UNIT 4. LAND RELIEF AND WATER DISTRIBUTION IN THE WORLD

1. Land relief and water distribution in Spain.2. Land relief and water distribution in Europe.3. Land relief and water distribution in Africa.4. Land relief and water distribution in America.5. Land relief and water distribution in Asia.6. Land relief and water distribution in Oceania7. Land relief and water distribution in

Antarctica.

1. LAND RELIEF AND DISTRIBUTION OF WATER IN SPAIN

• Spain is the forth largest country in Europe.• Is the second highest country in Europe with an

average altitude of 660 m above sea level.• Its territory includes:

Most of the Iberian Peninsula.Islas Baleares and Islas Canarias.Ceuta and Melilla.Small archipelagos such as the Chafarinas Islands,

the Alhucemas Islands and Alborán Island.

THE MESETA

THE MESETA CENTRAL

• Is the major landform on the Peninsula. The Meseta slopes towards the west which is why the rivers that cross it flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

• In the Meseta it is located the Sistema Central mountain chain that includes the Gredos, Somisierra and Guadarrama mountain ranges.

• The Sistema Central divides the Meseta into two sections: • Submeseta Norte, with an average altitude of 750 metres. • Submeseta Sur, with an average altitude of 650 metres. The

middle part of the Submeseta Sur is called La Mancha.

THE MOUNTAINS BORDERING THE MESETA

• The Meseta is surrounded by different mountain chains. The major ones are:– Montes de León: it has peaks over 2.000 metres, such as

El Teleno (2.188 m).– Cordillera Cantábrica: in its central section are the Picos

de Europa, the area with the highest mountains, including Torre Cerredo (2.648 m) and El Naranjo de Bulnes (2.519 m).

– Sistema Ibérico. Its main mountain ranges are: Sierra de la Demanda, Picos de Urbión, Sierra del Moncayo, where it is located El Moncayo (2.313 m), Serranía de Cuenca and Sierra de Albarracín

– Sierra Morena. It has Sierra de Aracena, Sierra de Andújar and Parque Natural de Despeñaperros.

OTHER MOUNTAIN RANGES

Macizo Galaico

Pyrenees

Montes Vascos

Sistemas Béticos

Cordillera Costero-Catalana

OTHER MOUNTAIN RANGES

• There are other mountain ranges which do not border the Meseta:

– Pyrenees. It is made up of two groups of mountains: • The Axial Zone: is a group of high mountains, where the Aneto (3.404

metres) it is located. • The Pre-Pyrenees: is a group of low mountains.

– Macizo Galaico. It is made up of small mountains. The highest mountain is Cabeza de Manzaneda (1.778 metres).

– Montes Vascos. It is made up of low mountains separated by deep valleys. The highest mountain is Aitxuri (1.551 metres).

– Sistemas Beticos. It is made up of two mountain ranges:• The Cordillera Subbético: Sierra de Cazorla, Sierra de Segura, Sierra

de Aitana y Sierra de Mariola. • The Cordillera Penibética: Sierra Nevada, where Mulhacén (3.481

metres), the highest mountain on the Iberian Peninsula, is located. – Cordillera Costero-Catalana. The highest mountain is Turó de l´Home

(1.712 metres).

ISLAND RELIEF

ISLAND RELIEF.

• Spain has two main groups of Islands:

– The Islas Baleares (located in the Mediterranean Sea), made up of the islands of Mallorca (Sierra Tramontana: Puig Mayor – 1.445 metres), Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Cabrera.

– The Islas Canarias (located in the Atlantic Ocean), made up of the islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife (El Teide – 3.718 metres, the highest mountain in Spain), Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro.

DEPRESSIONS.

• Are vast flat areas surrounded by mountain ranges and crossed by rivers. There are two depressions on the Iberian Peninsula:

• Depresión del Ebro• Depresión del Guadalquivir

THE COAST OF SPAIN

THE COASTS OF SPAIN.

Spain has a very long coastline which is divided into five sections:

• The Costa Cantábrica.• The Costa Atlántica-Gallega.• The Mediterranean coast.• The Costa Atlantica-Andaluza.• Islands Coasts.

WATER DISTRIBUTION

• MOUNTAINS: Montes de León (Pico Teleno) - Cordillera Cantábrica (Picos de Europa) - Sierra Morena -Sistema Ibérico - Picos de Urbión [Sierra del Moncayo (El Moncayo), Serranía de Cuenca, Sierra de Albarracín] - Pirineos (El Aneto) - Macizo Galaico - Montes Vascos - Cordillera Costero-Catalana - Sistemas Béticos, Cordillera Subbética (Sierra de Cazorla), Cordillera Penibética (El Mulhacén, the highest mountain on the Iberian Peninsula) - Tierra de Tramontana (El Teide, the highest mountain in Spain).

• PLATEAUS (MESETAS): Meseta Central - Sistema Central (Gredos, Somosierra, Guadarrama) - Submeseta Norte (Septentrional) - Submeseta Sur (Meridional).

• ISLANDS AND ARCHIPELAGOS:– Islas Baleares: Mallorca (Sierra Tramontana), Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Cabrera.– Islas Canarias: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro.• CAPES (CABOS): Cabo de Finisterre - Punta de Estaca de Bares - Punta de Tarifa - Cabo de Gata -

Cabo de Palos - Cabo de San Vivente - Cabo de Creus - Cabo de la Nao - Cabo de Machichaco. • GULFS (GOLFOS): Golfo de Cádiz - Golfo de Almería - Golfo de Valencia - Golfo de León - Golfo de

Vizcaya.• DEPRESSIONS (DEPRESIONES): Depresión del Ebro - Depresión del Guadalquivir.• RIVERS (RÍOS):– Cantabrian watershed: Bidasoa, Nervión, Pas, Besaya, Sella, Nalón, Narcea, Navia, Eo.– Atlantic watershed: Miño, Sil, Duero, Tajo, Guadiana, Guadalquivir, Odiel, Tinto, Guadalete.– Mediterranean watershed: Ebro, Ter, Llobregat, Turia, Júcar, Segura, Guadalhorce, Andarax.• LAKES/WETLANDS (LAGOS/HUMEDALES): Lago de Sanabria – Tablas de Daimiel – Lagunas de

Ruidera- Albufera de Valencia.

LOCATE ON THE PHYSICAL MAP THE FOLLOWING LAND RELIEF AND RIVERS OF SPAIN:

2. LAND RELIEF AND WATER DISTRIBUTION IN EUROPE.

Europe is on average the least mountainous continent. Its average height is only 340 metres.

• MOUNTAINS: Alps – Apenines – Carpathians - Balkan Mountains - Caucasus - Ural Mountains - Scandinavian Mountains.

• MASSIFS/PLAINS: Massif Central - Great European plain - East European plain.• PENINSULAS: Kola Peninsula - Scandinavian Peninsula - Jutland Peninsula - Iberian

Peninsula - Italian Peninsula - Balkan Peninsula - Peloponnese Peninsula - Crimean Peninsula.

• ISLANDS/ARCHIPELAGOS: Iceland - British Isles: Great Britain, Ireland - Balearic Islands – Corsica – Sardinia – Sicily – Malta – Crete – Cyprus – Rodos.

• CAPES AND GULFS: North Cape – Gulf of Bothnia – Finland Gulf – Gulf of Genoa – Gulf of Venice.

• STRAITS (estrechos): English Channel (Canal de La Mancha) – Strait of Gibraltar – Strait of Messina – Strait of Bosphorus.

• RIVERS :– Arctic watershed: Pechara, Onega, Northern Dvina. – Atlantic watershed: Loire, Seine, Rhine (a navigable river), Elbe, Oder, Vistula, Western Dvina. – Mediterranean Sea watershed: Rhône, Po.– Black Sea and Caspian Sea watershed: Volga (Europe´s longest river), Ural (which forms the border

between Europe and Asia), Danube, Dniester, Dnieper, Don.• LAKES: Geneva – Lake Constance – Ladoga – Onega.• SEAS : North Sea – Mediterranean Sea – Baltic Sea – Black Sea – Caspian Sea – Adriatic Sea.

LOCATE ON THE PHYSICAL MAP THE FOLLOWING LAND RELIEF AND RIVERS OF EUROPE:

3. LAND RELIEF AND WATER DISTRIBUTION IN AFRICA.

Africa is the continent with the highest average altitude:

750 metres.

• MOUNTAINS: Gran Atlas – Ethiopian Highlands, Kilimanjaro (5.895) – Tibesti Mountains – Drakensberg Mountains – Hoggar Mountains.

• DESSERTS: Sahara Desert – Nubian Desert – Kalahari Desert. • PENINSULAS: Somali Peninsula.• VALLEY: Rift Valley. • ISLANDS/ARCHIPELAGOS: Madagascar – Seychelles – Cape Verde Islands –

Comoro Islands – Reunion Islands – Bioko Island – Madeira Islands (Port.) – Pincipe Sao Tome, Islas Canarias (Spa.).

• CAPES AND GULFS: Cap Blank – Cape Verde – Cape Palmas – Cape Fria – Cape of Good Hope - Gulf of Gabès – Gulf of Benguela – Gulf of Anden – Gulf of Guinea.

• STRAITS (estrechos): Strait of Gibraltar – Suez Canal – Mozambique Channel.• RIVERS :

– Atlantic watershed: Senegal, Orange, Congo, Niger, Limpopo, Zambezi. – Mediterranean Sea watershed: Nile (the largest of Africa).

• LAKES: Lake Chad, Volta, Nasser, Malawi, Victoria, Tanganyika, Zambezi. • SEAS AND OCEANS: Mediterranean Sea – Red Sea – Arabic Sea – Atlantic Ocean –

Indian Ocean.

LOCATE ON THE PHYSICAL MAP THE FOLLOWING LAND RELIEF AND RIVERS OF AFRICA:

4. LAND RELIEF AND WATER DISTRIBUTION IN AMERICA.

Its average altitude:

650 metres

• MOUNTAINS: Appalachian Mountains – Sierra Madre – Rocky Mountains – Brazilian Highlands – Andes (Aconcagua 6.961, the highest mountain of America) – Patagonian Andes - Alaska Mountains.

• PENINSULAS: California – Labrador – Florida – Yucatan.• PLATEAUS : Colorado – Patagonia • PLAINS: Orinoco – Great Plains – Amazon – Gran Chaco.• ISLANDS/ARCHIPELAGOS: Baffin Island – Victoria Island – Galapagos Islands – Greenland

(Groenlandia) – Puerto Rico – Cuba – Jamaica – Hispaniola – Bahamas – Malvinas(Falkland) Islands - Newfoundland (Terranova).

• CAPES/GULFS/BAYS: Cape San Lucas – Cape San Roque – Cape Frio – Cape Orange – Tierra del Fuego – Cape Horn – Mexico Gulf – Gulf of Alaska – Hudson Bay – Baffin Bay.

• STRAITS (estrechos): Bering Strait. • RIVERS :– Atlantic watershed: Panama, Paraguay – Amazon – Orinoco - Saint Lawrence – Colorado – Mississippi –

Missouri.– Pacific watershed: Yukon.– Arctic watershed: Mackenzie.

• LAKES:– The Great Lakes: Superior - Michigan – Huron - Eire - Ontario.– Great Bear Lake - Great Slave Lake – Lake Winnipeg – Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable Lake in the world).

• SEAS AND OCEANS: Atlantic Ocean – Pacific Ocean – Arctic Ocean – Labrador Sea – Caribbean Sea – Beaufort Sea – Bering Sea.

LOCATE ON THE PHYSICAL MAP THE FOLLOWING LAND RELIEF AND RIVERS OF AMERICA:

5. LAND RELIEF AND WATER DISTRIBUTION IN ASIA.

Asia is the largest continent in the world

• MOUNTAINS: Himalaya (Everest, 8.847 metres, the highest mountain in the world) – Altai Mountains – Zagros Mountains – Indu Kush - Verkhoyansk Khangai Mountains - Chersky – Kolyma – Yablonoi Mountains.

• PENINSULAS: Kamchatka Peninsula – Hindustan Peninsula – Arabian Peninsula – Korean Peninsula – Indochinese Peninsula – Peninsula Malaca.

• DESSERTS : Gobi Desert – Taklamacan Dessert.• PLAINS: North China Plain – Yangtze Plain – Mekong Plain – West Siberian Plain – Ganges Plain – Indus

Plain. • PLATEAUS: Central Siberian Plateau – Tibetan Plateau – Pamir Plateau – Iranian Plateau – Yablonoi

Plateau – Arabian Plateau. • ISLANDS/ARCHIPELAGOS: Indonesian Archipelago – Philippine Archipelago – Japanese Archipelago –

Sri Lanka Archipelago - Borneo Island – Maldives. • CAPES/GULFS/BAYS: Gulf of Anden – Gulf of Oman – Persian Gulf - Bay of Bengal.• RIVERS :– Arctic Ocean watershed: Ob, Yenisei, Lena.– Indian Ocean watershed: Ganges – Indus - Tigris – Euphrates.– Pacific Ocean watershed: Mekong, Red River, Yangtze (Blue River, the longest River in Asia), Yellow River.

• LAKES: Baikal – Balkash. • SEAS AND OCEANS: Aral Sea – Caspian Sea – Black Sea – Arabian Sea – Barents Sea – Kara Sea –

Laptev Sea – Bering Sea – Sea of Okhotsk – East China Sea – Philippine Sea – South China Sea - Coral Sea – Adam Sea - Pacific Ocean – Arctic Ocean – Indian Ocean.

LOCATE ON THE PHYSICAL MAP THE FOLLOWING LAND RELIEF AND RIVERS OF ASIA:

6. LAND RELIEF AND WATER DISTRIBUTION IN OCEANIA

Oceania is the smallest

continent.

• MOUNTAINS: Great Dividing Range – Bismarck Range – Southern Alps – Puncak Jaya (4.884 metres, the Higuets Mountain of Oceania).

• PENINSULAS: York Peninsula.• DESSERTS : Great Sandy Desert – Great Victoria Desert.• ISLANDS/ARCHIPELAGOS

– Australasia: Australia, New Zealand.– Melanesia: Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Vanuatu… – Micronesia: Mariana, Guam, Caroline, Gilbert…– Polynesia: Phoenix, Marquesas, Samoa, Tahiti, Cook, Palmira…

• CAPES/GULFS/BAYS: Gulf of Carpentaria – Great Australian Bight – Cape of Townsend.

• RIVERS : Murray – Darling.• LAKES: Lake Eyre • SEAS AND OCEANS: Coral Sea – Timor Sea – Arafura Sea - Indian Ocean –

Pacific Ocean.

LOCATE ON THE PHYSICAL MAP THE FOLLOWING LAND RELIEF AND RIVERS OF OCEANIA:

7. LAND RELIEF AND WATER DISTRIBUTION IN ANTARCTICA.

Antarctica is located inside the Antarctic Circle. As a result, almost its entire surface is covered by ice. This continent is made up of many islands and a large continental mass with the following important features:

• A large plateau.• The Transantarctic Mountains

(Mount Vison, 5.140 metres).