TOPIC FOUR

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE

Geography Department

2

We will be focusing on... Page

Where is Europe? 3

ICELAND...land of fire and ice 4

Highest peaks at the ALPS 6

IRELAND...the emerald isle 7

The MEDITERRANEAN...sea of the south 8

Getting around 14

EUROTUNNEL...the new way to Europe 17

The story of the EUROPEAN UNION 22

Where is TURKEY? 34

European CAPITALS of Culture 42

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Where is EUROPE? Europe is one of the seven continents of the world.

Around 739 million people lived in Europe in

2010. This makes it the third most populated

continent. 11 per cent of the world’s population

lives in Europe. It is the world’s second smallest

continent, with only 10 per cent of the world’s

land area. This means it has a high population

density compared to other continents.

With over 40 different countries, international

conflicts in the past century have often erupted

into war. Today, the majority of people live in

cities and many enjoy a high standard of living,

thanks to their countries’ abundant natural

resources, successful agriculture, and modern

industries.

Some countries in Europe are part of the

European Union, and some share one currency. It

is important to understand how the politics and

geography of European countries affect migration

and population.

Across Europe you can find very diverse landscapes. Here are some examples :

EUROPEAN LANDSCAPES

ICELA

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IR

ELA

ND

TH

E A

LP

S

MED

ITER

RA

NEA

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ICELAND...land of fire and ice Iceland is the second largest island in Europe,

following Great Britain, and the 18th largest

island in the world. The island itself stretches

across 103,000 km2, which is about the same

size as Hungary and Portugal. With almost 80%

of the country uninhabited, much of Iceland's

terrain consists of plateaux, mountain peaks,

and fertile lowlands. There are many long, deep

fjords and glaciers, including Europe's largest,

Vatnajökull. The landscape is characterized by

waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes, black sand

beaches, and otherworldly steaming lava fields.

Iceland is located on the mid-Atlantic ridge.

This is plate boundary where plates are moving

apart. Many tectonic features can be found here.

Basalt is a type of volcanic rock. Basalt columns

are formed from the slow cooling of lava. Giant’s

Causeway in Ireland is also formed from basalt

columns.

There are many volcanoes in Iceland.

The Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010,

causing flooding nearby because of the melt

water from the glacier above the volcano. The

eruption also caused the grounding of

aeroplanes throughout Europe because of fine

volcanic ash in the atmosphere.

Iceland’s northern latitude means the climate is

cold. There are many glaciers in Iceland. If the

snout of a glacier is at a lake, ice may break

off, creating icebergs. There is a lot of

geothermal activity in Iceland. The geothermal

heat warms

waters, and this can create tourist attractions like

geysers. The heat can also be used to warm water

for leisure, eg. swimming, or for the creation of

COLOUR

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FOOD IN ICELAND

The Icelandic main dishes contain: lamb, seafood

and dairy products.

The bread you will get in Iceland is mostly dark rye

bread or rye flat bread, which is very tasty too.

Reindeer meat is also available in Iceland, but is

quite expensive.

One specialty in Iceland which takes a bit to get

used to is "Hakarl" which is rotten shark meat and it

smells quite strongly. Others are; Skyr (yogurt like

white cheese or like low fat cream cheese), dried

Search the internet and look up 3 STRANGE facts about

Iceland…

1.________________________________________________

________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________________

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3.__________________________________________________________

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Highest peaks at The Alps is one of Europe’s highest mountain

ranges. They stretch through areas of France,

Italy, Austria, Germany,Slovenia and

Switzerland. The Matterhorn, a pyramidal

peak, is probably the most famous of its peaks.

As the Alps are so high, around 4,000 metres

above sea level, snow is present all year. This

means that glaciers are able to develop.

The highest peak in the Alps is Mont Blanc at

4,810 metres. Mont Blanc (French) or Monte

Blanco (Italian) means White Mountain. The

mountain itself attracts many visitors from all

over the world as it is the tallest mountain in the

Alps and also in Western Europe. The town

next to Mont Blanc, Chamonix, was the site of

the first ever Winter Olympics. The Alps are

probably one of the most popular tourist

destinations in Europe. People visit the Alps all

year round for many different reasons.

In summer people come here to sightsee,

as the picturesque mountains make a wonderful

backdrop.

Summer activities such as hiking, mountain

biking, mountaineering and paragliding are

popular. The alpine lakes are also fun for

swimming, if you’re brave enough that is, most

of them are freezing cold! In most regions of

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IRELAND...the emerald isle

Ireland is an island nation on the westernmost

edge of Europe. It is the continent's second largest

island (after Great Britain).

The Republic of Ireland occupies 80 percent of

this landmass, while a large chunk of land in the

north is part of the United Kingdom.

Ireland is known for its wide expanses of lush,

green fields. In fact, its nickname is the Emerald

Isle. But there are also large areas of rugged,

rocky landscape. About 15,000 years ago, Ireland

was completely covered by thick glaciers. The

movement of these giant sheets of ice stripped the

soil, leaving huge tracts of flat, limestone

pavement.

The Irish have a great affection for nature and

rural life. The country's first coins even featured

pictures of animals. Low levels of development

and pollution in Ireland have left most of the

nation's open spaces relatively undisturbed.

Did you know that there are no wild snakes in

Ireland? The sea has stopped many animals

common on mainland Europe from reaching the

island. There are also only two wild mouse

species, one type of lizard, and just three kinds

of amphibians. Irish wildlife is protected by

government conservation programs. To preserve

natural habitat, the government has established six

COLOUR

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The MEDITERRANEAN...sea of the south The Mediterranean Sea lies between Europe

and Africa, and twelve European countries have

a Mediterranean coastline. These countries

have hot, dry summers and cool wet winters.

The ecosystem here is very different to the

northern countries of Europe. Many areas grow

olive trees and citrus fruits, and vineyards are

also common.

The beaches along the coast of the

Mediterranean are popular with tourists. The

Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic

Ocean by a narrow passage called the Strait of

Gibraltar. It is between the southern tip of

Spain and northern Morroco. It is almost

completely surrounded by land, on the north

by Europe, on the south by North Africa, and

on the east by the Middle East. It covers around

2.5 million km² (965 000 mi²).

To the east it connects to the Sea of

Marmara and the Black Sea, by

the Dardanelles and the Bosporus. The Sea of

Marmara is often thought to be a part of the

Mediterranean Sea, whereas the Black Sea is

generally not.

The 163 km long man-made Suez Canal in the

southeast connects the Mediterranean Sea to

the Red Sea. The canal is between Egypt and the

Sinai peninsula. It was built by the French

Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de

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Plants and animals living in the Mediterranean

biome have to be able to cope with hot and dry

conditions in the summer. They have to be able

to conserve water and tolerate long periods of

drought. In addition, they have to cope with

hazards such as wildfires.

In order to cope with these hostile

conditions, many plants and animals have

evolved special adaptations to help them

survive. Trees and shrubs tend to have small,

waxy leaves to reduce water loss by

transpiration. They have thick fire-resistant

bark to help them survive the occasional

wildfires that break out during the summer.

Many animals are nocturnal, spending much of

the daytime in cool underground tunnels and

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ACTIVITY COUNTRIES OF EUROPE • Look up all the countries which make up the European continent and label them on

the map below.

• On the map also mark the islands of Sicily,

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ACTIVITY CAPITAL CITIES OF EUROPE • Fill in the table below with the capital city of the countries below.

COUNTRY CAPITAL CITY

Spain

Portugal

France

Germany

Italy

Slovenia

Malta

Cyprus

Belgium

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Sweden

Norway

Finland

Iceland

Ireland

United Kingdom

Denmark

Austria

Czech Republic

Switzerland

Poland

Slovakia

Hungary

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ACTIVITY

1.2 CAPITAL CITIES OF EUROPE • Fill in the table below with either a country or a capital city as required.

COUNTRY CAPITAL CITY

Croatia

Bosnia Herzegovina

Macedonia

Albania

Serbia

Greece

Romania

Bulgaria

Moldova

Ukraine

Belarus

Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

The European microstates are a set of very

small sovereign states in Europe.

Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San

Marino, and the Vatican City are usually included,

and are the six smallest states in Europe by area. Four

of these states are monarchies (three principalities—Andorra, Liechtenstein, and

Monaco—and one papacy, the Vatican City), with all these states tracing their status back

EUROPEAN MICROSTATES

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ACTIVITY PHYSICAL EUROPE

FEATURE NUMBER

Alps

Pyrenees

Ural mountains

Appennines

Baltic Shield

European Plain

River Seine

River Danube

River Rhône

River Volga

Altlantic Ocean

Black Sea

Baltic Sea

Norwegian Sea

Mediterranean Sea

River Rhine

• Name three European countries that have:

a) a North Sea coastline ______________________________

b) a Mediterranean coastline __________________________

c) part of their land area in the Alps

________________________________________________

• Which country or countries best fit the following

descriptions:

a) Shaped like a boot and kicked little Sicily into the sea

________________________________________________

b) Also known as the Iberian peninsula

________________________________________________

c) The countries known as Scandinavia

________________________________________________

d) The Benelux countries

________________________________________________

e) The Emerald Isle

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Getting around Did you know that railways were invented in

Europe? It was in England that George

Stephenson introduced the first passenger train in

1825. His most famous locomotive was called

‘the Rocket’ and it reached speeds of more than

40 kilometres per hour (km/h) – which was really

fast for those days. Today, Europe’s high-speed

electric trains are very different from those first

steam engines. They are very comfortable and

they travel at speeds of up to 330 km/h on

specially built tracks. More tracks are being built

all the time, to allow people to travel quickly

between Europe’s big cities.

Roads and railways sometimes have to cross

mountain ranges, wide rivers or even the sea. So

engineers have built some very long bridges and

tunnels. The longest road tunnel in Europe is the

Laerdal tunnel in Norway, between Bergen and

Oslo. It is more than 24 km long and was opened

in the year 2000. The longest railway tunnel in

Europe is the Channel Tunnel. It carries Eurostar

high-speed trains under the sea between Calais

in France and Folkestone in England, and it’s

more than 50 km long.

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People also travel around Europe by plane,

because air travel is quick. Some of the world’s

best planes are built in Europe – for example,

the ‘Airbus’. Different European countries

make different parts of an Airbus, and then a

team of engineers puts the whole plane together.

The fastest ever passenger plane, the Concorde,

was designed by a team of French and British

engineers. Concorde could fly at 2160 km/h –

twice the speed of sound – and could cross the

Atlantic in less than three hours! (Most planes

take about eight hours.) Concorde took its final

flight in 2003. Faster than any plane are space

rockets, such as Ariane – a joint project between

several European countries. People don’t travel

in the Ariane rocket: it is used to launch

satellites, which are needed for TV and mobile

phone networks, for scientifi c research and so

on.

Most of the world’s satellites are now launched

using these European rockets. The success of

Concorde, Airbus and Ariane show what can be

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ACTIVITY WHICH TRANSPORT IS BEST? • The sketch show four different kinds of transport. Each has its good point and bad

points for transporting goods.

• Fill in the lists below to show which type of transport is best for each task. The best one should be

number 1.

• Match the following ‘heads’ with their correct ‘tails’.

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EUROTUNNEL...the new way to Europe In the past, the English Channel has been a line

of defence that has protected Britain from its

European neighbours. Nowadays, that narrow

stretch of water acts like a barrier which

prevents the easy movement of people and

goods bewtween Britain and the Continent.

A survey in the 1980s forecast that cross-

channel traffic would be more than double

between 1983 and 2003. The present sea and air

routes would not be able to handle that increase.

In 1987 the governments of Britain and France

finally agreed to build a channel tunnel to try to

overcome the problem.

The tunnel will provide a link between the

transport networks of Britain and mainland

Europe. It will make going to the Continent faster

EUROTUNNEL FACT FILE

How long is the tunnel?

Which ports does it join?

How many tunnels does it have?

How long is the journey time through the tunnel?

How frequent do trains leave?

Which two majoy cities does the train link?

How long did the construction of the tunnel take?

When did the construction of the tunnel start?

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GOOD

TO

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GOOD

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EUROTUNNEL...the pros and cons

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FOR AGAINS

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RAIL NAMES

EUROSTAR

The Eurostar is the name for the high-speed

passenger trains that connect the UK to France

and Belgium. It is possible to travel from London

to Brussels in 2 hours and from London to Paris

in 2 hours 15 minutes. Trains leave from St.

Pancreas International station in the north of

London, and also from two stations in Kent. As

well as Paris and Brussels, destinations include

Calais, Lille and Disneyland Paris. The high

frequency of services, the city-centre arrivals and

departures and competitive rates mean the

Eurostar is an excellent alternative to travelling

by plane. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions

can be as much as 80% less per passenger

journey than when travelling by plane.

LE SHUTTLE

Le Shuttle is the rail transport system which carries

vehicles between the two countries. It is known as

‘piggyback transport’ as the cars, motorcycles,

coaches

and

lorries

are

driven onto the trains for the journey through the

TUNNEL CITY SCAPES

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The story of the EUROPEAN UNION In the last century, many European countries

fought each other in two world wars and

millions of people died. Europe’s economy was

badly damaged and the map of Europe had to

be redrawn as the borders of some countries

changed.

Two Frenchmen, Robert Schuman and Jean

Monnet, put forward the idea that the two

previous enemies, France and Germany, should

in future work together in the production of

coal and steel instead of using it to make

weapons to fight each other. So, on 9 May

1950, Robert Schuman, the French Foreign

Minister, proposed setting up a club called the

‘European Coal and Steel Community’.

Belgium, Germany, France, Italy,

Luxembourg and the Netherlands were the

first countries to join this club which was

formed in 1951.

It worked so well that, in 1957, these six

countries decided to start another club, the

‘European Economic Community’, aimed at

making laws and policies together to improve

trade and support farmers. This method of

cooperation was later extended to other areas

where the club members felt that more could be

achieved by working together than alone. The

clubs were joined and are now called the

‘European Union’. Each Member State has a

voice in this process and most of the decisions

are made by both government ministers and the

men and women elected by the people to sit in

the European Parliament. The work of the club

members was so successful that more and more

countries in Europe wanted to join up.

Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom

decided to join the community in 1973. In 1981

Greece became a member, followed by Spain

and Portugal in 1986. Austria, Finland and

Sweden joined in 1995 and, in 2004, 10

countries joined at the same time — Czech

Republic,

Estonia, Cyprus,

Latvia,

Lithuania,

Hungary, Malta,

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ACTIVITY HISTORY OF THE EU IN

1. After the Second World War, many cities all

over Europe lay in ruins; here is Frankfurt am

Main in Germany.

2. A symbolic act: Jean Monnet (r.), President of

the High Commission of the European Coal and

Steel Community (ECSC), presents the first block

of ‘European’ steel, so inaugurating the common

market for steel in April 1953.

3. 25 March 1957: in Rome, representatives of the

six founding countries, Belgium, the Federal

Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg

and the Netherlands, sign the Rome Treaties

establishing the European Economic

Community (EEC) and the European Atomic

Energy Community (Euratom).

4. On 7 February 1992, the Heads of State or

Government sign the Maastricht Treaty,

establishing economic and monetary union.

5. The 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam sets the seal

on the step-by-step creation of an area of

freedom, security and justice; here is the treaty

document with signatures and official seals.

6. With a large image projected onto the

European Commission building in Brussels, the

EU welcomes its new members Bulgaria and

Romania in 2007.

7. On 10 December 2012, the Nobel Peace Prize

was awarded to the European Union in Oslo,

Norway. The Nobel Prize Committee honoured

the EU’s contribution over 6 decades to the

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TIMELINE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION • Fill in the boxes with the main events in the development of the EU.

1945 1951 1957 1992

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1992 2002 2004

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ACTIVITY EU MEMBER COUNTRIES • Colour

the EU

1952 (blue) 1995 (light blue) 2007 (orange)

France Austria Bulgaria

Italy Finland Romania

Luxembourg Sweden 2013 (green)

Germany 2004 (pink) Croatia

Netherlands Estonia

Belgium Latvia

1973 (yellow) Lithuania

United Kingdom Poland

Denmark Czech Republic

Ireland Slovakia

1981 (purple) Slovenia

Greece Hungary

1986 (red) Malta

Portugal Cyprus

Spain

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ACTIVITY THE EU SYMBOLS

EUROPEAN ANTHEM EU MOTTO

THE EURO THE EUROPEAN FLAG EUROPE DAY

• The EU motto

_____________________________________________________________________________

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• The European anthem

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

• The Euro

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

• The European flag

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

• Europe day

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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The EU tries to make life better in all sorts of ways. Here are some of them:

What does the EU do?

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE

ENVIRONMENT

The environment belongs to everyone, so

countries have to work together to protect it.

The EU has rules about stopping pollution and

about protecting (for example wild birds).

These rules apply in all EU countries and

their governments have to make sure they are

obeyed.

Climate change – also known as global

warming – is another problem that countries

cannot tackle alone. EU countries have

therefore agreed to work together to lower the

amount of emissions they produce that harm

FREEDOM!

People in the EU are free to live, work or study

in whichever EU country they choose, and the EU

is doing all it can to make it simple to move home

from one country to another. When you cross the

borders between most EU countries, you no

longer need a passport. The EU encourages

students and young people to spend some time

studying or training in another European country.

JOBS

It’s important for people to have jobs that they

enjoy and are good at. Some of the money they

earn goes to pay for hospitals and schools, and to

look after old people. That’s why the EU is doing

all it can to create new and better jobs for

everyone who can work. It helps people to set up

new businesses, and provides money to train

people to do new kinds of work.

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HELPING REGIONS IN DIFFICULTY

Life is not easy for everyone everywhere in

Europe. In some places there are not enough

jobs for people, because mines or factories

have closed down. In some areas, farming is

hard because of the climate, or trade is difficult

because there are not enough roads and

railways.

The EU tackles these problems by collecting

money from all its member countries and using

it to help regions that are in difficulty. For

example, it helps pay for new roads and rail

links, and it helps businesses to provide new

jobs for people.

FOOD AND FARMING

The Second World War had made it very

difficult for Europe to produce food or to

import it from other continents. Europe was

short of food even in the early 1950s. So the

EEC decided on an arrangement for paying its

farmers to produce more food, and to make

sure that they could earn a decent living from

the land. This arrangement was called the

‘common agricultural policy’ (or CAP). It

HELPING POOR COUNTRIES

In many countries around the world, people are

dying or living difficult lives because of war,

disease and natural disasters such as droughts or

floods. Often these countries do not have enough

money to build the schools and hospitals, roads

and houses that their people need.

The EU gives money to these countries, and sends

teachers, doctors, engineers and other experts to

work there. It also buys many things that those

countries produce without charging customs

duties. That way, the poor countries can earn more

money.

Nowadays, the CAP also pays farmers to look

after the countryside.

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GOOD

TO

...therefore the EU aims to :

• encourage economic and social progress

• ensure every citizen has the right to move

around freely within the EU and have a vote

• encourage countries to live in safety and not

threaten war

• support the development of laws to help protect

people’s rights

• speak on behalf of its members to other

countries

• be economically strong enough to cope in a

global trading market

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ACTIVITY HOW DOES THE EU AFFECT ME? • Firstly, watch attentively the clip at on the board and then mark if the following

statements are True or False.

STATEMENT TRUE FALSE

1. EU laws are decided by UK ministers, MEPs and people from other

2. EU laws are decided only by MEPs.

3. EU policy affects the price we pay for fish and chips.

4. EU policy and laws do not affect which chemicals are used on food.

5. EU policy and laws make sure sewage and waste do not pollute our seas

6. The EU makes sure that the water we bathe in on holiday is dirty.

7. EU laws limit the levels of fumes and emissions from cars and power

8. The EU has helped to create more air routes between European

9. The EU is the smallest single market in the world.

10. The EU creates barriers to trade within the EU.

11. The EU is the largest single market in the world.

12. The EU has removed barriers to trade within the EU.

13. EU policy and laws mean that goods produced in Spain can be easily

14. EU policy and laws mean that consumers’ rights are protected.

15. EU policy and laws mean that food labels must have the ingredients

16. EU policy and laws limit the type of chemicals that are used on food.

17. EU policy and law means that EU residents can work anywhere in the

18. EU policy and law means that EU residents are able to travel freely

19. The EU does nothing to help poor countries.

20. EU policy and laws try to prevent drug smuggling, terrorism and

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The EURO ZONE In years gone by, each country in Europe had

its own kind of money, or ‘currency’. Now

there is one single currency, the euro, which

all EU countries can share if they wish. Having

one currency makes it easier to do business

and to travel and shop all over the EU

without having to change from one currency

to another.

It took nine years of hard work and careful

planning to introduce the euro. The notes and

coins came into use in 2002. Today, more than

two thirds of the EU’s citizens are using the

euro instead of the old currencies. If you

compare euro coins you will see that on one

side there is a design representing the country it

was made in. The other side is the same for all

the countries.

There are advantages of being in the Eurozone:

• It saves money as you do not need to change

currency when travelling between two

countries that both use the Euro.

• It prevents a single country in the Euro being

affected by large changes in exchange rates.

• It helps reduce the price difference between

the same product between countries in the

Eurozone.

• There are disadvantages of being in the

Eurozone:

• People feel that they lose some of their

identity.

• People feel that they are giving too much

Based on a

Greek letter.

The two bars

across the

middle are a

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ACTIVITY WHO OWNS WHICH COIN? • Match the euro coins below with their respective country.

34

Where is TURKEY ? Turkey is a large peninsula that bridges the

continents of Europe and Asia. Turkey is

surrounded on three sides by the Black Sea, the

Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea.

Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, is built on

land in the Bosporus seaway. The city is partly

in Europe and partly in Asia.

Turkey is one of the most earthquake prone

areas on Earth and has suffered from 13

earthquakes in the past 70 years.

Turkey's highest mountain, Mount Ararat has

two peaks, with Great Ararat reaching 16,945

feet (5,165 meters). The mountain is considered

sacred by many people and is believed to be

where Noah beached his ark after the great flood.

The Turkish people are from diverse

backgrounds, a reminder of the many different

groups that conquered Turkey over thousands of

years. The majority of the population lives in

cities, and children who want to go to high

school must move to a city. The people are

primarily Sunni Muslim. One fifth of the

population is Kurdish.

Children who live in the European side of

Istanbul may cross the Bosporus by ferry to visit

grandparents in Asia. Turks are family oriented

and are very hospitable people. They invite

visitors to their homes and make sure they have

something to eat and drink before they leave.

One of their favorite meals is kebab made from

grilled lamb. Their diet includes lamb, eggplant,

and yogurt. A sweet flavored candy with rose

petals called Turkish delight, or lokum, is sold in

many flavors and colors.

To find work, about two million Turks are

currently guest workers in Germany and have

formed their own communities there.

COLOUR

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What are the turkish symbols below called?

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ACTIVITY TURKEY SEARCH! • Locate and circle the 30 words associated with the Republic of Turkey listed at the

bottom of the page.

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ACTIVITY MOSAIC CROSSWORD PUZZLE • Just like the tiles of a Turkish mosaic...the squares below will lead you to different

Turkish symbols and landmarks.

• Read the clues carefully and try to fill in the squares in the best way possible.

38

TURKEY and the EU Turkey first submitted its application to join the

European Union in 1987, but negotiations did not

begin until 2005. Since then, an array of domestic

and international setbacks has seen progress stall.

Few European governments are in favour,

arguing that the cultural, geopolitical and

economic differences are too significant. "The

main reason why matters have proceeded so

slowly is that the EU's big beasts, France and

Germany, do not want Turkey to join," says The

Guardian. "Hardly anything happens in the EU

without the agreement of these two founding

members."

So what are Turkey's realistic chances of joining

and what would it mean for the EU?

REFUGEES

The EU has had to rely on Turkey's co-operation

as it struggles to cope with the worst refugee

crisis since the Second World War. Under a deal

agreed in March 2016, one Syrian refugee from a

Turkish camp will be admitted to Europe for each

irregular migrant sent to Turkey from Greece.

The EU has promised fresh discussions on

Turkish membership and visa-free travel for

Turks, as well as £2.3bn of refugee aid between

2016 and 2018. EU representatives have

criticised Turkey's refugee selection process since

it seems that Syrian refugee doctors and

engineers are being denied permission to leave in

favour of severely ill or uneducated refugees.

SECURITY

The rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has put

Turkey at the centre of a conflict that has global

consequences. Some European officials, believe

allowing Turkey to become a member of the EU

will create a strong ally in the fight against

terrorism in the region. Most of Turkey's land-

mass is in Asia. Critics say the EU does not need

borders with unstable countries such as Iraq, Iran

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EMPLOYMENT

Allowing Turkey to join would provide a fresh

influx of workers for Europe. The country has a

young and increasingly well-educated population

and some argue the ageing EU cannot afford to

block young people from its workforce. But at a

time when many governments are under

increasing pressure to reduce high levels of

immigration, allowing millions more workers to

cross their borders is not expected to be high on

their agenda.

CULTURE

Turkey's geographic position at the crossroads

between Europe and the East allows it to provide

a much-needed bridge between western and

Islamic worlds at a time of heightened tensions

between the two. Many argue that Turkey is

better equipped to mediate in the Middle East

than European countries.

ECONOMY

Turkey’s economy is growing and it is also the

country across which pipelines deliver large

supplies of oil and gas from Asia. Free trade

between EU countries is one of the greatest

advantages and granting Turkey membership

would create a whole new market for European

goods. Others point to the recent economic crisis

in Greece and warn that Turkey is not yet rich

enough to join, saying that taxpayers in wealthier

countries would be forced to subsidise it.

ADHERENCE TO EU LAWS

Countries hoping to join the European Union are

required to achieve a certain standard of

democracy and human rights. Since it first applied

for membership, Turkey has made some gains

towards these, including abolishing the death

penalty and introducing tougher laws against

torture, as well as moderate reforms to help

women. Turkey has a bad record on torture,

freedom of speech, women's rights and the

treatment of religious and ethnic minorities such

as Christians and Kurds, as well as problems with

civilian control over the military.

POWER

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ACTIVITY EU vs. TURKEY— the pros and

cons • Read again the text on pages 38-39 and highlight the main arguments about the

IN FAVOUR AGAINST

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GOOD

TO

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European The European Capital of Culture is a city

nominated by the European Union for a period

of one year during which it organises a series of

cultural events with a strong European

dimension.

Preparing a European Capital of Culture can be

an opportunity for the city to create considerable

cultural, social and economic benefits and it

can help produce urban regeneration, change the

city's image and raise its popularity on an

The European Capitals of Culture initiative is designed to:

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European Capitals of Culture are formally

designated four years before the actual year. This

long period of time is necessary for the planning

and preparation of such a complex event. The

panel, supported by the European Commission,

has a continuing role during these four years in

supporting European Capitals of Culture with

advice and guidance and taking stock of their

preparations.

At the end of this monitoring period, the panel will

consider whether to recommend or not that the

European Commission pays the Melina Mercouri

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VALLETTA 2018

On the 13th of October 2012, Valletta was

announced as The European City of Culture for

2018. This prestigious title reflects the

incredibly rich cultural heritage of this city.

The fortified city, built by Jean Parisot de la

Vallette, a Grand Master of the Knights of St

John, is full of architectural and artistic

examples of a our past. Valletta is a living city

with brimming café culture, art installations and

exhibits, open squares, and a thriving market.

These all contribute to making Valletta much

more than a living museum.

The city is changing constantly, and nowhere is

this clearer than the upgrading of Valletta’s

entrance. This monumental project combines a

redesigning of the city’s entrance gate with the

building of a new, modern parliament. The work

also includes the transformation of a historic

theatre that has been abandoned since its

destruction in World War II, and the creation of

a new square: Piazza de Valette. The Valletta

2018 project is based on four themes:

Generations, Routes, Cities and Islands.

VALLETTA 2018 events and projects

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ACTIVITY TRANSFORMING THE CAPITAL • Look up one of the events set up for the Valletta 2018 project and describe it in a

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• Can you come up with other ideas for events which can be organized? Describe your ideas

below.

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46

GLOSSARY Agenda a list or plan of things to be done or voted upon.

CAP Common Agricultural Policy — a coordinated system established in 1960

by the European Economic Community for stabilizing prices of farm

Climate change a long term change in the earth's climate, especially a change due to

an increase in the average atmospheric temperature.

Conservation official supervision of rivers, forests, and other natural resources in order

Common market an economic association created mainly to abolish barriers to free trade

among member nations and to adopt common import duties on goods from

EEC European Economic Community.

Emissions the discharge of poisonous fumes and fluids.

Ethnic minority a group in society distinguished from and less dominant than the more

European union(EU) an association of European nations formed in 1993 for the purpose of

Fjords a long, narrow arm of the sea bordered by steep cliffs, usually formed by

Free trade international trade free from duties and other governmental restrictions.

Geopolitical the combination of geographic and political factors influencing or a country

Geothermal the earth’s internal heat.

Glacier a mass of ice formed from snow falling and accumulating over the years and

Institution An organisation, foundation or building devoted to particular work.

Island nation a country that is entirely made up of one or more islands.

Kurds a member of an Islamic people speaking Kurdish (Iranian language) and

Limestone pavement a horizontal surface of exposed limestone eroded into roughly rectangular

MEP Members of European Parliament.

National park an area of scenic beauty, historical importance owned and maintained by a

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Nobel prize any of various awards made annually, beginning in 1901, from funds

originally established by Alfred B. Nobel for outstanding achievement in

physics, chemistry, medicine or physiology, literature, and the

Population density the number of people living per unit of an area (e.g. per square kilometer)

Plateaux land areas having a relatively flat surface which are raised above adjoining

Plate boundary the are where two tectonic plates meet usually having volcanoes or being

Pyramidal peak a very sharp mountain peak.

Reform the improvement or change of what is wrong, corrupt or unsatisfactory.

Sovereign state is a state with borders where people live and where a government makes

Standard of living the level of subsistence and comfort in everyday life enjoyed by a

Subsidy a grant or contribution of money.

Suez canal a canal in NE Egypt, connectingthe Mediterranean and the Red Sea and is

Sunni Muslim a type of Muslin community which makes up the majority of believers in

Territorial dispute a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or

more territorial entities or over the possession or control of land, usually

Treaty a formal agreement between two or more states for peace, alliance,

Visa A permission allowing a passport holder entry or transit through a country