Download Western Europe Geography

Western Europe
Geography
Quick Facts
• 1/3 the size of the United States
• 380 million+ people
• Most countries are on peninsulas or
islands
• Mountains act as barriers
Climate in Northwestern Europe
• Mild climate in Northwestern Europe
because of the North Atlantic Drift
• North Atlantic Drift = ocean current carries
warm water from the Gulf of Mexico across
the Atlantic Ocean.
Climate in Southwestern Europe
• Climate effected by warm waters of
Mediterranean Sea and dry air blown from
Africa
• Hot dry summers and mild winters
Climate in Central Europe
• Continental Landmass affect climate
• Strong winds build up over Germany and
France which blocks warm air
• Mountains/elevation in Central Europe
also create a cooler climate
Islands
• Thousands of islands lie off the Atlantic
coast of Western Europe and in the
Mediterranean Sea
• Iceland, Malta, and the British Isles are the
largest
Islands – British Isles
• Two nations make up the B.I. – Ireland and
United Kingdom (England, Scotland,
Wales, and Northern Ireland)
• Most of Ireland is lowland with rolling hills
and bogs
• Ireland has mountains and the major river
is the River Shannon (longest river in B.I.)
Peninsulas
• Three penin. jut out from southern part of
W. Europe into Mediterranean Sea
– Iberian
• Spain and Portugal
• isolated by the Pyrenees mountains
– Apennine
• Italy, San Marino, Vatican City
• Apennine mountains
– Balkan
Greece
Other peninsulas
• Scandinavian
– In far north, Sweden and Norway
• Jutland
– Denmark
Mainland
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Three major land regions
Great European Plain
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Flat, rolling land
Western Europe's best farmland
Densely populated
Polders – land gained from drained water
Central Uplands
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Low mountains and plateaus
Rocky land
Mainland
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Alpine Mountain System
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Made up of several mountain chains
Alps have some of highest mountains in
Europe
Other features
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Lochs – deep, narrow lakes (Scotland)
Firths – funnel-shaped bays