Where do the rivers flow?
We divide the rivers in Spain into three groups:
• The rivers that flow into the Cantabrian Sea.
• The rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean.
• The rivers that flow into the Mediterranean Sea.
How do we describe the rivers in Spain?
We study the length, the discharge and the regime of the rivers in each group.
How do we describe rivers?
Rivers form on mountains and flow downhill into seas, lakes or other rivers. They have:
• fresh water.
• a source where the river begins.
• a mouth where the river ends.
• a course, which is the journey of the river from the source to the mouth.
• tributaries, which are smaller rivers that join the main river.
• meanders, which are bends in the river.
What are the different parts of the course of a river?
We divide the course of the river into three sections.
• The upper course is close to the source. The water moves fast and carries sand and pebbles with it.
• The middle course flows over flat land and joins with tributaries. It has meanders.
• The lower course is close to the mouth. The water moves slowly and deposits the sand and pebbles.
What are the characteristics of a river?
The characteristics of a river depend on the climate and relief of the landscape. We study three main characteristics:
• The length of the river is the distance from the source to the mouth.
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| Tajo |
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| Amazon |
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| Nile |
• The discharge is the amount of water.
• The regime is the change in discharge. A stable regime means the amount of water the river carries doesn’t change very much. A variable regime means the amount of water changes over the year
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| Variable regime |
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| Stable regime |
What is the Spanish coastline like?
The Spanish coastline is very long. It’s divided into five sections.
