Ebro Valley

valley, Spain

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

The Ebro Valley is primarily associated with the Ebro River, Spain's longest river, flowing 565 miles (910 km) southeast to the Mediterranean Sea. The river's drainage basin is the largest in Spain, covering about one-sixth of the country.12

The interior basin of the Ebro is arid and sparsely populated, with irrigation efforts intensifying since the mid-20th century. The upper part of the basin, known as Rioja Alta, is famous for its Rioja wine. The Ebro receives most of its water from tributaries originating in the Pyrenees, and its major tributaries are utilized for hydroelectric power and irrigation.13

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Pyrenees
Climate of Pyrenees
…Pyrenees the valley of the Ebro—which runs in a general northwest–southeast direction and is blocked by the southwest–northeast-trending Catalonian ranges near the eastern coast of Spain—acts as a “little continent.” Hence, its climate is one of great thermal contrasts that are exaggerated by the generally high altitude of the Iberian…
Read More
…Pyrenees the valley of the Ebro—which runs in a general northwest–southeast direction and is blocked by the southwest–northeast-trending Catalonian ranges near the eastern coast of Spain—acts as a “little continent.” Hence, its climate is one of great thermal contrasts that are exaggerated by the generally high altitude of the Iberian…
Read More