Download Section 1 Summary

01ER1RVSG.fm Page 7 Friday, July 2, 2004 8:02 PM
Section 1 Summary
Size, Location, and Population
1
5
10
Europe and Russia are parts of Eurasia. Eurasia is the
world’s largest landmass. It is made up of two continents—
Europe and Asia. The country of Russia stretches over
both continents. Much of Europe and nearly all of Russia
are located farther north than the United States. Europe is a small continent, but it has 47 different
countries. Most of these countries are small. Russia, on
the other hand, is the largest country in the world. Most
European countries have a much higher population
density than most other countries in the world. Russia,
on the other hand, has a very low population density.
Reading Check
What is the largest landmass in the
world?
____________________
____________________
____________________
Major Landforms
© Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All Rights Reserved.
15
The continent of Europe forms a peninsula, or a body of
land nearly surrounded by water. The European peninsula juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Because of this,
Europe has many good harbors. Much of Russia lies on
the Arctic Ocean, which is frozen most of the year.
Europe has four major land regions. See the chart
below to learn about these regions.
Regio
Europe’s
n
Land
Regio s
n
Ch r ct er i s t i c s
a a
Northwestern Highlands
• in far north
• old mountains with thin soil
North European Plains
• covers more than half of Europe
• now best farmland and large
cities
Central Uplands
Alpine Mountain System
• highlands made of mountains
and plateaus
• not good for farming, but has
other uses
Target Reading Skill
If your purpose is to learn about the
geography of Europe and Russia,
how does the chart help you meet
your goal?
____________________
____________________
____________________
• in southern Europe
• includes the Alps
Key Terms
population density (pahp yuh LAY shun DEN suh tee) n. the average
number of people living in a square mile or a square kilometer
peninsula (puh NIN suh luh) n. a land area nearly surrounded by
water
plateau (pla TOH) n. a large raised area of mostly level land
bordered on one or more sides by steep slopes or cliffs
Chapter 1
Section 1
7
01ER1RVSG.fm Page 8 Friday, July 2, 2004 8:02 PM
20
Reading Check
Where is Siberia located?
Europe and western Russia share the North European Plains. Russia’s largest cities and most of its
industries are located there. The Ural Mountains are on
the eastern border of the North European Plains. East of
the Urals is a region known as Siberia. Few people live
there because the climate is so harsh. Waterways of Europe and Russia
____________________
25
____________________
____________________
30
35
Vocabulary Strategy
The term navigable is defined in
context. Circle its definition.
Hint: Look for the
k
word or.
ar
E
Reading Check
Where is the world’s largest
freshwater lake located?
____________________
____________________
____________________
40
Review Questions
1. How does the land size of Europe differ from the
land size of Russia?
____________________
____________________
2. Why is the Volga River not navigable year-round?
____________________
____________________
Key Terms
tributary (TRIB yoo tehr ee) n. a river or stream that flows into a
larger river
navigable (NAV ih guh bul) adj. wide and deep enough for ships to
travel through
8
Reading and Vocabulary Study Guide
© Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All Rights Reserved.
TH
M ext
T
Rivers and lakes provide water and transportation. The
Rhine River, Danube River, and Volga River are the
major rivers of Europe and Russia.
The Rhine River starts in the Alps in Switzerland.
The Rhine then winds through forests and plains.
Canals and tributaries allow the Rhine to reach far into
Western Europe.
The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river. It
begins in the Black Forest region of western Germany.
It passes through nine countries and ends in the Black
Sea of Central Europe.
The longest river in Europe is Russia’s Volga River.
It flows through western Russia and empties into the
Caspian Sea. Unfortunately, the Volga River freezes for
three months of each year. During the winter, it is not
navigable, or clear enough for ships to travel through.
Europe has many rivers, but contains few lakes.
Russia, on the other hand, has a huge number of lakes.
Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake, is
located in southern Russia.