Iberia

Iberia most commonly refers to the Iberian Peninsula, a southwestern European landmass that comprises Spain and Portugal. It also includes the microstate of Andorra and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar at its southern edge. It is bounded by the Pyrenees to the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south and east. The peninsula covers about 590,000 square kilometers and holds tens of millions of people, with Spain and Portugal as its principal states. Its landscapes range from the central Meseta and the Cantabrian and Iberian mountain systems to fertile river basins and arid zones; major rivers include the Ebro, Tagus, Douro, and Guadalquivir. The north has an Atlantic climate, the interior a continental or Mediterranean climate, and the southeast is drier.

Historically, the peninsula has been inhabited since prehistoric times by Iberians and other groups. It formed part of the Roman Empire as Hispania, later came under Visigothic rule, and was conquered by Muslim powers in the 8th century. The Christian reconquest led to the emergence of modern Spain and Portugal in the late medieval and early modern periods, contributing to global exploration and empire.

Iberia is also the name of the Spanish airline Iberia, the flag carrier founded in 1927 and now part of the International Airlines Group.