Transcript Section 1: Land and Water

Section 1: Land and Water
Chapter 6
Europe and Russia:
Physical Geography
Introduction
• Polders: a patch of land reclaimed from the
sea
• Population density: the average number of
people living in an area (per square mile)
• The Netherlands needs more land because
their population density is 10x the world’s
average
• In general, Europe has a high population
density, except for Russia
Size and Location
• Eurasia is the world’s largest landmass
• It is made up of two continents
– Europe and Asia
• ¼ of Russia is in Europe, the other ¾ are in
Asia (Most of the population resides in
European Russia)
Size and Location
• Europe is a small continent with a country
– It contains 47 countries
– Russia is the largest country in both Europe and the
World
– It is double the size of the United States
• Farther North than you think
– Many people believe the U.S. are about the same, in
terms of latitude position.
– Europe is farther North.
– Berlin the capital of Germany is on the same latitude
as the southern border of Canada.
Major Landforms of Europe and Russia
• Europe is a peninsula
– Peninsula: a landform that is surrounded by water on
three sides
• There are many bays and seas along Western
Europe.
– Europe is world leader in the shipping industry
• Russia is not known for shipping because the
rivers and ocean freeze for parts of the year
• There are no travel barriers between Russia and
the other European countries
Plains and Uplands of Europe
• Europe can be divided into 4 major land regions:
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Northwestern Highlands
The North European Plain
Central Uplands
Alpine Mountain System
• Northwestern Highlands
– Far North of Europe
– Few people live here because of poor soil for farming
– A very good timber industry
Plains and Uplands of Europe
• North European Plain
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The largest of the four areas
Goes from Russia to France
Most productive farmland
Contains some of Europe’s largest cities (Berlin, Amsterdam)
• Central Uplands
– Made up of highlands such as mountains and plateaus (large
raised areas of mostly level land)
– The land is very rocky, so it is not good for farming
– Good for mining minerals (Portugal), winter sports, and goat
herding.
– Countries in Southern Europe
Plains and Uplands of Europe
• Central Uplands
– Region that stretches from France to the Balkan
Peninsula (Where Greece is located)
– The Alps are the highest and most beautiful
mountains in this system
– This is a popular area for people to take vacations
– Some people make a living from small-scale
farming in the valleys and meadows of the Alps
Russian Plains and Uplands
• Europe and the western part of Russia share the
North European Plain
– Many of Russia major cities and industries are here
• More people live in this region than on the
eastern side of the Ural Mountains
– Siberia is name for Asian Side of Russia
• It contains 75% of Russia’s land, but only 20%
• Many people do not live there because of the harsh climate
• Siberia is broken up into 3 regions (West Siberian Plain,
Central Siberian Plateau, and East Siberian Uplands)
The Rivers of Europe
• The highlands of Europe and Russia are source
for many important rivers in Europe.
• Melting glaciers in the Alps create streams
that form the Rhine River
– Rhine River is a major highway for travel. Canals
and tributaries connect it throughout Western
Europe.
– Tributary: a river or stream that flows into a larger
river
The Rivers of Europe
• The longest river is Russia’s Volga River
– It flows almost 2300 miles through western Russia
and empties into the Caspian Sea.
– It links to the Arctic Ocean and the Baltic Sea
– However, like most Russian rivers for at least a ¼
of the year and becomes not navigable
– Navigable: term meaning that a river is clear
enough for ships to travel through