Unit 6: Europe

1. Unit 6: Europe Introduction to Europe

2. Land area compared to the United States • Europe consists of 44 nations and is about ¾of the United States. • Examples: • United Kingdom = Wyoming • Germany = Washington and Oregon

3. Population compared to the United States • US Population = 300 million • Europe Population = 500 million • Examples - 5 European countries = United States • Germany – 80 million • Italy – 60 million • France – 60 million • United – 60 million • Spain – 40 million • Total – 300 million

4. Age of Europe compared to the United States • Europe – London is about 2,000 years old. • United States – Founded in 1775. (Europe’s kid) • Terminology • Europe – Continent • United Kingdom – Country • England – State • Great Britain - Island

5. Physical Geography • Europe is known as the Peninsula of Peninsulas • Scandinavian Peninsula – • Norway and Sweden • Land of the Midnight Sun” – because of the long days of light in summer. • Scandinavian Peninsula and the Black forest suffers from Acid Rain • fjords – long steep sided inlets. • Jutland Peninsula – • Denmark and parts of Germany • Iberian Peninsula – • Spain and Portugal (Pyrenees Mountains) • Italian Peninsula – • Italy • Balkan Peninsula – • Balkans (Various Mountains)

6. Mountains: # 1 contributor to the ethnic diversity. • Pyrenees - Southern Europe’s Younger Mts. High-sharp peaks are about 11,000 ft. • Alps – Created by glaciers – isolated Italy from the rest of Europe. • Rivers • Danube – Starts in Germany and empties into the Black Sea. • Main – Danube Canal – connects the Danube River and the Main River which links the Black Sea and the North Sea. • Rhine – Starts in the Netherlands and empties into the North Sea.

7. North European Plain • Stretches from southeastern England and western France to Russia. • Most fertile land in the world. • Southern edge of the North European Plain is especially fertile because of loess: fine, rich , wind-borne soil left from glaciers. • 33% of Europe’s land is suitable for Farming.

8. Central Uplands • Consists of low rounded mountains and high plateaus with scattered forests. • Meseta • Spain’s Central Plateau • Massif Central • France’s Central Highlands • Polders - • Land taken from the sea • Polders make up 40% of the Netherlands.

9. Natural Resources • Today Europeans rely heavily on: • Coal • Oil • Gas • Nuclear Power • Hydro Power • North Sea Oil (1959) – Major source of oil for the world.

10. Climate • Europe’s northern latitude and its proximity to the sea influences the Climate and Vegetation. • North Atlantic Current: • Warm current of the Atlantic that creates a mild climate. • Causes Northern and Eastern Europe to have a colder climate than most western and southern Europe because of their distance from the warming effects of the ocean.

11. High Latitude Regions • Bitterly cold winters – short cool summers. • Tundra region is covered in permafrost (permanently frozen land) and little vegetation. • Examples: Mosses, small shrubs, and wildflowers

12. Mid-Latitude Regions • Western Europe • Marine West Coast Climate: Mild winters, cool summers, and abundant rainfall. • Southern Europe • Mediterranean Climate: Hot and dry summers, mild rainy winters. • Humid Subtropical Climate: Hot and humid summers, cool winters. • Eastern Europe • Humid Continental Climate: All four seasons.

13. Dry Regions • Southeastern and Southwestern Europe: • Steppe Climate: Dry, cold grasslands, hot summers, cool winters, and light rainfall.