Spain is arranged in the extreme southwest of Europe and occupies about the four fifth Iberian Peninsula. In the north Spain borders on France and Andorra, in the west with Portugal, in the south strait of Gibraltar separates it from Africa. Besides, Spain belong the Balearic Islands in Mediterranean Sea, Canary Islands in Atlantic Ocean and the cities of Ceuta's arranged on the African continent and Melilla. The territory of Spain occupies 504 784 sq. km.
Spain (after Switzerland) - the most high-mountainous country in Europe, mounts and plateaus make 90 % of its territory. The plateau Meseta occupies almost half of country. The central Cordilleras Meseta shares on northern and southern. To the north from Meseta Cantabrian Mountains which are prolongation of the most powerful and remote range of Spain - Pyrenees last. Spanish southern slope Pyrenees is the large international centre of mountaineering. From the northeast from Meseta last Iberian mounts. Between East Pyrenees and Iberian mounts to the most Mediterranean coast extended low Catalan mounts. In the country southeast the system of arrays and ridges Baetic Cordillera lays. A mount Mulhacen - the highest point of Spain. The remained 10 % are occupied with flatness of Andalusia, flatness of Aragon in a river Ebro valley in the north-east and smaller lowlands along Mediterranean Sea.
The coast of Spain is very various: here it is possible to meet both dunes, and rocks, and stretched beaches, sandy or covered with a pebble. The part of coast of Galicia reminds the Norwegian fiords, and northern coast of Atlantic abounds with calcareous capes and tiny caves. At the Mediterranean coast, despite a large quantity of hotels and cultural beaches, there are deserted lagoons and bogs.
In territory of Spain there are coal-fields, iron ore, uranium, mercury, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper. Tagus, Duero, Ebro, Guadalquivir and Guadiana it's the largest rivers of Spain. Not including flora of Canary Islands, in Spain grows about 8 000 aspects of plants. From there are extensive woods there was only small part, basically in the north of the country. In damp Spain woods basically broad-leaved, above in mounts appear evergreen breeds, above wood pass in water meadows. The dense vegetation on North Atlantic slopes of Cantabrian Mountains and the Galician array - these areas name "green" Spain.
