The North Castilian Plateau ( Northern Meseta , the Old Castile Plain ) is the northern part of the Meseta Plateau in Spain and Portugal . Separated from South Meseta by the Central Cordillera Range. In the north it is bordered by the Cantabrian , in the east - the Iberian mountains .
The plateau is divided into a depth of 100-120 m by the valleys of the Duero River and its tributaries . The height is 800–1200 m. It is composed of sandstones , conglomerates , limestones and marls . There are deposits of uranium and tungsten ores.
The climate is dry: cold winters , hot summers . Grassy and shrubby vegetation predominate; along the river valleys there are groves of oak and pine . The population is engaged in the cultivation of cereals , sugar beets , viticulture and sheep farming . Castles and ancient cities are located on the territory of the plateau, the largest of which is Valladolid .
Sources
- Dictionary of modern geographical names / Rus. geo about . Mosk. Centre; Under the total. ed. Acad. V.M. Kotlyakova . Institute of Geography RAS . - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria, 2006 ..
- North Castilian Plateau - an article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia . .