Transcript Europe Physical Geogrpahy 10

Europe
Physical Geography
Land
 Europe is part of Eurasia (Europe & Asia)
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World’s largest landmass
Ural Mountains divide Europe & Asia
¼ of Russia is in Europe
Land
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Europe is home to 48 countries
 Many are the size of a state in the
USA
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Russia
 Russia is the largest country in
the world
 ¼ of Russia lies within Europe
 Remainder lies in Asia
Europe is a peninsula with many
smaller peninsulas formed by bays and
harbors.
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The word peninsula comes from
the Latin words for “almost”(paene)
and “island” (insula).
Landforms - Peninsulas
 In Northern Europe, the
Scandinavian Peninsula is home
to Norway and Sweden. Along the
jagged shoreline of this peninsula
are beautiful fjords.
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A fjord is a long, narrow, deep
inlet of the sea located
between steep cliffs.
 In Western Europe, the Iberian
Peninsula includes Portugal and
Spain. The Iberian Peninsula is
separated from the rest of the
continent by a mountain range
called the Pyrenees.
Landforms - Ural Mountains
 Divides Europe and Asia
 Also called the “Stone Belt”
 Divides Russia into two parts
 Extend 1,550 miles from the North
to South
 One of the world’s oldest
mountain ranges
 Covered with flat valleys with
marshes, coniferous forests, deep
ravines
4 Major Land Regions
 Northwestern Highlands
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Far northern part of Europe
(Norway & Sweden)
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Steep sloped mountains with
thin soil
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Few people live here
(25/square mile)
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Successful timber industry forests
4 Major Land Regions
 North European Plain
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Covers over ½ of north
central Europe
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Most productive farmland
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Largest cities are located
in this region today –
ancient trading centers.
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Most of Europe’s
population lives on this
landform.
4 Major Land Regions
 Central Uplands
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Area of mountains and plateaus
Rocky land – not good for farming
Mostly used for cattle and mineral resources
4 Major Land Regions
 Alpine Mountains
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Southern portion of Europe
From Spain across to Eastern Europe
Alps are the highest mountains in this system
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Many popular vacation places
Water
 Important Rivers
 Rhine & Danube Rivers – Germany
 Seine River – France
 Thames River – England
 Volga River - Russia
Water
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Rivers have served as transportation
highways for centuries – people and
goods.
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Access to the Atlantic Ocean has been
important for the shipping industry.
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Easier & quicker to travel over water
than land.
Great harbors enable trade between
countries.
Volga River - Freezes solid for almost 3
months of the year
 Few rivers in Russia are used for
trade, transportation or shipping
Dateline –The Chunnel
 What are some
advantages of
the Chunnel?
 How might
improvements in
transportation
affect economic
development?
Gulf Stream
Climate
4 Major Climate Regions
 Northwestern Europe - Marine West Coast
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North Atlantic Current
 Even though they are far to the North, they have a mild climate.
 Current carries warm water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic
Ocean to Europe
 Winds off warm waters carry moisture onto land, making it wet and
keeping temperatures warm
4 Major Climate Regions
 Mediterranean Sea
 Mediterranean Climate
 Hot and dry summers
 Mild and rainy winters
4 Major Climate Regions
 Central Europe
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Inland areas away from major bodies of water experience very cold
winters & very hot summers
 Northern Europe – Sub Arctic climate
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Short, cool summers and very long cold winters
Warmest days maybe 40º F
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Much of Russia has extreme climates
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Latitude locations
Massive landmass
Long cold winters, short mild summers
Vegetation
 Varies as much as the climate
 Most natural vegetation – forest
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Cleared for farms, factories and
cities
Northern Europe still has large
coniferous forests
 Forest covers most of Russia
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Two-fifths of the country’s total
territory – Taiga is the largest
forest in the world
Nearly one-fourth of the world’s
total forested area
Vegetation
 Central and Southern Europe once covered by grasslands.
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Cleared for farming
 Steppe - Located in Southwest Russia
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The natural vegetation of a true steppe consists of a mixture
of grasses with only a few stunted trees in sheltered valleys.
Vegetation
 Tundra in far northern region
 Northern Siberia – Russia
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Treeless plain with grasses and mosses
Ground is permafrost
Winter lasts up to 9 months of the year
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Average temperature in January -60º F
Consists of 75% of country’s landmass
Natural Resources
 Germany – Ruhr Valley region one of world’s
major industrial regions (coal)
 North European Plain – Fertile farmland
 Coastlines – Hydroelectric power
 Most resources in Russia are located in Siberia
 Makes it difficult to develop
Land Use Today
Geographical Boundaries
 Many mountain ranges have separated the
settlement of people.
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Different cultures have developed across
Europe.
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Why would this cause people to stop migrating?
How does location, climate and natural
resources impact how people live and work?
 United Kingdom
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Consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales) and Northern Ireland
Location & Climate
 Gulf Stream keeps the climate mild
 Good amount of rainfall to grow crops – fertile farmland
 Rugged coastlines great for harbors
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Natural Resources
 North and West – Highland Zone (mountainous) coal, oil and natural
gas
 Oil and natural gas also found in the North Sea
 Majority people live in the lowland zone – 1% of the population works in
agriculture
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Live and Work
 Most people live in urban areas – London is the largest city
 Service industries – banking, insurance, tourism
 Manufacturing industries – iron, steel and electronics
How does location, climate and natural
resources impact how people live and work?
 Russia
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Location & Climate
 Largest country in the world
 Extremely cold climate due to proximity to Arctic Ocean
 10% of land suitable for agriculture – wheat and barley – fertile???
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Natural Resources
 Large deposits of coal, oil, natural gas and forests
 Difficult to harvest and transport due to harsh climate and remote
locations
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Live & Work
 Most people live in the western portion on the European Plain due to its
milder climate
 Many goods are transported by railroad because rivers and lakes are
frozen most of the year
How does location, climate and natural
resources impact how people live and work?
 Germany
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Location & Climate
 Warm mild summers with cool winters
 Doesn’t experience a large amount of extreme weather
 Mild climate is great for agriculture – about ½ of Germany’s land
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Natural Resources
 Manufacturing industry drives the country’s economy – steel, building
materials, automobiles
 Huge deposits of coal and iron ore in the Ruhr region
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Live & Work
 Ruhr Valley region (western Germany) is the most densely populated –
large amounts of factories, cities and towns
 Rhine River provides transportation for products to be traded
How does location, climate and natural
resources impact how people live and work?
 Italy
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Location & Climate
 Moderate climate with cool winters and warm summers
 Colder in the mountain regions – covers 70% of land
 Close to central Europe – beneficial for trading
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Natural Resources
 Grapes – largest producer of wine in the world – grow along
mountainsides
 Few mineral resources – have to import/trade most resources for
industries
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Live & Work
 2/3 of population live in the northern region – industry and agriculture
 Tourism is the most important industry due to climate and history
Environmental Issues
 Acid Rain
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Rain that has been polluted from the chemicals
released into the air from the burning of fossil fuels
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Major concern in Germany
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East Germany burned a massive amount of brown coal in order to produce electricity
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Released sulphur dioxide into the air – causing acid rain
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Brown coal still accounts for ¼ of Germany’s energy production – have closed
inefficient plants to help reduce pollution
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Effects of acid rain
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More than ½ of Germany’s trees have either been damaged or killed by acid rain
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Pollutes rivers and lakes – killing off plants and animals
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Damages brick and stonework buildings
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Changes
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Strict laws have been put into place to reduce the amount of emissions factories
produce
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Cars must have a special converter on their exhaust systems
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Government is working to covert energy production to oil and natural gas
Environmental Issues
 Air pollution
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Major concern in the United Kingdom
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Previously resulted from factory emissions or homes burning coal for heat.
Pollution in the air mixed with the fog that is common in the region creating a smog
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4,000 people died in the Great London Smog of 1952
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Today, pollution is caused by car exhaust and factory emissions as well as ozone
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Carbon monoxide and nitrous oxides hover close to the ground contaminating the
air we breathe
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Ozone adds to the problem, forming when air pollutants mix and react with sunlight to
form smog
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Changes
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Government has tightened car emission standards
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Endorsed the use of cleaner fuels
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Encouraged citizens to use public transportation
The End