WESTERN EUROPE
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
PENINSULA OF PENINSULAS
HOW DID
THIS
GEOGRAPHY
ALLOW
BRITAIN TO
PRACTICALLY
RULE THE
WORLD AT
ONE TIME?
EUROPE IS OLD, SMALL, AND
CROWDED
IT HAS LOST MANY OF ITS NATURAL
RESOURCES DUE TO OVERUSE
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES?
RHINE RIVER
• MOST IMPORTANT RIVER IN EUROPE
• HEADWATERS – GLACIER IN SWITZERLAND
• FLOWS THROUGH SWITZERLAND, AUSTRIA,
LIECHTENSTEIN, GERMANY, FRANCE,
NETHERLANDS
• EMPTIES INTO NORTH SEA
• ONCE HEAVILY POLLUTED (EUROPE’S SEWER)
• NOW IMPROVING – RHINE ACTION PROGRAM
RHINE RIVER
STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR
SEPARATES EUROPE (SPAIN)
ACTUALLY GIBRALTAR IS AN AUTONOMOUS
BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY
FROM NORTH AFRICA (MOROCCO)
CONNECTS MEDITERRANEAN SEA TO ATLANTIC
OCEAN
*STRAIT – NARROW BODY OF WATER CONNECTING TWO LARGER BODIES OF
WATER
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
MEDITERRANEAN DISASTER
NORTH SEA
MOST OF EUROPE’S OIL AND NATURAL
GAS IS FOUND UNDER THE NORTH SEA
ALPS
YOUNGISH MOUNTAINS
IN WHAT
COUNTRIES
ARE THEY LOCATED?
NORTHERN EUROPEAN
PLAIN
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•
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•
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•
BROAD COASTAL PLAIN
MANY RIVERS
DENSELY POPULATED
LARGE RIVER TOWNS AND PORT CITIES
EASY TRADE, TRAVEL, AND MIGRATION
MOST IMPORTANT FARMING AREA
MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRIAL AREA
NORTH ATLANTIC DRIFT
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•
•
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•
WARM ATLANTIC OCEAN CURRENT
MODERATES NORTHWESTERN EUROPE CLIMATES
BRINGS MILD TEMPERATURES AND RAIN
ORIGINATES OFF NORTHWEST U.S.COAST
FED BY WARM GULF STREAM WATERS
WOOHOO FOR FARMERS!!!
NORTH ATLANTIC DRIFT
POLDER
LAND CLAIMED FROM THE SEA
POLDER
•
•
•
•
•
BUILD A DIKE
PUMP WATER OUT
INSTALL WINDMILL
HAUL DIRT IN
PLANT, BUILD, ETC
POLDER
GEMAAL – MODERN
PUMP
WINDMILLS –
NOT USED
MUCH ANY
MORE