Physical Geography of Eurasia North by Northwest
Every time I have taught this course previously, I have taught Europe as a separate region from the former Soviet Union.
One reason is that Europe by itself has a lot of countries and the former Soviet Union by itself is the biggest region in the
world. After a lot of thought, I have decided that their histories and geographies are so intertwined that it makes more sense
to cover them together in a single region that I call Eurasia North by Northwest.
First, I would like to talk about regions. Regions are imaginary. We make them up to help us understand the world works.
They help us to understand because the different parts of a single region are united by common attributes. There are climate
regions, religious regions, political regions, historical regions, landform regions and other regions too numerous to mention.
However, even something that sounds straightforward like a climate region, things get fuzzy around the edges as one climate
begins to change into other. Where does it stop being one and start being another. The major world regions are even more
complex. Where does Europe stop? Where does Asia start? What determines if a country is a European country or not? A
while back, I heard a reporter laugh at the idea that Greece might be considered a European country. Greenland is closer to
Canada than to most of Europe, yet it is classified with Europe, mostly because it is part of Denmark.
There are lots of different ways to define of Europe. Each textbook offers variations. Each changing definition changes the
overall statistics of Europe. The Atlas and The Geography Coloring Book use the traditional European boundary, with the
Ural Mountains marking the eastern boundary (See Plate 19 of the coloring book. The trouble with this definition is that it
splits Russia and Turkey (which we will consider with North Africa) into two different regions.
This semester, I am in a transition period with regard to teaching Europe and the former Soviet Union. I am beginning to
merge them into the one region, but I haven’t completed the process yet. Please bear with me.
First, in Eurasia North by Northwest, there are two big subregions: Europe Subregion and the Former Soviet Subregion. The
major distinguishing characteristic between the two subregions is that the countries of the Former Soviet Subregion belonged
to the Soviet Union, the first “communist” country, for most of the 20th Century.
Both the Europe Subregion and the Former Soviet Subregion have their own subregions.
Europe’s Subregions
I divide Europe into five subregions: Northern Europe, Western Europe,
Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans. Northern, Western
and Southern Europe were mostly allied with the United States (though
some countries, like Switzerland and Norway remained nominally
neutral). Just as the definition of Europe differs from author to author,
so do the definitions of the European subregions. Below, I provide a list
of the countries that belong to each. Before I do so, you should learn
some of the major European features to make it easier to talk about
where things are.
Europe is NOT a separate continent. Rather, it is a peninsula of the
Eurasian continent. The European peninsula is unusual because it has
numerous other major peninsulas. Because of the peninsulas, Europe has
a lot of coast line and a lot of seas. This means that in spite of its
northerly orientation, Europe’s climates are moderated by surrounding
water bodies. . Learn the major peninsulas of Europe: Scandinavian,
Jutland, Iberian, Italian, and Balkan. These are noted on the map at
right.
Because of all the peninsulas, there are many seas.
The major ones are the Baltic Sea, North Sea,
Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, and Black Sea. I
will refer to all of these later.
The two biggest mountain ranges of Europe are the
Pyrenees and Alps. The Pyrenees divide the Iberian
Peninsula from France. They are high, rugged alpine
mountains that represent a formidable barrier to
transportation. The Alps arc from southeast France
through Switzerland and northern Italy into Austria.
Like the Pyrenees, these are high, rugged alpine
mountains. Although they reach higher elevations
than the Pyrenees, they have been less of a barrier to
transportation because the Alps are breached by
numerous low-lying passes.
The two principal rivers of Europe are the Danube –
the longest river of non-Russian Europe and the
Rhine – the most important commercial waterway of
Europe. Both rivers begin in the Alps. The Danube,
circled in red on the right, begins in southern
Germany. It flows east, dividing the Czech Republic
from Austria and Slovakia from Hungary before it
bends south through Serbia and then east again to divide Romania from Bulgaria. The river bends to the north again, forming
its delta on the Romanian coast of the Black Sea. The headwaters of the Rhine rise in northern Switzerland very close to the
headwaters of the Danube. The Rhine, circled on the left, flows north, forming pat of the French-German border before it
flows into the Netherlands and out into the North Sea. Western and Eastern Europe in particular are blessed by long,
navigable rivers. All of the rivers shown on the map above are navigable far inland.
U.S.-Oriented Subregions
Northern Europe: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.
Western Europe: The United Kingdom of Northern Ireland and Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland form the
British Isles. Great Britain is an island which contains England, Scotland and Wales. These are NOT currently
countries, but are part of the United Kingdom. On the mainland are Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxemburg
(sometimes called the Benelux Countries and France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.)
Southern Europe lies along or near the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of four large countries: Portugal and Spain,
which share the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and Greece.
Soviet-Oriented Subregions
South of the Baltic Sea lies Eastern Europe: Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (once a single country
known as Czechoslovakia), and Hungary.
Between the Adriatic and Black Seas, eight countries lie on the Balkan Peninsula. These are called the Balkans:
Slovenia, Croatia (shaped like a C), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia once made up a
single country called Yugoslavia. Tiny Albania faces the heel of Italy while Romania and Bulgaria face the Black
Sea.
Subregions of the Former Soviet Union
The Former Soviet Subregion contains the 15 countries that used to form the Soviet Union. In English-speaking countries, the
Soviet Union was also called the USSR, which is short for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The USSR was founded
in 1922, but did not reach its full extent until 1940. The USSR began to devolve (to splinter into multiple countries) in 1991.
There are five subregions of the former USSR: Russia itself, the Baltic States, European States, Caucasus Republics and
Central Asian Republics. .
Russia is the largest of the former republics. In addition to the main area, there is a tiny exclave called Kaliningrad that
borders Lithuania on the southwest. An exclave is part of a country that is separated by another country. Alaska, for instance,
is an exclave of the United States. (Hawaii is not, because it is surrounded by water, not by another country.) Russia is the
largest country of the world. It is almost twice as big as Canada, the second largest country. The former Soviet Union made
up almost 17% of the earth’s land surface. Russia by itself makes up almost 13% of the earth’s land surface. Besides having
the largest area, it is the widest country. Russia extends from 20°E E in Western Kaliningrad past 170°W in far eastern
Siberia for more than 170 degrees of longitude. That’s almost halfway around the world! Siberia is not a separate country,
but a region that occupies the eastern three-fourths of the Russian landmass. There will be more about Siberia below.
The Baltic States face the Baltic Sea. They consist of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. (Note their alphabetic order on the
map.)
The European Republics – Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova – lie between the Baltic States and the Black Sea. Two of these
countries, Belarus and Moldova, are landlocked.
The Caucasus Republics occupy the rugged alpine region of the Caucasus Mountains that stretches between the Black and
Caspian Seas. Georgia borders the Black Sea, Azerbaijan borders the Caspian. Armenia is landlocked.
Like Russia, Azerbaijan also has an exclave (Naxçivan).
Central Asia is Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. When you see “stan”, think Islam. This
region has much in common with the Middle East because of Islam and also because of the dominant desert climate.
Waterbodies Important to the Former Soviet Subregion
Look at Plate 26 of The Geography Coloring Book. Locate each of these water bodies on that map as you’re reading this
section. Notice that several of the waterbodies that are important to Europe are also important here.
Part of the reason that the region is effectively landlocked is because the Arctic Ocean, which lies north of Russia, is frozen
over much of the year, which limits its usefulness for trade. Of course, global warming is beginning to change this.
The Baltic Sea lies to the northwest. It freezes a shorter time during the winter and provides important access.
The Black Sea lies to the southwest. It provides an economically critical warm-water port.
The Caspian Sea lies to the southwest. This is a salt water lake with no natural access to the world’s oceans. The Caspian
Sea does have important oil deposits. The Soviets built a canal between the Black and Caspian Sea, greatly improving trade.
The Aral Sea lies between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Like the Caspian, it is a salt water lake. The Aral Sea lies in the
deserts of Central Asia, it is replenished by two rivers flowing from the mountains in the southeast. Rivers that run through
arid regions are called exotic streams. Throughout the desert regions of the world, it is common to find cotton farming along
exotic streams, which allow for irrigation. This is because the deserts protect cotton from the boll weevil, an insect that
attacks cotton in more humid areas. Between 1960 and 2000, the Aral Sea lost 75% of its volume and 50% of its surface area.
This was because the rivers that formerly fed it were diverted to irrigate cotton fields. This shrinkage is one of the greatest
human-caused ecological disasters in history. As the sea shrank, it became saltier. None of the 20 species of fish that once
lived in the Aral Sea has survived. The fishing industry has, of course, vanished.
Lake Baikal lies in the east north of China and Mongolia. It is the world’s oldest lake. Baikal contains more water than ALL
of the Great Lakes combined. This accounts for almost 20% of the Earth’s fresh water. The lake bottom is over 4000 feet
below sea level, making it the deepest continental rift on the earth. Baikal is home to over 1500 species of animals and 1000
species of plants.
The Pacific Ocean lies far from most of Russia’s population. It is of limited usefulness because of both the ruggedness of the
topography and the harshness of the climate in Eastern Siberia.
The Volga River is Russia’s most important commercial waterway. Although it empties into the Caspian Sea, it is connected
by canal to the Black Sea. Draw in and label the Volga River on the map above. On this map, it looks like Russia has many
navigable rivers. It does not. More about that later.
Other Physical Features
Use Plate 26 in The Geography Coloring Book for reference.
The two most famous mountain ranges in this region are the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, both of which form part of the
traditional boundary between Europe and Asia. The Urals are low remnant mountain landforms that lie at the east end of the
North European Plain. The Caucasus Mountains are high, rugged alpine landforms. This geologically unstable region is also
the home to great social instability.
Much of the former Soviet Union is effectively landlocked, so there is only one major peninsula to learn: the Kamchatka
Peninsula, which lies far to the east on the Pacific Ocean. This is an almost pristine wilderness area blessed in natural
resources.
Siberia lies east of the Ural Mountains. Siberia is a huge place. It is 5.2 million square miles and takes up 75% of Russia’s
total area. Notice that it has three separate sections: the low-lying West Siberian Plain, the higher Central Siberian Plateau,
and the high Eastern Siberian Mountains.
Questions:
1.
In which latitude belts does most of Eurasia North by Nothwest lie? Which latitude belt is more densely populated?
Why?
2.
Most of this region lies north of 40°N. What effect will this have on the length of summer days and winter nights?
3.
What types of geological activity are associated with all plate boundaries? _______________, _________________, and
______________________.
4.
Iceland lies on the divergent /convergent /transform plate boundary that runs through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
5.
Stretching eastward from this Mid-Atlantic Rift through the Mediterranean Sea, are two plate boundaries. West of the
toe of Italy, the boundary is divergent / convergent / transform. East of the toe, the boundary is divergent / convergent /
transform.
6.
The most tectonically active country of Europe is ________________. Why? The most tectonically active regions of
Europe are _________________ Europe and the ______________ which lie close to the Mediterranean Sea. Why?
7.
Iceland is dominated by what landforms. What is its dominant rock type? What mineral type is associated with this
landform? What type of soil fertility is associated with this landform?
8.
Southern Europe is dominated by what landforms? This region is probably is characterized by what rocktype(s)? What
mineral type is associated with this landform? What type of soil fertility is associated with this landform?
9.
Which areas are dominated by remnant mountain landforms? What rock types are dominant there? What mineral type is
associated with this landform? What type of soil fertility is associated with this landform?
10. Where in Europe are shield landforms dominant? What rock types are dominant there? What mineral type is associated
with this landform? What type of soil fertility is associated with this landform?
11. The North European Plain is one of the most important features of the European landscape. It is a vast triangular stretch
of sedimentary cover that extends from southwest England in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east. What landforms
dominate it? What mineral type is associated with this landform? What type of soil fertility is associated with this
landform? Why has it been so important to Europe?
12.
Tectonic Plates
This region has all three plate boundaries, lying on its periphery. (Remember that all plate boundaries are associated with
earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain building.) Iceland lies on the divergent plate boundary that runs through the middle of
the Atlantic Ocean, forming the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Stretching eastward from this Mid-Atlantic Ridge through the
Mediterranean Sea, are two plate boundaries. West of the toe of Italy the boundary is transform; east of the toe, the boundary
is convergent.
Landforms
As you are reading the following section, find each of landforms detailed below on the landforms map on pages 6 and 7 of
your atlas. Consult the table from the landforms study guide.
Iceland is dominated by isolated volcanic landforms. In that island country, new land is still being created by the continuous
addition of lava.
Associated with the plate boundary running through the Mediterranean Sea is a band of alpine landforms. It begins in the
eastern half of the Iberian Peninsula and includes much of Southern Europe as well as most of the Balkan Peninsula.
Remember that in this landform mountains are rising faster than they are being eroded.
Much of the land of the British Isles, Norway, and the western Iberian Peninsula is dominated by remnant mountain
landforms. A second band of remnant mountains extends from northeastern France through Luxembourg and into southern
Germany.
The shield area is the oldest part of the Eurasian landmass. It is dominant in the countries of Sweden and Finland in Northern
Europe.
The North European Plain is one of the most important features of the European landscape. The vast stretch of low, rolling
plains has been an important highway that has allowed for the movement of people between Europe and Asia, thereby
facilitating trade (and wars). The fertile sedimentary soils and mild climates of much of the North European Plain make it
Europe’s most productive agricultural region.
Climates
Europe is also a bit warmer because of the Gulf Stream, which can be seen on Plate 59 of The Geography Coloring Book.
This warm water current helps moderate European winters.
Open your Coloring Book to Plate 55 and find each of the
climates mentioned on that map.
Europe lies predominantly in the middle latitudes on the west
side of the Eurasian landmass. In the southern middle
latitudes, Mediterranean climates (letter I on the map at right)
dominate. To the north, marine west coast climates (F) with
their mild temperatures and year-round rainfall. Notice that
there are small outcroppings of steppe climate (G) on the
Iberian Peninsula.
In Switzerland and Austria, the Alps are dominated by
undifferentiated highland/mountain climate (L). In the
mountains and valleys of these rugged mountains, the climate
changes a lot depending on your altitude and orientation. The peaks are snow-capped; the valleys are much warmer. The
windward sides of mountains are wetter than lee sides. Rain shadows are not particularly strong in this region, however,
because of all the surrounding water bodies and because the mountains trend east-west rather than north-south.
Toward the interior, the climates take on the characteristics of east-coast mid-latitude climates. Near the border of Germany
and Poland, the climate changes from Marine West Coast to humid continental (D). This climate area extends up into the
Scandinavian Peninsula and all the way down to include Romania.
Northern Scandinavia lies north of the Arctic Circle. This area is dominated by Subarctic (C) and a little tundra climate (B).
There is a small area of humid subtropical climate (E) located around coastal Romania on the northwest coast of the Black
Sea.