Sistema Ibérico
Encyclopedia
The Sistema Ibérico or Iberian System is one of the main systems of mountain range
s in Spain
.
It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula
, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.
From the hydrographic
viewpoint this system is of the highest importance in the Iberian Peninsula, for it contains the watershed between the Ebro
basin and the basins of the rivers Duero, Tajo, Guadiana
(Záncara
-Gigüela), Júcar
and Turia
(as Guadalaviar), among others.
valley and from the Mediterranean coast.
This system runs northwest-southeast between the Ebro plain and the Meseta Central for over 500 km, from the La Bureba
corridor in Burgos Province close to the Cordillera Cantábrica to the Mediterranean sea close to Valencia in the south and close to Tortosa
and the Ebro delta
in the east. The bulk of the Sistema Ibérico is located in the southern half of Aragon
. The Prebaetic System
rises south of the southernmost end of the Iberian System.
The geology
of the Iberian System is complex, for it can hardly be defined as a homogeneous system. It is composed of numerous haphazard and motley series of mountain ranges, massifs, plateaus and depressions without a definite common petrologic
composition and overall structure. Some of the parts of the system stand geologically isolated, interrupting the continuity of the whole, linked to the other parts through high plateaus of varying altitudes.
, Polypodium vulgare
ferns may also be found. Other ranges may be rocky and quite bare with heath
(Erica arborea, Erica vagans, Calluna vulgaris), broom
and bushes (Juniperus communis
, Cytisus purgans, Erinacea anthyllis) and Calluna vulgaris shrub, as well as thyme
and Festuca and Nardus stricta
grasslands. Often the southern slopes are drier than the northern ones and may be subject to wildfires in periods of prolonged drought, especially in the summer.
Bog
s are not common in the Iberian Peninsula, but high altitude bogs form in the few areas of the Sistema Ibérico where the water remains stagnant, like near Orihuela del Tremedal
, Bronchales
and in the place known as Fuente del Hierro, at an altitude between 1.400 and 1.550 m. The plants growing in these bogs are mainly Polytrichum
mosses, Potentilla erecta, Pinguicula vulgaris
, Vaccinium myrtillus
, Calluna vulgaris, and also Drosera rotundifolia
, a carnivorous plant
that doesn't grow further south in Western Europe.
Centaurea pinnata is an endangered species
of plant present in the Sierra de Vicort
and Sierra de Santa Cruz
mountain ranges.
Large zones of the mountainous Iberian System have undergone heavy depopulation since the second half of the 20th century. There are a large number of ghost town
s in different parts of the Iberian System, especially in Teruel Province. A great number of surviving towns have only a residual population. The exodus from the rural mountainous areas in Spain rose after General Franco's Plan de Estabilización in 1959. The population declined steeply as people emigrated towards the industrial areas of the large cities and the coastal towns where tourism grew exponentially. Other causes of the strong emigration have been the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices, like sheep and goat
rearing, by the local youth, as well as the lifestyle changes that swept over rural Spain during the second half of the 20th century.
The heavy depopulation has favored wildlife, so that one of the last colonies of griffon vulture
s in Europe is in the Iberian System. Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos, Hieraaetus fasciatus, Hieraaetus pennatus, Circaetus gallicus) are also relatively common in the lonely heights. Among the mammals, the Spanish Ibex
, Roe Deer
, Wild Boar, European badgers, common genet
s, among others, have their habitat in many of these desolate mountain ranges.
The most common reptile
s in the Iberian System are Lacerta lepida, Psammodromus algirus, Psammodromus hispanicus, Podarcis muralis and Podarcis hispanica
. Chalcides chalcides
, Chalcides bedriagai
and Anguis fragilis
, are relatively rarer. The snakes present in these mountains are Natrix maura
, Natrix natrix, Malpolon monspessulanus
, Elaphe scalaris, Coronella girondica
, Coronella austriaca and Vipera latastei
.
Some amphibian
s are abundant in or near ponds and rivulets throughout the whole system, like Rana perezi, Bufo bufo, Bufo calamita, Alytes obstetricans, Triturus marmoratus and Lissotriton helveticus, the latter also at high altitude, whether in intermittent or permanent bodies of water. Others are rarer, like Hyla arborea and Salamandra salamandra, but still having a wide distribution, especially in humid forested areas. The Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl), however, is rarely found in the mountainous areas. Many invertebrates, including the Austropotamobius pallipes
crayfish, and certain fishes, like Salaria fluviatilis
and Cobitis paludica
are common in the upper course of the Sistema Ibérico rivers. Some mountain streams have been stocked with trout
.
Traditional cattle
rearing activities, formerly so important in central Iberia, still survive on dry grasslands in certain villages around the system. There are also a number of hunters visiting some of the ranges, mainly those that are relatively closer to the urban areas and especially on weekends.
There are important mining
areas in some of the ranges of the system, some of which make it one of the most important mining regions in Spain, like in Sierra Menera, Sierra de Arcos and Sierra de San Just. One of the comarcas of Aragon located in the Iberian System was given the name of Cuencas Mineras
since mining is the main activity in the comarca.
(2,313 m), Monte San Lorenzo (2,262 m), Pico de Urbión (2,228 m), Peña Cebollera (2,129 m), Javalambre (2,020 m) and Peñarroya (2,019 m). Other locally important summits are Cerro Calderón (1,837 m), Mont Caro
(1,441 m), Tossal d'Orenga
(1,144 m) and Montegordo
(837 m),
from the Mediterranean
watershed
.
The following rivers rise in the Sistema Ibérico:
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
s in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.
From the hydrographic
Hydrography
Hydrography is the measurement of the depths, the tides and currents of a body of water and establishment of the sea, river or lake bed topography and morphology. Normally and historically for the purpose of charting a body of water for the safe navigation of shipping...
viewpoint this system is of the highest importance in the Iberian Peninsula, for it contains the watershed between the Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
basin and the basins of the rivers Duero, Tajo, Guadiana
Guadiana
The Guadiana , or Odiana, is an international river located on the Portuguese–Spanish border, separating Extremadura and Andalucia from Alentejo and Algarve...
(Záncara
Záncara
The Záncara is a 168 km long river in Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is a tributary to the Cigüela, a tributary of the Guadiana. Its source is near the village Abia de la Obispalía, west of Cuenca, in the Iberian System. The Záncara flows southwest, along the town of Socuéllamos...
-Gigüela), Júcar
Júcar
The Júcar or Xúquer is a river on the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. The river runs for approximately 509 km from its source at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, on the eastern flank of the Montes Universales, Sistema Ibérico...
and Turia
Turia
Turia can refer to:*Turia , a river in southeastern Spain*Turía , a small river in northern Spain*Turía , a small Web development company in india*Turia Valley, a valley in northern Spain...
(as Guadalaviar), among others.
Location & Description
The Sistema Ibérico mountain range borders the Meseta Central on its western end and separates the Meseta Central from the EbroEbro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
valley and from the Mediterranean coast.
This system runs northwest-southeast between the Ebro plain and the Meseta Central for over 500 km, from the La Bureba
La Bureba
La Bureba is a comarca in the northeast of the Province of Burgos in Castilla–León, Spain. It is criss-crossed by several small rivers and arroyos that empty into the Ebro: the Homino, Oroncillo, Oca, and Tirón.-Geography:...
corridor in Burgos Province close to the Cordillera Cantábrica to the Mediterranean sea close to Valencia in the south and close to Tortosa
Tortosa
-External links:* *** * * *...
and the Ebro delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
in the east. The bulk of the Sistema Ibérico is located in the southern half of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
. The Prebaetic System
Prebaetic System
The Prebaetic System is a system of mountain ranges that forms the northernmost prolongation of the Baetic System in the southern Iberian Peninsula...
rises south of the southernmost end of the Iberian System.
The geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
of the Iberian System is complex, for it can hardly be defined as a homogeneous system. It is composed of numerous haphazard and motley series of mountain ranges, massifs, plateaus and depressions without a definite common petrologic
Petrology
Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form....
composition and overall structure. Some of the parts of the system stand geologically isolated, interrupting the continuity of the whole, linked to the other parts through high plateaus of varying altitudes.
Ecology and human activity
Some ranges have forested patches, consisting mainly of Pinus pinaster, Pinus sylvestris and Pinus uncinata pines and Quercus rotundifolia, Quercus pyrenaica and Quercus faginea oaks, even Fagus sylvatica beeches and Betula pendula birches grow in some humid slopes, where Pteridium aquilinumPteridium aquilinum
Pteridium aquilinum is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions throughout much of the northern hemisphere....
, Polypodium vulgare
Polypodium vulgare
Polypodium vulgare, the common polypody, is a fern of the Polypodiaceae family.- Description :Polypodium vulgare, the common polypody, is a fern developing in isolation from along a horizontal rhizome. The fronds with triangular leaflets measure 10 to 50 centimetres...
ferns may also be found. Other ranges may be rocky and quite bare with heath
Heath
-Habitats:* Heath or heathland, low-growing woody vegetation, mostly consisting of heathers and related species* Heaths in the British National Vegetation Classification system...
(Erica arborea, Erica vagans, Calluna vulgaris), broom
Broom (shrub)
Brooms are a group of evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the legume family Fabaceae, mainly in the three genera Chamaecytisus, Cytisus and Genista, but also in many other small genera . All genera in this group are from the tribe Genisteae...
and bushes (Juniperus communis
Juniperus communis
Juniperus communis, the Common Juniper, is a species in the genus Juniperus, in the family Cupressaceae. It has the largest range of any woody plant, throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic south in mountains to around 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia.-...
, Cytisus purgans, Erinacea anthyllis) and Calluna vulgaris shrub, as well as thyme
Thymus (genus)
The genus Thymus contains about 350species of aromatic perennial herbaceous plants and subshrubs to 40 cm tall in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions in Europe, North Africa and Asia....
and Festuca and Nardus stricta
Nardus stricta
Nardus stricta is a densely tufted, tough, wiry perennial plant species belonging to the family Poaceae , and found throughout much of the world. It exists on heath, moorland, hills, mountains; on sandy to peaty soils...
grasslands. Often the southern slopes are drier than the northern ones and may be subject to wildfires in periods of prolonged drought, especially in the summer.
Bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s are not common in the Iberian Peninsula, but high altitude bogs form in the few areas of the Sistema Ibérico where the water remains stagnant, like near Orihuela del Tremedal
Orihuela del Tremedal
Orihuela del Tremedal is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 605 inhabitants....
, Bronchales
Bronchales
Bronchales is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 463 inhabitants....
and in the place known as Fuente del Hierro, at an altitude between 1.400 and 1.550 m. The plants growing in these bogs are mainly Polytrichum
Polytrichum
Polytrichum is a genus of mosses — commonly called haircap moss or hair moss — which contains approximately 70 species that cover a cosmopolitan distribution....
mosses, Potentilla erecta, Pinguicula vulgaris
Pinguicula vulgaris
Pinguicula vulgaris, the Common butterwort, is a perennial carnivorous plant in the Lentibulariaceae family. It grows to a height of 3–16 cm, and is topped with a purple, and occasionally white, flower that is 15 mm or longer, and shaped like a funnel. This butterwort grows in damp...
, Vaccinium myrtillus
Vaccinium myrtillus
Vaccinium myrtillus is an almost Holarctic species of shrub with edible fruit, usually simply referred to as "bilberry" or "whortleberry". It is more precidely called Common Bilberry or Blue Whortleberry, to distinguish it from its Vaccinium relatives...
, Calluna vulgaris, and also Drosera rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia is a species of sundew, a carnivorous plant often found in bogs, marshes and fens...
, a carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
that doesn't grow further south in Western Europe.
Centaurea pinnata is an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of plant present in the Sierra de Vicort
Sierra de Vicort
Sierra de Vicort, also known as Sierra de Vicor , is a long mountain range in the Comunidad de Calatayud and Campo de Daroca comarcas of Aragon, Spain....
and Sierra de Santa Cruz
Sierra de Santa Cruz, Aragon
Sierra de Santa Cruz is a mountain range in the Campo de Daroca comarca, Aragon, Spain. It is located north of the Laguna de Gallocanta.The ridge is aligned in a NW-SE direction. Its highest point is Cerro de Santa Cruz...
mountain ranges.
Large zones of the mountainous Iberian System have undergone heavy depopulation since the second half of the 20th century. There are a large number of ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
s in different parts of the Iberian System, especially in Teruel Province. A great number of surviving towns have only a residual population. The exodus from the rural mountainous areas in Spain rose after General Franco's Plan de Estabilización in 1959. The population declined steeply as people emigrated towards the industrial areas of the large cities and the coastal towns where tourism grew exponentially. Other causes of the strong emigration have been the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices, like sheep and goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
rearing, by the local youth, as well as the lifestyle changes that swept over rural Spain during the second half of the 20th century.
The heavy depopulation has favored wildlife, so that one of the last colonies of griffon vulture
Griffon Vulture
The Griffon Vulture is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae.The Griffon Vulture is long with a wingspan. In the nominate race the males weigh and females typically weigh , while in the Indian subspecies the vultures average...
s in Europe is in the Iberian System. Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos, Hieraaetus fasciatus, Hieraaetus pennatus, Circaetus gallicus) are also relatively common in the lonely heights. Among the mammals, the Spanish Ibex
Spanish ibex
The Iberian ibex, Spanish ibex, Spanish wild goat, or Iberian wild goat is a species of ibex with four subspecies. Of these, two can still be found on the Iberian Peninsula, but the remaining two are now extinct. The Portuguese subspecies became extinct in 1892 and the Pyrenean subspecies became...
, Roe Deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Wild Boar, European badgers, common genet
Common Genet
The Common Genet , also known as the Small-spotted Genet or European Genet, is a mammal from the order Carnivora, related to civets and linsangs. The most far-ranging of all the fourteen species of genet, it can be found throughout Africa, parts of the Middle East, and in Europe in Spain, Portugal,...
s, among others, have their habitat in many of these desolate mountain ranges.
The most common reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s in the Iberian System are Lacerta lepida, Psammodromus algirus, Psammodromus hispanicus, Podarcis muralis and Podarcis hispanica
Podarcis hispanica
The Iberian Wall Lizard is a small wall lizard species of the genus Podarcis averaging 50–70 mm adult snout-vent length...
. Chalcides chalcides
Chalcides chalcides
The Italian Three-Toed Skink or just Three-Toed Skink is a species of skink found from southern France, Italy , to northern Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia...
, Chalcides bedriagai
Chalcides bedriagai
The Bedriaga's Skink is a species of skink found on the Iberian Peninsula. It usually lives in sandy areas with sparse vegetation and good ground cover. It can also live in open woodland and burrow into loose soil. Females of the species give birth to live young. It has at least one major...
and Anguis fragilis
Anguis fragilis
Anguis fragilis, or slow worm, slow-worm or slowworm, is a limbless reptile native to Eurasia. It is also sometimes referred to as the blindworm or blind worm, though the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds considers this to be incorrect.Slow worms are semi-fossorial lizards spending much...
, are relatively rarer. The snakes present in these mountains are Natrix maura
Natrix maura
Natrix maura is a natricine water snake of the genus Natrix. Its common name is viperine water snake or viperine snake. Despite its common names, it is not a member of the Subfamily Viperinae...
, Natrix natrix, Malpolon monspessulanus
Malpolon monspessulanus
Malpolon monspessulanus, commonly known as the Montpellier snake, is a species of colubrid.-Geographic range:It is very common throughout the Mediterranean basin...
, Elaphe scalaris, Coronella girondica
Coronella girondica
Coronella girondica is a harmless colubrid species found in southern Europe and northern Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Geographic range:...
, Coronella austriaca and Vipera latastei
Vipera latastei
Vipera latastei is a venomous viper species found in extreme southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:...
.
Some amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s are abundant in or near ponds and rivulets throughout the whole system, like Rana perezi, Bufo bufo, Bufo calamita, Alytes obstetricans, Triturus marmoratus and Lissotriton helveticus, the latter also at high altitude, whether in intermittent or permanent bodies of water. Others are rarer, like Hyla arborea and Salamandra salamandra, but still having a wide distribution, especially in humid forested areas. The Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl), however, is rarely found in the mountainous areas. Many invertebrates, including the Austropotamobius pallipes
Austropotamobius pallipes
Austropotamobius pallipes is an endangered European freshwater crayfish, and the only species of crayfish native to the British Isles. Its common names include white-clawed crayfish and Atlantic stream crayfish.-Distribution and ecology:...
crayfish, and certain fishes, like Salaria fluviatilis
Salaria fluviatilis
Freshwater blenny, Salaria fluviatilis, is a species of fish in the Blenniidae family. It is found in African rivers and brooks in Algeria and Morocco flowing to the Mediterranean Sea. In Europe it is widespread in the freshwaters of Albania, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Spain,...
and Cobitis paludica
Cobitis paludica
Cobitis paludica is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cobitidae family.It is found in Portugal and Spain. Its natural habitats are rivers and intermittent rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
are common in the upper course of the Sistema Ibérico rivers. Some mountain streams have been stocked with trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
.
Traditional cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
rearing activities, formerly so important in central Iberia, still survive on dry grasslands in certain villages around the system. There are also a number of hunters visiting some of the ranges, mainly those that are relatively closer to the urban areas and especially on weekends.
There are important mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
areas in some of the ranges of the system, some of which make it one of the most important mining regions in Spain, like in Sierra Menera, Sierra de Arcos and Sierra de San Just. One of the comarcas of Aragon located in the Iberian System was given the name of Cuencas Mineras
Cuencas Mineras
Cuencas Mineras is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located in Teruel Province, in the mountainous area of the Sistema Ibérico.The administrative capital is Utrillas, with 3,346 inhabitants the largest town of the comarca, but the historical and cultural center is Montalbán.This comarca owes its...
since mining is the main activity in the comarca.
Mountain Ranges
The Sistema Ibérico comprises several mountain ranges and massifs:- Northern: Sierra de la DemandaSierra de la DemandaSierra de la Demanda is a mountain sub-range situated in the northern Iberian Peninsula.-Geography:The Sierra de la Demanda is part of the western section of the larger Sistema Ibérico...
, Sierra de Neila, Mesa de Cebollera and the Picos de UrbiónPicos de UrbiónPicos de Urbión are a mountain massif in the Sistema Ibérico, Spain, limited by the Sierra de Neila and Sierra Cebollera of the same range. The ridge's highest summit, Pico Urbión, is 2,228 m) is one of the highest points in the 500 km long Sistema Ibérico.The Picos de Urbión are located in...
in the northwest, the Sierra de Alcarama, Sierra de Peñalmonte, Sierra de Moncalvillo and the isolated Moncayo Massif in the north, always crested with snow in the winter, with its eastern prolongation the Sierra de Nava AltaSierra de Nava AltaSierra de Nava Alta or Sierra de la Nava Alta is a mountain range in the Valdejalón comarca, Aragon, Spain, located west of the A-121 road, between Fuendejalón and Ricla and east of Tierga and Mesones de Isuela....
. - Central: Smaller and drier mountain ranges, like Sierra de Perdices, Sierra Ministra, Sierra de Caldereros, Sierra de Pardos, Sierra de Miñana, Sierra de Solorio, Sierra de la VirgenSierra de la VirgenSierra de la Virgen is a mountain range in the Aranda and Comunidad de Calatayud comarcas, Aragon, Spain. It is located south of the Moncayo Massif between the valleys of the Jalón and the Aranda rivers, rising north of the N-234 road, roughly between Calatayud and Torrelapaja.The ridge is aligned...
, Sierra de VicortSierra de VicortSierra de Vicort, also known as Sierra de Vicor , is a long mountain range in the Comunidad de Calatayud and Campo de Daroca comarcas of Aragon, Spain....
, Sierra de AlgairénSierra de AlgairénSierra de Algairén is a mountain range in Aragon, Spain, located between the comarcas of Campo de Cariñena and Comunidad de Calatayud. The ridge's highest summit is Pico de Valdemadera ....
, Sierra de Santa Cruz, Sierra de CucalónSierra de CucalónSierra de Cucalón is a long system of mountain ranges in Aragon, Spain, located between the comarcas of Jiloca and Cuencas Mineras.These mountains are part of the Iberian System and are often covered with snow in the winter...
, Sierra de Herrera, Sierra de San JustSierra de San JustSierra de San Just is a mountain range in the Cuencas Mineras comarca of Aragon, Teruel Province, Spain. The highest point in the range is San Just...
, Sierra de Lidón and Sierra Palomera, among others. - Southwestern: Serranía de Cuenca, Sierra MeneraSierra MeneraSierra Menera is a long mountain range in the southwestern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,601 m high summit known as Monte de San Ginés; another important peak is the 1591 m high Mojón Alto....
, Sierra de AlbarracínSierra de AlbarracínSierra de Albarracín is a long mountain range in the southwestern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,856 m high summit known as Sierra Alta....
, Montes UniversalesMontes UniversalesMontes Universales is a long mountain range in the southwestern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,935 m high summit known as Caimodorro...
and Sierra de Mira - Central/Eastern: Sierra de JavalambreSierra de JavalambreSierra de Javalambre is a long mountain range in the Gúdar-Javalambre comarca of Aragon and the Rincón de Ademuz and Serrans comarcas of the Valencian Community, Spain....
, Sierra del ToroSierra del ToroSierra del Toro is a long mountain range in the Alt Palància comarca, Valencian Community, close to the limit with Teruel Province, Aragon, Spain. It is named after the nearby town of El Toro.-Location:...
, Sierra de GúdarSierra de GúdarSierra de Gúdar is a mountain range in the Gúdar-Javalambre and Maestrazgo comarcas of Aragon and the Alto Mijares comarca of the Valencian Community, Spain. The highest point in the range is Peñarroya ....
, Sierra de Mayabona, Sierra de Camarena, Sierra de Sollavientos, Sierra del Rayo, and Sierra de Pina. - Eastern: A succession of ranges that reaches the Mediterranean Sea, including the Maestrat or MaestrazgoMaestrazgo, AragonMaestrazgo is a comarca in southeastern Aragon, Spain. Its names derives from the Maestrat/Maestrazgo mountain massif that extends to the east to the Comarques of the Valencian Community Alt Maestrat and Baix Maestrat. The most important town is Cantavieja...
with Penyagolosa Massif, Sierra de la Lastra, Sierra de los Caballos, Sierra de Garrocha, Sierra de la Cañada, Sierra CarrascosaSierra CarrascosaSierra Carrascosa is a mountain range in the Maestrazgo comarca of Aragon, Teruel Province, Spain. The highest point in the range is Muela Carrascosa...
, the Ports de MorellaPorts de MorellaPorts de Morella , is a historical Valencian comarca. It takes its name from the city of Morella, its capital and the only place in the region having been granted the title of 'city'....
, Serra de la Creu, Serra d'En Segures, Serra d'en GalceranSerra d'En GalceranSerra d'En Galceran is a mountain range of the Valencian Community, Spain. Its main peaks are 1,078 m high Tossal de la Vila, Penya Blanca and Tossal de la Toiola . This range is one of the most important areas in Europe where there are still pristine woods and thickets of Phoenician juniper,...
, Serra d'EsparregueraSerra d'EsparregueraSerra de d'Esparreguera or Serra Esparreguera is an over long mountain range in the Alt Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain....
, Serra de VallivanaSerra de VallivanaSerra de Vallivana or Muntanyes de Vallivana is an over long mountain range straddling the Alt Maestrat and Baix Maestrat comarcas, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Muixacre , located close to the Port de Querol mountain pass in the N-232 road. Other important peaks are Montserrat...
, Serra d'En CellerSerra d'En CellerSerra d'En Celler is a mountain range of the Valencian Community, Spain. Its main peaks are 1281 m high Tossal de la Nevera and Tossal d'Orenga ....
, Serra del Turmell, Serra de l'EspadellaSerra de l'EspadellaSerra de l'Espadella is an over long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Espadella...
and the Moles de XertMoles de XertMoles de Xert is a long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Mola Gran . The other main summits are Mola Murada, Moleta Redona and Mola Llarga. These mountains have very original shapes, topped by regular rocky outcrops resembling castles...
, as well as the Talaies d'AlcalàTalaies d'AlcalàTalaies d'Alcalà , also known as Serra de les Talaies or simply Les Talaies, is a 21.5 km long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Talaia Grossa ....
, Serra de la Vall d'Àngel, the Cervera MountainsCervera MountainsThe Cervera Mountains is a long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. In some ancient texts these mountains are known as Serra d'en Menor. Its highest point is Revoltons .-Location:...
, Serra de Sant PereSerra de Sant PereSerra de Sant Pere or Serra del Solà is a long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Tossal de Sant Pere...
, Serra CalderonaSerra CalderonaSerra Calderona , often referred to as La Calderona is a long mountain range in the Camp de Túria, Horta Nord and Alt Palància comarcas of the Valencian Community, between the provinces of Castelló and Valencia Spain....
and Serra d'EspadàSerra d'EspadàSerra d'Espadà is a long mountain range in the Alt Palància, Alt Millars and Plana Baixa comarcas, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is La Ràpita ....
foothills at the eastern end. - Northeastern: A complex mountainous area connecting with the Catalan Pre-Coastal RangeCatalan Pre-Coastal RangeThe Catalan Pre-Coastal Range is a system of mountain ranges running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea coast in Catalonia. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System. Its main axis runs between the Catalan Transversal Range and the Serra de l'Espina, which connects with the Ports de...
, which includes the Ports de Tortosa-BeseitPorts de Tortosa-BeseitPorts de Tortosa-Beseit , also known as Ports de Beseit, or simply as Els Ports or Lo Port by locals, is a limestone mountain massif located at the north-eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico, a complex system of mountain ranges and massifs in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. Its highest point is...
and the Benifassà Mountains.
Peaks
The main peaks of the system are: MoncayoMoncayo (mountain)
Moncayo is a 15 km long and about 7 km wide mountain massif giving name to the Tarazona y el Moncayo comarca, Aragon, Spain. It is located between the provinces of Zaragoza in Aragon and Soria in Castile and León...
(2,313 m), Monte San Lorenzo (2,262 m), Pico de Urbión (2,228 m), Peña Cebollera (2,129 m), Javalambre (2,020 m) and Peñarroya (2,019 m). Other locally important summits are Cerro Calderón (1,837 m), Mont Caro
Mont Caro
Mont Caro or Caro is the highest mountain of the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit, Catalonia, Spain. It has an altitude of 1441 metres above sea level. There are two large antennas and a Virgin Mary shrine on top of the summit....
(1,441 m), Tossal d'Orenga
Tossal d'Orenga
Tossal d'Orenga is a mountain of the Serra d'En Celler range, Valencian Community, Spain. It has an altitude of 1144 metres above sea level.Its name means 'Peak of Oregano', owing to the presence of the herb in its slopes....
(1,144 m) and Montegordo
Montegordo
Montegordo is a mountain forming part of the eastern end of the Iberian System, Valencian Community, Spain. It is located near Albocàsser and its altitude is .-See also:* Mountains of the Valencian Community* Serra d'En Celler, a mountain range nearby...
(837 m),
Rivers
The Sistema Ibérico is not as high as other mountain systems in Spain. It is, however, very significant from the hydrographic point of view for important rivers of the Iberian Peninsula have their source in its mountains, which divide the AtlanticAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
from the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
.
The following rivers rise in the Sistema Ibérico:
- The Duero and the Tajo, flowing westwards across the Meseta Central towards PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- The JalónJalón (river)The river Jalón is located in the northeast of Spain, and is one of the principal tributaries of the Ebro. It has a length of and drains a watershed of . The flow rate in Calatayud is , but is highly irregular due to the great range of Mediterranean rainfall patterns.The course of the river forms...
River, one of the main tributaries of the EbroEbroThe Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
, flowing northwards, as well as the Huerva and the Aranda River - The TuriaTuriaTuria can refer to:*Turia , a river in southeastern Spain*Turía , a small river in northern Spain*Turía , a small Web development company in india*Turia Valley, a valley in northern Spain...
, the JúcarJúcarThe Júcar or Xúquer is a river on the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. The river runs for approximately 509 km from its source at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, on the eastern flank of the Montes Universales, Sistema Ibérico...
and the CabrielCabrielCabriel or Cabriol is a tributary of Júcar River.It has its source in the Montes Universales.- External links :...
flowing eastwards across the Valencian CommunityValencian CommunityThe Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
towards the Mediterranean Sea
See also
- List of mountains in Aragon
- List of mountains in the Valencian Community
- List of mountains in Catalonia
- Monasterio de PiedraMonasterio de PiedraMonasterio de Piedra is a monastery, hotel and park complex in the Iberian System area, near Nuévalos, province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. The monastery was founded in 1194 by Alfonso II of Aragon wiht thirteen Cistercian monks from Poblet Monastery, in an old castle next to the Piedra river,...
- Laguna de GallocantaLaguna de GallocantaThe Gallocanta Lake is an endorheic lake located just to the south of Gallocanta village, between the Aragonese comarcas of Campo de Daroca and Comarca del Jiloca, Aragon, Spain...
- Forests of the Iberian PeninsulaForests of the Iberian PeninsulaThe woodlands of the Iberian Peninsula are distinct ecosystems on the Iberian Peninsula, spanning mainly Spain and Portugal. Although the various regions are each characterized by distinct vegetation, there are some similarities across the peninsula....