SpainisoneoftheancientcountriesinEuropeandtogetherwithhercloseneighbourPortugal.occupiesIberianPeninsula—avastblockoflandintheextremesouth—westcomerofEarope.Spainisalandofmountainsandplateaus.ItisoneofthemostmountainouscountriesofEurope.MostofitspeoplearecrowdedintonarrowstripeofcoastallowlandalongtheBIIyofBiscaytOthenorthandtheMediterraneanSeatOthesouthandeast.InmostpartsofSpainwaterisscarce，andbecauseofthisitisapre—ciouscommoditythatpeopleneverwaste.Door—tO—doorwater—sellersarestillacommonsightinpoorareas.Spainhasavarietyclimate；inmostpartstheclimateisextremelyharsh.UpontheMeaetainthecenterofthe；countrythewinterarelongandcold，withicywindsblowingdownfromthemountains，andocca—sionaldownpoursorsnowfalls.Inthesummermonthsthetemperatureshootsrightupandthesunbeatsdownfromablue，cloudlesssky.