Name: ______________________________
Period: ____________
Date: ________
Northern Europe (Physical Geography)
Landforms
Northern Europe is made up of five countries: Norway and Sweden on the Scandinavian Peninsula, Denmark on the
Jutland Peninsula, Finland in the eastern part of the region, and the island country of Iceland in the North Atlantic
Ocean.
The Sub Region
 Physical geography shaped by glaciers and plate tectonic activity
 Cold northern climate has influenced the lives of people in this sub region
Glaciation
•
Glaciation is the primary physical process by which the landforms of Northern Europe came to be as they are
today.
•
During the last ice age, ice filled the valleys and carved out fjords that are now filled with seawater, creating
steep, rugged mountains.
Fjord
 A fjord is a long, steep-sided glacial valley now filled by seawater.
Scandinavian/Jutland Peninsulas
 Scandinavian Peninsula: Norway, Sweden, and part of Finland are on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Surrounded
by the Barents Sea, Baltic Sea, Norwegian Sea, and North Sea.
 Jutland Peninsula: Denmark is on Jutland. Surrounded by the North Sea and Baltic Sea
Name: ______________________________
Period: ____________
Date: ________
Norway
 Mostly mountainous
 Glaciers from last ice age left thousands of lakes (to include Sweden and Finland)
 Many deep fjords lie on the Atlantic coastline
 Tectonic activity helped to form the islands of Svalbard…located 400 miles North of Norway
Sweden
 Like Norway, very mountainous up North
 In the South, lowlands slope gently to the Baltic Sea
 Glaciers from last ice age left thousands of lakes (to include Sweden and Finland)
Finland
 Mostly flat with a few hills and mountains
 Over 10% covered with lakes and rivers
 Rugged coastline deeply indented with bays and inlets
 Offshore dotted with thousands of small islands
 Glaciation helped to form Finland's rugged topography
Denmark
 Located on Jutland Peninsula
 Includes Greenland, and Faeroe Islands
 Considered part of the cultural region of Scandinavia
 Glaciers deposited sand and gravel on the Jutland’s flat western side and carved fjords on the eastern coastline
 Flat plains make up most of the Jutland interior
Iceland
 Formerly a possession of Denmark
 621 miles west of Norway
 Sits on Mid-Atlantic Ridge (area of high tectonic activity)
 Around 200 volcanoes
 Abundant geothermal energy and hydropower from rivers and waterfalls
Name: ______________________________
Period: ____________
 Has numerous mountains
Date: ________
 Countless hot springs, rivers, small lakes, waterfalls, glaciers and geysers.
Geothermal Energy
 A form of energy conversion that captures heat energy from within the earth
Hot Spring
 A spring whose water issues at a temperature higher than that of its surroundings.
Geyser
 A spring that throws forth intermittent jets of heated water and steam.
Activity #2: Using the textbook, answer the following questions:
Progress Check: Answer the questions below by using your text book (pages 270-272)
1. Identifying: What landforms were created by glaciation during the last ice age in Northern Europe?
2. Describe how a glacier over a mile high can alter the landscape of region.
3. Describe how the mountains of Svalbard were created.
4. Describe how climate and weather impacted the topography/landscape of Northern Europe.