Southern Europe |
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Portugal
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Geography. Two parts can be distinguished in Portugal: continental, Iberian and insular, which comprises the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira. The Tagus river its greatest river, divides the continental part into two different regions. The northern mountainous are has abundant rainfall and intensive agriculture of wheat, corn, grapes and olives. The vineyards, which are cultivated in terraces, stretch throughout the valley of the Douro, the country's main wine region. The city of Porto is the center of economic life in the north. The south, or Alentejo, has extensive plateaus, low and dry weather and crops of grapes, olives and sheep. The forests of oak that make the country a major producer of cork are located there. The fishing industry and shipbuilding are important in the national economy. It has various mineral resources: pyrite, tungsten, coal and iron.
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Spain
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Geography. Spain forms the Iberian Peninsula together with Portugal. The Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, in the north of Africa, are also part of Spain. The center of the country is a plateau, the Pyrenees are in the north, which make up the natural border with France. The Betic Chains stretch to the south. The Central System is located in the interior of the peninsula that splits the Castilian plateau in two. In the Ebro basin, in the northeast, there are the plains of Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia. And in the Guadalquivir basin, in the south, there is the plain of Andalusia. Spain has a humid and moderate climate, with forests in the north and northeast. The climate is dry in the interior, south and west. About 40% of the land is arable. Approximately 5% of the total land surface is protected area. Natural resources include: coal, iron, uranium and mercury. Industry, which is growing fast, is mainly located in Catalonia and the Basque Country. The State has launched a reforestation plan to increase production and stop erosion.
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Italy
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Land surface: 301,340 km2
Currency: Euro
GDP per capita: US$ 28,529
Language: Italian
Official name: Repubblica Italiana.
Capital: Rome 2,665,003 inhabitants (2003).
Other cities (inhabitants – 2000): Milan (Milano) 4,047,500; Naples (Napoli) 3,620,300; Turin (Torino) 1,619,400; Palermo 947,300 (2000).
Government: Giorgio Napolitano, president since May 2006.
Religion: majority of the population is Catholic (more than 90%).
Geography. The country borders France, Switzerland and Austria to the north. In the north, there is the watershed of the Po River. This area has the most economic activity of the region, especially due to the industrial and agricultural concentration of the country. On the peninsula, which is divided longitudinally by the Apennines Mountains, livestock farming and agriculture are the predominant activity, especially the cultivation of olive trees and vineyards, which also occupy the coastal strip of the extreme south. Insular Italy includes Sicily and Sardinia and smaller islands.
1. Answer by indicating which country the statement refers to:Portugal, Spain or Italy
