Download Ch. 13 - EASTERN EUROPE

Ch. 13 EASTERN
EUROPE
Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Estonians, Latvians,
Lithuanians, Moldavians, Belarussians, Bulgarians,
Romanians, Hungarians, Albanians, Slovenians, Serbs,
Croats, Bosnians, Macedonians
Ch. 13:1 - Physical Geography of Eastern Europe
Landforms
 The area is characterized by several mountain
ranges that are extensions of the Swiss Alps.
 Lowlands within this region have a karst
topography, areas of barren and rocky ground.
 The Balkan Peninsula’s rugged landscape
makes traveling over land difficult, thereby
increasing the importance of waterways for
transportation.
 The Balkan Mountains provide a climate
barrier between the Danube River valley and
the transitional climate south of the mountains.
karst topography - Slovenia
Balkan Mountains - Bulgaria
1. What do you think is an advantage and a
disadvantage of a rugged physical
geography such as that found in the Balkan
Peninsula?
Ch. 13:1 - Physical Geography of Eastern Europe
Water Systems
 Large rivers and seas act as natural borders
between countries and are important to
economic activities in the region.
 The Danube is the second largest river in
Europe, passing through nine countries and
emptying into the Black Sea.
 The Vistula River in Poland serves many major
cities and industrial centers, including Warsaw.
 Other waterways, such as the Oder River,
branch out from the main rivers to provide
access inland.
Danube River - Romania
Vistula River - Poland
Oder River - Poland
2. Among the rivers of Eastern Europe, the
Danube is known as the most “used and
abused”. Why do you believe that is so?
Ch. 13:1 - Physical Geography of Eastern Europe
Climate, Biomes, & Resources
 Much of Eastern Europe has a humid
continental climate.
 The Carpathian and Balkan Mountains, along
with the Hungarian Plain, make up the
Danube region.
 Some coastal regions along the Black Sea
have micro-biomes.
 The Carpathian Mountains contain large energy
reserves, while areas around the Baltic
Mountains rely on water as a natural resource.
The Danube Region
Hungary
Germany
Serbia
Danube
River
Bulgaria
Carpathian Mountains Slovakia
Carpathian Mountains - Romania
Transylvanian Alps - Romania
Dinaric Alps - Albania
Hungarian
Plain
Hungarian Plain
Black Sea
3. How do you suppose the mountains of
the Balkan Peninsula have contributed to its
ethnic diversity?
Ch. 13:2 - Human Geography of Eastern Europe
History and Government
 Eastern Europe is a shatter belt, or region of
great political instability, that drove the area’s
Balkanization, or the division of the region
into smaller hostile regions.
 Yugoslavia attempted to reverse this process,
since it combined smaller regions into one
country, but it fell apart with the collapse of the
Soviet Union.
 Power struggles led to civil war and ethnic
cleansing, or the genocide of an ethnic group,
and Balkanization has continued with
countries declaring independence.
Yugoslav or
Balkan Wars:
1991-2001
over 140,000 deaths,
“ethic cleansing”, rape,
torture, massive
destruction, & civilian
displacement
Serbia wanted to create a larger country
Bosnian War: 1992-1995
Mass grave of Bosnian Muslims – victims
of ethnic cleansing by the Serb military
Aftermath of Bosnian War
Martyrs' Memorial Cemetery in Stari Grad for the victims of
the Siege of Sarajevo (1992), Bosnia and Hercegovina
4. It has been said that all parties were
losers in the Balkan/Yugoslav Wars. Can you
think of any other conflict were the same
thing might be said and why?
Ch. 13:2 - Human Geography of Eastern Europe
Population Patterns
 The Slavs are an ethnic group that includes
Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, and Macedonians.
 The Roma/Romani (Gypsies), are of IndoEuropean origin and are the largest minority
population in Europe.
 The majority of people live in urban areas,
although there are large populations along the
Danube and Vistula Rivers.
 Eastern Europe experienced large migrations
during and after World War II with people
leaving to escape war and poor conditions.
Slavs
Roma
Roma/Romani in
Europe
5. Why do you think the Roma have been
the object of discrimination, mistreatment
and, during the Holocaust, genicide?
Ch. 13:2 - Human Geography of Eastern Europe
Society and Culture Today
 Countries have faced economic challenges in
the transition to democratic governments.
 The area is marked by many different religious
and ethnic groups.
 The family is the basic social unit and serves to
reinforce social values.
 The long history of folk and classical music
makes it an important art form among peoples
of the region.
8. What did the massive Communistdirected industrialization of Eastern Europe
say about Communism’s values?
Ch. 13:3 - People and Their Environment: Eastern Europe
Managing Resources
 Rapid and intense industrialization without
regard to the effects on the environment have
damaged water quality.
 Illegal logging and the burning of those logs
generates air pollution that has led to great
losses in the area’s biodiversity.
 Interest in reforestation, or renewing forest
cover, has increased, but countries continue to
struggle with protecting the environment while
providing opportunity for economic growth.
Ch. 13:3 - People and Their Environment: Eastern Europe
Human Impact
 Eastern Europe’s high concentration of
industry and excessive reliance on coal have
had a devastating impact on the environment.
 Waterways have been affected by acid rain and
meltwater, the result of melting snow and ice
that have carried pollution into lakes and rivers.
 As Eastern European countries have joined the
EU, environmental protection standards and
strict emission controls are helping to address
these problems.
Europe
Polish coal mine
coal miners in
Eastern Europe
coal-fired power plant - Poland
Forest damage due to acid rain – Jizera Mountains,
Czech & Polish border
1. What do you think is an advantage and a
disadvantage of a rugged physical
geography such as that found in the Balkan
peninsula?
Ch. 13:3 - People and Their Environment: Eastern Europe
Addressing the Issues
 Serious efforts have been made to help clean
up the environment, but directing and funding
cleanup is difficult because the process involves
many countries.
 For countries not yet admitted to the EU,
gaining membership provides an important
incentive to manage resources and minimize
environmental impacts.
 Cooperation among Balkan countries is needed
to ensure effective resource management.