Geography of Galicia and its bodies of water

March 2012

Spain: location

Southern Europe Area: 504,645 km² 7.800 km of coast, incluiding the Canary and Balearic Islands

Spain: location

Spain: seas and oceans

Mediterranean Sea: warmer than the others

Cantabric Sea

Atlantic Ocean

The mediterranean coasts: Mild temperatures Irregular rainfall

Spain: different climates

Inland : the climate is more extreme• Low temperatures in Winter and high in Summer• Irregular rainfall

North:• Low temperatures in Winter and mild in

Summer• Abundant rainfall

Situated in Northwestern Spain Area of 29,574 km² 1500 km of coast Four provinces: three of them are in the sea shore. Oceanic climate: Winters and Summers are mild with abundant rainfall

Galicia: our region

Ocean/Seas. Most important. They condition the climate

Rivers Lakes (fresh water) and lagoons (salt

water) Subterranean waters

Galicia’s bodies of water: types

The most important geographical feature of our coast

Inlet that advances into the ocean They coincide with the mouth of a river They are subject to the tides

Rias (estuaries)

Rivers that flow into the rias

Rias

Northern Rias: Ferrol, Coruña…

Southern Rias: Arousa, Pontevedra…

They are different in the height of the coast and in their size

They are very productive due to the rise of cold waters coming from Atlantic currents

Rias

Rias of Coruña, Betanzos and Ferrol

TIDES

The average tide is approximately 2.7 metersToday (March 15th) High tide: 1 m Low tide: 1,1 m

Ria of Ferrol: data

Average salt in sea: 34- 35,6/1000 g salt/kg water

Mix of fresh water and sea salt water.

Salinity suffers variations in Winter due to continental water.

This influence is much smaller at depths over 20 meters

Surface water temperature Minimum of 10-12 ºC in Winter Maximum of 18-20 ºC in Summer

Rias uses

Fishing Recreation

Cariño harbour (near Ferrol)Coruña harbour

Fishing in Galicia

1,500 km of coast

4,500 km2 aprox. of fishing ground

INDICATORS:

1 boat/km2

17 fishermen/km of coast

4 fishermen/km2

4 sale points/100km of coast

Cedeira harbour (near Ferrol)

Fishing

• Shellfish on foot: 5,693 people

• Shellfish on boat: 4,836 people

• Inshore fishing: 9,249 people

• Deep-sea fishing: North Sea 5,177 people

• Aquaculture (turbot): 4,264 people

• Rafts: mussels and oysters

Ría of Vigo with rafts

Shellfishing

More than 190 comercial kinds

Octopus (Octopus vulgaris)

Clams (Venerupis pullastra)

Barnacles (Pollicipes pollicipes)

Sepia (Sepia officinalis)

Cockles (Cerastoderma edule)

Spider crab (Maja squinado)

Crab (Nécora puber)

Scad (Trachurus trachurus)

Mackerel (Scomber scomber)

Sardine (Sardina pilchardus)

Whiting pout (Trisopterus luscus)

Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

Main species captured

Ferrol A Coruña Vigo Vilagarcía Marín San Ciprián

Harbours

Ferrol harbour with a huge cruise

A Coruña Vigo Cedeira Celeiro Ribeira

Fishing ports

Gran Sol fleet, Vigo Celeiro (Lugo)

A Coruña

Beaches. In Galicia there are hundreds of beaches. Only 15 km from Ferrol we have more than 21 beaches

Water sports: Surf Rowing Sailing Canoeing Scuba diving

Recreational uses

Galicia has:• 86 nautical installations (20% of

Spain’s)• 12,000 moorings• 19,000 licenses to practice water

sports

Doniños beach. Ferrol

The Pantin Classic International Competition takes place in Pantín, near Ferrol, every September

Surf

Dinghy sailing race. Ferrol, August 2011

Tall ships Atlantic Challenge 2009. Vigo

Sailing

Sailing is a sport with a big tradition here in Galicia

Tradicional Galician Boats

Chalana

Dorna

NATIONAL PARKSAtlantic Islands National Park (Southwestern Galicia)

Cies Island National Park

Coastal Lagoons

They are small and briny in different degreesThey are important to safeguard the typical Galician flora and fauna (wetland Near Ferrol we have two lagoons

Doniños lagoon Valdoviño lagoon

Shipyards in Ferrol and Vigo 2011: 55 % of all the vessels built in Spain. 2012: 28 % of all the vessels built in Spain.

The Naval restructuring began in 1982 and hasn’t finished yet.

Naval Industry

Ferrol shipyard

In Galicia there are many small rivers, but the most important ones are the Miño(310 km) and its tributaire the Sil

Rivers

Miño river and Roman bridge in Ourense

Sil river

Human supply. Recreation. Power Irrigation

River Uses

Traditional irrigation channel in Galicia

Human supply: dam

Forcadas dam: Ferrol’s supply of drinking water

Used years ago to wash clothes by hand. Now they are being restored and preserved as part of Galicia’s ethnographic heritage.

Human supply: washing places

Waste water treatment plants in Galicia

Energetic use of the rivers Galicia is one of the

biggest producers of hydroelectric power in Spain

147 hydroelectric power stations (large and small)

38 large hydrolectric power stations

Fervenza dam in the Xallas river (Coruña)

Small Hydroelectric Power Stations (less than 10 MW)

Belelle river

Hydroelectric Power Stations (10-50 MW)

Subterranean Waters• Wells: used years ago to get drinking water.• Fountains: very common in many Galician towns

and villages.

St. Roque fountain (18th century) FerrolFurado river fountain (Ferrol)

Very common in Galicia. Used since Roman times to treat respiratory, rheumatic or

skin deseases. The most important ones are in Ourense and the hot water

flows at more than 60 ºC. Nowadays, most of them are part of spas.

Hot springs

Roman hot spring in Ourense