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Physical Geography of Europe:

The Peninsula of Peninsulas

Landforms of Europe

• Europe is composed of many peninsulas and islands.

• Europe’s landforms also include large plains and mountain ranges.

Landforms of Europe

• “Peninsula of Peninsulas”- Europe is a large peninsula of Asia, plus there are many peninsulas jutting out from it also.

Northern Peninsulas

Northern Peninsulas: • 1. Scandinavian Peninsula

occupied by Norway & Sweden

• 2. Jutland Peninsula forms the largest part of Denmark & a small part of Germany.

Fjords

• Fjords- U-shaped valleys that connect to the sea, & filled with seawater after glaciers melted.– Created by glaciers– Common in Norway

Southern Peninsulas

Southern Peninsulas• 1. Iberian Peninsula is home to

Spain & Portugal• 2. Italian Peninsula is home to

Italy.• 3. Balkan Peninsula is

bordered by the Adriatic, Mediterranean, & Aegean Seas.

Islands

• European Islands- Iceland, Greenland, Ireland, Great Britain, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Ibiza, & Crete

Mountains

• Mountain Chains of Europe- – Alps, Pyrenees, Apennine, Balkan, Caucuses and

Ural Mountains

The Alps• The Alps are

Europe’s most famous mountain chain– arc across France,

Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, & the northern Balkan Peninsula.

– Cuts off Italy from the rest of Europe

The Pyrenees and Apennine Mtns.• Pyrenees Mountains create a natural

border between France and Spain and the Iberian Peninsula

• The Apennine Mountains divide the Italian Peninsula between east & west.

The Balkan Mountains• Balkan Mountains block off the Balkan

Peninsula from Europe.• The Caucuses Mountains form a natural

barrier between Europe and Asia to the south

The Ural Mountains

• The Ural Mountains form a natural barrier between Europe and Asia.

Rivers

• Throughout Europe there is a network of rivers.

• They transport goods between coastal harbors & inland region, aiding economic growth.

Rivers• The Danube River touches 9 countries over

its 1,771 mile length, it links Europeans to the Black sea.

• The Rhine River has served as a watery highway for centuries. It flows 820 miles from the interior of Europe north to the north sea.

• The Seine River is a major river and commercial waterway that flows through Paris and the country of France.

• These and many other rivers connect Europeans and encourage trade and travel

Seine River

Danube River

Rivers• The River Thames is a major river that flows

through southern England, specifically London.

Rivers The Volga River is

longest river in Europe.– 15th longest in the

world– -flows 2,300 miles

south from Moscow– carries 60% of

Russia’s river traffic

– Empties into the Caspian Sea

Oceans and Seas

• Europe is also surrounded by oceans and seas.

• In fact, most places in Europe are only about 100 miles from an ocean or sea.

• The Atlantic Ocean lies to the west and the Arctic Ocean to the North.

• Major seas include the sunny Mediterranean Sea, the frigid North and Baltic Seas and the prosperous Black Sea.

Oceans and Seas• The North Sea is home to many

oil rigs but is very turbulent and dangerous sea.

• The Black Sea is a large sea that connects Europe and Asia through trade networks. The Danube River flows into the Black Sea.

• The frigid Baltic Sea is important as it is the only access to the sea for Russia, Poland and other small countries.

• Oil Rig in North Sea

Mediterranean Sea• The Mediterranean Sea is

Europe’s largest and most important sea.

• It is still a major trade network, as it was in ancient times.

• Many waterways are linked such as the Atlantic Ocean, Black Sea and many rivers.

• It’s name literally translates to “Middle Earth” in Latin. Medi meaning middle and terra meaning earth.

Trade in the Mediterranean

Middle Earth

Fertile Plains• Northern European Plain is the most fertile

agricultural regions of the world. It stretches a huge curve across parts of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, & Poland.

• Relatively flat, very desirable agricultural land, but the plain’s flatness has also allowed armies & groups of invaders to use it as an open route.

• Other, smaller, fertile farming plains:– Sweden, Hungary, northern Italy’s Lombardy

Europe’s Climate

• Much of Europe has a relatively mild climate because of ocean currents and warm winds.

• Eastern Europe has a harsher climate because it is farther from the Atlantic Ocean.

Europe’s Climate

• North Atlantic Drift- current of warm water from the tropics– Prevailing westerlies pick up

warmth from this and helps give Europe a mild climate

Europe’s Climate Types• Marine west coast climate - warm summers,

cool winters throughout most of Northern & West Central Europe because of closeness to the Atlantic Oceans & the North Sea. – Spain, France, Germany, British Isles, coastal

Scandinavia

Europe’s Climate Types• Humid continental climate: cold, snowy winters;

warm or hot summers– Sweden, Finland, Romania; eastern Poland,

Slovakia, Hungary

Europe’s Climate Types• Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers; mild,

wet winters– Italy, Greece and southern Spain, France

Europe’s Climate Types• Tundra climate in far northern Scandinavia,

along Arctic Circle– permafrost with no trees, only mosses, lichens

• South of tundra is subarctic climate: cool with cold, harsh winters

Europe’s Climate

Ice Hotel in

Northern Sweden

Europe’s Latitude Compared to U.S.