Territory
Catalonia has a very diverse orography: in just a few kilometres, it rises from sea level to mountain peaks that are nearly 3,000 metres high.
With a surface area of 32,107 square kilometres, Catalonia has a very diverse and divided orography, with extensive mountain ranges mirroring the coastline, inland depressions, mountain peaks reaching 3,000 metres high in the Pyrenees, and just 240 metres to the south is a delta that collects the sediments from one of the most abundant rivers of the Iberian peninsula: the Ebre.
The Costa Brava begins where the Pyrenees subside to meet the Mediterranean, and this coastline stretches for 214 km, alternating between rocky areas with numerous coves and some very expansive beaches to the gulf of Roses and Estartit-Pals. The coast continues running southwards and it is 547 km long. The section from the Maresme to the Ebre Delta is mainly flat with large beaches.
The orography itself is notably responsible for the climate. While it can be said that the winters are mild and the summers are hot and dry, the temperatures themselves vary considerably between the coastline and the inland plains and the Pyrenees. During the cold months (December, January and February), the average temperature in Catalonia is 6-7 degrees. At the beginning of spring (March and April), it is generally between 11 and 13 degrees and it can reach 17 degrees in May. In summer, it ranges from 24 degrees in June, July and August to 20 degrees in September. In autumn, it drops to 17 degrees in October and 11 degrees in November. In spite of this data, the temperatures are markedly higher in summer along the coastline and the plains, often reaching about 30 degrees. In winter, the temperatures are considerably lower in the Pyrenees and the Central Depression and they usually drop to about 0 degrees. Precipitation is also irregular, even if the peaks of the Pyrenees are generally covered in snow from December until spring.
Did you know that…
Catalonia is very rich in natural scenery, with 14 sites declared to be natural parks and areas as remarkable as the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park and Monserrat Mountain. In the south, we can note the Ebre Delta, one of the most important wetland areas of the Mediterranean, which is home to up to 330 bird species, half of those in the whole of Europe.