Spain has a large assortment of climates, which results in a wide array of animal and plant species that call this country home. Throughout this country rainfall is irregular as well as a vast range of temperatures. Geography in Spain consists of mountains, coastal regions located on the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and areas of very dry terrain.
Vegetation of Spain
There are three main regions throughout Spain that have distinctive types of vegetation present. These three regions are Northwestern Spain, the Mediterranean and Inland areas of Spain, and the canary islands.
Northwestern Spain Vegetation
The northern portion of Spain is a peninsula. 20 percent of the peninsular region of Spain consists of forests. Within these forests are many conifer plantations. The Northwest portion of the country is the wettest areas of Spain. This consists of Galicia to the Cantabrian coast to the Pyrenees. Throughout this region are areas of woodlands and forests that have oak trees, beech trees, and Scots Pine trees.
Mediterranean and Inland Spain Vegetation
The inland portion of Spain has two specific types of plants. The first type of plants is located in the Mediterranean climate of the country. The types of vegetation found here include:
• Aleppo Pine Trees
• Stone Pine Trees
• Holm Oak Trees
• Kermes Oak Trees
• Cacti
• Century Plants
The other types of vegetation located inland are located throughout the large grasslands of Spain as well as the south side of the Pyrenees and Cantabrian Mountains. The Mountains located in eastern Spain do not have nearly as much grass as the other mountainous regions throughout Spain. The specific vegetation found in this area consists of
• Holm Oak Trees
• Pyrenean Oak Trees
• Cork Oak Trees
Canary Island Vegetation
The Canary Islands exhibit a vast variety of climates. The eastern most islands have plant species, typically shrubbery, that require very little water for survival, similar to the climate of Northern Africa. The western and central islands consist mainly of woodlands.
Animals of Spain
Due to the vast climates the animal species throughout Spain very immensely.
Forest Animals of Spain
The Brown Bear is a native animal to Spain and considered to be a traditional animal associated with this country. The number of Brown Bears in Spain has been dramatically decreasing in the past decade. At the beginning of the 20th century approximately 1,000 brown bears were thought to call Spain home, while now it is estimated that only 100 brown bears currently reside in Spain. Cordillera Cantabrica National Park is an ideal location to view a brown bear in its natural habitat in Spain.
Mountain Animals of Spain
One of the most common mountain animals is the long haired mountain goat. Over 20,000 of this particular mountain goat are thought to reside throughout the mountainside of Spain. Regulated hunting of the mountain goats has been implemented to aid in population control.
Josh is an animal and travel lover. He is a content contributor and blogs about topics such as lawyers and their No win, no fee guarantee.