Sierra de Aracena

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Sierra de Aracena

SierraDeAracena-P1040654.JPG

Landscape of Sierra de Aracena with the ubiquitous small village in the valley
Highest point
Peak Cerro del Castaño
Elevation 962 m (3,156 ft)
Coordinates 33°57′35″N6°35′7″W / 33.95972°N 6.58528°W / 33.95972; -6.58528
Dimensions
Length 58 km (36 mi)NW/SE
Width 15 km (9.3 mi)NE/SW
Geography
Relief Map of Spain.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Location in Spain
Location Andalusia
Country Spain
Range coordinates 37°54′N6°37′W / 37.900°N 6.617°W / 37.900; -6.617 Coordinates: 37°54′N6°37′W / 37.900°N 6.617°W / 37.900; -6.617
Parent range Sierra Morena
Geology
Orogeny Variscan orogeny
Age of rock Paleozoic
Type of rock Schist, slate and quartzite

Sierra de Aracena is the westernmost mountain range of the Sierra Morena, Andalusia, Spain. It is located in the northern part of Huelva Province.

Mountain range A geographic area containing several geologically related mountains

A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills ranged 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 arisen from the same cause, usually an orogeny. Mountain ranges are formed by a variety of geological processes, but most of the significant ones on Earth are the result of plate tectonics. Mountain ranges are also found on many planetary mass objects in the Solar System and are likely a feature of most terrestrial planets.

Sierra Morena mountain range in Spain

The Sierra Morena is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. It stretches for 450 kilometres from east to west across the south of the Iberian Peninsula, forming the southern border of the Meseta Central plateau and providing the watershed between the valleys of the Guadiana to the north and the west, and the Guadalquivir to the south.

Andalusia Autonomous community of Spain

Andalusia is an autonomous community in southern Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest autonomous community in the country. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The territory is divided into eight provinces: Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Seville. Its capital is the city of Seville.

Contents

The range is named after the town of Aracena.

Description

The Sierra de Aracena is not very high and its mountains have a gentle, rounded shape. The height of most of the summits lies between 400 and 900 m (1,300 and 3,000 ft). Its highest point is 962 m (3,156 ft) high Cerro del Castaño. [1] Other notable summits are Cerro de San Cristóbal 917 m (3,009 ft) and Cerro de Santa Bárbara 814 m (2,671 ft), the latter located close to Cortegana. The Odiel and Murtigas are the main rivers in the area of the range. [2]

Cortegana municipality of Spain

CorteganaSpanish pronunciation: [koɾˈteɣana] is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. According to the 2005 census, the city has a population of 4,952 inhabitants.

Odiel river in Spain

The Odiel is a river in the Atlantic basin in southern Spain, more precisely in the province of Huelva, Andalusia. It originates at Marimateos in the Sierra de Aracena at an elevation of 660 metres (2,170 ft) above sea level. At the Punta del Sebo, it joins the Rio Tinto to form the Huelva Estuary. Its principal tributaries are the Escalada, Meca, Olivargas, Oraque, Santa Eulalia, and El Villar. Its basin covers 990 square kilometres (380 sq mi).

The climate is relatively humid for Andalusian standards and there is a small village in most of the valleys. The undisturbed slopes of the mountains are mostly covered in forest, which is made up of Chestnut, Holm Oak and Cork Oak trees. [3]

Chestnut genus of plants

The chestnuts are a group of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus Castanea, in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Protected areas

The Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park is located in the area of the range.

Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park

Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park is a protected area in the Sierra de Aracena range, part of the Sierra Morena mountain system, Huelva Province, southwestern Spain.

See also

Geography of Spain

Spain is a country located in southwestern Europe occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula and includes a small exclave inside France called Llívia as well as the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean 108 km (67 mi) off northwest Africa, and five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of North Africa: Ceuta, Melilla, Islas Chafarinas, Peñón de Alhucemas, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera.

Geology of the Iberian Peninsula The origins, structure use and study of the rock formations of Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar

The geology of the Iberian Peninsula consists of the study of the rock formations on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar. The peninsula contains rocks from every geological period from Ediacaran to Holocene, and many types of rock are represented. World-class mineral deposits are also found there.

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References