Geography of Spain Quiz: Can You Ace the Map?
Think you know the geography in Spain? Take the Spain map quiz now!
Use this Geography of Spain quiz to see how well you know its regions, rivers, islands, and mountain ranges. You'll move across the map from the Pyrenees to Andalusia with clear, quick questions, and get instant feedback so you can learn a fact or two and spot gaps before a test or trip.
Study Outcomes
- Understand the geography of Spain -
Recognize Spain's major physical features - from mountain ranges to plateaus and coastlines - and grasp what shapes its varied terrain.
- Locate Spain's regions on a map -
Identify each autonomous community on the map, accurately placing boundaries and understanding regional geography in Spain.
- Analyze landscape diversity -
Compare and contrast the geographic characteristics of northern, central, and southern Spain to appreciate its environmental variety.
- Recall key regional landmarks -
Match significant natural landmarks and regional capitals, reinforcing knowledge of what is the geography of Spain's notable sites.
- Apply map-reading skills -
Use map cues and quiz questions about Spain to sharpen your spatial awareness and test your Spain map quiz abilities.
Cheat Sheet
- Major Mountain Ranges -
Spain's landscape is shaped by four main mountain systems: the Pyrenees in the north, the Cantabrian range along the Cantabrian Sea, the Iberian System cutting across the east, and the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia. A simple mnemonic "PICS" (Pyrenees, Iberian, Cantabrian, Sierra Nevada) helps you recall them in roughly clockwise order. Peaks like Pico de Aneto (3,404 m) define key watershed boundaries referenced by Spain's Instituto Geográfico Nacional.
- Meseta Central and Plateaus -
The Meseta Central, Spain's high central plateau averaging 600 m in elevation, splits into Northern and Southern submesetas divided by the Central System mountains. Its flatlands influence both agriculture and continental climate, a relationship detailed in studies from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Remember "High and Dry" to link elevation (high) with the semi-arid conditions (dry) common on the plateau.
- Hydrographic Network -
Spain's four major rivers - Ebro, Duero, Tajo and Guadalquivir - drain into the Mediterranean and Atlantic, shaping fertile valleys like La Rioja and the Guadalquivir basin. Use the acronym "EDTG" to rank them by length: Ebro (~918 km), Duero (~897 km), Tajo (~1,007 km), Guadalquivir (~657 km). Data from Spain's Confederaciones Hidrográficas reinforces your map-reading and quiz answers.
- Climate Zones via Köppen -
Spain spans Mediterranean (Csa/Csb), Oceanic (Cfb) and semi-arid (BSk) climates, classified under the Köppen system and visible on standard climate maps. Coastal Catalonia and Valencia exhibit Csa ("hot-summer Mediterranean"), while Galicia's frequent rain places it in Cfb ("temperate oceanic"). Use the catchphrase "COBS" (Csa, Csb, Cfb, BSk) to recall all four key Spanish climate codes.
- Autonomous Communities Clusters -
Spain's 17 autonomous communities plus Ceuta and Melilla form five geographic clusters: Northern (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, Navarre), Eastern (Catalonia, Valencian Community, Balearic Islands), Central (Madrid, Castile-León, Castile-La Mancha), Southern (Andalusia, Murcia) and Western (Extremadura). A catchy mnemonic - "Never Eat Crispy French Fries In Summer" (Northern, Eastern, Central, Southern, Western) - helps you plot each cluster on a blank map. Official maps from the IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional) confirm the precise borders for confident quiz practice.