PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE
Directions: Read Chapter 11 in the text and answer the following questions on a separate
sheet of paper. You may also need to use alternative sources to gather information.
Create a vocabulary list for 11.1.
1. What is meant by the term Eurasia?
2. Why is Europe known as the continent of peninsulas and how would this influence the climate of these
regions?
3. What bodies of water border the continent of Europe? There are several.
4. Which country is known for its many fjords and why are they so important to the economy?
5. What country or countries make(s) up …the Scandinavian Peninsula? …the Iberian Peninsula? …Jutland?
…the Apennine Peninsula? …the Balkan Peninsula?
6. What must the Dutch do to defend the Netherlands from the North Sea? How do windmills contribute
to this process?
7. What are polders used for?
8. Why are there so many lakes in Scandinavia?
9. How does Jutland’s eastern coast differ from its western coast?
10. What separates the Iberian Peninsula from North Africa?
11. What physical feature kept people of the Iberian Peninsula isolated for so long? What political boundary
does this feature create?
12. What forms the spine of the Apennine Peninsula? What volcano can be found here?
13. What major river flows through Northern Italy and has its headwaters high in the Alps?
14. What bodies of water surround the Balkan Peninsula? (there are four)
15. How is it that you can find both volcanoes next to glaciers in Iceland?
16. What is unique about how Icelanders heat their homes? What enables them to do this?
17. Why is Ireland called the Emerald Isle?
18. The British Isles includes what two major islands? (Controversial since they are not both British)
19. The United Kingdom includes four regional governments. What “countries” are included in the UK?
20. What is Europe’s highest active volcano and where is it located?
21. What country is composed of some 2000 islands in addition to the peninsula mainland?
22. Which country do the following islands belong to:
Sicily?
Sardinia?
Corsica?
Crete?
23. What is Ben Nevis and where can it be found?
24. What is the Meseta? What is the Massif Central?
25. In what countries can you find the Alps?
26. What is the highest peak in the Alps and where can it be found?
27. How do the Alps affect the climate of Europe?
28. What major mountain system can be found in Eastern Europe?
29. What countries comprise the North European Plain?
30. Why is the North European Plain economically significant? (more than one answer)
31. How do the rivers of Europe differ from region to region? Describe the differences.
32. Which river is the most significant to Eastern Europe flowing from Germany to the Black Sea?
33. What is the significance of the Main-Danube Canal?
34. What natural resources found in Western Europe led to an industrialized society?
35. What is the major problem facing the West today regarding these resources today?
36. What is peat and what is it used for?
37. How does the North Sea contribute to Europe’s energy needs?
38. What type of power is France heavily invested in?
Turn 
Create a vocabulary list for 11.2
39. Using the map on page 278, what latitude region is most of Europe in and how does that influence what
type of climate will be experienced on the continent?
40. Why is western and southern Europe climatically warmer than eastern Europe?
41. What is the North Atlantic Drift and how does if affect climate in Western Europe?
42. How do the prevailing winds contribute to this impact caused by the North Atlantic Drift?
43. What are foehns and how can they affect the stability of mountainsides?
44. Describe Europe’s Mediterranean climate, where it can be found, and what type of vegetation is located
there.
45. In what part of Europe will you find humid subtropical climate?
46. How do the Alps affect precipitation in the northwestern part of Europe compared to the southern part?
47. How are mistrals different than siroccos?
48. What climate dominates eastern part of Europe and why is this so different from western Europe’s
climate?
49. Europe is dominated by what kind of vegetation? (use map)
50. How have European’s settlement patterns affected the vegetation in much of the area referenced in the
question above?
51. What are countries doing to reverse the effects of this settlement?
52. Steppe climates can be found in which countries of Europe?
53. Where will one find subarctic and tundra regions in Europe?