1. West-Central Europe
Chapter 13

2. Physical Geography
Section 1
3. Physical Features
Countries
France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, & Austria
Benelux countries (Low Countries)
Belgium, the Netherlands, & Luxembourg
Alpine countries (lie in the Alps mt. range)
Switzerland & Austria
4. Lowlands, Uplands, & Mountains
Landforms arranged like a fan
Northern European Plain: forms outer edge of fan; falls below sea level in some areas
Uplands: form middle of fan; begin at the Pyrenees Mts.; Massif Central in France & the Schwarzwald (black forest) in Germany are also important upland landforms
Mountains: center of fan; the Alps are highest range in Europe
Large glaciers are present & avalanches occur often
5. Climate & Waterways
Marine west coast climate
Mild winters, mild summers; Low annual temperature range; Heavy cloud cover & high humidity; Frequent cyclonic storms, with prolonged rain, drizzle and fog.
areas farther from North Atlantic are colder (Germany)
The Alps feed west-central Europes navigable rivers
Deep enough & wide enough to used by ships
France: the Seine, the Loire, the Garonne, & the Rhone Rivers
Germany: the Rhine, the Danube, the Elbe, the Oder, & the Weser Rivers
Important for trade & travel
6. Resources
Forests
Most cut down centuries ago
Fields that remain are very productive
Germanys plains: rich in loess (fine, wind blown soil deposits)
Germany & France produce grapes for wines
Switzerland: pastures support dairy cattle
Mineral resources
Iron ore, oil, coal, & natural gas
Nuclear power & hydroelectric power supply region w/ energy needs
Resources are unevenly distributed throughout region
7. Section 2
France
8. History
Been occupied by many European countries
Ancient times
Part of Gaul
Early History
600 B.C.
Greeks set up colonies
Gaul conquered by the Romans; est. Latin-based lang. that developed into French; rule lasted until A.D. 400
Franks (Germanic people) conquered Gaul
Charlemagne was ruler of Franks
9. Dreamed of building Christian empire as great as old Roman Empire
A.D. 800 crowned Emperor of Romans
Strengthened govt & improved education & arts in Europe
Empire divided after his death
Norsemen
Invaded from northern Europe; settled in western France (Normandy)
10. Middle Ages
Period from collapse of Roman Empire to 1500
Kings were not very powerful
Depended on nobles cooperation
1066
Duke of Normandy conquered England
Kings of England also ruled part of France
1300s
King of England tried to claim throne of France
lead to Hundred Years War (1337 to 1453)
French armies drove English out of France & French kings slowly increased their power over nobles
Roman Catholic church united Europe during this period
Cathedrals were built
11. Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris
12. Revolution and Napoleons Empire
1500s to 1700s
France built global empire
Est. colonies in America, Asia, & Africa
People of France lived in poverty &
had few rights
1789
French Revolution began
King was overthrown & elected govt
est.
1799
Napoleon Bonaparte took power
Great military leader & later took title as emperor
Conquered most of Europe
Built new roads in France, reformed education,
est. metric system
13. 1815
Alliance of Austria, U.K., Prussia, & Russia defeated Napoleon
French king regained throne
14. World Wars
WWI
German army controlled northern & eastern France
WWII
German army controlled northern & western parts of France
1944
Allies (U.S., British, & Canada) landed in Normandy & push Germans out
Two wars in 30 years destroyed France
Factories, cities, bridges, railroads, & train stations
1949
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed
France was founding member
Alliance was created to protect western Europe from future attacks
15. Government
1950s & 1960s
French colonies in Asia & Africa became independent
Other smaller territories around the world remained
France Today
Republic with parliament & elected president
Founding member of European Union (EU)
Trying to replace currency
The franc & EU currency the euro
16. Culture
85% are Roman Catholic
5%-10% are Muslim
Speak French mostly
Immigrants from Africa, Caribbean, & Southeast Asia influence French food, clothing, music, & art
17. Customs
Mediterranean foods
Wheat, olives, cheeses, & garlic
Wine is produced in many regions
Many festivals celebrated
Bastille Day (July 14)
1789 a mob stormed the Bastille, a royal prison in Paris; recognized as start of French Revolution
18. The Arts & Literature
Great tradition of poetry, philosophy, music, & visual arts
Late 1800s & early 1900s
Center of impressionism (capture the rippling of light rather than an exact, realistic image
19. France Today
Major agricultural & industrial country
Resources, labor force, & location help spur economic growth
Exports
Wheat, olives, wine, & cheeses
Factories: cars, airplanes, shoes, clothing, machinery, & chemicals
Major cities linked by high-speed trains & excellent highways
20. 21. Section 3
Germany
22. History
Germans
Descendants of tribe from northern Europe
Conquered by Romans
Land named Germania
23. Growth of a Nation
Small cities states developed region
Ruled by princes& with help of Roman Catholic Church became part of Holy Roman Empire
Prussia
1871- United German city states into one nation
Developed into industrial and military world power
24. War and Division
1914-1918
Fought and lost WWI
War damages and depression hurt economy
1920s
Adolf Hitler led Nazis in Germany
1933 Nazis took power & invaded Austria, Czechoslovakia, & Poland and started WWII
1942 Germany & Italy had conquered most of Europe
25. Concentration camps
Were people were forced to from occupied countries
Were enslaved or killed
6 million Jews & millions of other people were murdered in a mass killing called the Holocaust
26. 27. Allies of Britain, Soviet Union, U.S., & others eventually defeated Germany in 1945
Germany was divided into occupation zones by allies
Britain, France, & U.S. later combined zones to form West Germany
Soviet Union set up communist country of East Germany w/ an unlimited totalitarian government
1961 Berlin Wall was built to stop East Germans from escaping to the West
28. Reunification & Modern Government
West Germany
Roads, cities, railroads, & industries rebuilt after the war w/ U.S. financial aid
Free enterprise economy
East Germany
Rebuilt but was less prosperous
Govt allowed little freedom
Command economy wasless productive
1980s
East Germans demanded for democratic reform
1989
Berlin Wall was torn down
1990
East & West Germany reunited
Today
Democratic rights
Parliament elects president & prime minister (chancellor)
Member of EU & NATO
29. Culture
34% are Roman Catholic
38% Protestant
Diversity
90% are ethnic Germans
Turks, Poles, & Italians live & work in Germany
guest workers do not have citizenship
Thousands of refugees from Easter Europe in last 50 years
30. Customs
Food emphasizes products of the forests, farms, & seasons
Sausage, cheese, wine, & beer
Celebrations
Oktoberfest, Sangerfast, & Fastnacht
Christmas ismajor festival
31. The Arts & Literature
Johannes Gutenberg
1st European to print books using movable metal type
1700s & 1800s
Germany led Europe in development of classical music
Ludwig van Beethoven
Richard Wager operas of folktales of ancient Germany
32. Germany Today
Federal Republic
Parliament chooses chancellor (prime minister)
Also elects president (ceremonial duties)
Belongs to EU and NATO
Europes largest economy
1/5 of all good and services in EU
Based on industry (chemicals, engineering, and steel)
Major crops
Grain, potatoes, and grapes
33. The Alpine Countries
34. Names after Alps
Draw tourists
Both landlocked
Influenced by German culture
General Background Info.
35. Austria
Home to Habsburgs (powerful family of German nobles)
At their height of power they ruled Spain, Netherlands, areas of Germany, eastern Europe, & Italy
On losing side of WWI
Became republic after war
Today modern industrialized nation
Member of EU
Speak German
Prosperous economy
Little unemployment
36. Switzerland
Independent since 1600s
Swiss Cantons (26 districts)
each controls own affairs; national govt handles defense & international relations
Location in high Alps has allowed it to remain neutral in European wars
Not a member of EU or NATO
2002 joined UN (United Nations)
Language
German, French, Italian, and Romansh
Worlds highest standards of living
Famous for banks, watches, chocolate and cheese
37. Culture
Switzerland
46% is Roman Catholic
40% Protestant
Austria
Mainly Roman Catholic
5% Protestant
17% follow Islam
38. Languages & Diversity
Switzerland
64% speak German
18% speak French
10% speak Italian
Southeast speak Romansh
Other European languages
Austria
German speaking
Small minorities of Slovenes & Croatians
39. Customs
Christmas is a major festival
Rural Switzerland
Take cattle up to high mts. in late spring & return in the fall
Big celebration when they return
Alpine region
Well known for its music
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
40. The Alpine Countries Today
Both produce dairy products
Switzerland
Manufactures watches, optical instruments, & other machinery
Chemists discovered how to make chocolate bars
Major producer, but has to import cocoa beans
Alpine countries linked by highways, trains, & airports
Tourists are attracted by mountain scenery, lakes, & ski slopes
41. Section 4
The Benelux Countries
42. Once inhabited by Celtic & Germanic tribes
Were conquered by the Romans
Charlemagne ruled area after fall of Roman Empire
Region was ruled by various French rulers & by the Holy Roman emperor after Charlemagne
1555
King Philip II of Spain was given Low Countries
1570s Protestants in the Netherlands won freedom from Spanish rule
Netherlands became a great naval & colonial power
1830
Belgium became an independent kingdom
History
43. Scarred region
Many WWI battles took place in Belgium
WWII
Germany occupied Low Countries
1949
Belgium, Netherlands, & Luxembourg were founding members of NATO
Later joined EU
Today
Ruled by parliament & monarch
Monarch duties are mostly ceremonial
Netherlands controls several Caribbean islands
World Wars
44. Religion
Roman Catholic, Protestant, & those w/ no religious ties
Language
Dutch is spoken in the Netherlands
Flemish is spoken in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium
French is spoken in other parts of Belgium
Benelux countries are also home to immigrants from Asia & Africa
Culture
45. Diary products, fish, & sausage
Spices from Southeast Asia are used in many Dutchdishes
Belgians claim to have invented French fries, which they eat w/ mayonnaise
Food
46. Netherlands & Belgium are world leaders in fine arts
Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt & Jan Vermeer
Arts
47. 48. Netherlands
Famous for flowers
Export: cheeses, Chocolate, & cocoa
imports/refines: oil
Belgium
Known for diamond-cutting centers
Brussels is headquarters of EU & Nato
Luxembourg
Important banking services
Produces: steel, chemicals, and machines
International businesses & governments
The Benelux Countries Today
49. 50. Section 5
The Alpine Countries
51. History
Austria & Switzerland
Celtic Occupation
Roman & Germanic invasion
Ruled by Holy Roman Empire
52. Switzerland
Swiss Cantons (districts)
Broke away from Holy Roman Empire
1600s became Independent
Today
26 cantons; each controls own affairs; national govt handles defense & international relations
Location in high Alps has allowed it to remain neutral in European wars
Not a member of EU or NATO
2002 joined UN (United Nations)
53. Austria
Home to Habsburgs (powerful family of German nobles)
1400s on Holy Roman emperor was always a Habsburg
At their height of power they ruled Spain, Netherlands, areas of Germany, eastern Europe, & Italy
Empire was ethnically diverse & united only by allegiance to emperor & Roman Catholic religion
Austria Empire replaced Holy Roman Empire, also under Habsburg control
Nationalism (demand for self-rule)developed within empire
1867
Austrians & Hungarians agreed to share political power
Became Austro-Hungarian Empire, but dissolved after WWI
Germany occupied Austria during WWII
Allies occupied Austria after WWII
Today
Independent member of EU
54. Culture
Switzerland
46% is Roman Catholic
40% Protestant
Austria
Mainly Roman Catholic
5% Protestant
17% follow Islam
55. Languages & Diversity
Switzerland
64% speak German
18% speak French
10% speak Italian
Southeast speak Romansh
Other European languages
Austria
German speaking
Small minorities of Slovenes & Croatians
56. Customs
Christmas is a major festival
Rural Switzerland
Take cattle up to high mts. in late spring & return in the fall
Big celebration when they return
Alpine region
Well known for its music
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
57. The Alpine Countries Today
Both produce dairy products
Switzerland
Manufactures watches, optical instruments, & other machinery
Chemists discovered how to make chocolate bars
Major producer, but has to import cocoa beans
Alpine countries linked by highways, trains, & airports
Tourists are attracted by mountain scenery, lakes, & ski slopes