West Central Europe
Section 14-1
• Physical Geography
• Rich agricultural areas ( farms)
• Forested plateaus,
• rugged Mountains
• Sunny beaches
• Three basic types:
1) plains
2) Uplands (rocky areas used for
Mining and industry)
3) Mountains
Think of West-Central Europe as an
open fan with Italy as the handle.
Northern European Plain
Stretches from the Atlantic coast into Eastern Europe
Less than 500 ft above sea level.
• Plains: Has the best farmland, & largest cities
• Uplands: (forests) include the Massif Central plateau
region and the Jura mountains, on French /Swiss border.
• Central Uplands, mining and coal fields.
• Valleys : fertile soil for farming but very little.
• Includes Alps ( highest mountain range in Europe) and
the Pyrenees Mountains
• How does being surrounded by waterways affect
economic growth?
Water Features & Climate
• North Sea, English Channel are North
• The Bay of Biscay & Atlantic Ocean lie West
• The Mediterranean Sea is South and borders
France
• Two Important rivers: The Danube and the Rhine
because they allow people and goods to travel
these areas.
• What is a navigable river?
Climate
1. Northwestern coast: Warm ocean current which creates
a Marine West Coast climate : mild summers, winters can
be cold:
2. Provides: natural resource of rain, rich soil make
agriculture (farming) highly productive.
• Grow grapes, grains, and vegetables.
Higher elevations: (Alps mountains) Colder and wetter, and
snow at the higher elevations.
1. In Uplands, (rocky hills) provide livestock grazing.
Resources
• Plenty of rain
• Livestock that graze in the uplands.
• Energy and mineral resources are not equally
distributed:
• France: coal and Iron Ore,
• Germany : some coal
• Netherlands: natural Gas
• Alpine river provides hydroelectric power
• Tourism… to see the scenery and to hike & ski
ski
Section One Assessment
1. What is the main physical features of the Northern
European Plain?
2. How does having many navigable rivers benefit
West-Central Europe?
3. What type of climate is the main climate?
4. How might an uneven distribution of mineral
resources affect the region.
5. Could coal mining or importing fuel be an issue?
Land Use & Resources