CHAPTER 11

Physical Geography of Europe

Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands Most of land within 300 miles of seacoast

— how does this affect life? 25% of Neth. Lies below sea level

Dikes—hold back water Polders—reclaimed land (windmills)

Great for farming

Northern Peninsulas

Scandinavian Peninsula Glaciation—formed and spread Fjords—long, narrow inlets Norway, Sweden are mountainous

—lakes Jutland Peninsula—Denmark

(plains, hills)

Southern Peninsulas

Iberian Peninsula Southwest edge—Spain and Portugal Strait of Gibraltar Plateau, Pyrenees Mountains (isolation)

Apennine Peninsula—Italy Apennine Mountains—young mountains Mt.

Vesuvius SE Europe—Balkan Peninsula

Isolation

Apennine Peninsula

Straight of Gibraltar

Da Boot

Balkan Peninsula

Europe’s Islands

Iceland—south of Arctic Circle Volcanoes, hot springs, geysers (glaciers) Grassy lowlands along coast, inland plateau

British Isles Great Britain and Ireland (thousands of other

islands) North—mountains, plateaus, deep valleys South—low hills, rolling plains Ireland—Emerald Isle (lush green land

Iceland

United Kingdom

Ireland

Me

Islands cont.

South—Mediterranean Sea Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete, and

Cyprus Volcanoes and earthquakes Mt. Etna—highest active volcano in Sicily

Greece—2,000 islands Very sunny, lots of tourism

Mountain Regions

Southern mountains—Pyrenees Alps—Southern France to Balkan

Peninsula Major rivers (Rhine and Po) originate in Alps

Carpathians—eastern Europe

Swiss Alps

Carpathian Mts

Plains

North European Plain (Great European Plain) SE England & western France to Poland Fertile soil and rivers (loess—fine soil)

Deposits of coal, iron ore, and other minerals led to industrialization in 1800s

Great Hungarian Plain Hungary to Croatia—grains, fruits, vegetables,

livestock

Great European Plain

Water System

Flow from mountains to coasts Great transportation Rhine—Swiss Alps through France and

Germany (connect industrial cities) Danube—Germany to Black Sea

Natural Resources

Utilize natural resources Energy, agriculture, water, minerals Coal and iron ore fueled industrial

revolution Peat—moss burned for energy in some

locations France—nuclear power (no oil reserves)

Pete cutting Peat

Natural resources map on page 263

Section 2: Climate and Vegetation Water and Land

Climates and Veg. vary cold to warm North Latitudes—very cold Location of sea—warm maritime winds—

mild climates Vegetation forests to grasslands

Western Europe

Marine West Coast Climate—mild winters, cool summers, abundant rainfall

Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift bring warm waters (and westerlies)

Trees and Highlands

Western Europe vegetation Deciduous and coniferous trees

Timberline—cannot grow Alps—colder, Foehns cause avalanches

Ireland’s Forests Depleted forests—agriculture and need for

wood left only 1% of land forests

Southern Europe

Mediterranean climate Warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters Cold winds from Alps—mistral Warm winds from northern Africa—siroccos

Eastern and Northern Europe Humid continental climate—cold, snowy

winters and hot summers Coniferous and deciduous trees,

grasslands in eastern Europe Far North, subarctic and tundra—

permafrost—frozen below surface (little vegetation)