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Spain

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Encyclopedia of European and Asian Regional Geology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Science ((EESS))

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Introduction: geographic and topographic setting

Spain with an area of 504 750 km2 constitutes more than 80% of the Iberian Peninsula, the westernmost extension of the European continent, and there the connection of European, North American and African structures can be found. It is made up of rock units ranging from Upper Proterozoic to Recent and separated into geological domains affected by predominant Hercynian and Alpine orogenies. It is a very mountainous country, second only to Switzerland in Europe in terms of mean height above sea level (660 m). This rugged topographic character (Fig. 522) is accentuated by the presence of a wide central plateau (Meseta) 650–750 m high divided into two parts by the NNE-SSW-trending Sierras of Somosierra, Guadarrama, Gredos and Gata. The highest peak (Almanzor, 2592 m) occurs in the Sierra de Gredos. South of this chain are the Montes de Toledo in the S Meseta, with elevations up to 1500 m. Peripheral to the N Meseta are E-W-trending high...

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  1. E. Martínez-García
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© 1997 Chapman & Hall

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Martínez-García, E. (1997). Spain. In: Encyclopedia of European and Asian Regional Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4495-X_90

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4495-X_90

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-412-74040-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-4495-3

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