Medieval Europe
“The Middle Ages”
Why was this period
referred to as
“The Middle Ages”?
It was the period between
two very important
times…the Fall of the Roman
Empire and the Renaissance.
In the middle – The Middle
Ages
Many people thought that nothing important
happened during this period. They were wrong!
The Early Middle Ages
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The Geography of Europe
Europe After the Fall of Rome
Feudalism and Manor Life
Feudal Societies
We will begin today with the
Geography of Europe.
PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 230
IN YOUR TEXT
GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE
• CHAPTER 9
• LESSON 1
• Students will identify the physical
features and compare and contrast the
regions of Europe on a graphic
organizer.
TODAY’S FOCUS QUESTION:
• How did the topography of Europe
shape life in each region?
Let’s begin with the word
GEOGRAPHY.
What does it mean?
The Geography of Europe
• Geo means EARTH
• “Ography” or “graphy” refers to the
study of something.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU
KNOW WHAT THE TERM
TOPOGRAPHY MEANS?
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Hint: I see top.
Another hint: Where have you
heard the part of the word
“ography” before?
Topography refers to the
shape and elevation of land
in a region.
CLIMATE VS. WEATHER
CLIMATE
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The prevailing or AVERAGE weather
conditions of a place.
It is determined by the temperature
and precipitation changes over a
period of years.
It is often described by words like
“mild” or “harsh”.
How would you describe
Fresno’s climate?
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Remember to think of our AVERAGE.
Would we be mild or harsh?
There is actually a name for our type
of climate. It is called a
MEDITERRANEN CLIMATE.
WHERE HAVE WE HEARD THAT
NAME BEFORE?
Mediterranean Climate
Climate determines what
can be grown in a region.
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In Fresno, we can grow grapes
and oranges because we have a
long, warm growing season. We
don’t have many days with
freezing temperatures.
We also grow olives, which grow
well in warm, dry climates.
Where else in the U.S. are
oranges grown?
Do you know why?
What does weather mean?
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What is the weather in Fresno
today?
Is the weather the same every
day?
How did the geography of
Europe shape different ways of
life?
It influenced what crops
people have grown and
where cities developed.
Mediterranean farmers grew
hardy crops such as olives in
the dry, warm areas of
southern Europe.
Cities grew along rivers
such as the Rhine, so
people and goods could
be moved easily.
Many people settled along the coasts, using
the sea for the resources they needed.
Southern Europe
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Many mountains served as protection
from invasion. How would mountains
provide protection?
Southern Europe
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Because it had so many peninsulas, people
didn’t live far from the sea. As a result, many
became traders and seafarers.
Northern Europe
Many people settled in towns along the rivers. In the open
fields around the cities, a variety of crops were grown on
the fertile soils. The flat land made farming and
transportation easier, but it also had a major drawback.
What happened because there were no mountains?
INVASIONS!
There were no mountains in Northern Europe for protection against
invaders. The most frightening invaders of all were the Vikings
from Scandinavia. The Vikings could sail their ships up rivers, so
the raids weren’t limited to the coastal areas. The attacks were swift
and savage, and Europeans lived in terror of Viking raids. Where
have we seen a Viking before?
SCANDINAVIAN WARRIORS!
SCANDINAVIA
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The highest mountains in Europe called
Alps.
Europe’s largest peninsula.
FOCUS QUESTION:

How did the topography of Europe
shape life in each region?
The shape and elevation of land in a
region is called
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Elevation
Geography
Topography
Biology
The large land mass that includes both
Europe and Asia is called
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Asrope
Eurasia
Middle East
Far East
The highest mountains in Europe are
called
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Foothills
Alps
Euro Range
Scandinavian Mountains
The Ural Mountains are what
geographers consider to be
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The tallest mountains of Europe.
The tallest mountains of Asia.
The northern most mountains in the world.
The boundary between Europe and Asia.
The land known as the peninsula of
peninsulas is
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Europe
Asia
Eurasia
Scandinavian