U9. economic activities in spain

1. Economic
activities in Spain
UNIT 9
IES CAMILO JOSÉ CELA
TECAHER: ROCÍO BAUTISTA

2. Primary sector
What has happened to the primary sector’s
contribution to GDP & employment?

3. Agrarian activities
What type of crops do
we cultivate in Spain?
What animals do we
rear? What do we
obtain from them?

4. Agriculture
- Mediterranean triad (cereals, vines, olive trees)
- Fruits & vegetables
- Legumes
- Industrial crops (cotton, sunflowers…)
- Animal fodder

5. Livestock farming
Cattle (meat & milk) Sheep (cheese & wool)
Pig (fresh & cured meat)Poultry (meat & eggs)

6. Silviculture
Beech
(haya)
Oak
(roble)
Eucalyptus
(eucalipto)
Chestnut
(castaño)
Pine
(pino)

7. Agrarian landscapes
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
(relief,
climate…)
HUMAN
ELEMENTS:
- Agrarian
activities
- Population
- Plot types
AGRARIAN
LANDSCAPES
Main agrarian landscapes in
Spain:
 Oceanic
 Mediterranean
• Inland
• Coast
 Canarian
Read about
them on
p.190

8. Which corresponds to each agrarian landscape?

9. Oceanic agrarian
landcape

10. Inland Mediterranean
agrarian landcape

11. Coastal Mediterranean
agrarian landcape

12. Canaiarn agrarian
landcape

13. OCEANIC
MEDITERRANEAN
CANARIAN
Inland Coastal
LOCATION
N & NE of the Iberian Peninsula Rest of the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands,
Ceuta & Melilla
Canary Islands
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
Rugged relief
Oceanic climate (abundant
precipitations)
Flat terrain
Mediterranean climate (few precipitations;
warm temperatures in the coast, large
annual range of temperature inland)
Rugged, volcanic
terrain.
Subtropical climate
(warm & constant
temperatures, fez
precipitations)
POPULATION
SETTLEMENTS
Dispersed settlements
Concentrated
settlements
Dispersed settlements Dispersed settlements
PLOT TYPES
Small, numerous & enclosed. Big, openfields. Small Big contrasts:
Coast  big plots
Inland  small plots
AGRICULTURE
Limited to the lower valley
areas
Crops:
Market garden crops
(potatoes, vegetables)
Animal fodder
In dryland areas:
extensive agriculture
of the
Mediterranean triad:
cereals, vines, olive
trees.
In irrigated areas:
animal fodder &
plants for industrial
use (sunflowers,
cotton,…).
Intensive agriculture
(e.g: polytunnels) of
fruits & vegetables
(market garden
crops).
Coast  monoculture
crops for export
(bananas, tomatoes,
potatoes, tropical
fruits…). Frequently using
polytunnels.
Inland  polyculture for
local market (vines,
potatoes, wheat…)
LIVESTOCK FARMING
Cattle:
Extensive  in the mountains
(abundant natural pastures)
Intensive  in coastal areas &
near cities.
Traditionally  extensive livestock farming
(sheep, cattle, pigs…)
Today  increasing intensive livestock
farming in the outskirts of the cities (cattle,
pig, poultry…) to cut transportation costs.
Very limited (poor-quality
of pastures);
predominantly intensive.
SILVICULTURE
Certain degree of importance. Scarce. Only outstand:
 Pines  Soria & Segovia
 Eucalyptus  Huelva
Very scarce (protected
forests)

14. Fishing
 Fishing  used to be a very important activity due to its extensive
coastline.
 Today sea fishing is in decline (<0,5% of employment), but in
exchange aquaculture is gaining importance.
 Most common species:
 Hake
 Anchovy
 Tuna
 Sardine
 Shellfish (mussels, prawns…)
 Octopus
 Squid

15.  Main fishing regions:
1) Galicia
2) Cantabria
3) Southern Atlantic Andalucia
4) Canary Islands
5) Mediterranena regions

16.  Fishing zones:
 National fishing ground (200 nautical
miles from the coast)
 EU fishing grounds
 International fishing grounds (mainly
in Atlantic & Indian oceans)  need
agreements signed by the EU

17. ACTIVITIES
 P. 190 – 191 exercises 2 / 3
 P. 192 – 193  exercises 2 / 4
 Which are the main species caught by Spanish fishery?

18. SECONDARY SECTOR
What has
happened to
the industrial
sector?

19. ACTIVITIES
Copy these questions and answer as we go…
 What has happened to the mining sector? Give 3 reasons
that explain it.
 Which is the most mined products?
 Spanish energy production is based on which resources?
 Which are the two main energy sources that we consume?
 Name the 3 main countries form which we import crude oil &
natural gas.
 One of the main problems we have is energetic
dependency. What does this mean? How does our energy
policy try to solve it?

20. Mining production
 Used to be an important activity.
Today it has lost importance.
Causes?
 Exhaustion of many deposits
 Increasing cost of extraction
 Less demand (coal VS
natural gas)
 Many mines have closed.

21. Where are most coal mines located?

22. Mining in Spain endures thanks to subsidies; but the
government established that by 2018 these will stop
so all the non-profitable mines will be closed.

23. Mining production
 The most mined products are quarried stones (rocas de cantera) 
for construction & decorative purposes.

24. Mining production
 The most mined products are quarried stones (rocas de cantera) 
for construction & decorative purposes.

25. Energy
Look at the graphs on p.194…
• Which types on energy do
we consume the most?
• How much of those types
of energy do we produce?
• What problem derives from
this fact?

26. Energy
ENERGY PRODUCTION
Mostly from:
- Nuclear power
- Renewable energies
(hydroelectric, solar, wind…)
- Coal
Scarce energy production:
- Oil
- Natural gas
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Mostly from:
- Oil
- Natural gas
Scarce energy production:
- Renewable energies

27. Needs uranium 
imported from
Niger
Importaciones gas
natural a España
Importaciones de
petróleo a España

28. Crude oil is brought by boat and
transformed into petrol products at
refineries.

29. Natural Gas comes to Spain by:
• Boats  as liquified natural gas (LNG)
• Pipelines

30. Energy
 PROBLEM: lack of self-sufficiency. Over 70% of the energy we use is
imported:
 High expenditure in energy imports  handicap for our trade balance
 Dependency on supplier countries
Evolución de la dependencia energética de España
(% de energía importada)
ENERGY POLICY aims to:
• Reduce consumption
(save energy)
• Increase consumption of
renewable energies.

32. ACTIVITIES
Do a commentary for this
document:
a) DESCRIPTION:
b) ANALYSIS:
 Comments the energy
production
 Comment the energy
consumtpion
 Conclusions  what is the
main problem derived from
this distribution? How could it
be solved?

33. Industry: regions
Which are the….
 Most industrially developed areas?
 Which industrial areas are in crisis?
 Which areas are becoming more industrial? Why do you think
this is happening?
 Which areas have never been really industrialized?

34. MADRID & BCN  most industrialized areas:
 Offices of national & multinational
companies.
 New technologies’ industries.

35. INDUSTRIAL AXES: linear concentration of industries along main
transport routes.
In Spain industry is expanding in 2 axes:
 EBRO AXES: BILBAO – BARCELONA
 MEDITERRANEAN AXIS: BARCELONA-CARTAGENA
Industry is also expanding outwards from Madrid.

36. CANTABRIAN COAST  it used to be a very industrialized area. However, it’s
in decline since the mid 1970’s because it was specialized in traditional
sectors (heavy industries like metallurgy, shipbuilding):
 Require abundant, but unqualified, labour force
 Large amounts of energy sources & other raw materials (coal, iron)
 Pollute a lot.

37. Industry: problems
MAIN PROBLEMS OF SPANISH INDUSTRY:
 Insufficient investment in R&D  low levels
of innovation and creation of
technologies.
 Small & medium size (SMEs) companies 
can’t compete against large companies
(price of products, investment capacity in
technology and R&D)

38. SOLUTIONS
FOR THE
PROBLEMS OF
THE INDUSTRIAL
SECTORS
Increase R&D
expenditure
Help SME’s by
supporting them to
obtain funding & to
internationalize their
business
Improve the
professional
training
(universities, FP…)
& encourage
entrepreneurial
spirit

40. ACTIVITIES
Comment this map:
a) DESCRIPTION:
b) ANALYSIS:
 Comment the 4 types of
areas according to “industrial
activity in Spain”. Indicate
their location & their
characteristics.
 Comment the problems of
the Spanish industry and
indicate some possible
solutions to improve our
industrial sector.

41. TERTIARY SECTOR
What has happened to the industrial sector?

42. TERTIARY SECTOR
 Therefore, today Spanish
economy is based:
 5% primary sector
 20% secondary sector
 75% tertiary sector

43. Trade
Do we have a trade deficit or a trade surplus in Spain?
Fuente: Cinco Días

44. SPANISH FOREIGN TRADE
 Mostly  with the EU (>60%).
 Other important areas:
 Imports: Asia (China), America (EEUU), oil producing countries.
 Exports: America
 Main traded products:
 Imports: energy products, capital goods, cars, chemical products.
 Exports: capital goods, cars, food.

45. Fuente: ICEX

46. OPEC Countries

47. Sources: ICEX &
El Mundo

48. Transport
Modern transport network:
 LAND TRANSPORT
 ROAD: >14.000 km of motorways.
 TRAIN: outstanding high-speed train
services. 2nd largest network (after China).

49.  SEA TRANSPORT
 Mainly for  international transportation of heavy merchandise.
 Outstanding ports due to their improved infrastructures & facilities:
 Algeciras
 Valencia
 BCN

50.  Sea passengers transportation:
 Outstands in the islands & the Strait of Gibraltar
 Cruise ships is growing

52.  AIR TRANSPORT
 Mainly for  international transportation of passengers.
 Outstanding airports:
 Madrid (Barajas - Adolfo Suárez)
 BCN (El Prat)
 Touristic areas: Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Tenerife

53. Salvados - Situación Aeropuertos de España

54. ACTIVITIES
 Devise an outline about Spanish transport network.
 P. 198  exercises 2 & 3.