Mediterranean Europe: Climate, Farming and Tourism

Southern Europe has a Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, a pattern found in only a few regions of the world, including California, central Chile, South Africa's Western Cape and parts of southern Australia. Summer dryness shaped traditional farming around drought-tolerant crops such as olives, grapes, figs and wheat, often called the Mediterranean triad of grain, vines and olives. Mountains come close to the coast in much of the region, so fertile land is limited and terraces are common.

Since the 1950s, the same sunny summers have made the Mediterranean the world's leading tourist region; package holidays brought millions of visitors from northern Europe to Spain, Italy, France and Greece. Tourism brings income and jobs, but it also raises questions about water use in dry summers, crowded historic centres and rising housing costs. Wildfires are a natural part of the ecosystem, but hotter, drier summers have made large fires a growing concern.