Download 4. Central Europe

Europe's Geography
-- no body of H2O separates Europe frm Asia=Eurasia
-- W. Europe abt 1/3 the size of US
--mst countries are on peninsulas/islands
-- rivers connect the inland countries to ocean & sea
-- 16 independent countries make up E. Europe
-- stretches frm Baltic Sea in N, Balkan Peninsula in S, W. Europe to W, Russia to E
-- made up of 4 subregions: Central Europe, Baltic States, Western Balkans, Eastern Balkans
-- Russia cld almst cover surface of moon
-- @ 1 time huge country known as USSR
-- today Eurasian Republics form 15 indpt countries
1. W Europe Islands
-- Iceland, Malta, British Isles lrgst & impt
-- Eng Channel separates British Isles frm Eng
-- Brit Isles: Britain & Ireland
-- 2 indp nations: Ireland & UK of GB and N. Ireland
-- UK= Eng, Scot, Wales, N. Ireland
-- Ireland= Republic of Ireland
-- island of Ire lies W of Britain and is separated frm Irish Sea & N Channel
-- mst of Ireland is lowland w/ hills bogs
-- highest pt is 3414 ft in mtns S. Ireland
-- mjr river is River Shannon (longest)
-- Eng is SE prt of island of Britain
-- separated frm Scot by Chevoit Hills and frm Wales by Cambrian Mntns
-- lowlands plain aka Great European Plain
-- stretches east across the Eur0pean mainland into Russia
-- Thames River is lrgst river in Britain
-- London lrgst & impt city in UK
2. Western Europe's Peninsula
-- 3 lrg land areas jut out frm S. prt
-- Iberian: Spain & Portugal
isolated frm Europe by Pyrenees mntns
high in mntns is Andorra (sm count)
-- Apennine: boot shaped/ Italy takes up mst of pen
mtns dominate land (Apinnines)
run entire length of Italy in N Alps cut off Ap Penn frm mainland
some peaks 15000 ft
tiny countries: San Marino stands on Mt. Titano
Vatican City is 24 sq mi & lies in Rome
-- Balkan: Greece @ S. tip Balkan Mntns cover mst of pen
isolate Greece frm Central Europe
-- Scandinavia is another peninsula
curves around Baltic Sea in far north W. Europe
Norway, Sweden occupy the Scandinavia Peninsula
-- Denmark is on Jutland Peninsula- region of Scandinavia
3. Western Europe's Mainland
-- 3 mjr land regions
Great European Plain: stretches frm N France to Russia
-- flat, rolling land w/ some low hills
-- best farm land
-- densely populated
-- Belgium & Netherlands create polders
Central Uplands: extend frm France to central Germany
-- made up of low mntns & plateaus w/ elevations of 1,000 to 6,000 ft
-- some forests
-- mst land rocky and infertile soil
-- some land fetile in river valley
-- Rhine River crosses Uplands
Alpine Mntn System: covers mst of S. prt
-- Sierra Nevada in Spain
-- Pyrenees
-- Alps (huge chain of mntns which covers a lot countries)
-- some of highest mntns in Europe
Finland has 60,000 lakes
Scotland has lochs & firths
Norway has fjords
Rock of Gibraltar @ entrance of Med. Sea
Climate of Western Europe
-- NW has mild climate b/c of North Atlantic Drift
-- continuation of Gulf Stream which carries h2o frm Gulf of Mexi across Atlantic
-- winds blow create mild temps frm Brit to Norway
-- S prt is affected by warm h2o of Med. Sea & dry air frm Africa
-- hot dry summers, mild winters frm Spain to Greece
-- C affected by continental landmass & elevation
-- strng winds bld up over Germany & France
-- temps drp b/c warm air blocked
-- mntns generally wet & cool
-- Austria & Switzerland have snow on peaks yr round
4. Central Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary)
-- Poland is lrgst country
-- 1,000's of lakes in N
-- Grt European Plain
-- Vistula River brings h2o to agricultural area & provides transportation
-- Carpathian Mntns form S border
-- home to brwn bears, wolves, lynxes
-- mst ppl live in cities & wrk in manufacturing
-- capital Warsa has lrg auto factory
-- some living outside cities mine coal
-- 1/4 of economy is agriculture
-- pollution problems caused by burning coal
-- Czech Republic economy is based on industry (plastic, machinery, iron)
-- also produce cement, textiles, wood, paper products, pottery
-- Prague capital city
-- Bohemian Forest, Elbe River, Sudety Mntns (natural attractions)
Slovakia: borders are Carpathian & Tatra Mntns, Danube River
-- agriculture lrgst prt of economy w/ some industries
-- depend on fertile soil around Danube River
Hungary: rich in farmland
-- farmers grw fruits, veggies, peppers for paprika
-- lrgst rivers Danube & Tisza
-- flow parallel from n to s dividing country into thirds
-- 1,000 lakes & thermal springs
-- Budapest capital city
5. Baltic States
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia border Baltic Sea
-- share a low lying coastal plain & mild climate
--thick forests cover interior
-- cows graze on grass of coastal plain
-- soil is good for sugar beets, potatoes, grain
-- farming, forestry, fishing impt for economics
Lithuania: lrgst of states
-- famous for amber found on shores of Baltic Sea
-- made into jewelry
-- 90% of wrlds amber
Latvia: forests cover abt 40% of land
-- home to elk, deer, brwn bears, wolves
-- impt to economics; sells much of timber & wood
Estonia: forests, wildlife, h2oways
-- 1,400 lakes
--10% of area is made up of 800 islands
-- income comes frm mining oil shale
6. Western Balkans
-- Balkan Peninsula sits btwn Adriatic & Black Seas
-- Balkan=mntn in Turkish
-- states mntns
Slovenia: 1/2 covered w/ forests; remaining land used farming
limestone caverns & caves
Croatia: curved w/ long stretch alng Adriatic coast
Pannonian Plains change into rolling hills which change into Dinaric Alps
Bosnia & Herzegovina: triangular in shape
N is forested mntns; S is flat farmland, SW Dinaric Alps
Yugoslavia: 2 republics--Serbia & Montenegro
N flat, S mntns
Adriatic coast = fjord (only 1 in E. Europe)
Macedonia: only landlocked cntry W. Balkans
warm climate=fruit, rice, cotton
landscape= rivers, mntns, forests
Albania: inland mntns=unsuitable for farming
along coast= farmers grw corn & fruit
7. Eastern Balkans:
clustered around W. shore of Black Sea
rivers define borders & keep land fetile & provide transportation (Dniester &
Prut)
Carpathian Mntns cut across Romania & turn into Transylvanian Alps
SE land is flat plains for farming
Romania: rich in natural resources (gold, silver, lignite)
wildlife abundant (60% Europes Bears & 40% wolves, more than 250 types
birds, 90 kinds of fish in Danube)
Bulgaria: Danube River creates rich farmland
Balkan Mntns run thru center & gives way to lowlands
Valley of the Roses: fragrant flowers grw & harvested for oil= perfume
Moldova: smllst country
flat plains & gentle rolling hills
several rivers run thru to create rich farmland
8. Land of Russia
--lrgst country in CIS, covers more than 6.5 mil sq mi
-- lrgst country in wrld; 10% of earth's land
--divided into 5 regions:
Grt European Plain: covers mst of land in Europe
heartland where mst ppl live
lrgst cities: Moscow & St. Petersburg
Ural Mntns: boundry btwn Asia & Europe
run N & S frm Arctic Ocean to Kazakhstan
peaks rounded & worn
W. Siberian Lowland: lrgst level region in wrld
huge marshy plain (1 mil sq mi) & rises no more than
500 ft abv sea
Central Siberian Plateau & East Siberian Uplands:
-- mntns, 25 active volcanoes
--climates vary frm N to S & 4 mjr climate zones based soil conditions &
plant life
-- Tundra: shrt summers/long cold winters w/permafrost
-- Taiga lies to S w/ coniferous trees
-- Steppe lies to S w/ best soil
-- Arid Zone lies to S where soil varies in richness by elevation
9. Ukraine & Belarus
-- Ukraine : size of TX
-- mstly level to gentle rolling land filled w/ steppes
-- covered in rich soil
-- plenty of fresh h2o
-- USSR allowed rivers to become polluted & is a problem
-- Black Sea also polluted and 26 kinds of fish died out
-- ppl trying to clean up & restore marine life
-- Belarus: plenty of h2o & impt natural resource
-- use rivers for hydroelectric pwr
-- 1/3 is covered w/ forest
-- 10,000 diff kinds of animals & plants found
10. The Caucasus Region
-- Caucasus Mntns cut across 700 mi of land btwn Black & Caspian Seas
-- Mt. Elbrus hghst pt in Europe (81,510 ft)
Georgia: many rivers begin in mntns , provide hydroelectric pwr for country
near Black Sea flat land
wrm moist air brings rain & warmth
2 mst impt crps are tea & citrus fruit
Armenia: rugged mntns & dormant volcanoes
Azerbaijan: Caucasus Mntns (N), wide lowland (C), Caspian Sea (E)
-- wrkrs drill for oil along shores rich in natural gas (land of fire)
11. Desert Countries
-- mst dominant feature of countries= mntns & deserts
-- Kazakhstan different
-- 1/2 size of US (2nd lrgst country in CIS)
-- climate is harsh w/cold winters & very hot summers
-- little rainfall = little grassland for animals' grazing
-- few ppl have permanent homes
-- nomadic grps search for vegetation
-- rich in natural resources: oil, chromium, gold
-- Aral Sea destroyed
-- once 4th lrgst inland body of h2o
-- changes in direction of rivers cause Aral to dry up
-- engineers drained h2o frm rivers for irrigation
-- today ships sit in middle of what looks like desert
-- fishing industry out of business