Physical Features of Europe

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European Physical Features U_HNIhttps:// U_HNI

Satellite View of Europe

Region One:

Peninsula A peninsula is a body of land nearly surrounded by water

Iberian Peninsula Portugal and Spain make up the Iberian Peninsula.

Scandinavian Peninsula Norway and Sweden make up the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Region Two:

Plain A large area of flat or nearly flat land.

Begins in Germany and stretches through almost to the Ural Mts.

Region Three:

Is a high, rounded or pointed landform with steep sides.

The Alps They cover most of Switzerland, Austria, and parts of Italy and France.

Mt. Blanc in the Alps Highest mountain in the Alps: 15,771 feet Highest mountain in the Alps: 15,771 feet

Ural Mountains: “The Great Divide” 1500 miles The Ural Mountains divide Russia into 2 parts: European and Asian part of Russia

Pyrenees Mountains

The Pyrenees Mountains form the border between France and Spain.

Region Four:

Begins in Germany’s Black Forest and ends in the Black Sea It’s 1,771 miles long.

It flows through 10 different European countries. It is one of the most significant commercial waterways on the continent.

A L P S RHINE

The Rhine begins in the Alps and runs north to Germany. The Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. It is 820 miles long.

The Rhine and the Danube formed most of the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, and since those days the Rhine has been a vital navigable waterway, carrying trade and goods deep inland.

Vocabulary: Navigable means water routes are deep enough and wide enough to be used by ships.

Many castles can be found along the Rhine.

The English Channel is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England from northern France. It joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about 350 miles long.

English Channel (satellite view)

Chunnel The “Chunnel” is a 31.4 mile long undersea rail tunnel linking the United Kingdom to France and the rest of Europe. The Chunnel was opened in It has 2 single tracked rail lines and 1 service track rail line.

Opening of the Chunnel by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

Entrance to the Chunnel on the French side

The Mediterranean is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land. It is approx. 965,000 sqare miles.

The Mediterranean Sea was an important route for merchants and travelers of ancient times, allowing for trade and cultural exchange between the peoples of the region.

Mediterranean Sea