Post on 12-Jan-2016
Western Europe Western Europe
Western Europe IWestern Europe I
Learning objectives
• Understand Western Europe region
• Describe climate characteristics
• Discuss tourism characteristics
Western Europe IWestern Europe I
• Nations of Southern and Northern Europe to form the most important tourist region in the world
• Five of the world’s top destination countries are from the region (France, Austria, UK, Germany and Switzerland)
• 3 other countries (Netherlands, Ireland, and Belgium) are in the top thirty
Western Europe IWestern Europe I
• Extremely accessible with major transportation routes both within the region and outside the region
• Increasing cooperation associated with the European Union combines with deregulation of the airlines to make European travel easier and less expensive
Western Europe IWestern Europe I
• Latest steps in open skies allows airlines to fly between any two cities in the European Union
LandformsLandforms
• Divided into four general types
• Northwest highlands, European Plain of Western Europe, central uplands of France and Germany, and the rugged mountains of Switzerland, Austria and Southern Europe
LandformsLandforms
• European Plain is an area of low, gently rolling topography and dense populations
• Agricultural and industrial region of continental Europe
• South and east of the European Plain are the Alpine mountain systems of the Swiss and Austrian Alps, where elevations reach more than 15,000 feet
Climate CharacteristicsClimate Characteristics
• British Isles, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and much of France and Germany have a marine west coast climate
• Winter temperatures in eastern France and in Germany are lower than those in the British Isles, and summer temperatures are higher
Climate CharacteristicsClimate Characteristics
• Austria and Switzerland have greater climatic variations due to differences in local elevations and the direction a specific valley faces
• Twenty and forty inches of precipitation in most areas, with higher precipitation totals in Ireland, Scotland, and other highland regions
Climate CharacteristicsClimate Characteristics
• Atlantic Ocean is the result of the North Atlantic Drift (Gulf Stream), which brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the European Continent
Climate CharacteristicsClimate Characteristics
• Great differences in climate, with January temperatures dropping below – 30 degrees F in the high Alps.
• During July, temperatures range from 50 to 60 degrees F in the high mountains to 70 to 80 degrees F in the lower valleys
SummarySummary
• We understand Western Europe region better through climate and tourism characteristics of its territory.