Location:
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North
Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total:
504,750 sq km
land:
499,400 sq km
water:
5,350 sq km
note:
includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty
(plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of MoroccoCeuta, Melilla,
Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Areacomparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Land boundaries:
total:
1,919.1 km
border countries:
Andorra 65 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco
(Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km
Coastline:
4,964 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate:
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along
coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Terrain:
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in
north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
Natural resources:
coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum,
zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower
Land use:
arable land:
30%
permanent crops:
9%
permanent pastures:
21%
forests and woodland:
32%
other:
8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
34,530 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts
Environmentcurrent issues:
pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the
offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide;
air pollution; deforestation; desertification
Environmentinternational agreements:
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification
Geographynote:
strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar