Transcript Europe

Physical Features
European Geographical Facts
• Europe is the world’s 6th largest
continent, making up 6.5% of
the earth’s total land area.
• Europe is the 3rd most populous
continent, with a population of
around 739 million.
• Europe is a large peninsula
made up of peninsulas
– “a peninsula of peninsulas”
• No more than 300 miles away
from and ocean or sea
• European countries have to
take this into account with
business, trade, and pleasure
Northern Peninsulas
• Scandinavian PeninsulaNorway and Sweden
– Surrounded by the Norwegian
Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea
• The Ice Age really took a toll
on this land leaving it very
rough, rocky soil that is hard
to farm
– In Norway: Glaciers carved out
fjords (steep U-shaped valleys
that connect to the sea)
Southern Peninsulas
• Southern part of Europe contains three major
peninsulas
– Iberian Peninsula: the home of Spain and Portugal.
The Pyrenees Mountains block this peninsula from
rest of Europe
– Italian Peninsula: The home of Italy. Has 4,700 miles
of coastline!
– Balkan Peninsula: Home of Greece, Albania,
Macedonia, etc.. Bordered by the Mediterranean
Sea, Adriatic Sea, and the Aegean Sea
Islands
• Larger Islands:
Located in the North
Atlantic
– Great Britain, Ireland,
Iceland, and
Greenland
• Smaller Islands:
Located in the
Mediterranean Sea
– Corsica, Sardinia,
Sicily, and Crete
Corsica
Sicily
Mountain Ranges
• The mountains of Europe act as
walls to divide many people in
Europe- Keeps them from trading,
spreading ideas, etc…
– Also affects climates!
• The Alps-Most famous mountain
chain in Europe
– Cut off Italy from rest of Europe
– Great for Tourism!
• The Pyrenees
– Cut off Spain and Portugal
Alpine System
• The Alpine System consists of the Alps, the
Pyrenees, the Apennines, the Dinaric Alps, the
Balkan Mountains and the Carpathian
Mountains.
• Mont Blanc, of the Alps, is Western Europe’s
highest point at 15,782 feet above sea level.
• The Caucasus region also has several active
volcanoes, including Mt. Etna and Mt. Vesuvius
of Italy.
Mont Blanc
Mt. Etna and Mt. Vesuvius
Linking Europe by Rivers
• Europe is a network of rivers that
allow people and goods to come
together
• Major Rivers
– Rhine River- Flows 820 miles from
the interior of Europe to the North
Sea
– Danube River- Flows 1,771 miles
and covers 9 countries from the
west to east
• Links Europeans to the Black Sea
The European Bounty
Northern European Plain
• Also known as the Great
European Plain, this is the
most densely populated area
of Europe.
• This is Europe’s most
productive agriculture region
and one of the most fertile
regions in the world
• Due to its flat land, it has
allowed many armies to
march into Europe
Europe’s Resources
• Has abundant supply of two natural
resources
– Coal and Iron (needed for an
industrialized economy)… hmmmm
that is interesting! Think about where
the Industrial Revolution began!!
• Energy
– Oil and Natural Gas can be found in
the United Kingdom and the
Netherlands around the North Sea.
• Agriculture
– 33% of the land is suitable for
agriculture
Climate
• Marine West Coast exists in much
of Europe
– Warm summers and cool winters
– Created by the nearby ocean and
dominant winds
– The North Atlantic Drift is a warm
water current that is an extension of
the Gulf Stream.
– This warm current brings a milder
climate to Western Europe and
plenty of precipitation, which aids
the Northern European Plain region
in regard to agriculture.
Harsher Conditions Inland
• The farther away from the Atlantic Ocean the
climate becomes humid continental
– Really cold, snowy winters and warm to hot
summers
– Sweden, Finland, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary
Sunny Mediterranean
• Mild Climate which allows for people to live
and vacation around the Mediterranean Sea
– Spreads from southern Spain to Italy and Greece
– Summers are hot and dry with clear skies and
winters are moderate and wet.
– Mountains help to create this climate. The cold air
does not go over the Alps
Land of the Midnight Sun
• Far northern Scandinavia, along the Arctic
Circle, lies a band of Tundra climate
– Has permafrost, no trees can grow
– Experience sharp variations in the amount of
sunlight
– Winter has days when the sun never rises and
Summer has days when the sun never sets