Meseta Central

The Meseta Central is the broad high plateau that occupies much of interior Spain and forms the backbone of the Iberian Peninsula’s central region. It is an extensive geomorphological unit bounded and crossed by several mountain systems and is the core of Spain’s cereal-producing agricultural lands.

Landscape on the plateau is a mix of flat to gently rolling plains, interspersed with river valleys and isolated mountain ranges. Agriculture, historic towns and transport corridors are concentrated on the plateau’s lower slopes and river basins.

Historically the Meseta has been the demographic and political heartland for the medieval kingdoms of central Spain and subsequently for the modern nation-state, with long-established routes and settlements dating back to Roman and earlier periods.

Geographically the Meseta Central occupies most of central Spain, divided conceptually into northern and southern submesetas by the east-west running Sistema Central, with Madrid located near its centre.

• Elevation and climate: Average elevation is high compared with surrounding coasts - generally between about 600 and 1,000 metres - which gives the plateau its continental climate traits.
• Major city: Madrid sits near the geographic centre and acts as the main urban hub located on the plateau.

What to See #

• Submeseta Norte and Sur: Submeseta Norte and Submeseta Sur are the plateau's two principal sub-regions, split by the Sistema Central mountain range that crosses central Spain.
• River systems: Major river basins including the Tagus and Duero run across or originate from the plateau, shaping its agricultural and settlement patterns.