THE IBERIANS AND THE CELTS

In pre-Roman times, two main groups of tribes inhabited the peninsula:

-The Iberians lived in the east and south of Spain. They were warriors, herders, farmers, craftsmen, merchants and slaves.

-The Celts entered Spain from the north, and generally settled in the north and centre of Spain. Their tribes were divided into family clans. They were herders and farmers. They were also expert metalworkers, who made jewellery, weapons and tools.

The Celts mixed with the Iberians to form the Celtiberians.

THE TARTESSIANS

The kingdom of Tartessus was in southern Spain in the Guadalquivir valley, and was rich in metals such as gold, silver and copper.

The Tartessians were great travellers, expert metalworkers and salt producers.

EARLY COLONIST

The Phoenicians were traders from Asia. They settled on the south coast. In 1100 B.C. they founded Gades (now Cadiz), the oldest city in Western Europe. They became important trading partners of the Tartessians.

The Greeks settled on the Mediterranean coast. They came to trade ceramic objects for metals. They founded the cities of Denia and Ampurias.

The Carthaginians came from North Africa to trade metals and cloth. They also settled on the Mediterranean coast and founded the city of Cartagena.

These colonising civilisations lived and trated with the Celtiberians for centuries. They left cultural legacies, such as the alphabet and metal coins.

ACTIVITY PRE-ROMAN TIMES

READ THE DEFINITIONS AND WRITE THE CORRESPONDING WORDS.

1.-The tribe which lived in the east and south of Spain:...................
2.-The tribe which lived in the north and centre of Spain:...................
3.-The tribe which lived in the Guadalquivir valley:...........................
4.-They were traders from Asia:.............................
5.-They were the founders of Denia and Ampurias:.....................,
6.-They were traders who came from North Africa:...........................

THE PALAEOLITHIC PERIOD

About a million years ago, Spain was inhabitated by hominids, or early human beings. Modern people appeared in Spain about 35.000 years ago.

They were nomads, and moved from place to place.

They lived in caves or huts. They obtained their food by hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants.

People lived in family groups, called clans. They lived short lives, and many babies died at birth.

THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD

Later, the population of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands became sedentary.

They built the first settlements.

People lived in tribes, which were larger than clans. Each tribe member had a specific job,such as cultivating the land, looking after the animals or making tools and weapons.

THE METAL AGES

About six thousand years ago, people learned to use metals. First, they used copper and, later, bronze and iron, which were more resistant.

Settlements became villages, which were surrounded by walls for protection.

Every village was run by a chieftain.

PREHISTORIC HERITAGE

Prehistoric people were the first to:

- Use fires to cook their food and protect themselves from the cold.

- Make clay pots.

- Use animal hair and looms to make cloth.

-Create art forms, such as cave paintings.

ACTIVITY PREHISTORY AND ANTIQUITY

 Complete these sentences.

fires/ modern/ pots/ settlements/ hominids/ clans/ caves/ villages

1.About a million years ago Spain was inhabitated by ...
2.About 35.000 years ago..................people appeared.
3.They lived in .............or huts.
4.People lived in family groups called....
5.Later the population became sedentary and they built the first ....
6.These settlements later became.............and were surrounded by walls.
7.Prehistoric people used.............to cook their food and made clay ......

ATLANTIC CLIMATE

On the Cantabrian coast and in Galicia, summers are cool and winters are mild. Rainfall is abundant all year round.

These areas have abundant flora, with many forests and meadows. Foxes, wolves, wild boar and deer are the most common fauna.

MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE

There are three types of Mediterranean climate.

- Continental: on the Central Plateau, in the Ebro valley and in part of Andalusia. The summers are hot and the winters are cold. Rainfall is light.

- Dry: in the southeast of mainland Spain. Temperatures are mild all year round. Rainfall is light, especially in summer.

-Typical: in coastal areas. Temperatures are mild in winter and hot in summer. Rainfall is irregular, with most rain in autumn.

Holm oaks, pines and shrubs grow in these climates. Lynx, partridges and rabbits are the most common fauna.

SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE

In the Canary Islands, temperatures are mild all year. Rainfall is low and occurs mainly in winter.

The flora includes dragon trees and tabaiba spurge. The fauna includes giant lizards and canaries.

MOUNTAIN CLIMATE

In the highest mountain areas, winters are very cold, but summers are mild. It rains and snows a lot.

There are meadows and forest with fir trees.The fauna includes vultures and goats.

RIVERS AND LAKES

Most rivers in Spain are short with relatively low flows because there is little precipitation. The longest rivers are the Ebro and the Tagus. There are no rivers on the Balearic and Canary Islands. However, torrents form there after heavy rain. There are many reservoirs, lagoons and lakes in Spain, such as Lake Sanabria in the Leon Mountains.

WATERSHEDS

There are three watersheds in Spain:

- The Atlantic watershed carries water from the rivers which flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The Galician rivers are short with high flows due to abundant rain. The plateau rivers are long with high flows too. However, the flows are lower in the summer when there is little rainfall. Atlantic rivers in Andalusia are long with irregular flows.

- The Cantabrian watershed carries water from the rivers which flow into the Cantabrian Sea. It has short rivers. Their flow is abundant and regular because they go through areas with ample rainfall.

- The Mediterranean watershed carries water from the rivers which flow into the Mediterranean Sea. It occupies a third of Spain. It does not have many rivers. They are short with low, irregular flows.

RIVER BASINS

The two principal river basins are:

-The Ebro river basin in the north-east. The river flows through it from west to east.

-The Guadalquivir river basin in the south. The river flows through it from east to west.

TRUE OR FALSE?????

1.The river Ebro is one of the longest in Spain.
2. The Ebro flows from east to west.
3. There are many rivers on the Balearic Islands.
4.The Mediterranean watershed occupies a third of Spain.
5. The Galician rivers are long with low flows.