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EUROPE
WHY IT MATTERS
 In the 1990’s several nations of Europe formed the ______________ (an alliance that works for the region’s
____________ & ___________ unity)
 Many European countries have replaced their national ___________s with a common currency (the _______)
 As one of the world’s leading _____________ powers, Europe has long had a close political, cultural &
economic ties to the __________
o Because of this important relationship, European ___________ & ______________ have shaped
your _________ & may continue to do so in the years ahead
WHAT MAKES IT A PHYSICAL REGION
 Europe is _______________ of ______________, with many fingers of land sticking out into the
_____________ Ocean & the ________________ Sea as well as several large islands & island groups
 Over the centuries, Europeans have taken advantage of their ____________, using the _______ as a source
of ___________ & an avenue for ___________ & _______________
 Europe’s landscape has _____ layers---the ______________ in the far north, a broad central
___________________ & a more ______________ south
 The ___________ tend to be _________ because __________ waters from the Gulf of Mexico reach the
northwestern edge of Europe & winds carry their warmth to the region
THE LAND
 Wind, Water, & Ice are the __________ that created Europe’s Landforms
 These landforms have influenced in many ways the __________ of people living in each region
Mountains & Plains
 The European landscape consists of ____________ interrupted by ______________ running through its
interior & along its northern & southern edge
 Europe’s northwestern mountains (rounded by millions of years of erosion & glaciation) feature low ______
o ______________ is the process by which glaciers ____________ & spread
Grampian Mountains
 The Grampian Mountains or ___________ are one of the three major mountain ranges in ______________,
occupying a considerable portion of the Scottish Highlands in __________ Scotland
o The mountains are composed of ___________, marble & ____________
 The other major mountain ranges in Scotland are the Northwest ___________ & the Southern __________
 A number of ____________ & ___________ rise in the Grampians: the Tay, Spey, Cowie Water, Burn of
Muchalls, Burn of Pheppie, Burn of Elsick, Cairnie Burn, Don, Dee & Esk
o The area is generally _____________ populated
 ______________ is the highest mountain in the ____________ Isles standing at 4,409 feet above sea level
& is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands,
close to the town of _______________
o The mountain is a popular ______________ attracting an estimated 100,000 _____________ a year
o The ___________, which is the collapsed dome of an ancient _____________,features the ruins of
an observatory which was continuously staffed between 1883 & 1904
Meseta
 The Meseta Central (_______________) of the ____________ Peninsula is a vast _____________ in the
heart of _____________ that has elevations that range from 2,000 to 2,500 feet
Rimmed by _______________, the Meseta Central slopes gently to the west & to the series of rivers
that form some of the border with _____________
With __________ at its centre, it extends over 81,000 square miles & has an average elevation of 2,165 feet
o It constitutes the ___________ & most complex geologic formation of the peninsula
Its western slope is gently inclined toward the Atlantic Ocean & forms the __________ of the Duero, Tagus,
& Guadiana rivers
To the north the _____________ rises abruptly into the ___________ Mountains & to the east it becomes
a series of ranges
The block mountains in the centre of the peninsula divide the ______________ into the high basin of the
northern Meseta (____________) & the lower plateaus of the southern Meseta (Castile–La Mancha &
Extremadura)
There are contrasts in ___________ & ___________ between the western outcrops of crystalline rocks
with poor soils & the eastern plains of limestones & marble that form the major _______________ zones
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The Pyrenees
 External & basicall right next to the Meseta Central lie the _____________ in the northeast that extend
from the eastern edge of the Cordillera Cantábrica to the __________________ Sea
 It forms a solid ____________ & a natural ____________ between Spain & both France & Andorra that
throughout history has effectively ____________ the countries from each other
 Passage is easy in the relatively _______ terrain at the eastern & western extremes of the mountain range
o It is here that international ______________ & ______________ cross the border
 In the ____________ section of the Pyrenees _____________is difficult
o In several places the peaks rise above 9,800 feet with the highest being __________________
which surpasses 11,150 feet
The Alps
 The _________ (created by ____________ ) are one of the great mountain range systems of Europe that
stretch approximately ______ miles across eight Alpine countries from Austria & Slovenia in the east,
Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, France to the west & Italy & Monaco to the south
o The Alps were formed over hundreds of millions of years as the African & Eurasian ____________
plates collided
o The extreme ________________ caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentation rising &
folding into high mountain peaks such as ______________ & the _____________
 Mont Blanc spans the ___________________ border & at 15,782 feet is the highest mountain in the Alps
o The Alpine region area contains many ___________ higher than 13,123 feet known as the
"___________________"
 The ________________ & ________________ of the range affects the _____________ in Europe
o In the mountains _____________ levels vary greatly & climatic conditions consist of distinct zones
o ___________ such as ibex live in the higher peaks to elevations of 11,155 feet & ___________ such
as Edelweiss grow in rocky areas in lower elevations as well as in higher elevations
 Evidence of ______________ habitation in the Alps goes back to the _____________ era & the ________
River & _______ River gets their source of water from the Alps
o The Alps mountain system was created by _____________ & it forms a ____________ from
Southern ______________ to the ____________ Peninsula
The Apennines
 The _______________ or Apennine Mountains are a mountain range consist of _____________ smaller
chains extending 750 miles along the length of _____________ Peninsula
o In the northwest they join with the _________ at the Italian provine of ___________
o In the southwest they end at _________________ which is a coastal city at the tip of the peninsula
o The southern mountains are __________ while the eastern mountains that slope down to the
__________ Sea are steep, while the western slopes form foothills on which most of peninsular
Italy's cities are located
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The mountains tend to be named from the ____________ or provinces in which they are _____________
The highest peak in the Apennine Mountains is “________________” & is 9,553 feet above sea level
o The Corno Grande is also home to Europe’s southernmost glacier the “_________________”
Carpathian Mountains
 The Carpathian Mountains or _______________ are a range of mountains forming an arc or ___________
shape roughly ______ miles long across Central & Eastern Europe, making them the _________-longest
mountain range in Europe (after the _______________ Mountains---1,056 miles long)
 They provide the ____________ for the largest European populations of brown bears, wolves, chamois &
lynxes, with the __________ concentration in Romania as well as over one third of all European plant species
o The Carpathians & their _____________(foothills & plateaus) also contain many ___________ &
_____________ waters, with Romania home to over 1/3 of the European total
 Romania is likewise home to the largest surface of virgin ___________ (forest that has attained great age
witout much disturbance) in Europe (excluding Russia)
o It totals 250,000 hectares (____________) with most of them in the Carpathians & with the
Southern Carpathians constituting Europe’s largest _______________ forested area
 The Carpathians consist of a __________ of mountain ranges that stretch in an arc from the Czech Republic
(3%) in the northwest through Slovakia (17%), Poland (10%), Hungary (4%), Ukraine (11%) to Romania (53%) in
the east & on to the Iron Gates on the River Danube between Romania & Serbia (2%) in the south
o The highest range within the Carpathians is the “_____________”, on the border of ___________ &
_____________ where the highest peaks exceed 8,530 feet
o The second-highest range is the ______________ Carpathians in _______________, where the
highest peaks exceed 8,202 feet
 The Carpathians are usually divided into __________ major parts: the _____________ Carpathians (Czech
Republic, Poland, Slovakia), the ______________ Carpathians (southeastern Poland, eastern Slovakia,
Ukraine, Romania) & the ______________ Carpathians (Romania & Serbia)
 The Carpathians are a geologically ___________ European mountain chain forming the eastward continuation
of the __________
 Although a counterpart of the Alps, the Carpathians ___________ considerably from them
o Their structure is less ____________ & they are split up into a number of mountain __________
separated by ________________
o The highest peaks, Gerlachovský Štít (____________) in the Carpathians (8,711 feet) & Mont Blanc
in the Alps (15,771 feet), differ greatly in _____________ & in average _____________ the
Carpathian mountain chains are also very much ____________ than those of the Alps
Balkan Mountains
 The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the ___________ Peninsula
o The Balkan range runs _______ miles from the Vrashka Chuka / Vrška Čuka Peak on the border
between ____________ & eastern ____________ eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine
on the _____________ Sea
 Because of its ____________, it is not appropriate for skiing holidays in Bulgaria & other similar activities
o The highest peak is “______________” (14,803 feet) located in the Central Balkan National
________ (established 1991)
Northern European Plains
 Sourced by Ice Age _____________ the Northern European Plain or “Great European Plain” stretches from
southeastern ____________ & western France eastward to Poland, ______________ & Russia
o It consists of the low _______________ between the Central European Highlands to the south & the
North Sea & the Baltic Sea to the north which are separated by the _____________ Peninsula
o The North European Plain is connected to East European Plain & _______________ they form the
European Plain
 The plains ___________ soil & wealth of ___________ originally drew _______________ to the area
The southern edge is especially ____________ because deposits of “______________” (a fine,
rich, wind-borne soil left by glaciers) cover it
 Deposits of coal, _____________ & other minerals led to western Europe’s _________________
development during the _________
 Today many of Europe’s largest cities (_____________ & _____________) are located on the plain
Hungarian Plain
 The Hungarian Plain or Great Hungarian Plain is a plain occupying the southern and eastern part of
______________, some parts of the Eastern Slovak Lowland southwestern Ukraine, the Transcarpathian
Lowland, western Romania, northern Serbia & eastern Croatia
 The Great Hungarian Plain is an ________________ region which makes up _______ of Hungary's land mass
o Across this great plain from north to south meanders the “_______ River”, a tributary of the Danube
o Dotting the landscape among the ________ & ________ pastures are farmhouses with steel milk
canisters hung from eaves & old-fashioned wells with swinging buckets
 Although the Great Hungarian Plain is now a _________ belt, throughout history, it has been the location of
many ____________ invasions
o
Eurasia
 Eurasia is a ___________ continental landmass comprising ___________ & __________
 Covering about 20,846,000 mi2 it is considered a “______________” & it is located primarily in the eastern &
northern hemispheres, with the _________ Ocean to the north, the ____________ Ocean to the west, the
________________ Sea, the Suez Canal (& Africa) & the ____________ Ocean to the south & the Pacific
Ocean to the east
o Eurasia covers ___________ of the Earth's total land area & contains about _______ of the human
population (about ________ billion people)--- 60% in Asia & 12.5% in Europe
 Europe & Asia share a ____________ landmass & some common ___________ features
o Atlantic Ocean, _________ Sea, North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, _________ Sea touches Eurasia
 Most of Europe lies within 300 miles of the ____________ which has helped shape peoples lives over time
 In the ____________ water can be friend or foe because about _______ of the land lies below sea level
(below water)
o The Dutch built “__________” (large banks of earth) to hold back the water from the raging North
Sea & have thus been able to reclaim new land from the sea called “_________” (land that was under
sea water that has been drained & reclaimed)
o Polders provide hundreds of thousands of _________ of _________ for farming & settlement but
storm breaches have still created devastating _________ in recent years
 Europe is a large ____________ made up of smaller ______________ (5)
Scandinavian Peninsula (Northern Peninsula)
 In the far north lies the scenic & the largest (of the 5 peninsulas) Scandinavian Peninsula (1,150 miles lond
& 230-500 miles wide)
 During the last _____________ (The Great Ice Age" and was 11,000 years ago) the process of
“_____________” carved out long, narrow, steep-sided inlets called “_________” on the Atlantic Coastline
o Much of _____________ & northern ___________ is mountainous but in southern Sweden lowlands
slope gently towards the __________ Sea
o In both countries & in Finland, Ice Age ____________ left behind thousands of sparkling _________
 Most of Europe lies within 300 miles of the ____________ which has helped shape peoples lives over time
 The ___________ across Scandinavia varies from ___________ & subarctic in the north, with cool marine
west coast climate in northwestern coastal areas to ___________ continental in the central portion & marine
west coast in the south & southwest
o The region is rich in ________, iron & _______ with the best ____________ in southern Sweden
o Large ___________ & _____________ deposits have been found off Norway's coast in the North
Sea & the Atlantic Ocean
 Much of the ___________ of the Scandinavian Peninsula is naturally concentrated in its southern part, which
is also its ____________ region
o
The largest cities of the peninsula are ___________, Sweden, _______, Norway, Gothenburg,
Sweden, Malmö, Sweden & Bergen, Norway, in that order
Jutland Peninsula (Northern Peninsula)
 The Jutland Peninsula forms the mainland part of __________ & extends or “______” out into the North Sea
 Glaciers deposited sand & gravel on the peninsula’s flat western side & carved __________ into the eastern
coastline
 Flat ___________ or low __________ make up most of the peninsula’s interior
Iberian Peninsula (Southern Peninsula)
 The Iberian Peninsula extends off of __________ Europe (home to Spain & Portugal) separating the
___________ Ocean from the ____________ Sea (only 20 miles of water separate Spain from Africa--Strait of ___________)
o Most of the Peninsula is _____________ that rises above narrow coastal plains
 To the north the ___________ cut off the peninsula from the rest of Europe & as a result the people of the
Iberian Peninsula were until modern times relatively “___________” from the rest of Europe & were oriented
towards the ________
Italian Peninsula (Southern Peninsula)
 The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula, also _________ is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern
Europe spanning ______ miles from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south
 The peninsula's ___________ gives it the nickname (__________) & is made up up 3 smaller peninsulas that
contribute to this characteristic shape, namely Calabria, Salento & Gargano
o The peninsula is bordered by the ___________ Sea on the west, the ____________ Sea on the
south & the ___________ Sea on the east
 The Italian peninsula's location between the centre of Europe & the Mediterranean Sea made it the target of
many ___________
o The peninsula has mainly a _____________ climate, though in the mountainous parts the climate is
much _________ & it’s long coastline varies from high, rocky cliffs to long sandy beaches with
__________ that cover only ______ of the Peninsula
Balkan Peninsula (Southeastern)
 The Balkan Peninsula Is located in southeastern & bounded by the ____________ & ___________ Seas on
the west & the ____________ & ____________ Seas on the east Europe
 The peninsula holds a tangle of Mountain Ranges & _________ that stretch southward from the Danube River
 Because of the regions craggy landscape, overland travel is __________ so the people have historically moved
along __________ & __________
Iceland
 Lies south of the _________ Circle in the North __________ Ocean & is home to numerous active
___________, hot spring & ___________ with Glaciers that are found next to the hot springs & geysers
 “Grimsvotn” Volcano frequently __________ causing airports & travel almost impossible (prevailing winds)
 Homes in the region are heated by piping in water from _________ springs (_____________)
British Isles
 Northwest of the mainland are the 2 large islands of ____________ & ____________ as well as thousands
of smaller islands that make up the British Isles
o The rugged ____________ features rocky cliffs that drop to deep bays
o Mountains, ___________ & valleys make up most of northern & western Great Britain while low hills &
rolling ____________ dominate in the south
 Ireland is often called the “______________” due to its lush green land of cool ____________ & abundant
______________
Water
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Systems
Rhine River – _____________ through France & Germany & into the Netherlands (most important)
Danube River – South ___________ through Hungary & Romania
Thames River – England through ___________
Main River – _____________ of the Rhine River
Seine River, Rhone River, Lorie River – _______
Elbe & Weser – ___________
Vistula – ___________
Po – ___________
Dnieper – _____________
Rhine River
 The Rhine flows from Grisons in the eastern Swiss Alps to the North Sea coast in the Netherlands & is the
________ longest river (_________ miles) & most ____________ river in Europe
 The Rhine & the Danube formed most of the northern inland frontier of the __________ Empire & since
those days, the Rhine has been a vital & __________ waterway carrying _________ & goods deep inland
o It has also served as a ____________ feature & has been the basis for regional and international
borders
o The many castles & prehistoric fortifications along the Rhine testify to its importance as a
____________
o River ____________ could be stopped at these locations, usually for the purpose of collecting
__________, by the state that controlled that portion of the river
Danube River
 The Danube is a river in Central Europe & the continent's _______ longest after the _______
 Classified as an __________ waterway, it originates in the town of Donaueschingen which is in the Black
Forest of __________
o The Danube then flows southeast for 1,785 miles passing through __________ Central European
capitals before emptying into the _________ Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania & Ukraine
o Once a long-standing frontier of the ____________ Empire, the river passes through or touches the
borders of ten countries: Romania (29.0% of basin area), Hungary (11.6%), Serbia (10.2%), Austria
(10.0%), Germany (7.0%), Slovakia (5.9%), Bulgaria (5.9%), Croatia (4.4%), Ukraine (3.8%), and Moldova
(1.6%),more than any other
o Its ___________ basin extends into ________ more
Natural Resources
 Europe’s abundant supply of ________ & ___________ fueled the development of modern __________
 Europeans today rely on ________, oil, __________ & nuclear & ________________ power
 Vast oil & natural gas deposits under the __________ Sea contribute greatly to Europe’s __________ needs
o Europe has ______ of the world’s _______ reserves---_________ has _____
o 4th biggest ________ producer---________ years of coal left
o Europe as a whole continent or the (__________) uses about (13,630,000) barrels of _____ per day
o The U.S. uses 18,690,000 barrels per day---_______ in the world (about ______ of the worlds oil)
o ________ consumption of oil is ________________ barrels per day
o Italy $8.74---France $8.63---Finland $8.82---Germany $7.91---Sweden $8.90 & Denmark---United
Kingdom $8.63---Norway $9.69---Netherlands $9.35----Gas prices per gallon
CLIMATE & VEGETATION
 Europe is a land of varied ___________ & _____________
 The climates & vegetation of Europe vary from the cold, barren _________ & subarctic stretches of Iceland,
Norway, Sweden & Finland to the warm, shrub-covered _________________ coasts of Italy, Spain & Greece
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What factors account for such variation in a relatively small area?
o __________, Mountain Barriers, __________ Patterns, __________ Currents & Distance from large
bodies of _________ influence Europe’s Climate Patterns
o North ____________ Current is a powerful ________ ocean current that continues the Gulf Stream
northeast where it splits in _____ with the northern split having a ___________ influence on
European climate as it moves along the European _________
o By contrast Eastern & Northern Europe have a ____________ climate because of their distance from
the warming _____________ of the Atlantic Ocean
Natural ___________ in the region varies from _________ & grasslands to ________ plants & small shrubs
High-Latitude Regions
 Climates in the high latitudes vary with __________
 Europe’s far north has high-latitude climates with bitterly _______ winters & short, cool _________
 Tundra
o Tundra Regions have _________ (soil that is permanently frozen beneath the surface), supports
little __________ (mosses, small shrubs, & wildflowers)
 ______________ & ___________ climates are also found in the high-latitudes
Midlatitude Regions
 Most of western Europe has a __________________ climate
o Cool summers, mild winters, & nearly 90 inches of precipitation which is a result of the
“______________ Current” & “North _____________ Current”
o ______________ Forest (green leafy trees) & ____________ Forest (conifers are trees that
produce seeds in cones---fir, pine & spruce)
o ______________ is an elevation above which trees ___________ grow
 _____________ Clime is found in southern Europe
o Hot dry __________ & mild ___________ winters
o The ________ have a __________ climate with colder temperatures & more precipitation than the
nearby lowland areas
o “___________” are dry winter winds that blow down from the mountains into valleys & plains & trigger
“____________” (destructive mass of ice, snow, & rock sliding down a mountain)
o “______________” are the strong north winds from the Alps (bitterly cold)
o “___________” are the high, dry winds from North Africa that bring high temperatures to the region
 Humid Subtropical
o Cold, snowy __________ & hot __________
o A mix of deciduous forests (trees that lose their ________---ash, maple & oak) & coniferous forests
Dry Regions
 Parts of southeastern & southwestern Europe have a Dry ___________ Climate
 ____________ Climate
o Belt of dry, cold ____________ that extends from Hungary to Central ________
o Has hot summers & cold winters & __________ is hard because of extreme ____________, periods
of drought, __________, eroded soil, & high ___________