The Iberian System is one of the major systems of

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

s in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It consists of a vast and complex area of mostly relatively high and rugged mountain chains and massifs located in the central region of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

, but reaching almost the

Mediterranean coast The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eu ...

in the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...

in the east. The system is hydrographically important, as it separates the watersheds of most of the major rivers in Spain and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, including the

Ebro The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a de ...

basin to the east from the basins of the

Douro The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...

Tagus The Tagus ( ; ; ) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales between Cuenca and Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally westward, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon. Name T ...

Guadiana The Guadiana River ( , , , ) is an international river defining a long stretch of the Portugal-Spain border, separating Extremadura and Andalusia (Spain) from Alentejo and Algarve (Portugal). The river's basin extends from la Mancha and the e ...

( Záncara- Gigüela),

Júcar The Júcar () or Xúquer () is a river in Spain, on the Iberian Peninsula. The river runs for approximately 509 km. Its source is located at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, in the municipality of Tragacete, province of Cuenca, on the eastern fla ...

and Turia to the west and south. There are important

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

areas in some of the ranges such as Sierra Menera, Sierra de Arcos and Sierra de San Just, making the system one of the chief mining regions in Spain since ancient times. One of the

comarcas of Aragon Here is a list of the administrative '' comarcas'' (administrative subdivisions) in the autonomous community of Aragon in Spain. They were officially delimited in 1999, with substantial changes over a previously proposed division. See also * ...

located in the Iberian System was given the name of Cuencas Mineras, lit. 'Mining Basins', since mining is the main activity in the comarca.

Location and description

The Sistema Ibérico mountain range borders the

Meseta Central The ''Meseta Central'' (, sometimes referred to in English as Inner Plateau) is one of the basic geographical units of the Iberian Peninsula. It consists of a plateau covering a large part of the latter's interior. Developed during the 19th cent ...

on its eastern end and separates the Meseta Central from the

valley and from the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

coast. This system runs northwest-southeast between the Ebro plain and the Meseta Central for over 500 km, from the

La Bureba La Bureba is a ''Comarcas of Castile and León, comarca'' located in the northeast of the Province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is bounded on the north by Las Merindades, east by the Comarca del Ebro, south- ...

corridor in Burgos Province close to the Cordillera Cantábrica to the

sea close to

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

in the south and close to

Tortosa Tortosa (, ) is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the hi ...

and the Ebro Delta in the east. The bulk of the Sistema Ibérico is located in the southern half of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

. The Prebaetic System rises south of the southernmost end of the Iberian System. The

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

of the Iberian System is complex, for it can hardly be defined as a homogeneous system. It is composed of a haphazard and motley series of

massif A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

s and depressions without a definite common

petrologic Petrology () is the branch of geology that studies rock (geology), rocks, their mineralogy, composition, texture, structure and the conditions under which they form. Petrology has three subdivisions: igneous petrology, igneous, metamorphic rock, ...

composition and overall structure. Nummulite

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

and

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

are common throughout the area. Some of the parts of the system stand geologically isolated, interrupting the continuity of the whole, linked to the other parts through high plateaus of varying altitudes.

Ecology and human activity

Population decline

Large zones of the mountainous Iberian System have undergone heavy depopulation since the early 20th century. There are many

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

s and abandoned villages scattered across different parts of the Iberian System, especially in Teruel Province. Currently a great number of surviving towns have only a residual population. In some cases, many of the inhabitants are not natives anymore but immigrants from

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

or the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...

working as contract laborers in agricultural activities. The exodus from the rural mountainous areas in Spain rose after General Franco's Stabilization Plan in 1959. The

population decline Population decline, also known as depopulation, is a reduction in a human population size. Throughout history, Earth's total world population, human population has estimates of historical world population, continued to grow but projections sugg ...

d steeply as people emigrated towards the industrial areas of the large cities and the coastal towns where the tourism industry was growing. Other causes of high emigration have been the abandonment by the local youth of traditional agricultural practices that were the mainstay of the village economy, such as

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

and

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

rearing, as well as the lifestyle changes that swept over rural Spain during the second half of the 20th century.

Fauna

The heavy depopulation has favored wildlife so that one of the last colonies of griffon vultures in Europe is in the Iberian System.

Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

and eagles (''

Aquila chrysaetos The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of p ...

'', '' Hieraaetus fasciatus'', '' Hieraaetus pennatus'', '' Circaetus gallicus'') are also relatively common in the lonely heights. Among the mammals, the Spanish ibex, roe deer,

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

, European badgers, common genets, among others, have their habitat in many of these desolate mountain ranges. The most common

reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

s in the Iberian System are '' Lacerta lepida'', ''

Psammodromus algirus ''Psammodromus algirus'', known commonly as the Algerian psammodromus or the large psammodromus, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Subspecies There are four su ...

'', '' Psammodromus hispanicus'', '' Podarcis muralis'' and ''

Podarcis hispanicus ''Podarcis hispanicus'', also known as Iberian wall lizard, is a small wall lizard species of the genus ''Podarcis''. It is found in the Iberian Peninsula, in northwestern Africa and in coastal districts in Languedoc-Roussillon in France. In Span ...

''. '' Chalcides chalcides'', '' Chalcides bedriagai'' and '' Anguis fragilis'', are relatively rarer. The snakes present in these mountains are '' Natrix maura'', '' Natrix natrix'', '' Malpolon monspessulanus'', '' Elaphe scalaris'', '' Coronella girondica'', '' Coronella austriaca'' and '' Vipera latastei''. Some

amphibian Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

s are abundant in or near ponds and rivulets throughout the whole system, such as '' Rana perezi'', ''

Bufo bufo The common toad, European toad, or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the toad (''Bufo bufo'', from Latin ''bufo'' "toad"), is a toad found throughout most of Europe (with the exception of Ireland, Iceland, parts of Scandinavia, and some Medi ...

'', '' Bufo calamita'', '' Alytes obstetricans'', '' Triturus marmoratus'' and '' Lissotriton helveticus'', the latter also at high altitude, whether in intermittent or permanent bodies of water. '' Hyla arborea'' and '' Salamandra salamandra'' are somewhat rarer, but still having a wide distribution, especially in humid forested zones. The Iberian ribbed newt ''( Pleurodeles waltl)'', however, is rarely found in the mountainous areas. Aquatic invertebrates, including the '' Austropotamobius pallipes'' crayfish, and certain fishes, such as '' Salaria fluviatilis'' and '' Cobitis paludica'' are common in the upper course of the Sistema Ibérico rivers. Some mountain streams have been stocked with

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

. Traditional

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

rearing activities, formerly so important in central Iberia, still survive on dry grasslands in certain villages around the system. There are also many

hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

s visiting some of the ranges, mainly those that are relatively closer to the urban areas and especially on weekends.

Vegetation

Some ranges have forested patches, consisting mainly of '' Pinus pinaster'', ''

Pinus sylvestris ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US), Baltic pine, or European red pine is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native plant, native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly s ...

'' and '' Pinus uncinata'' pines and '' Quercus rotundifolia'', '' Quercus pyrenaica'' and '' Quercus faginea'' oaks, even ''

Fagus sylvatica ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech, is a large, graceful deciduous tree in the Fagaceae, beech family with smooth silvery-gray bark, large leaf area, and a short trunk with low branches. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' i ...

'' beeches and ''

Betula pendula ''Betula pendula'', commonly known as silver birch, warty birch, European white birch, or East Asian white birch, is a species of tree in the family (biology), family Betulaceae, native plant, native to Europe and parts of Asia, though in so ...

'' birches grow in some humid slopes, where '' Pteridium aquilinum'', '' Polypodium vulgare'' ferns may also be found. Other ranges are rocky and quite bare with

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

('' Erica arborea'', '' Erica vagans'', ''

Calluna vulgaris ''Calluna vulgaris'', common heather, ling, or simply heather, is the sole species in the genus ''Calluna'' in the flowering plant family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing evergreen shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found wide ...

''),

broom A broom (also known as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool, consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a ...

as well as

thyme Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...

and ''

Festuca ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on ...

'' and '' Nardus stricta'' grasslands. Thin forest or

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

may include ''

Juniperus communis ''Juniperus communis'', the common juniper, is a species of small tree or shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae. An evergreen conifer, it has the largest geographical range of any woody plant, with a circumpolar distribution throughout the coo ...

'', '' Juniperus thurifera'', '' Cytisus purgans'', '' Erinacea anthyllis'' and ''Calluna vulgaris'' shrub. Often the southern slopes are drier than the northern ones and may be subject to

wildfires A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

in periods of prolonged drought, especially in the summer.

Bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...

s are not common in the Iberian Peninsula, but high altitude bogs form in the few areas of the Sistema Ibérico where the water remains stagnant, such as near Orihuela del Tremedal, Bronchales and in the place known as ''Fuente del Hierro'', at an altitude between 1.400 and 1.550 m. The plants growing in these bogs are mainly '' Polytrichum'' mosses, '' Potentilla erecta'', '' Pinguicula vulgaris'', ''

Vaccinium myrtillus ''Vaccinium myrtillus'' or European blueberry is a Holarctic realm, holarctic species of shrub with edible fruit of blue color, known by the common names bilberry, blaeberry, wimberry, and whortleberry. It is more precisely called common bilberr ...

'', ''

'', and also ''

Drosera rotundifolia ''Drosera rotundifolia'', the round-leaved sundew, roundleaf sundew, or common sundew, is a carnivorous species of flowering plant that grows in bogs, marshes and fens. One of the most widespread sundew species, it has a circumboreal distribut ...

'', a

carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods, and occasionally small mammals and birds. They have adapted to grow in waterlo ...

that does not grow further south in Western Europe. '' Centaurea pinnata'' is an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

of plant present in the Sierra de Vicort and Sierra de Santa Cruz mountain ranges.

Mountain ranges

The Sistema Ibérico comprises several mountain ranges and massifs: *Northern: Sierra de Mencilla, Sierra de la Demanda, Sierra de Neila, Mesa de Cebollera and the Picos de Urbión in the northwest, the Sierra de Alcarama, Sierra de Peñalmonte, Sierra de Moncalvillo and the isolated

Moncayo Massif Moncayo is a 15 km long and about 7 km wide mountain chain giving name to the Tarazona y el Moncayo Comarcas of Aragon, comarca, Aragon, Spain. The Moncayo's highest summit, San Miguel (), is the highest point in the 500 km long S ...

in the north, always crested with snow in the winter, with its eastern prolongation the Sierra de Nava Alta. *Western: Smaller and drier mountain ranges close to the transition area with the Sistema Central, such as Sierra de Perdices, Sierra Ministra, Sierra de Caldereros (Águila 1,443 m), Sierra de Pardos, Sierra de Miñana, Sierra de Solorio, Sierra de Selas (Aragoncillo 1,517 m) and Parameras de Molina (Mojón Alto 1,408 m). *Central: Numerous mountain ranges located at the heart of the system, such as Sierra de la Virgen, Sierra de Vicort, Sierra de Algairén, Sierra de Santa Cruz, Sierra de Cucalón, Sierra de Herrera, Sierra de San Just, Sierra de Lidón and Sierra Palomera, among others. *Southwestern: Serranía de Cuenca, Sierra Menera, Sierra de Albarracín, Montes de Picaza (Colmenarejo 1,426 m), Montes Universales and Sierra de Mira. *Southeastern: Sierra de Javalambre, Sierra del Toro, Sierra de Gúdar, Sierra de Mayabona, Sierra de Camarena, Sierra de Sollavientos, Sierra del Rayo, and Sierra de Pina. *Eastern: A succession of ranges that reaches the Mediterranean Sea, including the Maestrat or Maestrazgo with the Penyagolosa Massif, Sierra de la Lastra, Sierra de los Caballos, Sierra de Garrocha, Sierra de la Cañada, Sierra Carrascosa, the Ports de Morella, Serra de la Creu, Serra d'En Segures, Serra d'en Galceran, Serra d'Esparreguera, Serra de Vallivana, Serra d'En Celler, Serra del Turmell, Serra de l'Espadella and the Moles de Xert, as well as the Talaies d'Alcalà, Serra de la Vall d'Àngel, the Cervera Mountains, Serra de Sant Pere, Serra Calderona and

Serra d'Espadà Serra d'Espadà (, ) is a long mountain range in the Alt Palància, Alt Millars and Plana Baixa comarcas, in the Province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is La Ràpita (1,106 m). Road N-234 road (Spain), N-234 winds ...

foothills at the eastern end. *Northeastern: A complex mountainous area connecting with the

Catalan Pre-Coastal Range The Catalan Pre-Coastal Range () is a system of mountain ranges running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea coast in Catalonia. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System. Its main axis runs between the Catalan Transversal Range and the Ser ...

, which includes the Ports de Tortosa-BeseitMontipedia - Spanish
and the Benifassà Mountains.

Main subranges and features

File:Molinos50.JPG, The arid Sierra de los Caballos range rises behind Molinos File:Cueva de agreda24.JPG, The main peaks of the

rising behind Cueva de Agreda File:Bollón89.JPG, Sierra del Bollón, foothills of the Moncayo Massif, near Fuendejalón File:Daroca - Vista general 01.JPG, Sierra de Santa Cruz near Daroca File:Roques de Benet.jpg, The massive Roques de Benet in the western side of the

Ports de Beseit Ports de Tortosa-Beseit (), also known as Ports de Beseit, or simply as Els Ports or Lo Port by locals, is a limestone mountain massif located at the north-eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico, a complex system of mountain ranges and massifs in ...

File:Serra de Mayabona.jpg, Sierra Mayabona File:Vista Valle del Sol, Concha de Pineda y cordal de La Demanda desde el Mencilla.jpg, View of the Sierra de la Demanda from Mencilla Peak File:Laguna Negra Sierra Urbion.jpg, The Laguna Negra in the Picos de Urbión area File:Ejulve (Andorra-Sierra de Arcos, Teruel, Aragón.jpg, Sierra de San Just above Ejulve File:Monasterio de Piedra - Cola de Caballo.jpg, Waterfall in the

Monasterio de Piedra Monasterio de Piedra (Stone Monastery) is a monastery, hotel and park complex in the Sistema Ibérico, Iberian System mountain ranges, near Nuévalos, province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. The monastery was founded in 1194 by Alfonso II of Ar ...

Natural Park File:Sierra-de-algairen400.JPG, Sierra de Algairén towering behind Almonacid de la Sierra File:Sierra de Albarracín II.jpg, Rugged Sierra de Albarracín File:BosquePinoNegroValdelinares.JPG, Black pine trees near Valdelinares, Sierra de Gúdar File:La Modorra34.JPG, La Modorra, highest peak in the Sierra de Cucalón system File:Gotor2.JPG, Sierra de la Virgen behind Gotor File:Morella Panorama 2.jpg, View of Morella File:20080817-Calatayud.jpg,

Calatayud Calatayud (; 2014 pop. 20,658) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Province of Zaragoza, within Aragón, Spain, lying on the river Jalón (river), Jalón, in the midst of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range. It is the second-largest ...

with the Sierra de Vicort in the background File:Purujosa Cabezo.jpg, Purujosa from the Cabezo File:Detall extracions ferro.JPG,

Open-pit mining Open-pit mining, also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts mega-mining, is a surface mining technique that extracts rock (geology), rock or minerals from the earth. Open-pit mines are used when deposits of commercially ...

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

in Sierra Menera File:Penyagolosa pic1.JPG, The Penyagolosa summit File:Sierra de Alcarama La Rioja Spain 878.JPG, Sierra de Alcarama in La Rioja File:Rubielos de la Cérida impact structure central uplift chain.jpg, "Pico Palomera", part of the central-uplift chain in the Rubielos de la Cérida impact structure in Sierra Palomera File:Brieva01.jpg, Cabezo del Santo, Sierra de Castejón, Brieva de Cameros, La Rioja File:Los Callejones de Las Majadas 2.jpg, Los Callejones de Las Majadas in the Serranía de Cuenca File:Calmarza.jpg, View of Calmarza with the Sierra de Solorio cliffs above the town File:Penalcazar.jpg, Sierra de Miñana seen from Peñalcázar castle, Soria Province File:Pico Ranera.jpg, Ranera Peak in Sierra de Mira File:Sierra Carrascosa34.JPG, Northeastern end of Sierra Carrascosa with the "Guerrero Romano" rock formation File:Monegre90.JPG, Monegre peak in Sierra de Nava Alta File:Isasa.JPG, South face of Isasa Peak, Sierra de Peñalmonte File:Laguna de Gallocanta.jpg, Laguna de Gallocanta, located in an

endorheic basin An endorheic basin ( ; also endoreic basin and endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water (e.g. rivers and oceans); instead, the water drainage flows into permanent ...

within the Iberian System File:Sierra de arcos71.JPG, Hill in the Sierra de Arcos area with unusual rock formations on top File:VISTABELLA.jpg, Vistabella de Huerva below Sierra de Herrera range File:Paridera Cueva del Río Piedra.jpg, Paridera cave, in the Piedra river, next to

, Spain File:Montenegro de Cameros.jpg, Montenegro de Cameros, typical village in the northern part of the range File:ValleDelOjaYSanLorenzo.jpg, Beech and pine forests in the Sierra de la Demanda

Peaks

The main peaks of the system are: Moncayo (2,313 m), Monte San Lorenzo (2,262 m), Pico de Urbión (2,228 m), Pico San Millán (2,131 m), Peña Cebollera (2,129 m), Javalambre (2,020 m) and Peñarroya (2,019 m). Other locally important summits are Cerro Calderón (1,837 m),

Mont Caro Mont Caro () or Caro is the highest mountain of the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit, Catalonia, Spain. Geography It has an elevation of 1,441 metres above sea level.. There are two large Antenna (radio), antennas and a Virgin Mary shrine on top of the s ...

(1,441 m), Tossal d'Orenga (1,144 m) and Montegordo (837 m),

Rivers

The Sistema Ibérico is not as high as other mountain systems in Spain. It is, however, very significant from the hydrographic point of view for important rivers of the Iberian Peninsula have their source in its mountains, which divide the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

from the

watershed. The following rivers rise in the Sistema Ibérico: *The

and the

, flowing westwards across the Meseta Central towards

*The Jalón River, one of the main tributaries of the

, flowing northwards, as well as the

Huerva The Huerva River is a river in Aragon, Spain. It is a tributary of the Ebro. Its mean annual discharge is only . Course This long river rises in the Sierra de Cucalón, near Fonfría, Teruel, Fonfría in the Jiloca Comarca. Flowing northwestward ...

and the Aranda River *The Turia, the

and the Cabriel flowing eastwards across the

towards the Mediterranean Sea

Notes

References

External links

Spain - The Valley Of The Ebro, Aragon And CataloniaEnciclopedia Aragonesa

Aragonese part of the Sistema IbéricoSierra de CucalónMendikat - Moncayo

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sistema Iberico Mountain ranges of Spain Iberico Iberico Iberico Iberico Iberico Iberico 01