The Iberian System ( es, Sistema Ibérico, ) 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 arise ...

s in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. 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 (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

, 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 north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the eas ...

in the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid with ...

in the east. The system is

hydrographically Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primary p ...

important, as it separates the watersheds of most of the major rivers in Spain and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, including the

Ebro , name_etymology = , image = Zaragoza shel.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza , map = SpainEbroBasin.png , map_size = , map_caption = The Ebro ...

basin from the basins of the

Douro The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...

Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see #Name, below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections ...

Guadiana The Guadiana River (, also , , ), or Odiana, 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 the ...

(

Záncara The Záncara is a 168 km long river in Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is a tributary to the Guadiana. Its source is near the village Abia de la Obispalía, west of Cuenca, in the Iberian System. The Záncara flows southwest, along the town ...

- Gigüela),

Júcar left The Júcar () or Xúquer () is a river on the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. The river runs for approximately 509 km from its source at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, on the eastern flank of the Montes Universales, Sistema Ibérico. Its most i ...

and Turia. There are important

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

areas in some of the ranges such as

Sierra Menera Sierra Menera is a long mountain range in the southwestern end of the Iberian System. Administratively the Sierra Menera belongs to the Sierra de Albarracín, Jiloca and Comunidad de Teruel, comarcas of Aragon, as well as to the Province of Gu ...

Sierra de Arcos Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and " saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain range ...

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'' (counties) in the autonomous community of Aragon in Spain. They were officially delimited in 1999, with substantial changes over a previously proposed division. See also *Comarcal council *Com ...

located in the Iberian System was given the name of

Cuencas Mineras Cuencas Mineras is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located in Teruel Province, in the mountainous area of the Sistema Ibérico. The administrative capital is Utrillas, with 3,346 inhabitants the largest town of the comarca, but the historical ...

, 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

Ebro , name_etymology = , image = Zaragoza shel.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza , map = SpainEbroBasin.png , map_size = , map_caption = The Ebro ...

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 north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

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 ''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-east by the Montes de Oca and ...

corridor in

Burgos Province The Province of Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Palencia, Cantabria, Vizcaya, Álava, La Rioja, Soria, Segovia, and Valladolid. ...

close to the Cordillera Cantábrica to the

sea close to

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

in the south and close to

Tortosa Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, 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 Buin ...

and the

Ebro Delta The Ebro Delta ( ca, Delta de l'Ebre, ; es, Delta del Ebro, ) is the delta region of the Ebro River ( ca, Ebre, links=no, es, Ebro, links=no) in the southwest of the Province of Tarragona in the region of Catalonia in Spain. It is located o ...

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

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

. The

Prebaetic System The Prebaetic System ( es, Sistemas Prebéticos or ''Sistema Prebético'', also often referred to simply as ''Prebético'') is a system of mountain ranges that forms the northeasternmost prolongation of the Baetic System in the southern Iberian P ...

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

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

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 In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), 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. Often one or more sides ha ...

s and depressions without a definite common

petrologic Petrology () is the branch of geology that studies rocks and the conditions under which they form. Petrology has three subdivisions: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology. Igneous and metamorphic petrology are commonly taught together ...

composition and overall structure.

Nummulite A nummulite is a large lenticular fossil, characterized by its numerous coils, subdivided by septa into chambers. They are the shells of the fossil and present-day marine protozoan ''Nummulites'', a type of foraminiferan. Nummulites commonly vary ...

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

and

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

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 Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...

s and

abandoned village An abandoned village is a village that has, for some reason, been deserted. In many countries, and throughout history, thousands of villages have been deserted for a variety of causes. Abandonment of villages is often related to epidemic, f ...

s scattered across different parts of the Iberian System, especially in

Teruel Province Teruel (Catalan: ''Terol'' ) is a province of Aragon, in the northeast of Spain. The capital is Teruel. It is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia (including its exclave Rincón de Ademuz), Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Za ...

. 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 ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

or the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

working as contract laborers in agricultural activities. The exodus from the rural mountainous areas in Spain rose after

General Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 193 ...

's '' Plan de Estabilización'' in 1959. The population declined 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 or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals 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 domesticated s ...

and

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically 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 a ...

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 vulture The Eurasian griffon vulture (''Gyps fulvus'') is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. It may also be known as the Griffon vulture, though it may be used for the genus as a whole. It is not to be confused with Rü ...

s in Europe is in the Iberian System.

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

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 ...

'', '' Hieraaetus fasciatus'', ''

Hieraaetus pennatus The booted eagle (''Hieraaetus pennatus'', also classified as ''Aquila pennata'') is a medium-sized mostly migratory bird of prey with a wide distribution in the Palearctic and southern Asia, wintering in the tropics of Africa and Asia, with a ...

'', '' Circaetus gallicus'') are also relatively common in the lonely heights. Among the mammals, the

Spanish ibex The Iberian ibex (''Capra pyrenaica''), also known as the Spanish ibex, Spanish wild goat, or Iberian wild goat, is a species of ibex endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. Four subspecies have been described; two are now extinct. The Portuguese subs ...

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

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 suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

European badger The European badger (''Meles meles''), also known as the Eurasian badger, is a badger species in the family Mustelidae native to almost all of Europe. It is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List as it has a wide range and a large stabl ...

common genet The common genet (''Genetta genetta'') is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coa ...

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

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...

s in the Iberian System are '' Lacerta lepida'', '' Psammodromus algirus'', '' Psammodromus hispanicus'', ''

Podarcis muralis ''Podarcis muralis'' (common wall lizard) is a species of lizard with a large distribution in Europe and well-established introduced populations in North America, where it is also called the European wall lizard. It can grow to about in tota ...

'' and '' Podarcis hispanicus''. '' Chalcides chalcides'', '' Chalcides bedriagai'' and '' Anguis fragilis'', are relatively rarer. The snakes present in these mountains are ''

Natrix maura ''Natrix maura'' is a natricine water snake of the genus '' Natrix''. Its common name is viperine water snake or viperine snake. Despite its common names, it is not a member of the subfamily Viperinae. This nonvenomous, semiaquatic, fish-eating ...

'', ''

Natrix natrix The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Subspecies Many subspecies are recogni ...

'', ''

Malpolon monspessulanus ''Malpolon monspessulanus'', commonly known as the Montpellier snake, is a species of mildly venomous Opisthoglyphous, rear-fanged snake. Geographic range It is very common in Spain, Portugal and Northwest Africa, being also present in the south ...

'', ''

Elaphe scalaris The ladder snake (''Zamenis scalaris'') is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to southwestern Europe. Distribution The geographic range of the ladder snake includes Portugal, Spain, southern France a ...

'', ''

Coronella girondica :''Common names:'' southern smooth snake, Riccioli's snake.'' ''Coronella girondica'' is a species of harmless snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to southern Europe and northern Africa. No subspecies are recognized as being v ...

'', ''

Coronella austriaca The smooth snake (''Coronella austriaca'')Street D (1979). ''The Reptiles of Northern and Central Europe''. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. 268 pp. . is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in northern and ce ...

'' and ''

Vipera latastei ''Vipera latastei'', known as Lataste's viper, the snub-nosed viper,Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. . and the snub-nos ...

''. Some

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

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

Rana perezi The Perez's frog, also known as Iberian waterfrog, Iberian green frog, or Coruna frog (''Pelophylax perezi'') is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is native to southern France, Portugal, Spain, and has been introduced to the Canary an ...

'', ''

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

'', ''

Bufo calamita The natterjack toad (''Epidalea calamita'') is a toad native to sandy and heathland areas of Europe. Adults are 60–70 mm in length, and are distinguished from common toads by a yellow line down the middle of the back and parallel paratoid g ...

'', ''

Alytes obstetricans The common midwife toad (''Alytes obstetricans'') is a species of midwife frog in the family Alytidae (formerly Discoglossidae). It is found in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United ...

'', ''

Triturus marmoratus The marbled newt (''Triturus marmoratus'') is a mainly terrestrial newt native to western Europe. They are found in the Iberian Peninsula and France, where they typically inhabit mountainous areas. Habitat and distribution The marbled newt is ty ...

'' and ''

Lissotriton helveticus The palmate newt (''Lissotriton helveticus'') is a species of newt found in Western Europe, from Great Britain to the northern Iberian peninsula. It is long and olive or brown with some dark spots. The underside is yellow to orange, and the thr ...

'', the latter also at high altitude, whether in intermittent or permanent bodies of water. ''

Hyla arborea The European tree frog (''Hyla arborea'') is a small tree frog. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa,Frost, Darrel R. ''Amphibian Species of the World''. Allen Press, Inc., 1985, p. 126. but b ...

'' 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 ''Austropotamobius pallipes'' is an endangered European freshwater crayfish, and the only crayfish native to the British Isles. Its common names include white-clawed crayfish and Atlantic stream crayfish. Distribution It is found from the eas ...

'' 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 are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

. Traditional

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

rearing activities, formerly so important in central Iberia, still survive on dry grasslands in certain villages around the system. There are also many hunters 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 pinaster'', the maritime pine or cluster pine, is a pine native to the south Atlantic Europe region and parts of the western Mediterranean. It is a hard, fast growing pine bearing small seeds with large wings. Description ''Pinus pina ...

'', ''

Pinus sylvestris ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...

'' and ''

Pinus uncinata ''Pinus mugo'', known as bog pine, creeping pine, dwarf mountain pine, mugo pine, mountain pine, scrub mountain pine, or Swiss mountain pine, is a species of conifer, native to high elevation habitats from southwestern to Central Europe and Sou ...

'' pines and '' Quercus rotundifolia'', ''

Quercus pyrenaica ''Quercus pyrenaica'', commonly known as Pyrenean oak, is a tree native to southwestern Europe and northwestern North Africa. Despite its common name, it is rarely found in the Pyrenees Mountains and is more abundant in northern Portugal and nort ...

'' and ''

Quercus faginea ''Quercus faginea'', the Portuguese oak, is a species of oak native to the western Mediterranean region in the Iberian Peninsula. Similar trees in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa are usually included in this species, or sometimes treate ...

'' oaks, even ''

Fagus sylvatica ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though more ...

'' 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 Betulaceae, native to Europe and parts of Asia, though in southern Europe, it is only found ...

'' birches grow in some humid slopes, where ''

Pteridium aquilinum ''Pteridium aquilinum'' (bracken, brake or common bracken), also known as eagle fern, is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions in both hemispheres. Originally native to Eurasia and North America, the extreme lightness o ...

'', ''

Polypodium vulgare ''Polypodium vulgare'', the common polypody, is an evergreen fern of the family Polypodiaceae. ''Polypodium vulgare'' is an allotetraploid species, believed to have arisen by chromosome doubling of a sterile diploid hybrid between two ferns whic ...

'' 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 characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

(''

Erica arborea ''Erica arborea'', the tree heath or tree heather, is a species of flowering plant (angiosperms) in the heather family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. It is also cultivated as an o ...

'', ''

Erica vagans ''Erica vagans'', the Cornish heath or wandering heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Ericaceae, native plant, native to Ireland, Cornwall, western France and Spain. It is a vigorous, spreading, evergreen heathe ...

'', ''

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 wid ...

''),

broom A broom (also known in some forms 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. I ...

as well as

thyme Thyme () is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus '' Thymus'' of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus ''Origanum'', with both plants being mostly indigen ...

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 ever ...

'' and ''

Nardus stricta ''Nardus'' is a genus of plants belonging to the grass family, containing the single species ''Nardus stricta'', known as matgrass. It is placed in its own tribe Nardeae within the subfamily Pooideae. The name derives from ancient Greek ' () from ...

'' grasslands. Thin forest or

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

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 ''Juniperus thurifera'' (Spanish juniper) is a species of juniper native to the mountains of the western Mediterranean region, from southern France (including Corsica) across eastern and central Spain to Morocco and locally in northern Algeria. ...

'', '' Cytisus purgans'', ''

Erinacea anthyllis ''Erinacea anthyllis'', the blue broom, hedgehog plant, or rushy kidney vetch, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to stony mountainous places in the Pyrenees, the Mediterranean and Morocco. It is a dwarf, spiny, ...

'' and ''Calluna vulgaris'' shrub. Often the southern slopes are drier than the northern ones and may be subject to

wildfires A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...

in periods of prolonged drought, especially in the summer. Bogs 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 Orihuela del Tremedal is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * In ...

Bronchales Bronchales is a village and municipality located in the Sierra de Albarracín province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclea ...

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 ''Polytrichum'' is a genus of mosses — commonly called haircap moss or hair moss — which contains approximately 70 species that cover a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus ''Polytrichum'' has a number of closely related sporophytic character ...

'' mosses, ''

Potentilla erecta ''Potentilla erecta'' (syn. ''Tormentilla erecta'', ''Potentilla laeta'', ''Potentilla tormentilla'', known as the (common) tormentil, septfoil or erect cinquefoil ) is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the rose family ( Rosaceae). Descr ...

'', ''

Pinguicula vulgaris ''Pinguicula vulgaris'', the common butterwort, is a perennial carnivorous plant in the bladderwort family, Lentibulariaceae. Description It grows to a height of 3–16 cm, and is topped with a purple, and occasionally white, flower that is ...

'', ''

Vaccinium myrtillus ''Vaccinium myrtillus'' or European blueberry is a 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 bilberry or blue whortle ...

'', ''

'', 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 distribu ...

'', a

carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryot ...

that doesn't grow further south in Western Europe. ''

Centaurea pinnata ''Centaurea'' () is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding reg ...

'' 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 and 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 la Demanda Sierra de la Demanda is a mountain sub-range situated in the northern Iberian Peninsula. The Sierra de la Demanda area provides the habitat for ''Lissotriton helveticus punctillatus'' (Schmidtler 1970), a subspecies of the palmate newt. Geograp ...

Sierra de Neila Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain range i ...

, Mesa de Cebollera and the

Picos de Urbión Picos de Urbión, or "Urbion Peaks" is a mountain range in the Sistema Ibérico, Spain, limited by the Sierra de Neila and Sierra Cebollera of the same range. The ridge's highest summit, Pico Urbión, is 2,228 m) is one of the highest points ...

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 comarca, Aragon, Spain. The Moncayo's highest summit, San Miguel (), is the highest point in the 500 km long Sistema Ibérico. The ...

in the north, always crested with snow in the winter, with its eastern prolongation the

Sierra de Nava Alta Sierra de Nava Alta or Sierra de la Nava Alta is a mountain range in the Valdejalón comarca, Aragon, Spain, located west of the A-121 road, between Fuendejalón and Ricla and east of Tierga and Mesones de Isuela. Geography The ridge's highest s ...

. *Western: Smaller and drier mountain ranges close to the transition area with the Sistema Central, such as

Sierra de Perdices Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and " saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain rang ...

, Sierra Ministra, Sierra de Caldereros (Águila 1,443 m), Sierra de Pardos, Sierra de Miñana,

Sierra de Solorio The Solorio Range ( es, Sierra de Solorio) is a mountain range located in the western side of the Iberian System, Spain. It straddles Aragon, Castile-La Mancha and Castile and León. Description The ridge is roughly aligned in an E-W direction ...

, 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 Algairén is a mountain range in Aragon, Spain, located between the comarcas of Campo de Cariñena and Comunidad de Calatayud. The ridge's highest summit is Pico de Valdemadera (1,276 m). Description The Algairén Mountains are co ...

, Sierra de Santa Cruz,

Sierra de Cucalón Sierra de Cucalón is a long system of mountain ranges in Aragon, Spain, located between the comarcas of Jiloca and Cuencas Mineras. Geography These mountains are part of the Iberian System and are often covered with snow in the winter. Rivers ...

, Sierra de Herrera, Sierra de San Just,

Sierra de Lidón Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain range i ...

and Sierra Palomera, among others. *Southwestern: Serranía de Cuenca,

, Sierra de Albarracín, Montes de Picaza (Colmenarejo 1,426 m),

Montes Universales Montes Universales is a long mountain range in the southeastern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,935 m high summit known as Caimodorro. The 1,830 m high Muela de San Juan is another important peak. Administratively, the Mon ...

and Sierra de Mira. *Southeastern:

Sierra de Javalambre Sierra de Javalambre ( an, Sierra de Chabalambre) is a long mountain range in the Gúdar-Javalambre comarca of Aragon and the Rincón de Ademuz and Serrans comarcas of the Valencian Community, Spain. Highway N-234 winds its way between Sier ...

Sierra del Toro Sierra del Toro ( ca-valencia, Serra del Toro) is a long mountain range in the Alt Palància comarca, Valencian Community, close to the limit with Teruel Province, Aragon, Spain. It is named after the nearby town of El Toro. Location This mount ...

Sierra de Gúdar Sierra de Gúdar is a mountain range in the Gúdar-Javalambre and Maestrazgo comarcas of Aragon and the Alto Mijares comarca of the Valencian Community, Spain. The highest point in the range is Peñarroya (2,019 m). Geography This mountain ...

, 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 The Maestrazgo () or Maestrat () is a natural and historical mountainous region, located at the eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range, in Spain. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, in Castellón provin ...

Maestrazgo The Maestrazgo () or Maestrat () is a natural and historical mountainous region, located at the eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range, in Spain. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, in Castellón provinc ...

with the Penyagolosa Massif, Sierra de la Lastra, Sierra de los Caballos, Sierra de Garrocha, Sierra de la Cañada,

Sierra Carrascosa Sierra Carrascosa is a mountain range in the Maestrazgo comarca of Aragon, Teruel Province, Spain. The highest point in the range is Muela Carrascosa (1,214 m). The Guadalope River flows along the NW side of the range. Geography This 14 km lo ...

, the

Ports de Morella Ports de Morella (), is a historical Valencian comarca. It takes its name from the city of Morella, its capital and the only place in the region having been granted the title of 'city'. It mostly overlaps with the present-day Ports comarca exce ...

, Serra de la Creu, Serra d'En Segures,

Serra d'en Galceran Serra d'En Galceran (; es, Sierra de Engarcerán) is a mountain range of the Valencian Community, Spain. Geography The main peaks of the range are the 1,078 m high Tossal de la Vila, Penya Blanca (951 m) and Tossal de la Toiola (939 m). This ran ...

, Serra d'Esparreguera,

Serra de Vallivana Serra de Vallivana (, es, Sierra de Vallivana) or Muntanyes de Vallivana is an over long mountain range straddling the Alt Maestrat and Baix Maestrat comarcas, Valencian Community, Spain. Geography The highest point of the range is the 1,275 ...

, Serra d'En Celler,

Serra del Turmell Serra del Turmell, also known as Serra del Mont Turmell, ( es, Sierra del Turmell) is an over long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. These mountains and their neighboring ranges are a desolate place with ...

Serra de l'Espadella Serra de l'Espadella ( es, Sierra de la Espandela) is an over long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Espadella (968 m). These mountains are frequently covered in snow in the winter. G ...

and the

Moles de Xert Moles de Xert (, es, Muelas de Chert) is a long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Country, Spain. Its highest point is Mola Gran (806 m). The other main summits are ''Mola Murada,'' a breast-shaped hill, ''Moleta Redona'' ...

, as well as the

Talaies d'Alcalà Talaies d'Alcalà (, es, Atalayas de Alcalá), also known as Serra de les Talaies or simply Les Talaies, is a 21.5 km long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Talaia Grossa (635 m). ...

, Serra de la Vall d'Àngel, the Cervera Mountains,

Serra de Sant Pere ''Serra de Sant Pere'' (Saint Peter's Range) (, es, Sierra del Solá) or Serra del Solà is a long mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Tossal de Sant Pere (541 m). The slopes are covered ...

Serra Calderona Serra Calderona (; es, Sierra Calderona), often referred to as La Calderona is a long mountain range in the Camp de Túria, Horta Nord and Alt Palància comarcas of the Valencian Community, between the provinces of Castellón Province, Castelló ...

and Serra d'Espadà foothills at the eastern end. *Northeastern: A complex mountainous area connecting with the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range, which includes the

Ports de Tortosa-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 ...

Montipedia - 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 Daroca is a city and municipality in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, situated to the south of the city of Zaragoza. It is the center of a judicial district. It is located in the basin of Calatayud, in the valley of the Jiloca river. N ...

File:Roques de Benet.jpg, The massive

Roques de Benet Roques de Benet is a compact group of sheer rocky outcrops in the northwestern side of the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit, Catalonia, Spain. The highest summit (el Castell) has an elevation of 1,017.1 metres above sea level. The Roques de Benet are one o ...

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:Laguna Negra Sierra Urbion.jpg, The Laguna Negra in the

area File:Ejulve (Andorra-Sierra de Arcos, Teruel, Aragón.jpg, Sierra de San Just above

Ejulve Ejulve is a municipality located in the Andorra-Sierra de Arcos comarca, province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2011 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear rese ...

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,

towering behind

Almonacid de la Sierra Almonacid de la Sierra ( an, Almonecir de la Sierra) is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 894 inhabitants. It has a total area of 54 k ...

File:Sierra de Albarracín II.jpg, Rugged Sierra de Albarracín File:BosquePinoNegroValdelinares.JPG, Black pine trees near

Valdelinares Valdelinares is a municipality and ski resort located in the Sierra de Gúdar range of the Sistema Ibérico, in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality had a population of 141 inhabitants. The ...

File:La Modorra34.JPG, La Modorra, highest peak in the

system File:Gotor2.JPG, Sierra de la Virgen behind

Gotor Gotor is a municipality located in the Aranda Comarca province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Ins ...

File:Morella Panorama 2.jpg, View of Morella File:20080817-Calatayud.jpg,

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

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 of extracting rock or minerals from the earth from an open-air pit, sometimes known as a borrow. This form of mining ...

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 fo ...

File:Penyagolosa pic1.JPG, The

Penyagolosa Penyagolosa (, es, Peñagolosa) is a mountain in the Alcalatén area, Valencian Community, Spain. Geologically it is part of the Iberian System, located at the eastern end of Iberian Peninsula. Its peak is at 1,813 meters above sea level a ...

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 Rubielos de la Cérida is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2010 census the municipality had a population of 45 inhabitants.Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain) Its postal code is 44166 See a ...

impact structure An impact structure is a generally circular or craterlike geologic structure of deformed bedrock or sediment produced by impact on a planetary surface, whatever the stage of erosion of the structure. In contrast, an impact crater is the surface ...

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

cliffs above the town File:Penalcazar.jpg, Sierra de Miñana seen from Peñalcázar castle,

Soria Province Soria is a province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. Most of the province is in the mountainous Sistema Ibérico area. Demographics It is bordered by the provinces of La Rioja, Zaragoza, G ...

File:Pico Ranera.jpg, Ranera Peak in Sierra de Mira File:Sierra Carrascosa34.JPG, Northeastern end of

with the "Guerrero Romano" rock formation File:Monegre90.JPG, Monegre peak in

File:Isasa.JPG, South face of Isasa Peak, Sierra de Peñalmonte File:Laguna de Gallocanta.jpg,

Laguna de Gallocanta The Gallocanta Lake ( es, Laguna de Gallocanta) is an endorheic lake in Aragon, Spain. Falling within the boundaries of two provinces, Teruel and Zaragoza, the lake is located just to the south of Gallocanta village, between the Aragonese comarca ...

, located in an

endorheic basin An endorheic basin (; also spelled endoreic basin or endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but drainage converges instead into lakes ...

within the Iberian System File:Sierra de arcos71.JPG, Hill in the

area with unusual rock formations on top File:VISTABELLA.jpg,

Vistabella de Huerva Vistabella, also known as Vistabella de Huerva, is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon. According to the 2010 censusInstituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain) the municipality has a population of 50 inhabitants. The town is named a ...

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

Peaks

The main peaks of the system are:

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

(2,313 m), Monte San Lorenzo (2,262 m), Pico de Urbión (2,228 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 antennas and a Virgin Mary shrine on top of the summit. This mounta ...

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

Montegordo Montegordo is a mountain forming part of the eastern end of the Iberian System, Valencian Community, Spain. It is located near Albocàsser and its altitude is . The Barranc de la Valltorta gorge is located close by. ''La Coveta'' is a cave on ...

(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 oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

from the

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

and the

, flowing westwards across the Meseta Central towards

*The

Jalón Xaló (; es, Jalón ), is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Marina Alta in the Valencian Community, Spain. Geography The town of Jalón is located in the Jalón Valley. The Jalón or Gorgos river crosses the town, which has a length of . ...

River, one of the main tributaries of the

Ebro , name_etymology = , image = Zaragoza shel.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza , map = SpainEbroBasin.png , map_size = , map_caption = The Ebro ...

, 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 in the Jiloca Comarca. Flowing northwestwards near Lagueruel ...

and the

Aranda River Aranda may refer to: Places * Aranda de Duero, a Spanish town located in Burgos province, the site of the Council of Aranda * Aranda (comarca), a Spanish ''comarca'' (county) in Aragon * Aranda, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in Canberra, ...

*The Turia, the

and the

Cabriel Cabriel () or Cabriol () is a tributary of the Júcar River in the province of Albacete, Spain. It has its source in the Montes Universales. See also * List of rivers of Spain This is an incomplete list of rivers that are at least partially i ...

flowing eastwards across the

towards the Mediterranean Sea

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