CHAPTER 11 Physical Geography of Europe

Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands  Most of land within 300 miles of seacoast— how does this affect life?  25% of Neth. Lies below sea level  Dikes—hold back water  Polders—reclaimed land (windmills) Great for farming

Northern Peninsulas  Scandinavian Peninsula  Glaciation—formed and spread  Fjords—long, narrow inlets  Norway, Sweden are mountainous—lakes  Jutland Peninsula—Denmark (plains, hills)

Southern Peninsulas  Iberian Peninsula  Southwest edge—Spain and Portugal  Strait of Gibraltar  Plateau, Pyrenees Mountains (isolation)  Apennine Peninsula—Italy Apennine Mountains—young mountains Mt. Vesuvius  SE Europe—Balkan Peninsula

Isolation Apennine Peninsula Straight of Gibraltar Da Boot

Balkan Peninsula

Europe’s Islands  Iceland—south of Arctic Circle  Volcanoes, hot springs, geysers (glaciers)  Grassy lowlands along coast, inland plateau  British Isles  Great Britain and Ireland (thousands of other islands) North—mountains, plateaus, deep valleys South—low hills, rolling plains Ireland—Emerald Isle (lush green land

Iceland

United Kingdom Ireland Me

Islands cont.  South—Mediterranean Sea  Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete, and Cyprus Volcanoes and earthquakes Mt. Etna—highest active volcano in Sicily  Greece—2,000 islands  Very sunny, lots of tourism

Mountain Regions  Southern mountains—Pyrenees  Alps—Southern France to Balkan Peninsula  Major rivers (Rhine and Po) originate in Alps  Carpathians—eastern Europe

Swiss Alps Carpathian Mts

Plains  North European Plain (Great European Plain)  SE England & western France to Poland  Fertile soil and rivers (loess—fine soil)  Deposits of coal, iron ore, and other minerals led to industrialization in 1800s  Great Hungarian Plain  Hungary to Croatia—grains, fruits, vegetables, livestock

Great European Plain

Water System  Flow from mountains to coasts  Great transportation  Rhine—Swiss Alps through France and Germany (connect industrial cities)  Danube—Germany to Black Sea

Natural Resources  Utilize natural resources  Energy, agriculture, water, minerals  Coal and iron ore fueled industrial revolution  Peat—moss burned for energy in some locations  France—nuclear power (no oil reserves)

Pete cutting Peat Natural resources map on page 263

Section 2: Climate and Vegetation  Water and Land  Climates and Veg. vary cold to warm  North Latitudes—very cold  Location of sea—warm maritime winds—mild climates  Vegetation forests to grasslands

Western Europe  Marine West Coast Climate—mild winters, cool summers, abundant rainfall  Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift bring warm waters (and westerlies)

Trees and Highlands  Western Europe vegetation  Deciduous and coniferous trees Timberline—cannot grow Alps—colder, Foehns cause avalanches  Ireland’s Forests Depleted forests—agriculture and need for wood left only 1% of land forests

Southern Europe  Mediterranean climate  Warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters  Cold winds from Alps—mistral  Warm winds from northern Africa—siroccos

Eastern and Northern Europe  Humid continental climate—cold, snowy winters and hot summers  Coniferous and deciduous trees, grasslands in eastern Europe  Far North, subarctic and tundra—permafrost— frozen below surface (little vegetation)