ins ula ▁is ▁the ▁western most ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁major ▁southern ▁European ▁pen ins ulas — the ▁I ber ian , ▁Italian , ▁and ▁B alk an . ▁It ▁is ▁border ed ▁on ▁the ▁sout heast ▁and ▁east ▁by ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea , ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁north , ▁west , ▁and ▁south west ▁by ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁The ▁Py ren ees ▁mountains ▁are ▁situated ▁along ▁the ▁n ortheast ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁pen ins ula , ▁where ▁it ▁ad jo ins ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁Europe . ▁Its ▁southern ▁tip ▁is ▁very ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁north west ▁coast ▁of ▁Africa , ▁separated ▁from ▁it ▁by ▁the ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Gib ral tar ▁and ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea . ▁ ▁The ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula ▁extends ▁from ▁the ▁southern most ▁extrem ity ▁at ▁P unta ▁de ▁Tar ifa ▁to ▁the ▁northern most ▁extrem ity ▁at ▁P unta ▁de ▁Est aca ▁de ▁Bar es ▁over ▁a ▁distance ▁between ▁lines ▁of ▁latitude ▁of ▁about ▁ ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁degree ▁length ▁of ▁ ▁per ▁degree , ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁western most ▁extrem ity ▁at ▁Cab o ▁da ▁R oca ▁to ▁the ▁eastern most ▁extrem ity ▁at ▁Cap ▁de ▁Cre us ▁over ▁a ▁distance ▁between ▁lines ▁of ▁longitude ▁at ▁ 4 0 ° ▁N ▁latitude ▁of ▁about ▁ ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁estimated ▁degree ▁length ▁of ▁about ▁ ▁for ▁that ▁latitude . ▁The ▁irregular , ▁roughly ▁oct ag onal ▁shape ▁of ▁the ▁pen ins ula ▁contained ▁within ▁this ▁spher ical ▁quad rangle ▁was ▁compared ▁to