A PENINSULA OF PENINSULAS
European Geography
FOUR MAJOR LANDFORMS
Northwest Highlands Northern European Plain Central Uplands Alpine Mountain System
NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS
Make up Northwestern part of France; some of the Iberian peninsula; hills of England and Ireland; Scottish highlands; and mountains of Scandinavia
Glaciers scoured through Scandinavia and British Isles carving fjords on Norway’s coast
NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS CONTINUED
Fjords are narrow inlets of the sea set between high rocky cliffs
The glaciers left behind thin soils and thousands of lakes
NORTHERN EUROPEAN PLAIN
Ranges from the Atlantic Coast to the Ural Mountains
Made up of numerous rivers where many river towns and port cities have developed
Contains large cities like Paris and Berlin Due to its physical geography, human
contact has been relatively easy – it has many rivers, short distances, and smooth terrain
NORTHERN EUROPEAN PLAIN CONTINUED
Such a geography has promoted trade between culture groups, and traveling and migrating have not been difficult
It is Europe’s most important farming and industrial area
CENTRAL UPLANDS
Massif Central of France and the Jura Mountains on the French-Swiss border
Moves northeastward across southern Germany to the Bohemian highlands
CENTRAL UPLANDS CONTINUED
Composed of hills, small plateaus, forested slopes, and fertile valleys
Has productive coal fields which have nearby industrial towns and cities
ALPINE MOUNTAIN SYSTEM
Ranges from France’s Mediterranean Coast to the Balkan Peninsula
Alps – Europe’s major mountain range
The high mountains of this system have not deterred human interaction; not a serious barrier
ALPINE MOUNTAIN SYSTEM CONTINUED
The Alpine mountain system also includes the Carpathian mountains in Eastern Europe, the Apennines in Italy, and the Pyrenees of France and Spain
This system was formed by tectonic plates pushing against each other
WATER
Europe is a peninsula so it is surrounded by water on 3 sides
The Mediterranean is in the South; the Arctic Ocean, North Sea, and Baltic Sea are around Northern Europe; and the North Atlantic Ocean is off of Western Europe
WATER
The North Sea has been an important hub for fishing and trading
The North Atlantic Ocean has transported explorers, fishers, and merchants for centuries
EUROPE’S COASTLINE
Europe’s coastline creates many natural harbors which are usually located at the mouths of navigable rivers Navigable rivers are
deep enough and wide enough for shipping
They have made trading by sea ideal
EUROPE’S COASTLINE CONTINUED
Such a coastline has influenced Europe’s history Harbors have offered protection for ships Water offered opportunities to explore, fish,
trade, and it promoted political and military power
The Phoenicians, Greeks, and Vikings sailed and explored Europe’s coastline
Helped Rome establish a vast empire
EUROPE’S COASTLINE CONTINUED The sea also provided
global colonial and economic power Spanish and
Portuguese sailed around the world in the 1500s setting up trading posts and colonies
1700s and 1800s Great Britain was the world’s dominant colonial and sea power
How did the ability to travel the sea help establish empires?
RIVERS
The Rhine and Danube are Europe’s most important rivers
Numerous cities and industrial areas are located long the banks and both have barges constantly transporting goods
The Rhine starts in the Swiss Alps; it flows northwestward through Germany and the Netherlands to the North Sea
The Danube starts in the uplands of southern Germany and flows eastward through 9 countries in central and eastern Europe and ends in the Black Sea
CLIMATES AND BIOMES
3 major climate types: Marine west coast Humid continental Mediterranean
MARINE WEST COAST
Consists of more of northern and western Europe which includes southern Iceland, the British Isles, and it stretches from northern Spain to Poland and Slovakia It has frequent rainfall because of storms coming
off of the Atlantic Mild temperatures Cloudy, drizzly, or foggy days are common
HUMID CONTINENTAL
Includes the interior of Norway and Sweden to the Black Sea
Four distinct season, from severe winters to summer droughts in Hungary and Romania
MEDITERRANEAN Makes up most of southern
Europe Usually has mild, rainy
winters because of North Atlantic Drift and sunny summers
North Atlantic Drift is a warm ocean current from the gulf stream in North America that warms the air above it which is carried by winds to Europe, brining mild temperatures and rain
SMALLER CLIMATE REGIONS
Subarctic climate is across northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland The extreme northern part of these countries
have a tundra climate Most of Spain has a semiarid climate
FOUR MAJOR BIOMES
Temperate forest Mediterranean scrub forest Boreal forest Tundra
TEMPERATE FOREST
Most of Europe lies within this biome Trees are common Covered in fields and towns Once covered in dense forests but now there are
only remnants Badgers, deer, and a variety of birds still live
here
MEDITERRANEAN SCRUB FOREST
Composes the drier areas of southern Europe Small trees, shrubs,
and drought resistant plants
Still has roaming wild boars and wild sheep
BOREAL FOREST
Large parts of northern and central Europe Finland, Norway, and Sweden have Europe’s
remaining woodlands Provides much of Europe’s timber for building
and papermaking
TUNDRA
In the far parts of northern Europe like Iceland and northern Scandinavia
Land is frozen most of the time
Treeless but does sustain migratory birds during the summer and reindeer and foxes
NATURAL RESOURCES
Europe’s resources consist of forests, soils, fisheries, energy, and minerals Much of the original forests have been cleared
through the centuries and pollution has destroyed a lot that is left
Much of Europe has to import timber
NATURAL RESOURCES CONTINUED
Soil has been a critical asset to Europe – more than half of Europe is used for farming Northern European Plain has the best soil, some
of which is developed from loess – fine-grained, windblown soil; very fertile
Southern Europe benefits from alluvial soil that can produce a wide range of crops – areas like Italy’s Po Valley and Spain’s Guadalquivir are major farming centers
NATURAL RESOURCES CONTINUED
Some major crops include grapes, olives, potatoes, and wheat
Europe has the highest crop yields in the world because of modern technology Chemical fertilizers Crop rotations Modern machinary
NATURAL RESOURCES CONTINUED Polders
Land reclaimed by the sea
The Dutch built earthen walls called dikes along the shoreline
Windmills pumped out the seawater
Reeds are planted to draw out more water
Reeds are burned and plowed so its ready for farming
Allowed Dutch to increase amount of available farm land
NATURAL RESOURCES CONTINUED
Fishing as historically been a part of Europe’s economy Fishing villages dot Europe’s long coastline and
the water is covered in fishing boats The North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and the
North Sea have the best fishing Some of Europe’s major fishing countries include
Iceland, Norway, Spain, and Denmark The industry is being threatened by overfishing
and pollution
NATURAL RESOURCES CONTINUED
Energy and Minerals Europe’s advanced technology requires
resources of oil, iron, and other metals that it does not have so it must import
Does have a natural abundance of coal but oil has since replaced coal as the main energy source
Beneath the North Sea there are oil and natural gas deposits which benefit Norway and Britain
Hydroelectricity is an energy source produced in the mountains of Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland
NATURAL RESOURCES CONTINUED
Ocean Tidal power and solar power are produced in France
Iceland uses geothermal energy Nuclear power is also an energy source for
some Europeans but it is considered too dangerous
Some other mineral resources include iron ore, uranium, lead, and zinc which can be found in Sweden, France, and Spain
Southern Europe mines marble for building and art
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