1. France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein

2. Culture, Competition, and Conflicts  France & Germany- the largest and most dominate countries, both have heavily influenced several other countries in the region  Benelux- subregion of Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg  After the fall of the Roman Empire, Charlemagne (Germanic King) conquered the area in the 700s but fell apart after his death.  From the death of Charlemagne until the 1600s, much of the region was under feudalistic rule as small, competing kingdoms- the Middle Ages

3. Focus?? Why are France and Germany the dominant countries of Western Europe? They are the largest countries and have good access to resources, ports, and trade routes.

4.  The Reformation (occurring at the same time of the Renaissance)  1517- Martin Luther, a priest, posted 95 criticisms of the Catholic Church  Luther was expelled from the Church and started his own movement (Lutheran- today) which led to other people breaking away from the church

5. Constant Conflicts  Because of the peoples desire for their own identity and country there was almost constant conflict in the region from the 1600s to 1945.  This includes the “biggies”: the French Revolution, WWI, and WWII  At the same time, the region was industrializing and establishing colonies in the New World and Africa for raw materials, territories, and cheap labor.

6. Focus ?? How did nation-states emerge from feudal societies? How did Nationalism lead to modern nation- states ? -strong kings gained power over feudal lords and formed countries -Groups feel loyal to their own culture and want their own countries

7. Western Europe Today  Agriculture- very productive especially in livestock, dairy farming, grapes, tulips, wheat, and vegetables  France, Germany, the Netherlands are the top manufacturing nations of Europe (electronics, scientific instruments, nuclear power, space technology, cars)  Switzerland is the banking center  Tourism plays a major role in all the countries economies.  Strong artistic legacy-composers: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, artists: Jan Van Eyck, Rembrandt, Monet, Gauguin

8. Modern Life High Standard of living, very urban Good public transportation Low crime rates Paid vacation time Issues with Immigration &‘guest workers’

10. Highest Bridge in the World The Millau Viaduct is a cable- stayed road bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in southern France. It is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one pier's summit 1,118 ft—slightly higher than the Eiffel Tower and only 132 ft shorter than the Empire State Building. Length: 1.5 miles France

11. It was founded in 708 by the Bishop of Avranches who built a chapel there after the Archangel Michael appeared to him in a dream. Granite Construction of the Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel (Mont Saint-Michel Abbey) started in 1023 and finished some 400 years later. The abbey was frequently assaulted by the English in the Hundred Years War (1337–1453 ) but was never captured For centuries, the Abbey was a place of pilgrimage but it has also variously served as a prison, a fortress against the English and a monastery. France

12. Introduced to the Netherlands until 1593 from Turkey Today, over nine billion flower bulbs are produced each year in Holland, and about 7 billion of them are exported, for an export value of three quarters of a billion dollars. According to the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center, the USA is the biggest importer of Dutch bulbs Netherlands

13. The Brandenburg Gate was commisioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II to represent peace & constructed in 1791. Ironically the gate was incorporated into the Berlin Wall (1961) during the years of Communist government. Checkpoint Charlie was located here during the 28 years the Berlin Wall stood. Germany

14. The Swiss actually created fondue out of necessity. In early times, cheese and bread was made in the summer and fall to last through the winter. Both became very hard; the bread so wooden that it literally had to be chopped with an ax. The Swiss found that if the cheese was heated with wine over a fire it softened and became edible. Switerland