Catalonia is a Mediterranean country. Most of the population live along or near the coast – including the city of Barcelona. The coastline is rocky with cliffs in the north and becomes much flatter in the south. Catalan landscape is diverse: there are large inland valleys and plains, and high mountain peaks in the Pyrenees that reach 3,000 metres. There are 18 Natural Parks and specially protected areas such as the Delta de l’Ebro (the Ebro river delta). Because of this diversity, temperatures vary considerably from place to place, especially during the wintertime. Summers are generally hot and dry.
| Area | 32,107 sq km |
|---|---|
| Climate | Mediterranean |
| Sunny days per year | 300 |
| Coastline | 580 km |
| Highest mountain | Pica d’Estats, in the Pyrenees mountain range (3,143 metres) |
|---|---|
| Main rivers | Ter, Llobregat and Ebro, all of which run into the Mediterranean Sea. Garona originates in Val d’Aran and runs into the Atlantic |
| Important landforms | Cap de Creus headland and the Gulf of Roses to the north, and the Ebro Delta in the south. |
| Natural Parks | 18 |
| Natural protected areas | 30.44% of the land area (960,102 land acres and 77,818 marine acres) |
| Biosphere reserves (recognized as part of UNESCO’s World Network) | Terres de l’Ebre and Montseny |
|---|---|
| Percentages of land usage | 61.6% forests, scrubland, fields and grass; 29.1% cultivated land; 6.2% urbanized; 0.6% inland waters; and 2.5% unproductive land (2009, Conselleria de Territori i Sostenibilitat) |
Energy
| Production of primary energy (1,000 toe) | 5,974 |
|---|---|
| Primary energy consumption (1,000 toe) | 24,297 (0.6% coal; 74.2% oil and petroleum products; 24.6% natural gas; 20.1% nuclear energy; and 7.5% renewable sources and others) |
| Final energy consumption (1,000 toe) | 14,548 (26.9% industry, 41% transport; and 32.1% domestic and others) |
| Number of nuclear Power Plants | 3 |
Environment
| Treatment method of municipal waste (kg/inh/year) | 193 in landfills, 79 incineration, 141 recycling, 51 composting |
|---|---|
| Greenhouse gases (Index 1990=100) | 124.2 (2011) |
| Electricity generated from renewable sources | 14.8% of gross electricity consumption (2011) |