Western Europe: Physical Geography

1. Western Europe: Physical Geography BY: Mr. Howard 9th Grade Pre-AP World Geography

2. Major Landform Regions(map on pg. 291) • Alpine Mountain System • Alps- Stretch from Frances Mediterranean coast to the Balkan Peninsula. • Carpathian Mountains- Eastern Europe • Apennines- Italy • Pyrenees- France and Spain • Central Uplands • Hills, small plateaus, with forested slopes and fertile valleys • Many of Europe’s productive coal fields lie here • Northern European Plains • Runs along Frances Atlantic coast to the Ural Mountains • Many rivers run through this area of low elevation causing development of many towns and cities. • Northwest Highlands • Rugged hills and low mountains • Scandinavian Peninsula, British Isles, Parts of France, and much of the Iberian Peninsula • Glaciers carved out many lakes, FJORDS along Norway’s coast, and thin soils.

3. Water (Peninsula of Peninsulas) • Mediterranean Sea • Atlantic Ocean • North Sea • Baltic Sea • English Channel • Adriatic Sea • Norwegian Sea • Artic Ocean • Many harbors and navigable rivers • Europe has an irregular outline, and is largely formed of peninsulas. • The complex mingling of land and water has provided much of Europe with many opportunities for maritime activities. • Scandinavian, Iberian, Italian, Balkan, Jutland, and Europe. • Strait of Gibraltar

4. Climate (pg. 282) • Marine West Coast* • Frequent Atlantic Storms • Temperatures mostly mild, cloudy, and foggy days are common. • Humid Continental* • Four distinct climates • Mediterranean* • Low rainfall • Mild Winters • Semiarid • Highland • Subarctic • Humid Subtropical • North Atlantic Drift • Despite High Latitudes much of Coastal Europe experiences mild winters. • Warm waters keep northern ports open during winters.

5. Biomes • Temperate Forest • Due to growth of population and towns little remnants remain of the forests. • Boreal Forest • Northern and Central Europe lie here. • Much of the timber industry here has reduced the areas animal life. • Tundra • Reindeer, foxes, and birds migrate here during the short Artic summer • Mediterranean scrub forest • Sheep and wild Boer roam remote areas. • Drought resistant plants and shrubs grow here.

6. Natural Resources • Forests, Soils, and Fisheries • Most European countries import their lumber. • Despite lack of land, Much of Europe is used for farming. • Loess * fine-grained, windblown soil that is very fertile. • Because of the abundance of waterways, fishing is a big industry. • Energy and Minerals • Coal • Once oil became big business this hurt the economy • Oil and Natural gas located in North Sea • Minimal amounts, Europe imports mostly • Hydroelectricity • Nuclear Power • Long-term concerns • Iron ore, uranium, lead, and Zinc • Marble

7. British Isles (pg. 305) • Republic of Ireland • Gained Independence in 1921. • Republic Government- President is the Head of State. • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland • England • Wales • Scotland • Northern Ireland • Celts, Romans, Angles and Saxons, Vikings all settled and had cultural impacts on this area. This is called Sequent Occupancies. • During the 1800s more than ¼ land was ruled by the British Empire. • Mid 1800s Ireland suffered from the Potato Famine. About 1 Million died. This was a huge cause for migration to the U.S. • Constitutional Monarchy- King/Queen is head of state, but parliament led by a prime minister serves as the lawmaking branch of government.

8. British Isles Continued • Culture • Languages- English, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic. • Religion • Most of Northern Ireland and UK are Protestants. • Ireland is predominantly Roman Catholic. • This has led to violence in Northern Ireland. • Sports • Soccer • Rugby • Cricket • American Football?

9. British Isles Continued • Issues and Challenges • Conflict in Northern Ireland • Economy • Industrial Revolution began in Britain. • These industrial cities developed near iron ore deposits and coal fields. • Raw materials from colonies supplied the factories in 1700 and 1800s. • After WWII, UK Nationalized industries. Today much of the industries are back into private ownership. • Today the UK attracts high-tech industries. Service industries and tourism help the economy as well. • Ireland traditionally was based on farming. • Low taxes attract foreign companies to Ireland. Think about the Toyota Plant in Texas.

10. France • History • Shares UK’s successive waves of migrants, settlers, and conquerors. • Also a world colonizer like the British. • French Revolution- Formed a Democracy. • Backed the U.S. in the American Revolution. • We have pretty much remained their ally and them ours ever since. Besides the time we went through the Freedom Fries thing. • Largest country in Western Europe, but still smaller than Texas.

11. France • Culture • Speak French • Roman Catholic • Long friendship with the U.S., however, to stop the spread of American Culture, France government spends money and enact policies to keep French culture French. • Fashion forward • Shares same sports preferences as UK.

12. France • Issues and Challenges • High Taxes, Government controls impede private businesses. • High immigration • The Government has passed bans on face covering to uphold Frances Non-Secular beliefs. This is an example of Nationalism

13. France • Economy • Fashion, perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry, glassware, furniture. LUXURY products. • Tourism • Farming • Technology • Service industries • Cities • Paris is a Primate City. 11 million people live in Paris. 2000 years old. • Marseille- Mediterranean seaport.

14. The Benelux Countries • Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg make up the Benelux Countries. • They have been fought over many times by larger countries. • After WWII they established a political and economic union that would plant the seed for the European Union. • Luxembourg • Has three official languages- • German • French • Luxembourgian- Combo of German and Dutch. • Belgium • Dutch is spoken in the northern and coast parts. French is also spoken in the southern parts. • Belgians that speak Dutch are known as Flanders and French speaking Belgians are known as Walloons. • People here see themselves as either Flemish or Walloon instead of Belgian. • Netherlands (Holland) • “low lands”- much of the country is below sea levels. The Dutch have worked hard to reclaim the land from the sea but fear floods. • Dutch is the language of the Netherlands.

15. Benelux Countries • Luxembourg • Smallest member of the EU, but has among the highest in per capita GDP in the World. • Steel producer and international banking are the primary economic contributing industries. • It is a constitutional monarchy. • Netherlands • Known for there tulips. • Amsterdam and Rotterdam are highly urbanized and among the world’s busiest seaports. • The Netherlands are supported from very expensive government programs. • Also a constitutional monarchy. • Belgium • Brussels, a cosmopolitan city, is the capital and also headquarters for the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. • Centrally located in Europe and attracts many multinational businesses and banks. • Known for international businesses, chocolate, and diamond cutting.

16. European Union • An organization of countries interested in increasing economic and political cooperation between its members. • The Current EU was established on November 1, 1993. • Origins are traced back to the Benelux Countries. Then expanded to European Economic Community (EEC). Later it was shortened to EC, and became the EU. • Started to take form after WWII to encourage political and economic cooperation. • How many members are apart of the EU? • The EU seems pretty straightforward. HAHAHA!

17. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) • Came into effect in 1949. • After WWII many of the European countries and the U.S. agreed that it would aid any member of NATO when attacked by an external force. • NATO played a small role in the Korean war. • Intervened militarily in the Bosnian civil war and in Kosovo. • First time that NATO had to come to the aid of a member that came under attack from an outside force was 9/11.

18. Scandinavia • Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. • Besides Sweden, most of these countries operate within the free enterprise econonmy. (Supply and Demand) • These countries economically depend on the manufacturing goods and high-tech industries. • Sweden’s government controls most of the means of production and the government has expensive government programs that many Swedes have become dependent on. This economy is most closely classified as Socialist.