Iberian Peninsula (2024)

Iberian Peninsula (1)

Occupied by both Spain and Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula lies in southwestern Europe. Its name is derived from its ancient inhabitants, whom the Greeks called Iberians. This name probably comes from the Ebro (Iberus), the peninsula’s second longest river after the Tagus.

In the northeastern part of the peninsula, the Pyrenees, with the peninsula’s highest peaks, form an effective land barrier from the rest of Europe. At Gibraltar, in the south, the peninsula is separated from North Africa by a narrow strait. The western and northern coasts are on the Atlantic Ocean; the eastern coast is on the Mediterranean Sea.

Most of the peninsula is occupied by Spain. The Meseta, a large plateau at an average elevation of 2,000 feet (610 meters), is the main physical feature of the Spanish portion. Mountains almost completely surround the Meseta: the Cantabrian Mountains in the north, the Iberian Mountains to the northeast, the Sierra Morena in the south, and low mountains on the border with Portugal in the west.

Spreading between the Iberian and Pyrenees mountains is the Ebro River valley, which drains into the Mediterranean Sea. South of the Meseta region, the Guadalquivir drains the Andalusian region into the Atlantic Ocean.

Portugal occupies about 15 percent of the Iberian Peninsula. It is largely a lowland region, consisting of broad river valleys, plains, and low plateaus. The chief mountain ranges extend north of the Tagus River, which flows through central Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal’s highest point is about 6,500 feet (2,000 meters).

Iberian Peninsula (2024)

FAQs

What two countries make up the Iberian Peninsula group of answer choices? ›

Iberian Peninsula, peninsula in southwestern Europe, occupied by Spain and Portugal. Its name derives from its ancient inhabitants whom the Greeks called Iberians, probably for the Ebro (Iberus), the peninsula's second longest river (after the Tagus).

What is significant about the Iberian Peninsula? ›

Iberian Peninsula - Key takeaways

The Iberian Peninsula consisted of modern-day Spain and Portugal. The region was indelibly marked by its religious, social, and political diversity. The history of the Iberian Peninsula can be traced back to the Arianist Visigoths, who conquered the Romans.

Which country occupies 80% of the Iberian Peninsula? ›

Political divisions
Country / TerritoryCapital% of area
French Cerdagne (France)Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via0.1
Gibraltar (United Kingdom)Gibraltar0.0
Portugal (mainland)Lisbon15.3
Spain (mainland)Madrid84.5
2 more rows

How do you use Iberian Peninsula in a sentence? ›

The Iberian Peninsula is seen as the gateway to Europe. He set out on a long journey through a mountain range in the Iberian Peninsula. Olive trees were introduced to the Iberian Peninsula about 3,000 years ago.

What 3 countries make up the Iberian Peninsula? ›

Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar, and a small part of France are on the Iberian Peninsula, with Spain and Portugal making up most of the area.

Which country does Iberia belong to? ›

Iberia is Spain's flagship airline and the leading carrier between Europe and Latin America.

What is the old name for the Iberian Peninsula? ›

Hispania, in Roman times, region comprising the Iberian Peninsula, now occupied by Portugal and Spain.

What is Iberia called today? ›

It is the third largest peninsula of Europe with an area of 582,860 km². The name Iberia is the Ancient Greek name for the area which the Romans called "Hispania". The word "Hispania" is now used for Spain, and the word "Iberia" is used for the whole area.

What is a person born on the Iberian Peninsula? ›

Peninsulares were defined as those of pure blood and white Spanish descent who lived in the colonies but had been born in Spain, on the Iberian Peninsula. They immigrated to the colonies after birth and held the most important positions in colonial government.

What was Portugal before it was Portugal? ›

The name Portucale changed into Portugale during the 7th and 8th centuries, and by the 9th century, it was used to refer to the region between the rivers Douro and Minho. By the 11th and 12th centuries, Portugale, Portugallia, Portvgallo or Portvgalliae was already referred to as Portugal.

Is Morocco part of Iberia? ›

Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar separates the Iberian Peninsula in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The countries of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal share a common history while maintaining very distinct and separate cultures.

Is Portugal a third world country? ›

A unitary semi-presidential republic, Portugal is a developed country with a high-income advanced economy and high living standards, and is a member of the United Nations, the European Union, as well as a founding member of NATO, the Eurozone, the OECD, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

What are three facts about the Iberian Peninsula? ›

The western and northern coasts are on the Atlantic Ocean; the eastern coast is on the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the peninsula is occupied by Spain. The Meseta, a large plateau at an average elevation of 2,000 feet (610 meters), is the main physical feature of the Spanish portion.

What do you call someone from the Iberian Peninsula? ›

Ibe·​ri·​an ī-ˈbir-ē-ən. 1. a. : of or relating to the peoples anciently inhabiting parts of the peninsula comprising Spain and Portugal or to their languages. The people known to scholars as Iberians seem to have been located primarily along the east coast of Spain … .

Are you Hispanic if you are Iberian? ›

Because the Iberian Peninsula also contained Portugal, one could argue that people of Portuguese-speaking descent—like Brazilians—are also Hispanic. But commonly considered, Brazilians are Latino but not Hispanic, while people from Spain are Hispanic but not Latino.

What two countries together made up the Iberian Union? ›

Answer and Explanation: When Philip II made his claim to the Portuguese throne known in 1580, he established the Iberian Union, a dynastic union that brought the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal together under the Spanish crown.

What are the two kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula? ›

The Iberian Union is a historiographical term used to describe the dynastic union of the Monarchy of Spain, which in turn was itself a personal union of the crowns of Castile and Aragon, and the Kingdom of Portugal, and of their respective colonial empires, that existed between 1580 and 1640 and brought the entire ...

Why are there two Iberias? ›

Historian Adolfo Domínguez Monedero argues that the name Iberian was given by Ancient Greeks to two different peoples located at the extremities of their world (in the Iberian Peninsula and the Caucasus) due to the mythical wealth associated with them (Tartessos and the Golden Fleece of Colchis).

What two countries made up the Iberian Peninsula These two countries played a role with the peninsula war? ›

Between 1808 and 1814, the British Army fought a war in the Iberian Peninsula against the invading forces of Napoleon's France. Aided by their Spanish and Portuguese allies, the British held off superior French numbers before winning a series of victories and driving them out.

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