Download The Physical Geography of Europe

The Physical Geography of Europe
Introduction
1. Tell students, categories of information included in studying the physical environment of a region are
climate, physical features, resources, and vegetation.
2. Use the Physical Map of Europe to review and discuss the physical features that impact lifestyle and movement in
this region. If you choose, students can label this map using the pdf tools in the Comment section.
Physical Features that Affect Climate in Europe.
1. Point out the major bodies of water that surround Europe.
Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea.
Remind students that the nearby bodies of water and wind currents that flow across Europe from
west to east influence much of Europe’s climate.
2. A marine west coast climate exists in much of Europe. The westerly winds are warmed by ocean currents and
blow across most of Europe. No large mountain ranges block the winds so they are felt far inland.
Because Europe is a continent of peninsulas, most regions are within 300 miles of the ocean which
moderates climate in most parts of Europe.
3. Point out the major mountain ranges.
 Pyrenees, Alps.
 Ask: What impact mountain ranges have on climate and weather patterns in a region.
(snow at higher elevations, colder temperatures at high elevations, or block movement of weather
fronts)
 Say: Mountain ranges affect wind patterns that directly affect climate and vegetation in certain
areas of Europe. The Pyrenees and the Alps block the hot wind (sirocco) that blows from Africa
across the Mediterranean into southern Europe. Because France’s Mediterranean coast is not
protected by mountain ranges, it is affected by a cold, dry wind from the north, (mistral) during the
winter. These climate patterns have a direct impact on Europe’s vegetation and agricultural
products. Parts of Southern Europe produce citrus fruits, olives, and grapes to make some of the
finest wines in the world. Grapes are also grown in the central regions of France and Germany.
 Note the natural political boundaries formed by mountain ranges. (Pyrenees, Alps)
Other Physical Features in Europe
1. Call on students to identify the types of physical features found in Europe.
a. Peninsulas, mountains, plains, bodies of water, and islands.
2. Ask: What is the definition of a peninsula?
3. Ask: Can you locate the five major peninsulas that form part of the European continent.
 Call on a student to identify come to the map projection and locate these landforms.
a. Peninsulas include the Scandinavian, Jutland [Denmark], Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas
4. Tell students on the Scandinavian Peninsula, glaciers carved out steep U-shaped valleys [filled with water]
called fjords that connect to the sea.
a. Ask: What type of economic activities might be common for people that live on peninsulas.
(Fishing, trade)
5. Point out the location of plains or upland areas located in Europe. [The arc of lower elevations from France
east to the Ukraine]
a. Ask: What type of economic activities might be common for people that live on plains? (farming,
industries)
6. Point out the location of the Netherlands much of which is below sea level.
a. Ask: What might be a problem for the people in this region? (Flooding)
b. Ask: What other things could the geography of the Netherlands affect? (Invaders took control of this
region numerous times in the past because of its lack of natural barriers to provide protection from
invasion. Rich agricultural land is located here because of the availability of fertile soil and rainfall –
the Netherlands is known for growing tulips and other flowers.)
HISD Social Studies Curriculum 2016
World Geography Studies
The Physical Geography of Europe
7. Tell students that islands are part of the landforms located in different regions of the world. Refer to the
three large islands that are associated with the European region. (Iceland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom
(England/Scotland/Northern Ireland)
a. Even though Iceland sits on its own in the northern Atlantic, it is part of the country of Denmark
and considered as part of Europe.
b. England’s separation from the continent by the English Channel has protected it from invasion
over the centuries and has forced it to be very reliant on trade to supply its agricultural needs.
1066 during the Norman Conquest was the last time England was successfully invaded.
c. There are also islands in the Mediterranean. These islands range in size from tiny Malta, an
independent nation, to larger island like Corsica, Sardinia, and Crete controlled by other European
nations.
8. Say: Rivers are other important physical features of the European environment. Find the Rhine River
(flowing north from the Alps to the English Channel/North Sea) and Danube River (flowing east from Germany
through the Balkan Peninsula to the Black Sea) on your copy of the Physical Map of Europe.
a. Europe’s many rivers are broad and deep and they provide a good source for the transportation of
goods
b. Ocean going vessels can sail into the interior of Europe without reloading. Historically this also
meant the Vikings and other could attack inland.
c. Many rivers in Europe flow north or northeast – what about the landscape would make this true?
(High land is in the interior of Europe with the low, broad plains to the north). Remind students
that the Danube flows from the Alps highlands in the west eastward toward the Black Sea.
9. Say: As a review of the use of relative location to locate specific countries and/or cities in Europe, let’s see if
you can find:
a. The country on the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and is south of the Pyrenees Mountains
b. An island west of Britain.
c. The two countries in the Balkan Peninsula
d. The country bordering on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean that is part of both Europe and Asia
e. Two landlocked countries in central Europe
f. The large country southwest of the Baltic Sea
g. …and so on.
Ask students to create their own questions using absolute and relative location and play a game…
Where in Europe is…?
HISD Social Studies Curriculum 2016
World Geography Studies
The Physical Geography of Europe
HISD Social Studies Curriculum 2016
World Geography Studies
Teacher Reference Characteristics of Western Europe
Political Characteristics in Western Europe:
Democratic
o Constitutional Monarchies: England, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands
o Republics: France, Germany Switzerland, Italy, etc
o Voters elect representatives. Refer to pg 303 in the text to talk about advances in representative
government.
o Many countries have parliamentary democracies which differ from presidential democracies. (In a
presidential democracy, the leader of the country is directly elected by voters. In a parliamentary
democracy, the leader of the country is indirectly elected from and by the members of the majority
party in parliament.)
Economic Characteristics in Western Europe:
Free Market or Mixed Economies
o In a free market economy the production and distribution of goods and services is determined
by the demand of the consumers.
o As an example, anyone who has the money can open up a new restaurant.
o In a mixed economy, the government controls the production and distribution of certain goods and
services in the economy. Other sectors respond to consumer demand.
o As an example in England, France and Germany, the health care system and many of the major
industries are controlled by the government.
Most nations are economically developed.
o Large industrial base in England, France, Germany, Belgium and Sweden.(p. 299)
o Agricultural regions in France and the Mediterranean countries.
o Technology has permitted the creation of high tech and service industries located in Ireland and
other parts of northern Europe.
o Plentiful supply of natural resources, (refer to pg 276 for the resource map.)
o Overall high standard of living
o Most of Western Europe has joined the European Union which is an organization designed to
promote economic cooperation between nations. Members of the union all use a common
European currency know as the Euro.
Social/Cultural Characteristics in Western Europe:
Religious beliefs
o Primarily Christian, (Protestant or Catholic) (see pg 266)
Language
o Diversity of languages but many have Latin or Germanic roots (see pg. 267 or 297)
o English or French are spoken by many western Europeans as a second language.
Population Density
o The bulk of Europe’s population is primarily urban, located in or around Europe’s major cities and
industrial areas. (See pg 267)
o Density in most of the region is four times that of the US.
Culture
o A center for the arts and innovations in music, painting, and technology.
o Known for its food, fashion and tourism.
HISD Social Studies Curriculum 2016
World Geography Studies
Teacher Reference characteristics of Eastern Europe
Political Patterns in Eastern Europe:
Emerging Democracies
Under Communist control for most of the 20th century. (See map pg 312) Regained
independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Were satellite nations: of the Soviets - nations dominated by another country.
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania held free elections in 1989. Czechoslovakia
peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia by 2000. Bulgaria and Yugoslavia held free
elections in 1990.
Yugoslavia broke into six separate republics competing for independence creating on going conflict between
ethnic groups. (See map pg 322)
The policy of trying to eliminate an ethnic group through violence is known as ethnic cleansing.
Economic Patterns in Eastern Europe:
Developing Free Market Economies
Eastern Europe was primarily a rural farming region before Communist control.
Communist governments industrialized this region to produce goods for the rest of the Soviet Union.
Under Soviet control, Eastern Europe had command economies where the government controlled all decisions
made on the use of resources.
Private owners of factories have struggled to update their machinery and cut production costs. Some
factories closed, creating high levels of unemployment.
There is a migration of Eastern European workers to Western Europe to look for jobs.
A lack of education, old equipment, lack of capital and ethnic conflicts are slowing down economic
development.
Social/Cultural Patterns in Eastern Europe:
Religious beliefs
o Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Jews.
Language
o Diversity of languages (see pg. 267 or 297)
Population Density
o Much less urban than the rest of Europe.
o Upwards of 40 percent of some populations are still rural.
o As economic development proceeds, cities expected to grow.
Culture
o Significant ethnic diversity.
o Many ethnic groups with their own customs, traditions and practices.
HISD Social Studies Curriculum 2016
World Geography Studies