Canary Islands PAU Geography study plan

Label a blank outline map of Spain and the Canary Islands with the main relief units (Meseta, Pyrenees, Baetic and Subbaetic systems, Iberian System, Central System, Canary island edifices) and write a two-line lithological note for each

Explain in writing how the Alpine orogeny, the Hercynian basement and subsequent fracturing and volcanism produced the contrast between the Meseta and the peripheral mountain belts

Sequence the main phases of Canary Island construction (Miocene shield-building, Pliocene-Pleistocene rejuvenation, Quaternary recent volcanism) and match three named islands to their dominant construction stage

Distinguish the principal coastal and volcanic landforms (calderas, malpaíses, barrancos, tabaibales terraces, marine abrasion platforms) with a labelled sketch of each, drawn from memory

Draw and label the general atmospheric circulation and explain how the Azores High, the polar front and the Canary Current shape precipitation in Spain and the Canary Islands

Classify the climate types of Spain (oceanic, Mediterranean, Mediterranean-continentalised, semi-arid, mountain) and the Canary Islands (subtropical desert, trade-wind-influenced, high-mountain) and justify each classification with temperature and rainfall data

Interpret a climograph you construct yourself for three contrasting stations (e.g. an oceanic, an interior Mediterranean and a Canary Island coastal station) and state which type each represents

Explain the causes of the Canary Islands' low rainfall and the phenomenon of horizontal precipitation from the trade winds on north-facing slopes

Describe the mechanisms behind torrential rainfall events (cold drops / DANA) on the Mediterranean and Canary coasts

Map the main peninsular hydrographic basins (Duero, Ebro, Tagus, Guadiana, Guadalquivir, Júcar, Segura, Miño) and state their Atlantic or Mediterranean orientation and the resulting regime contrast

Explain the concepts of régimen nival, pluvial and mixed regimes and match each to a named river

Compare peninsular rivers with Canary Island water systems (barrancos, aquifers, galerías, water galleries) and explain why surface rivers are almost absent on the islands

Classify Spanish soils by type and parent material and link each to a climatic zone

Map the principal vegetation formations of Spain (atlantic deciduous forest, Mediterranean maquis, espartal, alpine and subalpine stages) and of the Canary Islands (laurisilva, fayal-brezal, pine forest, tabaibal-cardonal) and locate at least two protected areas for each

Plot Spain's population distribution on a density map and explain the interior-coastal contrast and the Canary Island concentration on coastal lowlands

Interpret an age pyramid and calculate dependency and ageing ratios from real figures

Explain the demographic transition in Spain and the recent drivers of change (falling birth rate, immigration, ageing) and contrast them with the Canary Islands' younger, migration-fed structure

Compare employment structure by sector in Spain as a whole and in the Canary Islands, and explain the islands' dependence on tourism and the resulting vulnerability

Explain the main regional imbalances in income and employment and identify the indicators used to measure them

Classify settlement patterns (dispersed, concentrated, intermediate) and give a Spanish and a Canary Island example of each

Explain the urban hierarchy of Spain and place at least eight cities in the national and regional hierarchy

Describe the internal structure of a Spanish city (historic centre, ensanche, peripheral residential zones, industrial and tertiary areas) and identify the corresponding zones on a Canary Island city

Explain the Canary Island settlement model shaped by the relief: coastal linear growth, limited hinterland, and the dual urban role of the two capitals

Map the territorial organisation of Spain: autonomous communities, provinces, comarcas and the Canary Island cabildos and island councils, and state the competence differences

Analyse the primary sector: Mediterranean and irrigated agriculture, the Canary Island banana and tomato economies, and the role of EU subsidies and water constraints

Explain the transformation of Spanish industry since the 1970s and locate the main industrial axes and declining areas

Analyse the tertiary sector and tourism: sun-and-beach versus inland and cultural tourism, and the environmental and social carrying-capacity debate in the Canary Islands

Interpret an employment-by-sector graph and a regional GDP-per-capita table and draw three defensible conclusions from each

Explain the concept of regional imbalance and evaluate two policy instruments intended to correct it

Interpret topographic maps and cross-sections: read contour intervals, identify slope and landform, and draw a profile from a described set of contours

Interpret satellite and photographic images of landforms and land use, and write a structured description of what each shows

Practise statistical interpretation: read a table of climatic, demographic and economic data and extract the three most relevant conclusions under time pressure

Define 30 cartographic and geographical terms precisely (scale, isoline, legend, projection, cross-section, transect, choropleth) and use each in a sentence

Answer a full past-style analysis question under exam timing and self-mark it against a model answer structure

Consolidate the eight domains by rewriting from memory a one-page summary sheet per domain, then checking it against your notes

Rehearse full exam answers under timing for the two heaviest domains and one lighter domain

Review the error log from week 7 and re-attempt every question type you got wrong

Practise two full past-style papers end to end and mark them against the official weighting proportions of the domains