Unit 6: EuropeWestern EuropeCentral Europe

Mediterranean EuropeEastern Europe

Vocabulary

1.Globalization: a process by which the people of the world are unified into a single society and

function together2.Characteristic: a distinguishing feature or quality

3.Supranationalism: the principle or practice of international cooperation above and beyond

national limitations (Ex. NATO, UN, EU)4.Enclave: an enclosed territory that is culturally distinct from the foreign territory that surrounds

it. (Ex. Albanians in Serbia)5.Exclave: a territory whose geographical

boundaries lie entirely within the boundaries of another territory (Ex. Kaliningrad)

6.North Atlantic Drift

Key Understandings1.The physical landscape and environment

often shape the political, economic, and social characteristics of a place, thus

influencing culture. 2.People modify the physical environment of

a region to meet human needs. 3.Globalization of peoples and economies

requires balancing both individual and collective wants and needs.

4.The organization of a country’s or region’s economic system influences its political and

social environment as well.

Political Map

Physical Map

Climates

North Atlantic Drift

Tropical ocean current that carries moisture and provides for the mild, Marine West Coast Climate.

Also causes United Kingdom and Ireland to be so rainy.

Ecosystems

Acid Rain

Factories produced high amount of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide omissions

¼ of European forests affected

Scandinavia and Germany hit particularly hard

Population

Religion

Language

Farming spread into Europe by about 5400 B.C. through the process of cultural diffusion.

Historical Overview

The Greek and Roman civilization until conquered by Germanic tribes - 500 CE.

Charlemagne unites Europe 800 CE

Renaissance, or “rebirth,” & began to colonize

1

Historical Overview cont.

Industrial Revolution -

growing use of machines and the extension of rights to more citizens.

After WWI, WWII and the Cold War -

pursued greater political and

economic cooperation.

Western Europe

Western EuropeGreat Britain United Kingdom

1United Kingdom’s Physical Characteristics

Highlands -large, high plateau with many lochs (lakes); Moors, or broad,

treeless rolling plains, cover much of the Highlands and are dotted with bogs, areas of wet, spongy ground; well suited to

fishing and sheep herding.

Midlands – center of Industrial Revolution; 75% of

population lives here.

Lowlands –have fertile soil that produces abundant crops.

Economic Activities

1. In the 1500s, mostly agricultural products.

2. textile industry, using first water and then coal to power

machines.

3. Currently - growth of tertiary economic activities

such as finance and tourism.

4. North Sea Oil Industry

5. Computer and electronics businesses developed along the Tweed and Clyde rivers have given the Clyde Valley the nickname “Silicon Glen.”

(Scotland)

1

Parliament1. Representative lawmaking

body whose members are elected or appointed or

inherited

2. 1215 Magna Carta – gave noblemen rights and

removed rights from the King

3. Iceland’s Parliament is the oldest in the world – meeting since 930 C

4. Gordon Brown – current Prime MInister

Tea TimeImported from Asia

Introduced by Dutch traders for the 1st time in 1657

Clean water was scarce and had to be boiled

Tea has caffeine

Food with afternoon tea began in the 1800s

The ChunnelThe English Channel is the waterway between France and

England. The Chunnel is an underwater 31 miles long tunnel connecting the 2 countries.

Hadrian’s WallRome’s northernmost boundary until the 5th century. Built to keep barbarians out. 80 miles long from the North Sea to the

Irish Sea.

3 Main Elements of Scottish Culture

Edinburgh CastleKiltBagpipes

Loch Ness Monster

Wales strongly influenced since

being conquered by England in 1284.

landscape similar to that of Scotland, but more rain than England.

20% speaks Welsh as their 1st language,.

by the 1980s most of the coal mines had closed.

In the 1990s, high-tech industries provided new jobs in Wales.

2

Ireland’s Physical Characteristics

1. shaped like a huge bowl, with hills

ringing most of the coastline.

2. “The Emerald Isle.”

3. 1/6 covered by peat, a spongy material

containing waterlogged mosses and plants that can

be used as fuel

4. ¼ of the nation’s electricity.

3

Peat

Northern IrelandCatholics in

Northern Ireland favor reunification, while Protestants oppose it.

Protestant and Catholic extremists in Northern Ireland have used violence to try to win control of Northern Ireland

Ireland’s Religious ConflictIn the early 1500s, Protestants broke from the Catholic Church

in the Reformation.

The Protestant minority controlled much of the wealth, and Irish Catholics were poor.

Conflict between Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics led to cultural divergence, or deliberate efforts to keep the

cultures separate.

Irish Potato FamineMany poor Irish

died in the Potato Famine of the 1840s, inflaming anti-British feelings and causing many Irish to emigrate.

Potato Blight

Nordic Countries

Physical Characteristics

Long Winters, Short SummersThe aurora borealis shine most brightly in the

Nordic regions in winter.In midsummer, the sun never really sets for several

weeks.

4

Physical Characteristics

collection of islands and peninsulas

varies from very flat to very mountainous.

geothermal energy from the heat of the earth’s interior.

Geothermal Energy: How it Works

Environmental ChangeThe landscape is the product of the last Ice Age.

The fjords were carved out by glaciers and later filled with water.

The Ocean and the Climate

Despite the long winter, the climate is very mild due to warm ocean currents.

The Nordic countries possess strong cultural ties.

The Nordic nations were united at times.

Most Nordic peoples belong to the Lutheran Church, established during the Reformation.

Nordic languages, except Finnish, have common roots, and students are required to learn English as well..

mixed economies,

Economic Activitiesagriculture.

Fishing

oil and gas production

forestry

4

France

1France is divided into several historic, cultural, and economic regions.

In the north, Paris is the political, economic, and cultural capital, and it is a center of industry.

Southwestern France is known for its wine production.

The Rhine Valley provinces in the east are rich in natural resources.

Regions of France

The Alps hindered movement between Italy and France until a

tunnel was built under Mont Blanc.The French Riviera is renowned for its beaches and international film festival.

Charlemagne’s Empire

French Revolution1. 1789 -1802

2. French supported US Revolution which caused financial strain3. Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI executed along with MANY other

nobles4. Napoleon Bonaparte would become emperor soon after

ImpressionismMonet Renoir

Eiffel Tower

The Louvre

Arc de Triomphe

French LanguageOne Country, One Language

Before the 1500s, French was only spoken around Paris.

Other languages such as German and Breton are still spoken, as well as many dialects

French is the national language.

The French Academy, established in 1635, works to preserve the purity of the French language.

1 France Today

After World War II, the French government established programs to modernize the economy and balance growth among France’s regions.

France also nationalized, or brought under state control, some businesses considered vital to national interests.

France is a wealthy nation, but in the 1990s it struggled to recover from an economic recession, when unemployment was high.

Immigrants, many from North Africa, were the focus of racial tensions.

MonacoMonte Carlo –

casinos

French official language

Most are Catholic

Constitutional Monarchy – Prince Albert II

Tourism - 13% of economy

Euro

Germany

2

Physical Characteristics

1. North German Plain, with important industries,

Germany’s largest cities, and access to the North Sea and

the Baltic Sea.

2. Central Germany is one of the most important industrial areas in the world, and it is

also home to Germany’s banking center at Frankfurt.

3. Southern Germany borders the Bavarian Alps, and its

largest city, Munich, became Germany’s cultural center

after World War II.

One People, Two CountriesGermany was divided during the Cold War into West and East Germany.

In 1989, a wave of protests

overturned the Communist

East German government, opening the borders and leading to a

reunited Germany.

Berlin Wall1. Berlin was split in 2 at the end of WWII2. Eastern side under Communist control

3. Western side under Europe and USA control4. 1989 Anti-communist feelings swept through Europe and so the

wall came down uniting Germany

United Germany’s Defeats

Defeated in World War I, Germany was forced to pay reparations, which caused inflation and economic collapse.

Adolph Hitler and the Nazis rose to power during the 1930s, promising to restore German glory.

Germany was defeated again in World War II by Allied countries.

Holocaust1. Hitler elected Chancellor of Germany and within a year

dissolves Parliament, German Nationalism2. Systematically murders 12 million people including 6 million

Jews3. Cause of WWII (1939 – 1945) which the USA did not enter

until 19414. Germany split into 2 nations after the war

Germany in the World TodayGermany is Western

Europe’s leading industrial power and the 3rd most technologically powerful

economy (USA #1, Japan #2)

Germany a leading member in the European Union.

About $100 billion is spend every year to upgrade the economy of the eastern

lands once under Communist control.

Unemployment, violence against foreign workers, and environmental pollution are

other problems Germany faces.

2

Benelux Countries

Reformation1. Period when Christians

began breaking from the Catholic Church

2. 1517 Martin Luther published 95 statements

that criticized the Catholic Church

3. No Man is better than any other; can’t “buy”

forgiveness; can’t buy someone who is dead out

of hell or purgatory

4. Still a Protestant – Catholic split

The Netherlands (Holland)

Romans built dikes,

The Dutch more skillful at creating new land, building dikes, pumping out water, and creating polders

used windmills to power the pumps & 1/3 is below sea level.

extremely high population density, and almost ½ of the land is used for agriculture.

3

Netherlands Reclaimed Land

Ijsselmeer: added 100s of miles to the country

Zuider Zee: part of the North Sea now a freshwater lake

Belgium30% French Walloons

55% speak a dialect of Dutch called Flemish.

Both are official languages

The Belgian Parliament has recently passed laws to

decentralize its government, or transfer

power to smaller regions.

3

3

Luxembourg1. only 990 square miles.

2. Luxembourg maintains cultural ties with Belgium,

Germany, and France, and 3 languages are spoken there.

3. one of the highest standards of living in

Europe.

4. Diverse economy: steel-making into high-tech firms

and service industries.

5. member of the European Union.

Lichtenstein 1. only 62 sq. miles

No military

Most are Alemannic

Most speak German or Alemannic

Most are Roman Catholic

No unemployment

Very high standard of living

Low inflation

Switzerland TodayTwenty-six cantons, or states,

make up Switzerland today and have a great deal of control over their own affairs.

very high standard of living.

Switzerland specializes in tourism, and making products that require skilled labor, dairy farms are also big

Many countries bank in Switzerland b/c of their neutrality (been neutral since 1800)

Switzerland has three official languages (64% German, 19% French, & 17% Italian)

Austria-Hungary Empire

4Austria

Used to be part of the Austria-Hungary Empire, but after World War I it collapsed and was broken into several new countries.

mountainous, most people live in the eastern lowlands.

Switzerland as a model for economic renewal, has created specialized industries, mineral resources that are sometimes extracted through strip mining.

Vienna, the country’s capital, was the political and cultural center of the Austrian Empire, tourism

Hungary

Hungary Today1. 90% Magyars

2. Roman Catholic

3. 1990 1st free non-communist elections

4. Danube River

5. Struggle to switch from communism to

capitalism

Cyanide in the Tisza River

1. In Jan. 2000, a gold mine released

cyanide into the Tiza River

2. Killed 80% of fish

3. Pollution is the cause of 1:17

deaths in Hungary

European Environmental Agency

Czechoslovakia & Velvet Divorce

Czech Republic10 million ppl

Part of Roman Empire, then Austrian Empire

56% of forests destroyed by acid rain

Czech RegionsBohemia: West, most

industries here, Prague, Catholic Moravia: East, older industry

SlovakiaEthnic Slovaks

Independence in 1993

Bratislava – capital

Struggle to improve economy after Communism

Most are Roman Catholic

Iberian PeninsulaMade up of Spain and Portugal

Spain

Geographically, Spain is separated from Europe by the

Pyrenees Mountains, and steep cliffs line much of the

coastline.

Spain Today

High plateaus (Meseta) and only one of Spain’s

many rivers is navigable.

Mediterranean climate,

Spain’s economy has shifted from agriculture

to new industries in recent years.

Madrid became the hub, or central point of activity

and influence.

1

BasquesUnique

language only spoken there and not related to any other language

Separate ethnic group

Granted self-rule, but no independence

Portugal

Portugal

1. exports port wine, olive oil, and cork

products.

2. Asia & Africa as trading colonies.

3. Treaty of Tordesillas: Portugal got Brazil,

Spain got everything else

4. 1975 did Portugal grant its African

colonies independence.

5. 1 million Africans to Portugal for jobs

1

Andorra1. 181 sq. miles

2. Speak Catalan – mix French and Spanish

3. 2/3 are illegal immigrants

4. 90% Roman Catholic

5. 80% of the economy is service based

6. Tourism in the Pyrenees Mountains

Italian Peninsula

People and Environment

1. The Apennine Mountains, a young mountain range that experiences seismic

activity, runs the length of Italy.

2. Mediterranean climate.

3. Through overgrazing, much of the soil has

eroded.

4. Populated areas are very crowded.

5. Many Italians from the poor south have migrated to the industrial north to

find jobs.

.

2

The Regions of Italy

AlpsSeparate Italy from the rest of Europe. Rivers provide

hydroelectricity. Skiing and tourism are big here. Po River originates here and is their agricultural center.

Venice & Milan

Venice suffers from pollution and subsidence, but remains popular with tourists.

Fashion center of Italy, Largest city in Italy, 5th largest city in the

European Union

Central Italy - Rome

Sardinia and SicilyAutonomous region -Right

to create their own laws

Both have their own culture, though linked to Italy

Roman Empire

Rome was a Republic: citizens elect representatives to rule in their name

Is the USA a republic?

Aqueducts

Eruption of Mt. VesuviusCovered Pompeii in ash Perfect preservation

The Crusades

1096 European Christians launched a series of wars to take Palestine (where Jesus was born & crucified) from the Muslims

Saladin (Muslim ruler) will win in the end

Vatican City1. 0.17 sq. miles

2. Pope is the head of state

3. Population of 830 people

4. Protected by the Roman Curia

5. All official documents are in Latin

6. Roman Catholic

St. Peter’s Square

St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel

Pope and the Swiss GuardCurrent Pope Benedict

XVI, from GermanyProtect the Pope

Balkanize“to break up into smaller, mutually hostile, political units”

Balkan Peninsula fell to communism in 1948 Communism ended here in the early 1990s

Greece

People and Environment

The Aegean Sea occupies a graben, an area of land that dropped down between faults due to subsidence (land sinks)

Despite poor soil and little rainfall, agriculture is important to Greece.

1/3 of population lives in Athens.

world’s largest commercial shipping fleets

< 200 islands are inhabitable, or able to support permanent residents.

3

Cultural Influences

1. Democracy born here

2. Greece part of the Byzantine Empire &

Roman Empire.

3. In 1453, Turks conquered the city of Constantinople, now called Istanbul, and ruled Greece for 400 yrs

4. After a ten-year rebellion, Greece achieved

independence from Turkey in 1829.

3

Greece Today

1. 98% Greek Orthodox Church

2. In 2010 Greece had an economic collapse

3. $30 billion in debt to be consumed by Greek workers

4. Riots broke out

Eastern Europe

KaliningradExclave of Russia

1/5 forest

Mostly one big metropolis

Surrounded by EU countries even though Russia is NOT part of the EU.

Poland

Poland1. Strong National Identity

2. Most are ethnic Poles

3. 95% Roman Catholic

4. Part of North European Plain

5. 2/3 open field

6. Part of USSR until 1989

7. Solidarity: Polish labor union led by Lech Walesa who

became president in 1990

Romania Romanian ethnic group

Romanian (Romance language)

Eastern Orthodox faith

Broad, fertile plains

American soft drink company invested here and created entrepreneurs: indv. Who start and build a business

Created a multiplier effect: 11 new jobs created for each job the soft drink company created

Roma People “Gypsies”

1. Originally of the Punjab in India

2. Speak Romany

3. ½ million were killed in the Holocaust

4. Present in over 20 countries worldwide

5. Death and birth are impure

6. Marry young

7. Cats are impure b/c they lick themselves

8. Clothes for the lower body must be washed separate

Albania“Europe’s Hermit”

Isolation left Albania one of the poorest nations in Europe

Collapse of communism created economic chaos

Mostly Sunni Muslim

Most Albanians don’t live Albania

SerbiaSlavic

Slobodan Milosevic: Serbian leader that tried to increase Serbian control in early 1990s

Former Yugoslavia

Almost 50% unemployment

88% Serbian

Released Kosovo in 1999

MontenegroSplit from Serbia

in 2006

Part of former Yugoslavia

74% Eastern Orthodox

Parliamentary Republic – new constitution in 2007

Bosnia-HerzegovinaDeclared

independence in 1992

200,000 ppl were killed and 2 million became refugees

Mix of Bosnian-Serbs and Bosnian-Croats

“Yugoslavs = Americans” , their way of identifying themselves as a melting pot

Kosovo1. In 1990s Kosovo was

mostly Albanians and Muslim

2. Serbia tried to control Kosovo

3. Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)

4. Ethnic cleansing against Albanians

5. 1999 NATO attacked Serbs

6. Kosovo semi-independent 2001

7. Kosovo Refugees CD

Macedonia1. Macedonian is the

official language

2. Most are ethnic Macedonians (65%) & are Eastern Orthodox and the rest are ethnic Albanians (25%) & are Muslim

3. Democratic parliament

4. Moving from Socialism to Capitalism

Turkey

Ottoman Empire (1389-1922)

Turkey Today1. Sunni Islam is no longer

the official religion of Turkey, but still widely

practiced

2. Homes are purchased for each child as an

inheritance

3. Constitutional republic

4. Arabic and Turkish spoken here

5. 75% Turkish & 17% Kurdish

European Union

1. 27 member countries

2. Est. 1992

3. Combined GDP $16 Trillion

4. No one in the EU lives below the poverty line

5. Eurocorps: army made from France, Spain, Luxembourg, Germany & Belgium to keep

the peace

Euro

1. Common currency in Europe

2. Sept. 2000

3. Members include -Austria, Belgium, Finland, France,

Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,

Netherlands, Portugal, and

Spain

Bubonic Plague

Began in Messina, Sicily in 1347

Black Death – killed 25 million ppl, about 1/3 of of population

Fleas – rats – humans – humans

Primitive cures: flowers, vinegar, incense, masks

Ring Around the Rosie, Pocket full of Posies, Ashes, Ashes, We all fall down