ibérica

Ibérica is a term used in Spanish, Portuguese, and related languages to refer to topics connected with Iberia, the southwestern European peninsula that contains Spain, Portugal, and the microstate Andorra. In geography, history, and culture, Ibérica designates the region as a whole, as well as things associated specifically with the peninsula. The name derives from Iberia, the ancient Greek designation for the lands around the western Mediterranean.

Geography: The Iberian Peninsula is bounded by the Pyrenees to the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the southeast. It comprises the sovereign states of Spain and Portugal and the microstate Andorra, with diverse climates ranging from oceanic in the north and northwest to Mediterranean in the southern and eastern regions.

History: Human presence on the peninsula dates to prehistory, followed by Iberian and Celtic peoples, Phoenician and Greek trade, and later Roman rule. After the fall of Rome, the Visigoths established a kingdom, and Islamic rule shaped much of the peninsula from the 8th to the 15th century. The Christian Reconquista culminated in the formation of modern Spain and Portugal, which later built global empires and, in the 20th century, navigated dictatorship, democracy, and European integration.

Culture and language: Spanish and Portuguese are the dominant official languages, with regional languages including Catalan, Galician, and Basque. The term Ibérica also appears in food names such as Jamón Ibérico and in cultural references to the peninsula. In archaeology and linguistics, Iberian refers to an extinct pre-Roman language family once spoken in parts of the peninsula.