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Spain Regional Variation
Because the interior of Spain is dominated by semiarid
plateaus and mountains subject to temperature extremes,
the most
productive agricultural areas in the late 1980s tend to be
the
coastal regions. Thus the north and the northwest, where
there is
a relatively mild, humid climate were the principal cornproducing and cattle-raising areas. Apples and pears were
the
main orchard crops in this area, and potatoes were another
of its
leading products.
Galicia, which consists of Spain's four westernmost
provinces
directly north of Portugal, had a concentrated farm
population
living on intensely fragmented plots. Accordingly, per
capita
farm income was low, compared with that of the northern
provinces
lying to the east, where there were fewer people and
higher per
capita income levels because of a more diversified economy
that
included industry, mining, and tourism.
Catalonia, on the northeast coast, also has a climate
that
permits diversified agriculture. At the end of the 1980s,
livestock particularly the expanding poultry industry was
important in the area. Modern farming methods, including
the use
of tractors, were more advanced here than they were in the
rest
of the country. South of Catalonia, along the narrow
Mediterranean coast, or Levante, was Spain's principal
area of
intensive, irrigated horticulture. Orange trees, orchard
fruits,
rice, and vegetables were produced in this region, and
farther to
the south, fig trees and nut trees were grown.
Andalusia, which includes all of tillable southern
Spain, was
another major agricultural area in the late 1980s. It was
also
the target of several agricultural planning programs.
Although
olive trees grow throughout the Mediterranean coastal
region, as
well as in parts of the Meseta Central (Central Plateau),
they
constituted the most important crop in Andalusia,
particularly in
the province of Jaen. Other warm-weather crops, such as
cotton,
tobacco, and sugarcane, were also produced in Andalusia,
as were
wine and table grapes.
The vast dry plateau region of central Spain contrasted
sharply with the country's relatively productive areas.
The
production of agricultural commodities was particularly
difficult
in central Spain because of a lack of rainfall, a scarcity
of
trees and other vegetation, extremes of temperature, and
harsh,
rocky soil. Nevertheless, the farmers of the region grew
wheat
and other grains, raised sheep and goats, maintained
vineyards,
and carried on other agricultural activities.
An important irrigation system lies just northwest of
the
northern Meseta and south of the Pyrenees in the Ebro
Basin,
where Spain's best known vineyard district is located in
the
autonomous community of La Rioja. Because of its
irrigation,
corn, sugar beets, and orchard fruits, were grown in this
area,
and the Ebro Delta was one of Spain's principal
rice-growing
regions.
In the Balearic Islands (Spanish, Islas Baleares), the
uncertain, sparse rainfall and the lack of permanent fresh
water
streams were somewhat compensated for by good supplies of
underground water. Irrigation permitted the production of
a wide
range of temperate and semitropical tree corps for export,
as
well as enough cereals, legumes, wines, and vegetables for
local
consumption. Sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry were also
raised on
the islands.
Agriculture in the Canary Islands (Spanish, Canarias)
was
limited by water shortages and mountainous terrain.
Nevertheless,
a variety of vegetable and fruit crops were produced for
local
consumption, and there was a significant and exportable
surplus
of tomatoes and bananas.
Data as of December 1988
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