Download Europe-A Land of Varied Riches_3

Today’s Standard
SS6G8 The student will locate selected
features of Europe.
a. Locate on a world and regional politicalphysical map: the Danube River, Rhine
River, English Channel, Mediterranean
Sea, European Plain, the Alps, Pyrenees,
Ural Mountains, Iberian Peninsula, and
Scandinavian Peninsula.
Intro to our
Essential Question……
What are the major physical features of
Europe, and where are they located on a
map?
Europe:
“A Land of Varied Riches”
(R11)
The Geography of Europe
Before the 1900’s, the
easiest way to travel
around Europe was by
water.
This is because some parts
of Europe are very
mountainous.
Many rivers and seas make
Europe ideal for waterway
travel.
The Geography of Europe
Today, Europe is full of
railways, airports, and
roads.
These man-made
transportation corridors
allow people to move
throughout Europe without
waterways.
The Geography of Europe
Before the advent of modern
transportation, the many
waterways were vital to the
growth of Europe.
Water surrounds almost the entire
continent.
The southern coast of Europe
borders the warm waters of the
Mediterranean Sea.
The Geography of Europe
Europe has an extensive
river system.
Major Rivers
Rhine River
Danube River
Volga River
These rivers allowed for movement
of goods, people, & ideas
throughout the continent in the
past.
Rhine River
Danube River
Volga River
Landforms of Europe
Europe is sometimes called a
“continent of
peninsula’s.”
This is because several large
peninsula’s, or bodies of
land surrounded by water
on three sides, form the
European continent.
Iberian Peninsula
Includes: Spain & Portugal
Italian Peninsula
Scandinavian Peninsula
Includes: Norway
&
Sweden
Balkan Peninsula
Includes: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece,
Macedonia, & Serbia
Landforms of Europe
Along the jagged shorelines
of the Scandinavian
Peninsula are fjords.
A fjord is a long, narrow,
deep inlet of the sea
located between steep
cliffs.
These were carved by
glaciers during the last ice
age.
Landforms of Europe
Much of Europe is
covered with
mountains.
All of the peninsula’s we
just saw contain
mountain ranges. The
highest mountains in
Europe are the Alps.
Landforms of Europe
Along Europe’s eastern
border, the
Ural Mountains divide the
continent of Europe from
Asia.
The people on the western
side of the Urals have
more of a European
culture, whereas those on
the eastern side have a
more Asiatic culture.
Landforms of Europe
Not all of Europe is
mountainous.
A large region called the
Great or North European
Plain stretches from the
coast of France to the Ural
Mountains.
This land is good for farming.
Landforms of Europe
The North European Plain is
home to some of the
world’s best farmland. It
also contains many rivers,
which made it a great
place to live in the days
before modern
transportation & grocery
stores.
A plain is a large, flat area of
land, usually with few or
little forest cover.
Climate of Europe
Europe usually experiences
cold winters in the northern
regions.
Overall, western Europe is
warmer than other places
in the world at the same
latitude, like Canada.
This is because the
gulf stream brings warm
water to the continent
which makes warm
weather.
Climate of Europe
Natural Resources of Europe
Europe had an abundance of
natural resources. It still
has a lot, but it has so
many people that they go
quickly.
Europe has a good bit of
coal, ores, & mineral
resources.
Most of the forests have
been cleared for timber.