Europe

Leading countries according to GDP

• Switzerland• Luxembourg• Sweden

Leading countries according to Land Size

• Ukraine• France• Spain

Leading countries according to population

• Germany• United Kingdom• Italy• France

PHYSICAL CHARATERISTICS• Part of a large landmass called

EURASIA• Europe includes six peninsulas

–A peninsula is a body of land surrounded by water on three sides

• Europe’s peninsulas are the:– Iberian– Italian– Scandinavian– Jutland– Balkan– Crimean

• Europe also has three ISLANDS

• an island is a body of land completely surrounded by water

• Europe’s main three islands are Great Britain, Ireland and Sicily

• Europe is also home to many FJORDS

• A fjord is a narrow valley or inlet from the sea--originally carved out by glaciers

Fjord

• Two Major mountain ranges exist in Europe–Alps-Central Europe–Pyrenees- border between

France and Spain

Alps

• The largest physical characteristic in Europe is the North European Plain

• The North European Plain is a large flat fertile stretch of land important for agriculture, especially in Western Europe

• Rivers also play an important role in Europe.

• They are or were used for transportation, power, and trade.

• The most important are the Danube (Germany), Rhine (Germany), Seine (France), and the Thames (United Kingdom)

• Seas Oceans–Adriatic Atlantic–Aegean Arctic–Mediterranean–Baltic–Black–North (Oil)

• Landmarks–Strait of Gibraltar- separates

Europe from Africa at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea

• Climates–varied climate regions--

everything from tundra to mediterranean

–Europe’s climate is also affected by the North Atlantic Drift and the prevailing westerlies

• North Atlantic Drift is a powerful ocean current that carries tropical water toward the coast of Europe.

• The winds which blow across the North Atlantic Drift are known as the prevailing westerlies.

• Combined they help to produce a warm, moist climate in most of Europe

Economic Characteristics• The Mountain regions of Europe

are famous for tourism, recreation and mineral resources.

• Many areas of Europe are threatened by air and water pollution.

–1 polluted Forest--Black Forest of Germany (acid rain)

–1 polluted City--Venice,Italy–3 polluted Rivers--Danube,

Rhine, and Seine

• Many of Europe’s largest industrial and transportation centers developed near mineral deposits, especially coal and iron ore–Ruhr Valley (Germany)–Po Valley (Italy)

• Rivers and canals served as the major transportation links

• There are oil reserves in the North Sea. Great Britain has claimed many of them.

• Most countries of Europe, especially Western Europe, have a well educated workforce.

• Most are industrial or technological societies (Switzerland specializes in banking).

• The countries of Western Europe also use advanced farming techniques which gives them high crop yields.

• Fertile soils and the chernozem (black earth of Russia) are also found in Europe.

• Most of Europe has a well developed infrastructure.

• Infrastructure is things such as roads, power companies railroads and air carriers

• France and Great Britain have built the Chunnel to provide a railroad transportation between their countries.

• Western Europe and Eastern Europe have different industrial systems and different industrial development because of different economic and political systems since 1945.

• Most of western Europe belongs to the EUROPEAN UNION today. Eastern Europe is slowly catching up after changing their systems in the early 1990s

• The EUROPEAN UNION is a economic union used to tie the economies of Europe together for the benefit of all members. It is an ECONOMIC ALLIANCE.

• Trade is important in Europe, especially to the island nations.

• Sweden and Denmark allow their governments to play a large role in their economies.

• Eastern Europe has begun the switch from communism to capitalism

• the Netherlands grows crops on land reclaimed from the sea (Polders)

• Their demographics are typical of a developed nations.

• High per capita GDP• High literacy rate• High life expectancy

• Low population growth• Low infant mortality• Low percentage of the

population under the age of 15

Cultural Characteristics

• Europe is the birthplace to the Industrial Revolution

• The Industrial Revolution was the switch from hand or manual labor to using machines for labor

–England was the center of the Industrial Revolution

• Europe is the home to many ethnic groups

• each group brings different languages, religions and customs

• This has led to sporadic conflict among the groups

• such as war and revolution

• Europe is the birthplace of modern democracy

• Greece is the home of Democracy

• Europe has spread its’ culture to other parts of the world through

• exploration• colonization• imperialism

• Europe is highly urbanized• It is one of the most densely

populated areas of the world• Most of Western Europe is a

member in the political/military alliance called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• All of the following cities act as centers for culture and trade in Europe

• Berlin, Germany Rome, Italy• London, England Paris, France• Madrid, Spain• Athens, Greece• Warsaw, Poland

Cultural Landscape

In Paris the following cultural icons can be found:–Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe,

Louvre, Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame

Arc de Triomphe in Paris

Louvre

Eiffel Tower -- Paris

• In Italy the following cultural icons can be found:–Colosseum, Leaning Tower

of Pisa, St. Peter’s Basilica

Colosseum--Italy

Leaning Tower of Pisa--Italy

St. Peter’s Basilica

• Cultural Landmarks in Greece:–The Parthenon

Parthenon in Greece

• Cultural Landmarks in Great Britain:–Big Ben, England–Westminster Abbey, England

Big Ben--England

Westminster Abbey

In Europe in general--windmills (Netherlands)

and …castles (homes of feudal lords)

Windmills

Castles

The Channel Tunnel Eurostar speeds you through the Channel Tunnel, one of Europe's biggest infrastructure projects to date. The $15 billion Channel Tunnel makes the old dream of a ground link between Great Britain and continental Europe a reality for the first time since the Ice Ages.

Riding the Chunnel from London to Paris HD

Rail Eurostar Website

The Chunnel