Physical Geography of Europe Chapter 12

Chapter 12 Vocabulary Words Fjords- steep u-shaped valleys that connect to the sea and that filled with seawater after glaciers melted. Uplands- hills or low mountains that may also contain mesas and high plateaus. North Atlantic drift-a current of warm water from the tropics, flows near europe’s west coast

Landforms and Resources Major Peninsulas Scandinavian – Norway and Sweden Jutland -Denmark Iberian –Spain and Portugal Italian -Italy Balkan –Adriatic, Mediterranean, Aegean Sea’s

Major Mountains Alps Pyrenees Stretch across France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Northern Balkans Pyrenees Border between France and Spain

Major Rivers Rhine –flows south to north from the Alps bordering Switzerland , through Germany and entering the North Sea through the Netherlands Danube –cuts through the heart of Europe from West to East, linking Europe to the Black Sea

Resources Europe is known for the following resources: Petroleum Copper Iron ore Lead Silver Uranium and Zinc

Climate of Europe North Atlantic Drift Mistral Sirocco Current of warm water from the tropics Mistral Cold, dry wind from north Sirocco Hot, steady wind from North Africa (this is why the Mediterranean Sea is so warm)

Human Environment Interaction Waterways for Commerce: Venice’s Canals Builders sunk wooden pilings into the ground to help support the structures above. The city is gradually sinking due to compressions of these pilings and rising sea levels.