Locate England on the
map on page 289
 The largest island in the
British Isles- and in all of
Europe- is Great Britain.
 The island of Great
Britain is made up of
three independent
countries: England,
Scotland and Wales
 Together, with Northern
Island , makes up Great
Britain.
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Made up of three
different areas:
› Highlands
› Midlands
› Lowlands
A short distance to the
south east are the
Midlands. Here lie the
thick veins of coal
that fueled the
country’s Industrial
Revolution.
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Highest populations
of England are in the
Midlands.
To the south and
east are the
lowlands
Lowlands tend to be
fertile--- what does
this mean?
The lowlands provide
England with some of
its most productive
farms.
 Farmers grow: wheat,
vegetables, and other
similar crops.
 Also, this area is great
for sheep, dairy and
beef cattle.
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Europe always had a
surplus of goods.
This lead to cities
being developed
along rivers and
coast.
London became the
most popular city--Why???
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London is located on
the Thames River.
The location always
ships to sail right up
to the ports of
London.
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The port of London
grew rapidly in the
1500s because of
changes in the
patterns of world
settlement and
trade.
London became
what is it today due
to the location.
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In the 1500s, Britain
shipped a lot of its
products across the
world fueling the
Industrial Revolution.
Became known as
“the workshop of the
world”
Earliest technological
advances were used
in to produce textiles
or cloth.
 Also had a lot of iron
ore which made some
cities triple in size.
 Also was the leading
producer of coal.
 This helped England
but at what cost?
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In the late 1800s,
Britain’s power was
challenged by two
new forces:
Germany and the
USA.
Now, Britain turned
to its oil supply under
the North Sea as a
source of fuel.
Tertiary Economic Activities: service
industry
 Examples: finance, insurance, and
tourism.
 Europe is growing and its economy is
doing very well.
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2. Describe the three different physical areas of
the English landscape.
 3. What geographic factors affected London’s
level of development?
 4. A. What impact did technological
innovations have on the British economy?
 B. What impact did they have on Britain’s
physical landscape?
5. A. What was the effect of the Industrial
Revolution on Britain’s coal supply?
B. How has the British economy recovered from
the loss?
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Scotland occupies
nearly one third of
the land area in the
United Kingdom, but
only has less than
10% of the
population
Landscape is rugged
The highland region is
a large, high plateau
with many lakes,
called lochs, which
were carved by
retreating glaciers
 Moors?—
 Bogs?-- This area has the best
climate for fishing and
sheep herding.
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South of the
highlands runs a long
lowland region.
75% of people live in
this region.
However, due to
economic hardships
this area had a lot of
people leave.
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Closest to the English
border
Primarily sheepraising region
Produces a lot of
wool
New industry are slowly
taking the place of
mining, steel making,
and shipbuilding.
 Today, Scotland drills
for oil in the North Sea
 Glen---???
 Maintains its own
culture –Give me
examples on how they
did this?
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It is very different
from England.
Has its own
› -capital
-postage stamps
-flag
-language
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Wales is a peninsula
of Great Britain
About the size of
Massachusetts
Has a marine west
coast climate
Usually receives
more rain than
England
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Some Welsh have sat
on English Parliament
however they are
seeking cultural
independence.
The key to preserve
Welsh culture is
language
2.9 Million people
speak English
20% still speak Welsh
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Very similar to the
economic history of
England and Scotland
Capital city: Cardiff
In the early 1900s,
Wales fell really behind
in technology
-In the 1980s, people
lost their jobs and quit
school
In the 1990s, it began
to improve slightly
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2. What are the major physical characteristics
of Scotland?
3.A.In what ways has Scotland preserved its
cultural heritage?
B. How have the Welsh maintained their
cultural identity?
4. What role has technology played in the
economic changes that have occurred in
Wales between the late 1800s and today?
5. Analyze the survival of the Welsh language in
modern Welsh society. What does it say about
Welsh society’s view of cultural change?
Hills ring most of the
coastline
 The middle of the Island
is a plain that drains into
River Shannon
 -Has a marine west coast
climate that keeps the
island very green.
 1/6 of the island is
covered in peat (a
spongy material
containing waterlogged
mosses and plants)
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Celtic tribes from Europe
first settled Ireland
around 300 b.c.
 Repeatedly defended
off the Vikings
 In 1066, Norman invaders
invaded England and
tried to take over the
Irish
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› Banned marriages
between Normans and
Irish
› Banned Celtic
language (Gaelic)
› Outlawed Celtic music
Up to the 1500s, Roman
Catholics ruled most of
Europe until the
Reformation. Where
Protestant religion was
introduced.
 Most of the Irish remain
Catholic while most of
the English switch to
Protestant.
 The division led to bitter
conflicts between Irish
Catholics and landlords
sent from England.

The Protestant minority controlled most of
the wealth while the Irish Catholics were
very poor.
 Led to Cultural Divergence: deliberate
efforts to keep the cultures separated.
 The Potato Famine hit Ireland in the
1840s.
 A blight, or plant disease, destroyed the
potato crops year after year.
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Rebellions between
1916-1921 led officials
in the United Kingdom
and Ireland to divide
the island into 2 parts.
The 6 northeastern
counties remained
part of Great Britain,
the rest were
independent.
Became officially
independent in 1949,
but did not end
conflict.
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A little over half of
Northern Ireland’s
people are
Protestant, the rest
are Catholic.
Both sides remain
quite violent in trying
to get control over
Northern Ireland.
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In the 1990s, The Irish
government tried to
improve several parts of
their society including:
› Education
› Telecommunication
Was very successful!
-Per capita increased
-unemployment fell to
3.8%
-increased immigration
In 1990, Ireland adopted
the Euro.
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2. Why is Ireland called the Emerald Island?
3. Describe the geographic processes that led
to the formation of two political units in Ireland.
4. How has the government of Ireland tried to
improve the economy?
5.a. Determine whether or not the following is a
fact or opinion:
“Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland
both feel threatened by the past and are
reluctant to negotiate.”
B. Do you agree or disagree with this
statement? Explain.
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It is identified
because its “North”
A collection of
peninsulas an islands
separated by seas,
gulfs, and oceans.
Varies drastically
among nations
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Much of the
landscape on the
Scandinavian
Peninsula is the
product of the last
ice age.
1000s of lakes are
located in this
region.
Soil is very rocky and
hard to farm.
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When the glaciers
melted, water filled
the valleys, creating
flooded glacial
valleys known as
fjords (FEE YAWRDZ)
Some of the fjords
are so deep boats
can sail on them in
order to go to the
ocean.
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In Iceland,
volcanoes and
glaciers exist side by
side.
Allows them to
produce geothermal
energy: or energy
produced from the
heat of the earth’s
interior.
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At midwinter, the sun
may shine only 2 or 3
hours a day.
In midsummer, it
shines more than 20
hours a day.
Can see the northern
lights from this area
of the world
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Climate is surprisingly
mild
Mild marine west
coast climate due to
the warm currents of
the North Atlantic
Drift
Coldest area is east
of a mountain chain
that runs northeast to
southwest Norway.
The Vikings were
originally from this area
of the world.
 The five countries were
briefly united under
Queen Margrethe of
Denmark in 1397. The
union ended in 1523
when Sweden withdrew.
 Most Nordic people
belong to the Lutheran
Church.
 All have a language with
similar roots and all
understand English.
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All five nations are
democracy
 All have mixed
economies---what are
mixed economies?
 Some of the countries
such as Denmark and
Sweden have staterun day-care centers
and state-supported
medicare
 Usually neutral in
foreign affairs.

Have sound
economies
 Denmark and
Southern Sweden
have flat land and a
mild climate
 Denmark uses 60% of
its land for farming
 Norwegians use fishing
techniques.
 This region also
benefits from oil and
gas .
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