Las muchas Españas: una geografía sorprendente
Why Spain has more climates than any other country in Europe.
Most British students think of Spain as hot, sunny and dry. The reality is wildly more diverse: Spain has snow-capped mountains, lush green valleys, baking deserts, dramatic Atlantic cliffs and white Mediterranean villages — sometimes within a few hours' drive of each other. The country is divided into 17 autonomous communities, and each has its own identity.
Throughout the article, the useful Spanish words and phrases are highlighted (with their meaning in brackets). Tap the on any phrase to hear it.
In the north, the Atlantic coast brings rain and lush green landscapes.
Galicia es la región más verde de España; llueve casi todos los días.
Galicia is the greenest region in Spain; it rains almost every day.
Asturias se llama el paraíso natural por sus montañas y bosques.
Asturias is called the natural paradise for its mountains and forests.
The Basque Country has a unique language (el euskera), famous cuisine (pintxos) and a strong cultural identity.
Central Spain is a high plateau called la meseta: dry, hot summers, cold winters. Madrid sits in the middle of it.
Madrid tiene un clima continental: frío en invierno y calor extremo en verano.
Madrid has a continental climate: cold in winter and extreme heat in summer.
Castilla-La Mancha, the land of Don Quixote, is full of molinos de viento (windmills) and olive trees.
Andalucía is the Spain most people imagine: white villages, flamenco, sun, beaches, the Alhambra, the Mosque of Córdoba.
Andalucía es una de las regiones más turísticas del mundo.
Andalusia is one of the most touristic regions in the world.
Sin embargo, también sufre las temperaturas más altas y la sequía más severa.
However, it also suffers the highest temperatures and most severe drought.
Almería has the only true desierto in continental Europe — many spaghetti westerns were filmed there.
Spain isn't just the mainland. The Islas Baleares (Mallorca, Ibiza) have crystal water. The Islas Canarias, off Africa, have year-round spring weather and volcanic landscapes.
Las Canarias tienen un clima primaveral todo el año.
The Canaries have spring-like weather all year.
Cada región tiene su propia identidad, comida y, a veces, su propio idioma.
Each region has its own identity, food and sometimes its own language.
Lo que más me sorprende de España es su diversidad geográfica. En el norte, en Galicia, el clima es oceánico: llueve casi todos los días y el paisaje es muy verde. En cambio, en el sur, en Andalucía, el clima es casi desértico, con olas de calor brutales y un grave problema de sequía. En el centro, Madrid sufre un clima continental: muy frío en invierno y muy caluroso en verano. Por último, las Islas Canarias tienen un clima primaveral todo el año. Si pudiera, viviría en Asturias, porque tiene un clima templado, montañas espectaculares y un mar bonito.
Names four climate zones with specific regions, names features that pupils will recognise, and ends with a conditional. Cultural specificity = examiner gold.