Spain vs. Portugal
Geography
| Spain | Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France | Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain |
| Geographic coordinates | 40 00 N, 4 00 W | 39 30 N, 8 00 W |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 505,370 sq km land: 498,980 sq km water: 6,390 sq km note: there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera | total: 92,090 sq km land: 91,470 sq km water: 620 sq km note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands |
| Area - comparative | almost five times the size of Kentucky; slightly more than twice the size of Oregon | slightly smaller than Virginia |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,952.7 km border countries (5): Andorra 63 km, France 646 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1224 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 8 km and Morocco (Melilla) 10.5 km note: an additional 75-meter border segment exists between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Penon de Velez de la Gomera | total: 1,224 km border countries (1): Spain 1224 km |
| Coastline | 4,964 km | 1,793 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean) | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast | maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south |
| Terrain | large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north | the west-flowing Tagus River divides the country: the north is mountainous toward the interior, while the south is characterized by rolling plains |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 660 m | highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 372 m |
| Natural resources | coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land | fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 54.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 24.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 20.1% (2018 est.) forest: 36.8% (2018 est.) other: 9.1% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 39.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 7.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 20% (2018 est.) forest: 37.8% (2018 est.) other: 22.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 38,000 sq km (2012) | 5,400 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | periodic droughts, occasional flooding volcanism: volcanic activity in the Canary Islands, located off Africa's northwest coast; Teide (3,715 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; La Palma (2,426 m), which last erupted in 1971, is the most active of the Canary Islands volcanoes; Lanzarote is the only other historically active volcano | Azores subject to severe earthquakes volcanism: limited volcanic activity in the Azores Islands; Fayal or Faial (1,043 m) last erupted in 1958; most volcanoes have not erupted in centuries; historically active volcanoes include Agua de Pau, Furnas, Pico, Picos Volcanic System, San Jorge, Sete Cidades, and Terceira |
| Environment - current issues | pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification | soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in urban centers and coastal areas |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban |
| Geography - note | strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas; Spain's Canary Islands are one of four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are Azores (Portugal), Madeira (Portugal), and Cabo Verde | Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; they are two of the four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are the Canary Islands (Spain) and Cabo Verde |
| Total renewable water resources | 111.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 77.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | with the notable exception of Madrid, Sevilla, and Zaragoza, the largest urban agglomerations are found along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts; numerous smaller cities are spread throughout the interior reflecting Spain's agrarian heritage; very dense settlement around the capital of Madrid, as well as the port city of Barcelona | concentrations are primarily along or near the Atlantic coast; both Lisbon and the second largest city, Porto, are coastal cities |
Source: CIA Factbook
