Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula /aɪˈbɪəriən pəˈnɪnsjʊlə/, also known as Iberia, is located in the southwest corner of Europe. The peninsula is principally divided between Spain and Portugal, comprising most of their territory, with a small area occupied by the microstate of Andorra and the British Overseas Territories of Gibraltar.
Etymology
The word Iberian, as used by the ancient authors, had two distinct meanings. One, more general, referred to all the populations of the Iberian peninsula without regard to ethnic differences. The other, more restricted, applied to the people living along the east coast. In the second sense, the word 'Iberian' could be applied to the Celts in the northwest, the Celtiberians in the center, the Lusitanians in the west, and the Aquitanians in the north.
Geography
The Iberian Peninsula is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and north and by the Mediterranean Sea on the east. It is separated from Africa by the Strait of Gibraltar. The Pyrenees form the northeast edge of the peninsula, separating it from the rest of Europe. In the south, it approaches the northern coast of Africa. It is approximately 583,254 square kilometers in area.
Related Terms
- Pyrenees: A range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between Spain and France.
- Strait of Gibraltar: A narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa.
- Celtiberians: A group of Celtic peoples who inhabited an area in the eastern and central part of the Iberian Peninsula in the final centuries BC.
- Lusitanians: An Indo-European people living in the west of the Iberian Peninsula prior to its conquest by the Roman Republic.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Iberian Peninsula
- Wikipedia's article - Iberian Peninsula
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