Europe
Europe
• The world’s second smallest continent
• Located in the northern hemisphere
• Huge diversity of landforms and cultures
Regions of Europe
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Western Europe
Eastern Europe
British Isles
Northern Europe
Mediterranean Europe
Landforms and Resources
• Peninsulas
– Europe is a large peninsula stretching to the west
of Asia
– Europe as several small peninsulas
– Major European peninsulas
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Scandinavian Peninsula
Jutland Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
Italian Peninsula
Balkan Peninsula
Islands
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Great Britain
Ireland
Iceland
Greenland
Corsica
Sardinia
Sicily
Crete
Mountains
and Uplands
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Alps
Pyrenees
Apennine Mts.
Balkan Mts.
Rivers and Fertile Plains
• Danube- cuts through the heart of Europe
from west to east
– Touches 9 countries
• Rhine- flows 820 miles from interior to the
North Sea
• Northern European Plain- one of the most
fertile agricultural regions in the world
– Stretches across France, Belgium, the
Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and Poland
Resources
• Coal and Iron
• Energy
– Oil and natural gas beneath the North Sea
– Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Denmark
pump oil from rigs
– The North Sea fields are major sources of petroleum for the
world
• Agricultural land
– 33% of Europe’s land is suitable for agriculture (world average
is 11%)
– Produce a variety of crops- grains, grapes, olives, cork
– Timber
Climate
• Westerly winds warm Europe
– Most of Europe is marine west coast climate
– The nearby ocean and dominant winds create the
mild climate
– North Atlantic Drift- current of warm water from
the tropics, flows near Europe’s west coast
– Prevailing westerlies blow west to east, pick up
warmth from this current and carry it over Europe
– Also carry moisture- giving the region adequate
rainfall
Climate and Vegetation
• Far from the Atlantic- Sweden, Finland,
eastern part of Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary,
and all of Romania have a humid continental
climate
– Cold snowy winters and either warm or hot
summers
– Adequate rainfall
Climate and Vegetation
• Sunny Mediterranean
– Southern part of Spain and France through Italy to
Greece and other parts of the Balkan Peninsula
– Hot dry summers
• Exception- Mediterranean France- not
protected by high mountains
– In winter most of this coast receives mistral (cold
and dry) winds from the north
Climate and Vegetation
• Most of the Mediterranean countries
experience a wind called the sirocco- hot,
steady south wind that blows from North
Africa across the Mediterranean Sea into
south Europe
– Produces rain
Assignment
• Create a country snapshot based on one
country in Europe.
• The information you collect will be used in
group discussions so make sure you collect
enough information.
Snapshot
Physical Geography
Political
Social
Economic
Freebie
Location
Discussion Questions
1. Explain your country to your group.
2. Why do you think Switzerland did not become a
maritime leader as opposed to England, Spain,
Portugal, and Norway?
3. What are the unique physical features, climates,
and resources of Europe's nations?
4. How does the physical location of a nation affect
its political, social, and economic
characteristics?
5. How does the physical geography shape a
nations culture?
Human-Environment Interaction
• Venice, Italy- more than 150 canals
– Almost anything that is moved on wheels
elsewhere is moved by water in Venice
– Located at the north end of the Adriatic Sea- trade
helped Venice grow
– Swampy land- made construction more difficult
• Causes the city to gradually sink
Human-Environment Interaction
• Deforestation- clearing forests from an area
– Europe has lost huge areas of forests
– Acid rain strips forests
• Factories produce high amounts of sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxide emissions
• These combine with water vapor and oxygen to form
acid rain or snow
Urbanization
• Europe is among the most highly urbanized regions of
the world
• 73% of Europeans live in cities
• West is more urbanized than East
• Most urbanized countries
• Belgium, Iceland, United Kingdom, Germany,
France
• Least urbanized country
• Albania
©2012, TESCCC
Urbanization
• European urban areas are like suburban areas
in the United States
• European cityscapes differ from North
American cities due to:
• Long histories
• Scarce land
• Strong government control of urban land
development
©2012, TESCCC
Population
• 3rd largest population
cluster
• High Population
densities in western
Europe
• Nordic Europe very
sparsely populated
©2012, TESCCC
Changing Population
• Population falling
• Fertility at all-time low
• Fewer young people
©2012, TESCCC
• Smaller working age
population
• Immigration offsetting
losses
Human-Environment Interaction
• The Netherlands- the Dutch needed
more land for their growing
population so they reclaimed
land from the sea
– At least 40% of the Netherlands
was once under the sea
– Polder- land that is reclaimed
by diking and draining
While reading the article take notes on page 62
or 63. Use these questions to guide your notetaking.
• How is acid rain affecting Europe?
• What is contributing to the problem?
• What other problems (non
environmental) can acid rain cause?
• What are some ways that Europeans can
solve the issues caused by acid rain?
Mediterranean Europe- “All roads lead
to Rome”
• Home to the two great civilizations of ancient
Europe
– Ancient Greece and ancient Rome
• Mild climate made it easier for people to
settle and survive
• Mediterranean Sea encouraged overseas
trade
Mediterranean Europe
• Greece- birthplace of democracy
• 2000 B.C.- people moved from the north to
the Balkan Peninsula
• Mountainous region so the cities and villages
were very isolated from each other and
developed into separate city-states.
• City-state- political unit made up of a city and
its surrounding lands
Mediterranean Europe
• Ancient Greece left a lasting impact on modern life
– Athens developed the first democracy (government in which
people rule)
– Athenian democracy helped inspire the U.S. system of
government
– Greek science, philosophy, drama, and art helped shape modern
culture
– In the 400s B.C. conflict made Greece weak
• Several city-states fought costly series of wars with Persia- an empire
in southwest Asia
• Athens also fought a war with Sparta- a rival Greek city-state
• Finally in 338 B.C., Macedonia conquered Greece and in 336 B.C.
Macedonia general Alexander the Great conquered Persia and part of
India.
• His empire spread Greek Culture but broke apart after his death.
Mediterranean Europe
• The Roman Empire
– As Greece was losing power, Rome (west) was rising
– Rome ruled most of the Italian Peninsula by 275 B.C.
– Rome was a republic- government in which citizens elect
representatives to rule in their name
– The Roman Empire grew by conquering territory overseas,
including the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas
– Republic ended when an emperor took control of Rome
– Spread Christianity (Rome’s official religion)
– By A.D. 395, the empire was too large so it split into a western
and eastern half
– Western Rome fell in A.D. 476 because of German invaders
– Eastern Rome lasted for about 1,000 more years
Mediterranean Europe
• Crusades
– 1096, European Christians launched the crusades- a
series of wars to take Palestine from the Muslims
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0zudTQelzI
• The Renaissance
– A time of renewed interest in learning and the arts
that lasted from the 14th-16th centuries
– Inspired by classical art and writings
– Bubonic plague reached Italy from Asia and killed
millions of Europeans (we’ll spend more time on this
tomorrow)
Mediterranean Europe
• Spain’s Empire
– 700s- Muslims from North Africa conquered the
Iberian Peninsula
– Muslims controlled the region for more than 700
years
– In 1492, Spain’s Catholic rulers, Ferdinand and
Isabella took retook Spain from the Muslims
– The empires spread Catholicism and the Spanish
and Portuguese languages throughout the world
Mediterranean Europe
• Culture
– Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian
– Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism
– Classical statues, Renaissance painting and
sculpture
Mediterranean Europe
• Political turmoil in the 20th century
– Two dictators- Benito Mussolini in Italy and
Francisco Franco in Spain
– They both ruled for long periods of time
– Fascism- government has complete control over
peoples lives and they are not allowed to disagree
with the government
– After WWII- Italy became a republic
Activity
• Complete the reading on the Crusades and the
assignment that follows.
Western Europe
• Dominant countries- France and Germany
– Both places have strong cultures that spread over
Europe
• Charlemagne- Germanic king- he conquered
most of the region
– His empire declined after his death
– Western Europe remained a region of small,
competing kingdoms
Western Europe
• Reformation
– Religious movement
– Many Christians broke away from the Catholic
Church and started Protestant churches
– Hostility between Catholics and Protestants to
fight religious wars that tore Europe apart
– Today people still are mainly Catholic and
Protestant in western Europe
Western Europe
• Period between fall of Rome and the Renaissance= the
Middle Ages
• Nation-state- an independent nation of people with a
common culture
• After Rome fell
– Feudalism gradually developed Europe
• A political system in which powerful lords owned most of the land
• They gave some land to nobles in exchange for military service by
those nobles
– Nationalism developed- the belief that people should be
loyal to their nation, the people with whom they share
land, culture, and history
Western Europe
• Late 1600’s- French kings held absolute power
• The French Revolution- 1789
– Napoleon Bonaparte seized power and made himself
Emperor. He tried to conquer all of Europe but was
defeated
• Nation-states of Europe became rivals
• Experienced industrial growth in the late 1800s
• Industrialism caused European nations to set up
colonies around the world
Western Europe
• Nationalistic conflict rivalry and competition
helped to cause WWI.
• Allied Powers (France) found the Central
Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary)
• Allied Powers won and imposed harsh terms
on Germany
• German resentment helped to cause WWII
Western Europe
• WWII- Germany, led by Hitler and the Nazis, tried to
conquer Europe
• Holocaust- A program of mass murder of European
Jews and other minorities
• Allies defeated Germany and Germany was split into
two nations- East Germany (aligned with Communist)
and West Germany
– The two nations were divided by the Berlin Wall
– In 1989, anti-Communist reforms swept Europe and East
Germany opened the Berlin Wall
– 1990- the two Germanys reunited under a democratic
government
Western Europe
• Regions economy is strong- includes agriculture,
and manufacturing, plus high-tech and service
industries
• The region has three of Europe’s top
manufacturing nations: France, Germany, and the
Netherlands
• Tourism is also a major part of the regions
economies.
• (We’ll talk more about economics in the region
next week- The European Union)
Western Europe
1. What is a nation state?
2. How did nation-states emerge from feudal
societies?
3. How was Germany divided and then re-united?
4. Why are France and Germany the dominant
counties of Western Europe?
5. How did language differences develop in
Western Europe?
6. What economic challenge does Germany face?
Vocabulary Quiz Tomorrow
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City-state
Republic
Crusades
Renaissance
Aqueduct
Reformation
Feudalism
Nationalism
Democracy
Holocaust
Berlin Wall
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Parliament
Satellite nation
Market economy
Anti-Semitism
Ethnic cleansing
Northern Europe
• The United Kingdom, Ireland, and Nordic
countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,
and Sweden
• History of seafaring conquerors
Northern Europe
• Great Britain’s influence
– Developed representative government
• Parliamentary Monarch
• Ideas spread to the U.S., Canada, and various British
colonies
– Industrial revolution
• Iron ore and coal
Northern Europe
• Nordic countries did not involve themselves in
other nations’ affairs
• Britain played major role in world wars
(Allies).
• British involvement in other parts of the
world
– Colonies
– Lasting affects
Northern Europe
• Economy
– Highly developed
– Manufacturing and traditional economic activities
like fishing and forestry
– High-tech industries
Northern Europe
• Most people live in cities and have high
standard of living
• Nordic countries have many welfare systems
for their families
– Families are given allowances
– National health insurance programs
– People in these places pay very high taxes
Homework Quiz B
1. How do language and religion reflect the
cultural division in Western Europe?
2. How did the the Reformation affect Northern
Europe?
3. How does the economic strength of a nation
affect its willingness to welcome immigrants?
4. Why is there conflict in Northern Ireland?
Eastern Europe
• Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia,
Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Yugoslavia
• Cultural Crossroads- place where various cultures
cross paths
– People moving between Asia and Europe have crossed
this region- traders, nomads, migrants, and armies
• The region was controlled by Empires for a long
time so the rise of independent nations was slow
Eastern Europe
• Centuries of foreign rule led to ethnic groups
guarding their identities
– Sparked many conflicts in the 20th century
• 1912- Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia went to
war against the Ottomans
• 1913- Balkan countries fought over territory
ownership- led to balkanization- the process
of a region breaking up into small, mutually
hostile units
Eastern Europe
• 1914- A Serb assassinated an Austrian noble,
sparking WWI
• Ottoman Empire ended and is now Turkey-1923
• During WWII the Soviet Union gains control over
much of Eastern Europe
– Set up satellite nations- nations dominated by another
country
– The Soviet Union controls most of Easter Europe for 4
decades
Eastern Europe
• Instability followed after the Soviet Union lost
power
• After communist party people returned to
ethnic loyalties.
– Caused conflict
Eastern Europe
• Economy
– After 1989- most Eastern European countries began to
move toward a market economy
– Some countries have had problems making economic
progress
• Old equipment
• Lack of funds
• Civil wars
• Eastern Europe is much less urbanized than the
rest of Europe
– As industry grows so will the cities
Activity
• In your groups…
1. Look over the Bosnia timeline together.
2. Discuss the questions on your desks. (Number 3
must go on a separate sheet of paper)
– Remember your grade is based on how much I
hear you discussing the CONTENT!!! 
Discussion prompts
1. What is genocide?
2. How can nationalism lead to war?
3. Create a five-event timeline. Name 5 events
that occurred during the war.
4. Compare and contrast genocide and ethnic
cleansing.
5. What region in the world are we talking
about here?
Draw this chart in your notebook!
Issue
Climate Change
Land Use
Air pollution
Biodiversity
Urban Growth
Water
Explain the issue. What is
happening?
How can we fix it?
1951 – France and West Germany gave
control of their coal and steel resources
to a multination group called the
European Coal and Steel Community
1993 European
Union created
The EU is similar to NAFTA
Encourages trade
among the member
nations
• Common currency called the Euro
replaced national currency.
• Workers are free to move throughout
the EU zone.
• EU law supersedes sovereign laws.
What would be some of the concerns
people would have about these?
The alliance is expanding . . .
Eastern
European
countries
have begun
to join the
EU
Warm-up 1/29
What do you already know about the Bubonic
Plague?
What is it?
Where did it happen?
When did it happen?
How was it spread?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK9403xl
PuE
Warm-up 2/3
• Promote what you love instead of bashing
what you hate.
• Answer the questions on your warm-up paper
based on the quote above.