilla
y León and Galicia. They include the Teleno and Segundera
mountains.
• T
 he Cantabrian Range is in the north, between the Meseta and
the Gulf of Bizkaia. They form a natural border between Castilla
y León, Cantabria and Asturias. The Cantabrian Range includes
the Picos de Europa, and the highest peak is Torrecerredo.
• T
 he Iberian System is in the east, between the Meseta and the
Ebro River valley (in Castilla y León, La Rioja, Aragón, Castilla-La
Mancha and Valencia). This range includes the Picos de Urbión
and the Albarracín and Moncayo mountains. Their highest peak
is the Moncayo.
• The Sierra Morena is in the south, between the Guadiana and
Guadalquivir River Valleys. Its mountains include the Aracena
and the Madrona.

2 L ist the four mountain systems on the edge of the Meseta.

3 Look at the map on page 6. Point to the Central System, the
Cantabrian Range and the Sierra Morena. Then say which one is
in the centre of Spain, which one is in the north and which one is
in the south.

4 M
 atch the mountain systems to the mountains in your notebook.

1 Central System a) Aracena

2 Mountains of León b) Somosierra
3 Iberian System c) Moncayo Use the map of
4 Sierra Morena d) Teleno the Meseta to do
the activities!
5 P
 ut these landforms in order from north to south: the Southern
sub-plateau, the northern sub-plateau, the Cantabrian Range and
the Central System.

6 N
 ame the highest peak in the...

1 ... Iberian System.

2 ... Cantabrian Mountains.

7
 Interior landscapes in Spain (II)
Track 5

Mountains outside the Meseta

There are five mountain systems outside the Meseta.
• The Galician Massif is a group of low mountains in northwest
Spain. The Cabeza de Manzaneda is the highest peak.
• The Basque Mountains are low mountains located in northern
Spain, between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees.
Their main peak is called Aizkorri.
• The Pyrenees are very high mountains in the northeast. They
separate Spain from France. The highest peak of the Spanish
Pyrenees is called Aneto.
• The Catalan Coastal Range is also in the northeast. Its mountains
are less than 2 000 metres high.
• The Baetic System are high mountains in southern Spain, with
two main ranges:
– The Penibaetic Range is near the Mediterranean coast. The
Sierra Nevada is one of its most important mountain ranges.
This range is home to the peninsula’s highest peak, the
Mulhacén, which has got an elevation of 3 478 metres.
– The Subbaetic Range is further away from the coast. Its main
mountains are the Cazorla, the Segura and the La Sagra.

1 L ist the five mountain systems outside the Meseta.

2 M
 atch the mountain systems and peaks in your notebook.
1 Pyrenees a) Aizkorri
2 Baetic System b)   Cabeza de Manzaneda
3 Basque Mountains c ) Aneto
4 Galician Massif d) Mulhacén

3 U
 se the map to do these activities with a partner.
1 Find and name the mountain system that touches France and point to it.
2 Name the ocean next to the Galician Massif.
3 U
 sing the map, put these things in order from north to south: the
Guadalquivir marshlands, the Mediterranean Sea and the Ebro River Valley.

8
 Unit 1
Estaca de Bares Cantabrian Sea 0 100 200 300 km

zka f
ia
Bi ulf o
Cape Peñas
Cape Ajo

G
F R A N C E
Cape Basque Aneto

ss an
Finisterre Aizkorri 1 528 3 404
P

i
if
al Mountains

ic
G a Y
M
Eb R E
Cape
Cabeza de ro
N E E S
Creus
Manzaneda
1 778 Va Turó de
ll
ey n ge l’Home
ra 1 712
t al
as
co
N

n
la
ta
A L
O C E A

Ca
Ebro
Delta
T U G

ia
nc le
Va
Gul f of
I C

P O R

Cape
Nao

a
N T

E
NG

ra ts.
s.
RA e
Mt
Se orla M
La
y Sagra Mts.

S
lle gu
Va
z

IC
Ca

ir ET
A

uiv
Cape Exterior mountains
BA Palos

n
alq U B Mulhacén Baza and valleys
ad S of the Meseta
L

Mts.

a
u 3 478
of Gulf
G Sierra Nevada e
Cá P E N I B A E T I C R A N GE n Peak
T

Marshland of
diz the Guadalquivir
nd
a
Ro t s .
Cape a Elevation (m)
r
A

M Gata
r 3 500

t e
2 000
Gi b ral ta r
d i 1 500

St
rai
t of
M e 1 000
700
400
0

River valleys
Track 6

There are two large river valleys outside the Meseta.

• The Ebro River Valley is a large triangular plain between the
Iberian System and the Pyrenees. The area where the Ebro
meets the sea, which is flat and full of sediment from the river,
is called the Ebro Delta.
• The Guadalquivir River Valley is also a large triangular plain. It
is located between the Sierra Morena and the Subbaetic Range.
Where the Guadalquivir meets the sea, there is an area of wet,
fertile land called marshlands.

4 A
 nswer the questions in your notebook.

1 W hat is the name of the place where the Ebro River meets the sea?
2 What is the shape of the two plains?
3 What are marshlands?

9
 Apply
your skills!

Project 1 A mountain range study

Step 1  hoose a mountain range in the world

C
and research it. Answer the following
questions and include any other
interesting information.
1  hat is the name of the mountain
W
range?
2 Which continent is it in?
3 What countries does it pass through?
4 What is the highest mountain?
Step 2  ake a poster to display your research.
M
Include illustrations and photos!
Step 3 resent your mountain range to your
P
classmates.

Project 2 Interior landscapes

Step 1 In groups, look at a map of Spain and
choose a village with an interior landscape.
Step 2  esearch as much as you can about your
R
village. Find out about:
1 climate
2 landscape and landforms
3 resources
4 transport
5 way of life
Step 3  sing everything you have learnt, prepare
U
a short presentation about your village for
the class.

10
 Check what My Word list
you know! Landscapes

b ook changes
te
Work in your no
fauna
man-made elements
natural elements
1 C
 opy and complete the sentences. relief
1 Landscapes have two elements: ... and ... . vegetation
2 Four things that can change landscapes are... . Interior landscapes

2 Look at these pictures. Which is the odd one out? flat

Why? gorge
landforms
a b c mountain
mountain range
mountain system
plain
plateau
3 Choose the correct answers. Write them in your valley
notebook.
Spain
The Meseta is a large 1 pool / plateau in central
Baetic System
Spain. There are 2 two / seven mountain systems
Basque Mountains
on the Meseta, and 3 two / four mountain systems
surrounding it. The five mountain systems outside Cantabrian Range
the Meseta are called the 4 Galician / Morena Massif, Catalan Coastal Range
the Basque 5 Mountains / Hillocks, the Pyrenees, the Central System
Catalan Coastal Range and the Baetic Mountains. Ebro River Valley
The 6 Ebro / Mississippi and Guadalquivir River Galician Massif
Valleys form another important part of the interior Guadalquivir River Valley
landscape in Spain. Iberian System
4 C
 opy and complete the sentences in your notebook. Meseta
Mountains of León
There are 1... mountain systems on the Meseta,
Toledo Mountains
the 2... System and the 3... Mountains. There are
Pyrenees
4... mountain systems surrounding the Meseta, the
Mountains of 5..., the 6... Range, the Iberian System Sierra Morena
and the Sierra 7... .

5 A
 re these landforms found in northern or southern Spain?
1 Guadalquivir River Valley 2 Picos de Europa
3 Pyrenees 4 Baetic System

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