II.

Physical Geography and Climate

The Basque Country’s topography consists of a coastal plain that stretches from western Vizcaya to the French border in Guipúzcoa, and several small mountain chains. These include the Sierra Salvada, the Sierra Urbassa, the Cantabrian Mountains, and the Montes de Vitoria. The Ebro River forms part of the region’s southern boundary, and the Nervión River runs through Vizcaya into the Bay of Biscay.

The average annual rainfall totals 1,475 mm (58 in), and the average temperature ranges from 5°C (41°F) at higher elevations to 20°C (68°F) on the coastal plain. The weather is often cool and windy.

Grainfields, garden plots, and orchards spread across the valleys, while evergreen forests cover the mountains. Many slopes have been deforested, however, as a result of pollution caused by metal mining and smelting in the region.