CASTILLA Y LEÓN

PROVINCES: Ávila, Burgos, León, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Valladolid, Zamora

Castilla y León is the largest of the regions (autonomous communities) in Spain. Its borders span 9 of the other Spanish regions and it also shares its southwestern border with Portugal.

Most of the terrain of Castile and León consists of a large portion of Spain's Meseta Central, surrounded by mountainous regions. The Meseta is a dry, arid high plain, with an average altitude of about 800 metres (2,600 ft), covered by deposits of clay soil.

Castile y León has a climate similar to a typical Mediterranean climate, but with more extreme temperatures typical of a continental climate. Winters are long and cold, with average temperatures between 4C (39F) and 7C (45F) in January. Summers are short and hot (averages between 19C (66F) and 22C (72F) with three or four dry summer months.