Iberian Peninsula
A southwestern European peninsula, home to Spain and Portugal, with a history stretching back over a million years.
The Iberian Peninsula, also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of continental Europe by the Pyrenees, the Iberian Peninsula includes Peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, which together make up almost all of the region, as well as Andorra, Gibraltar, and a small part of Metropolitan France. With an area of approximately 596,000 square kilometers and a population of roughly 53 million, it is the second-largest European peninsula by area, after the Scandinavian Peninsula.
- Region
- Western Europe
- Major nations
- Castile, Portugal, Aragon, Navarre
- Key terrain
- Mountains, farmlands, coastal plains
- Strategic role
- Colonial expansion, trade, and religious conflict
- Historical period focus
- 15th to 18th centuries
Lore & Background
The Iberian Peninsula has always been associated with the River Ebro (Ibēros in ancient Greek and Ibērus or Hibērus in Latin). The word Iberia comes from the Latin word Hiberia originating from the Ancient Greek word Iberia, used by Greek geographers under the rule of the Roman Empire to refer to what is known today in English as the Iberian Peninsula. At that time, the name did not describe a single geographical entity or a distinct population; the same name was used for the Kingdom of Iberia in the Caucasus. Hecataeus of Miletus was the first known to use the term Iberia. The modern phrase 'Iberian Peninsula' was coined by the French geographer Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent on his 1823 work 'Guide du Voyageur en Espagne'.
In Their Own Story
A Roman scout crests a hill overlooking the Iberian coast, the sun glinting off the waves. His general, fresh from the Punic Wars, eyes the tribal settlements dotting the landscape. The year is 304 BCE, and the peninsula is a patchwork of cultures—Iberians, Celts, and Phoenician-influenced cities. The scout notes the terrain: mountains, farmlands, and coastal plains, each province with its own religion and dialect. He knows that Rome's legions will soon test their mettle here, but for now, the land waits, a blank page in the empire's ledger.
Reader's Guide
The Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited by members of the Homo genus for at least 1.2 million years. Around 200,000 BP, Neanderthals first entered the Iberian Peninsula. About 40,000 years ago, anatomically modern humans entered the Iberian Peninsula from across the Pyrenees. During the Neolithic expansion, various megalithic cultures developed. In the Chalcolithic (3000 BCE), a series of complex cultures developed. The Bronze Age began on the Iberian Peninsula in 2100 cal. BC.
Did You Know?
- The Iberian Peninsula is the second-largest European peninsula by area, after the Scandinavian Peninsula.
- The modern phrase 'Iberian Peninsula' was coined in 1823 by French geographer Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent.
- The name Iberia was also used for the Kingdom of Iberia in the Caucasus.
- The Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited for at least 1.2 million years.
More in World & Locations
Elsewhere in the Europa Universalis universe
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