2.18. Geography of Portugal, Spain, and Andorra

Portugal, Spain and Andorra

• Portugal, Spain, and Andorra are located on the Iberian Peninsula.
• Portugal has a wide exit to the Atlantic Ocean.
• The main sectors of the economy are agriculture, livestock, and tourism.
• The majority of the population are concentrated in coastal areas.
• The majority of the rivers flow into the Atlantic.
• Lisbon and Porto are major urban areas.
• Urbanization rates are low.

Spain

• Spain has a high population density in the area of Catalonia.
• Catalonia is the largest industrial zone in the country.
• Barcelona is the center of the industrial zone and is the largest industrial region in the country.
• There is another industrial zone in the Basque region centered on Bilbao.
• The production in the industrial zone and the surrounding area includes machinery, metal, and chemical industries.
• In the west, in the Kandabrgic Mountains, there are large petrochemical plants.
• Andalusia is in the south, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River.
• The population is concentrated in Madrid, the capital.

Andorra

• Andorra is a small state east of the Pyrenees, bordering Spain and France.
• The economy of Andorra is mostly based on tourism and services.
• Andorra had the longest average life expectancy in the world (81 years) in 2013.
• The capital of Andorra (Andorra la Vella) is located in the high altitudes, differing from other European capitals.