Download Europe - Ms. Xiques` Classroom

Europe
Physical Geography
The Land
Europe is part of a large landmass called
Eurasia; today’s Europe and part of
Russia; separated by the Ural Mountains
 Longer coastline than Africa, the world’s
2nd largest continent
 Sometimes called a “peninsula of
peninsulas”

Major Landforms
Peninsulas
 Mountains/Uplands
 Rivers/Waterways
 Islands
 Plains

1. Peninsulas

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Europe has five major peninsulas:
Scandinavian Peninsula
Jutland
Iberian Peninsula
Italian Peninsula
Balkan Peninsula
Scandinavian Peninsula
Countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland
 Largest peninsula in Europe
 Glaciers played an important role in
shaping the landscape

Only about 3% of land is arable
 Glacial rebound causes flooding
 Glacial melting created fjords

Fjords

A fjord is a
steep, narrow, ushaped valley
that is carved out
by a glacier.
Jutland

The country of
Denmark is on
Jutland.
Iberian Peninsula
Countries: Portugal and Spain
 Separated from Europe by the
Pyrenees Mountains

The Italian Peninsula
The peninsula is comprised of much of
Italy and includes the independent republic
of San Marino as well as Vatican City.
 It is separated from the rest of Europe
by the Alps
 The Apennine Mountains run down Italy
like a spine, dividing East from West

Italian
Peninsula
The Balkan Peninsula

Countries:
Completely: Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Greece, Bulgaria, Kosovo,
Montenegro and Macedonia
 Mostly: Croatia, Serbia
 Partially: Slovenia, Romania, Turkey


Separated from rest of Europe by the
Balkan Mountains
2. Mountains/Uplands

Mountains vs Uplands

Uplands: hills or very low mountains
• may also contain mesas and high plateaus
• Some may be eroded remains of ancient
mountain ranges

European Uplands (examples):
Kjolen Mts. In Scandinavia
 Meseta in Spain
 Massif Central in France

Alps, Switzerland
Massif Central, France
3. Rivers/Waterways

Europe’s Rivers =
“Watery Highways”



Trade, Travel, Ideas
Many are large
enough for ships to
travel
2 Major Rivers: the
Danube and the
Rhine
Strategic Waterways
A strategic waterway is a narrow body of
water on an important transportation route
or sea lane. Some examples are:
A. The English Channel
B. The Strait of Gibraltar

The English Channel


The English Channel separates the island of
Great Britain from France.
Strait of Dover = narrowest point (21 miles
wide)
Strait of Gibraltar
Connects the Atlantic Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea.
 Separates the continents of Europe and
Africa.
 At the strait’s narrowest point it is 7.7
miles wide.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is
an
overseas
territory of
the United
Kingdom
4. Islands

A.
B.
C.
D.
Some islands in Northern Europe are:
Great Britain
Ireland
Iceland
Great Britain and Ireland are the two
major islands in an archipelago.
Together they are called the British Isles.
Great Britain

A.
B.
C.
D.
Great Britain is the name of an island. The
United Kingdom refers to a country that is
located on Great Britain and Ireland. The
United Kingdom is composed of:
Wales
Scotland
England
Northern Ireland
5.Fertile Plains

Northern European Plain


One of the most fertile agricultural regions in the
world
Wheat, barley, grapes, olives, cork
Climate

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
The factors that affect climate are:
Topography
Wind Currents
Ocean Currents
Zones of Latitude
Elevation
Climate and Vegetation

A.
B.
C.
Europe is in the middle and high latitudes,
therefore, Europe has many different types of
climates.
Northern Europe: Tundra and Sub-arctic
climates.
Most of Western Europe has a Marine West
Coast climate zone.
Southern Europe has a Mediterranean climate.
Climate: Ocean and Wind Currents


The North
Atlantic Drift is an
ocean current that
warms Europe.
Winds called
westerlies pick up
warmth from this
current and carry it
over Europe
Climate: Special Winds
 The
Mediterranean coast has hot,
dry summers and mild, wet winters,
with 2 exceptions:
 The
Mediterranean coast of France
receives the mistral, a cold, dry wind
from the north
 Most Mediterranean countries also
experience a wind called the sirocco, a
hot, steady south wind from North
Africa
Human-Environment Interaction



Deforestation
Acid Rain
Pollution
Black Forest, Germany