Cultural Geography of Northern and Western Europe Ch 12 section 1 and 2

Cultural Geography of Northern Europe United Kingdom –England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland –(Great Britain is used when referring to just England, Wales, and Scotland) Ireland Norway Sweden Finland Denmark Iceland

Population of Northern Europe

Ethnic Groups found in Northern Europe More than 160 separate ones Most populated and diverse area is the British Isles Many descendants are early Celtic peoples, Romans, Normans and other invaders Immigrants from South Asia and West Indies Refugees from WWII Sweden, Norway and Denmark share a common history even though are separate countries with own languages

Densely Populated Areas Most densely populate is the UK: 60 million (given its sq miles that’s a lot!) Other countries with high densities are Ireland and Denmark cause temperate climates and fertile soils + limited land size

Low Population Density Scandinavia’s population density is lower than other Northern countries This is because of its large land area and harsh terrain and climate so most live along the coasts

Migration Internal migration is result of people leaving rural areas to move to urban areas for better jobs Causes of external migration is economic troubles –For example Ireland’s economic depression and famine in the 1840s forced 1.6 million people to move out (most to the US)

London Located in the UK Largest urban area in Northern Europe It’s the UK’s capital Multicultural Holds about 7 million people

History and Government of Northern Europe

Earliest Peoples In UK: Probably arrived from continental Europe over years ago when land bridge connected the two The Celts also moved to the British Isles around 500 BC In Scandinavia the Sami are native people of Northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland who are descendants of nomadic peoples who have lived there for 1000s of years

The Romans Invade and Rule Were first to invade Britain 43 AD Made Britain part of their empire Built cities, roads, and towns Brought Christianity to the region Empire declined in the 300s and 400s leaving it weak to be invaded by Germanic groups like Angles, Saxons, and Jutes

The Middle Ages This is the period b/t ancient and modern times 500 to 1500 AD This began at same time the Germanic peoples invaded into the British Isles 1066 Britain fell to the Normans and feudalism began (a system in which monarchs or lords gave land to nobles in return for pledges of loyalty) Later years of Middle Ages saw govts of Northern Europe strengthen and foreign trade increasing Denmark, Norway, Sweden were united in 1400s but then divided again

The Reformation Religious movement of the 1500s Lessened the power of the Roman Catholic Church Introduced Protestantism to Europe This was led by monk Martin Luther Began in Germany Popular with Northern monarchs who did not like to share power with the Church (particularly popes)

The Enlightenment Early 1700s Educated people believed in it Movement that valued reason and questioned tradition People fought for more rights in government in the

The Industrial Revolution People began using machines to do labor that they had down by hands Began in Great Britain Encouraged industrial capitalism: an economic system in which owners use profits to expand business ($ makes $) Some got really rich but factory workers were paid poorly and worked/lived in horrible conditions Communism became popular among workers since its a philosophy that calls for economic equality and ownership of resources by workers

The 1900s World War One 1914 to 1918 World War Two 1939 to 1945 Both world wars resulted in deaths of MILLIONS and left European nations in ruins After WWII ended the Cold War Began –Power struggle b/t non-communist nations (mainly the US) and the communist Soviet Union –Ended in 1991 In last few decades of 1900s Northern European countries have built strong democracies and successful economies

The European Union EU Countries of Northern Europe belongs to this multinational economic organization Its goal is a united Europe in which goods, services, and workers can move freely among member countries Have few trade barriers Use same currency: the euro

Culture of Northern Europe

Language Indo-European languages in different dialects Examples are Swedish, English

Religion Northern European nations value religious freedoms Most are Protestant Many other religions exist

Education Has some of world’s most educated people School is required for at least 10 years Literacy rates are near 100%

Healthcare Excellent healthcare systems Sweden offers complete social welfare programs to its citizens providing complete and equal healthcare to all citizens (makes it a welfare state)

Literature British writings have shaped the literary world with works like those of William Shakespeare who is one of the world’s most widely read writers Romanticism –developed in late 1700s and early 1800s –Writings that focused on emotions, stirring historical events and struggles of individuals Hans Christian Anderson –Writer of most famous fairy tales in world –From Denmark

Cultural Geography of Western Europe

Population of Western Europe France Netherlands Belgium Switzerland Germany Austria

Ethnic Groups Many ethnicities have blended in this part of the world Switzerland has 3 OFFICIAL languages: German, French, and Italian Germany and Austria at one time had homogenous populations but are now mixed with other groups The area has also welcomed many immigrants

Population Densities Most of Western Europe is densely populated with most living in urban areas Large populations due to manufacturing and trade as well as generous stretches of fertile farmland Most populated country of all of Europe is Germany with 82.5 million people Netherlands and Belgium has highest population densities due to small land size

Migration People moving in large numbers to cities Immigration has led to urban growth since WWII because of opportunities there Germany and Belgium have high numbers of guest workers Guest workers are foreigners who work on temporary basis in a country other than ones are citizens; this very popular in Germany since 1950s

Major Cities Paris is Frances capital as well as its cultural and economic center Brussels is commercial center for Belgium and center for the EU Amsterdam is capital for Netherlands ands is known for canals art and tolerance

History and Government of Western Europe

The Earliest Peoples Populated first by the Celts and other ancient peoples Were then taken over by Romans for 1000s of years Then by the Germanic peoples (same as what happened to the British Isles) The Basque were people who lived in the Pyrenees in b/t Spain and France for over 3000 years The Frisians were seafaring people who settled in Northern part of Netherlands around 400 BC

The Franks Rule at the Start of the Middle Ages The Middle Ages began in 500s when Roman Empire collapsed This was a time of great change for Western Europe The Franks were a Germanic group of people who created an empire here They accepted Christianity which came to be known as Catholicism Charlemagne was the Frankish ruler from 768 to 814 and expanded the kingdom Distributed land based on Feudalism Empire didn’t survive after his death

Holy Roman Empire The lands in western and central Europe became the Holy Roman Empire Lasted from 962 to 1806 Were power struggles b/t emperors, nobles, and popes for power

The Crusades Powers of western Europe grew and people came into contact with other regions Around 1000s European armies fought a series of religious battles to win Palestine from Muslim rule Failed to win permanent control of the area Did expand trade routes in Eastern Mediterranean

The Renaissance(1400s) Late 1400s Educated Europeans developed interest in culture of ancient Greeks and Romans These ideas spread by merchants and visitors to Italy Very popular in western Europe

The Reformation (1500s) Religious movement to fix Catholic Church which resulted in creation of Protestant churches Began in Germany as many questions Church’s power and authority New Protestant religions began Some countries like France fought civil wars over whether would stay Catholic or become Protestant By mid-1500s Protestantism had become widely spread

The 1600s Thirty Years War took place from 1618 to 1648 over territory France wins and becomes a SUPER power

The 1700s The French Revolution started in late 1700s and was a movement that overthrew the French monarchy This was encouraged by Enlightenment ideas that pushed for democracy and equal rights

The 1800s By 1815 monarch was back on throne of France but was not absolute in power German kingdom of Prussia became very powerful and after a series of war the kingdom became united as Germany and its industries prospered and military strength increased

The 1900s World War One was 1914 to 1918 and this part of Europe experienced HUGE causalities as Allies fought the Central Powers Peace treaty to end war made Germany guilty of staring war and were forced to pay reparations to Allies WWII began in 1939 after Germany’s leader Hitler became very aggressive invading nations around it When the war ended in 1945 Hitler’s plan to wipe out an entire ethnic group (the Jews) was revealed. This was called the Holocaust. Six millions Jews were killed as well as millions of others Germany was divided into communist East Germany and democratic West Germany and remained that way until the Cold War ended in 1991 In the 1950s Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany grew closer economically In the 1990s the EU was formed and its headquarters was built in Brussels

Culture of Western Europe Western Europe is pioneers and trendsetters in arts, education, and in developing programs that improve quality of life. World leaders in literature, architecture, music and visual arts

Two Influential Artistic Movement Realism: –focuses on accurately depicting details of everyday life – very popular in mid1800s – was big change from early romantic period Impressionism: –late 1800s –French painters like Claude Monet –painted outdoor scenes –captured immediate impressions of natural world

Languages Indo-European including German and French Many countries have one or more official languages

Religion Primarily Christian with majority Roman Catholic

Education Required (compulsory) 98 to 100% literacy rates

Healthcare Comprehensive healthcare provided by government Medical care, unemployment benefits, and many other social services

Standard of Living Most have high standard of living Government provides housing subsidies and maternity and retirement benefits Population is aging with declining birth and death rates

Sports and Leisure Activities Germans love soccer and other sports In Germany and France have a lot of time off Many are well off Have shorter work weeks Like to visit museums, travel, walking, hiking

Essay Question Compare the cultural geographies of Northern and Western Europe. (3 ways alike; two ways different)