Transcript World Geography and Cultures

Introduction
Section 1:
The Land
Section 2:
Climate and Vegetation
Visual Summary
A study of the physical
geography of Europe will
reveal how physical
features influence the lives
of its people and how
people have managed and
used the continent’s
natural resources to
survive and prosper.
Section 1:
The Land
Physical processes shape
Earth’s surface. Physical
forces shaped Europe’s
landforms, water systems,
and natural resources.
These features have
shaped the lives of people
living in Europe.
Section 2: Climate and
Vegetation
Physical processes shape
Earth’s surface. Latitude,
mountain barriers, ocean
currents, and proximity to
large bodies of water affect
Europe’s climate and
vegetation.
The Land
Physical forces shaped
Europe’s landforms, water
systems, and natural resources.
The Land
• glaciation
• polder
• loess
• fjord
• dike
• located
• process
The Land
A. Alps
B. Rhine River
C. Po River
D. Northern European
Plain
E. Baltic Sea
The Land
F. North Sea
G. Mediterranean Sea
H. British Isles
I. Aegean Sea
J. Danube River
K. Black Sea
The Land
Most of Europe lies within how many
miles of a seacoast?
A. 450 miles
0%
C
A
C. 150 miles
B
A. A
B. B
0% C.0%C
B. 300 miles
The Land
Europe’s landscape, created over time by
physical processes, has shaped the lives
and settlement patterns of Europeans.
• Wind, water, and ice are among the forces
that have created Europe’s landforms.
• Mountains:
– Ben Nevis
– Alps
– Pyrenees
– Carpathians
The Land (cont.)
• Plains:
– Northern European Plain
– The Great Hungarian Plain
• Seas:
– Atlantic Ocean
– Baltic, North, Mediterranean, Aegean, Black
Seas
The Land (cont.)
• Peninsulas:
– Scandinavian
– Jutland
– Iberian
– Italian
– Southeastern
The Land (cont.)
• Islands:
– Iceland
– The British Isles
– Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete, Cyprus
– Balearic Islands, Malta’s 5 islands, Greece’s
2,000 islands
Building dikes and Polders
Which group of European mountains
is younger?
A. The northwestern
mountains
B. Southern Europe’s
mountains
A. A
B. B
0%
B
A
0%
Water Systems
Europeans depend on rivers and canals for
transportation, trade, and leisure activities.
• Many of Europe’s rivers flow from mountain and
highland areas to the coasts, which has enhanced
natural waterways as transportation links.
Water Systems (cont.)
• Rivers:
– Thames
– Rhine and Main
– Danube
– Sein, Rhone, Loire
– Elbe and Weser
– Vistula
– Po
– Dnieper
Which river is the most important in
western Europe?
A. Thames
B. Rhine
C. Sein
D. Po
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
Natural Resources
Natural resources influence economic
activity in Europe.
• Resources:
– An abundant supply of coal and iron ore
– Oil and natural gas deposits
– Peat
Natural Resources (cont.)
– Bauxite
– Zinc
– Manganese
Petroleum, Natural Gas,
and Coal Reserves in Europe
Europeans today rely on coal, oil, gas,
nuclear and hydroelectric power.
A. True
B. False
A. A
B. B
0%
B
A
0%
Climate and Vegetation
This section describes the
many factors that affect
climate and vegetation in
different regions of Europe.
Climate and Vegetation
• permafrost
• foehn
• timberline
• avalanche
• mistral
• sirocco
• vary
• annual
• normal
Climate and Vegetation
A. France
B. North Atlantic Current
C. Hungary
D. Romania
E. Ukraine
Climate and Vegetation
How many different
climate regions do you
think exist in Europe?
A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
D. 12
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
Influence on Climate
Latitude, mountain barriers, wind patterns,
and distance from large bodies of water
influence Europe’s climate patterns.
• The climates and vegetation vary from cold, barren
tundra to warm, shrub-covered Mediterranean
coasts.
Influence on Climate (cont.)
• Factors that account for such variation:
– Northern latitude
– Proximity to the sea
– Westerly winds
– Presence of large mountain ranges
Europe: Natural Vegetation
Western and southern parts of
Europe have a generally mild
climate due to which reason?
A. Their latitude
0%
0%
D
A
D. The surrounding lakes
C
C. Mountain ranges
A. A
B. B
C. 0%C
0%
D. D
B
B. The North Atlantic Current
Climate Regions
Europe’s climate regions range from cold
northern climates to dry steppe climates in
the southern part of the region.
• Wind, ocean currents, latitude, and landforms all help
determine Europe’s varied climates.
• High-Latitude Regions:
– Subarctic
– Tundra
– Highland
Climate Regions (cont.)
• Midlatitude Regions
– Mediterranean
– Humid subtropical
– Marine west coast
– Humid continental
• Dry Regions
– Steppe
Europe: Climate Regions
Much of eastern Europe has which
type of climate?
A. Highland
B. Mediterranean
C. Steppe
D. Humid continental
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
A. Islands
•
Volcanic Iceland has
hot springs and
geysers; tundra and
marine west coast
climates
•
British Isles consist of
islands of Great Britain
and Ireland; lie
northwest of the
European mainland
•
Rugged mountains
form islands of Sicily,
Sardinia, Corsica,
Crete, and Cyprus in
the Mediterranean
Sea
B. Resources
•
Major petroleum and
natural gas reserves in
the North Sea.
•
Coal deposits in the
United Kingdom,
Germany, Ukraine,
and Poland.
•
Heavy investment in
nuclear power in
France.
C. Peninsulas
•
Glaciation carved
narrow, steep-sided
fjords along the coasts
of northern peninsulas.
•
Warm ocean currents
create marine west
coast climate in coastal
areas of northern
peninsulas
•
Southern peninsulas
include the Iberian,
Italian, and Balkan
Peninsulas.
•
Mediterranean climate
characterizes the
Iberian and Italian
Peninsulas.
D. Rivers
•
Rhine and Danube
Rivers in the heartland
of Europe are
dominant rivers with
large amounts of
traffic.
•
Seine and Rhone
Rivers in France are
important for
transportation and
urban development.
•
Po River in Italy key
industrial development
E. The Alps
•
Located in southern
Europe; young, high,
jagged mountains
•
Source of some of
Europe’s major rivers
•
Form a barrier that
separates warm, dry
climate of the
Mediterranean from
cooler climates of the
north
F. Northern European
Plain
•
Stretches from
southeastern England
and western France
east to Poland,
Ukraine, and Russia
•
Mild climate, fertile
soil, and access to
rivers make it a highly
productive agricultural
area
glaciation
the process whereby glaciers form
and spread
loess (LEHS)
clay, usually carried by the wind
dike
large bank of earth and stone that
holds back water
polder
low-lying area from which seawater
has been drained to create new
farmland
fjord (fee•YORD)
long, steep-sided glacial valley now
filled by seawater
permafrost
permanently frozen layer of soil
beneath the surface of the ground
timberline
elevation above which it is too cold for
trees to grow
mistral
strong northerly wind from the Alps
that can bring cold air to southern
France
sirocco
hot desert wind that can blow air and
dust from North Africa to western
Europe’s Mediterranean coast
foehn (FUHN)
dry wind that blows from the leeward
sides of mountains, sometimes
melting snow and causing
avalanches; term used mainly in
Europe
avalanche
large mass of ice, snow, or rock that
slides down a mountainside
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