100+ Free PAU Geography (Andalusia) Practice Questions

Explanation: The Central Iberian Meseta (Meseta Central) is the oldest morphostructural unit of the peninsula, formed during the Hercynian (Variscan) orogeny in the Paleozoic era. It consists of a rigid basement of granites, schists, and slates that was eroded into a peneplain and later tilted westward during the Alpine orogeny. The other choices are alpine folded chains or tertiary sedimentary basins.

Explanation: Sierra Morena forms the natural southern boundary of the Meseta Central, separating it from the Guadalquivir Depression in Andalusia. Geologically, it represents the flexed southern border of the Paleozoic Hercynian basement rather than a true folded mountain chain. Its steep southern escarpment creates a major natural barrier between Andalusia and the interior plateau.

Explanation: Mulhacén is situated in the Sierra Nevada range within the Cordillera Penibética in the province of Granada. Reaching 3,479 meters, it is the highest mountain in mainland Spain and the entire Iberian Peninsula. Sierra Nevada exhibits alpine glacial landforms such as cirques and glacial lakes (lagunas).

Explanation: The Azores High (Anticiclón de las Azores) shifts northward during the summer season, blocking Atlantic frontal systems and bringing warm, stable, and dry air over the Iberian Peninsula. This subtropical high-pressure system is the primary driver of the prolonged summer drought characteristic of Mediterranean climates in Andalusia and southern Spain.

Explanation: The Guadalquivir River flows southwest across Andalusia and empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Sanlúcar de Barrameda in the Gulf of Cádiz. Its mouth forms an extensive wetland delta area known as the Las Marismas, which constitutes a major part of Doñana National Park.

Explanation: The Holm Oak (encina / Quercus ilex), alongside the Cork Oak (alcornoque / Quercus suber), forms the dominant tree layer of the dehesa landscape. Dehesas are human-modified Mediterranean open woodlands used for grazing (Iberian pigs, cattle), cork harvesting, and timber, representing a sustainable traditional land-use system in Sierra Morena and Extremadura.

Explanation: The Intrabaetic Basin (Surco Intrabético) is a series of interconnected interior basins (hoyas) such as Ronda, Antequera, Granada, Guadix, and Baza. Located between the outer Subbaetic and inner Penibaetic zones, these basins were filled with tertiary and quaternary continental sediments, creating fertile agricultural plains surrounded by high mountains.

Explanation: A DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), historically known as 'gota fría', occurs when a cold air mass detaches from the jet stream aloft and moves over the warm Mediterranean Sea in autumn. The extreme contrast between cold upper air and warm, humid coastal surface air triggers severe atmospheric instability, leading to catastrophic torrential downpours and flash flooding in eastern and southern Spain.

Explanation: During the Alpine tectonic phase in the Cenozoic era, the ancient Paleozoic Hercynian block (Meseta) was tilted gently toward the west/southwest. As a result, the main drainage systems origin in eastern mountain ranges (Iberian System) flow across the entire width of the peninsula to discharge into the Atlantic Ocean. Conversely, Mediterranean rivers originate close to the sea and must descend steep gradients over short distances.

Explanation: Southeast Andalusia, particularly the province of Almería (including the Tabernas Desert and Cabo de Gata), receives the lowest precipitation in mainland Europe (<300 mm/year). This semi-arid climate is caused by the rain shadow effect of the high Cordillera Penibética, which blocks rain-bearing Atlantic moisture fronts.