Europe 2: Physical Geography and Population Growth
I.
II.
Europe’s Physical Geography
A. geomorphology
1. earth's shape or form
2. geographic study of the earth’s landforms
3. plate tectonics: earth’s surface composed of large, moving plates
a. boundary collisions:
1) continental/continental → mountains, earthquakes
2) continental/oceanic → mountains, earthquakes, volcanoes
3) oceanic/oceanic → island arcs, earthquake, volcanoes
4) rift zone: spreading plates
B. geomorphology and Europe's landscapes
1. mountains
a. Alpine System
1) extensive
a) Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines
b) Carpathians (Eastern Europe), Dinaric (Yugoslavia)
c) Atlas Mountains (North Africa, Turkey)
2) African and Eurasian plates colliding
3) Alps as barrier
b. Caledonian Uplift
1) Scandinavia, UK, Ireland, Iceland, parts of Iberian Peninsula
2) old mountain ranges
3) cool temps, wet, thin acid soils  bogs, forests, poor agriculture
2. Uplands/Plateau
3. North European Plain
a. parts of France, Benelux, Germany, Poland, east to Russia, SE England
b. physical geography favors traffic and trade
4. Europe’s population core
Population
A. European population growth patterns (2015 data)
1. lowest birth rates on earth: Europe = 11; EU = 10
2. negative rate of natural increase
a. death rates > birth rates
b. Eastern and Southern Europe = -0.1%
3. fertility rates
a. average number of children
b. replacement = 2.1
c. Europe = 1.4
d. “lowest low fertility” = 1.3
4. geographic variations
a. east v. west: most marked: allies/internal republics of former USSR: RNI = -0.1%
b. north v. south:
1) RNI: Germany -0.3%; Italy = -0.2%
2) fertility rates: France 2.0; UK 1.9, Scandinavia 1.8-1.9
Europe 2: Physical Geography and Population – p. 1 of 2
3) Ireland: 2.0
5. consequences
B. Immigration
1. EU elderly
2. labor shortage
a. high tech and menial
b. where they are coming from: internal and external EU
1) former colonies
2) eastern Europe
3) Turkey
4) Syria
c. where they are headed: Germany; Scandinavia
3. Europe’s reaction: “Europe Stares at a Future Built by Immigrants”
a. fear of "outsider"
b. reception - varies by country
1) Netherlands
2) Germany
3) Austria
4) Switzerland
5) soccer
6) Denmark
7) Sweden
8) Norway
9) UK
10) Italy
11) France
c. Schengen Agreement: 1985 abolished borders between 26 European signatories; includes
22 of 28 EU nations
d. EU expansion and immigration
e. aging Europe’s future
f. Europe at crossroads: defining Europe’s future identity
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Europe Geography Bowl: Pulsipher – Chapter 4
Much like Trivia Bowl competitions, the Geography Bowl is a team competition in which teams attempt
to answer factual questions about the region. The competition is open-book, but of course the advantage
is to the individuals who have reviewed the material prior to class and know the answers without
looking or know where to go to find the answers. The ultimate objective is to cover some facts about a
region in a manner that is a little more entertaining than the instructor merely listing them; ideally it
also encourages students to read the book.
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Europe 2: Physical Geography and Population – p. 2 of 2