Transcript Europe and Russiax

Regions within Europe

Europe itself can be divided into several
regions
 Western/Central Europe
○ Scandinavia
 Iberian Europe
 Eastern Europe
○ Russia
 Southern Europe
 We are focusing on Western Europe,
Eastern Europe, & the Iberian Peninsula
The Divide: Label Each Region
on Your Map from Yesterday
○ Scandinavia
 Iberian Europe
 Eastern Europe
○ Russia
 Southern
Europe
The Divide
 Iberian Europe
 Eastern Europe
○ Russia
 Southern Europe
Western/Central Europe
Political & ECONOMIC Characteristics

Democratic
 Many countries have
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parliamentary democracies (the
leader of the country is indirectly
elected from and by the members
of the majority party in parliament)
instead of presidential
democracies (the leader of the
country is directly elected by
voters.)
Free Market & Mixed Economies
 For example, in England, France
and Germany, the health care
system and many of the major
industries are controlled by the
government but citizens can still
own businesses and prices are set
by supply & demand
Most Nations Relatively Wealthy

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Overall high standard of living.
Most of Western Europe has joined the
European Union and uses a common
European currency know as the Euro.
Cultural Characteristics of
Western Europe
Religious beliefs
 Primarily Christian (Protestant or
Catholic), but very secular also
Language
 Diversity of languages but many
have Latin or Germanic roots.
 English or French are spoken by
many Western Europeans as a
second language.
Population Density
 Most of Europe is urban. People
live in or around Europe’s major
cities.
 Europe is densely populated.
Most of Europe is four times more
crowded than that of the US.
Culture
 Western Europe is a center for the
arts and innovations in music,
painting, and technology.
 It is known for its food, fashion
and tourism.
Power Teach: Evens teach Odds
The Divide
○ Scandinavia
 Iberian Europe
 Eastern Europe
○ Russia
 Southern
Europe
Eastern Europe
Political & Economic Characteristics
Emerging Democracies
Under Communist control for
most of the 20th century, but
regained independence with the
collapse of the Soviet Union in
1989.
 There has been ongoing conflict
between ethnic groups resulting
in wars and ethnic cleansing.
Communist Control
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Under Soviet control, Eastern Europe
had command economies where the
government controlled all decisions
made on the use of resources.
Developing Free Market
Economies

Now, private owners of factories have
struggled to update their machinery
and cut production costs,
unemployment, lack of education &
capital (money)
Cultural Patterns in Eastern Europe
Religious beliefs
 Orthodox Christians,
Muslims, Jews.
Language
 Diverse languages (Slavic,
Hungarian, Romanian,
Greek, Polish, etc.)
Population Density
 Much less urban than the
rest of Europe.
 More than 40 percent of
some areas are still rural.
 Cities are expected to grow
as the economy improves.
Culture
 There are many ethnic
groups with their own
customs and traditions.
Power Teach: Odds teach Evens
Fill in Your Venn Diagram!
Take 1 minute with your partner to fill in
the commonalities between Eastern &
Western Europe
 Aim for 3 things

The Divide
 Eastern Europe
○ Russia
 Southern Europe
The Divide
○ Scandinavia
 Iberian Europe
 Eastern Europe
○ Russia
 Southern
Europe
Scholar Time!

Eastern or Western?

This part of Europe is characterized by the
presence of Slavic languages.
This part of Europe is urban with a high population
density.
This part of Europe is characterized by formerly
having command economies.
This part of Europe is mostly made up of
parliamentary democracies.
This part of Europe is known for food, fashion, and
tourism.
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