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1
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Geography Unit 4
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2

Europe itself is a large peninsula
◦ Land surrounded by 3 sides of water
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Smaller peninsulas stem off the
main European Peninsula
◦ Making most locations no more
than 300 miles away from an ocean
or sea
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European life has been heavily
impacted by the geography and
access to water
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3
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Scandinavian Peninsula is the furthest
north
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◦ Occupied by Norway and Sweden
◦ Location far North shows impact of Ice Age
◦ Scandinavia itself is larger than just the
peninsula
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 Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and
sometimes Iceland & Greenland
 Norway has poor soil
 Glaciers pulled good soil away
 Glaciers also carved out Fjords –
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 Provide harbors for fishing & shipping
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 Steep U Shaped Valleys that connect to the sea and
are filled with seawater
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4
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Jutland Peninsula
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Made up of a large Plain that reaches across
Northern Europe
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◦ Extends into the North Sea
◦ Denmark and a small piece of Germany
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◦ Soil Quality much better than the Scandinavian Peninsula
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Iberian Peninsula
◦ Spain and Portugal
◦ Separated from mainland by
Pyrenees Mountains
◦ Helped protect Spain and Portugal
 Including cultures
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5
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Italian Peninsula
◦ Italy
◦ Shaped like a boot
◦ Extends into the Mediterranean
Sea
◦ 4,700 miles of Coastline
◦ Alps provide a boarder on the
North
 The Apennines cut Italy in half
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6
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The Balkan Peninsula
◦ Called “The Balkans”
◦ Bordered by Adriatic, Ionian,
Black, and Aegean Seas
◦ The Mediterranean Sea is below
◦ This mountainous peninsula
makes transportation difficult
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7
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Larger Islands
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Smaller Islands
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All Islands rely on Trade for survival
◦ Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland
◦ All located in North Atlantic
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◦ Mainly located in the Mediterranean
◦ Have shifted hands over many years
◦ Major islands include: Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and Crete
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8
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Mountains shaped the history and culture of Europe
because they act like walls separating the people of
Europe
They also shaped European Culture and history by
regulating climates
◦ Chilly Winds from north can’t pass Alps helping regulate
temperatures in Italy
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9
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Mountain chain the goes across
mainland Europe
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Alps cut Italy off from Europe
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◦ France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria,
and Northern Balkan Peninsula
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◦ Protecting Italy and preserving cultures
The Apennine Mountains
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Similar to the Alps and Italy
The Pyrenees cut Spain and Portugal
off from the rest of Europe
 Restricting movement from
France to Spain and Portugal
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10
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Pyrenees Mountains
◦ Similar to the Alps of Italy
◦ Cut Spain & Portugal off from the rest of Europe
◦ Restricts movement from France to Spain & Portugal
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Balkans
◦ Rough Mountains that help divide the area from Europe and each other
◦ Home to a number of people, cultures, and ethnic groups
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11
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Many rivers weave through Europe
◦ Helps connect the European continent together
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◦ Movement of people, goods, and ideas
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Rivers were the early Highways through the
country
 Provides interaction with other cultures
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Cities and Kingdoms were located on the rivers
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Five major rivers in Europe:
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Smaller rivers run through most of Europe
◦ Major rivers are lined with castles as they
connected kingdoms and cities
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◦ Danube, Elbe, Loire, Rhine, Volga
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◦ Some large enough for large ships to navigate
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12
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Danube
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Largest River in Europe
Touches 9 Countries
1,771 miles long
Links Europe to the Black Sea
Runs through the Heart of Europe
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Rhine River
◦ Flows 820 miles through interior of
Europe
◦ Flows north to the North Sea
◦ Main river way and connection for
Germany
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13
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The Northern European Plain is one of the
most fertile agricultural regions in the world
Stretches through France, Belgium,
Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and
Poland
Land is relatively flat and great for farming
This flat land has a drawback
◦ Used as an open route for invasion
 D-Day on Normandy Beach
 Formerly called Alsace-Lorraine
 Now called “Bas Rhin” or Lower Rhine
Other Fertile Plains exist in Sweden, Hungary,
and Lombardy Italy
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14
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Coal and Iron Ore
◦ Stretch from UK through heartland of Europe
◦ Helped Europe lead in Industrial Revolution and Steel Production
 Helped lead France and Germany to become industrialized, but led to pollution
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Energy
◦ Oil and natural gas beneath North
Sea floor
 Major supplier to close countries
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15
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Ireland lacks natural resources
◦ They have Peat
 Partially Decayed plant matter found in
Bogs
 Used as Fuel in place of Coal
 Not Renewable
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16
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In Europe many cultures are and were
affected by the weather
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◦ Mild Climates = More time spent outdoors
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◦ Mild climate in Greece helped create a
foundation for the Olympics
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 More outdoor Activities
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17
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Marine West Coast Climate present
through large parts of Europe
◦ Spain to France to Germany to Poland all in
this climate zone
 Warm summers, cool winters
◦ Milder climate for northern latitude
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Climate created by North Atlantic Drift
◦ Current of warm water from the tropics
flows near Europe’s west coast
◦ Wind picks up the warmth and carries it over
Europe
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18
The High Alps
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Right next to the warm climates are
the cold highlands of the Alps
Low snow line due to altitude
◦ Snow capped year round in many places
◦ Above 5,000 feet can get up to 33 feet of snow in winter
European Forests
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Europe was covered by forests
through most of the marine west
coast climate
◦ Forests have made way for farms over
the years
◦ Marine west coast works well for farming
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19
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Scandinavia and surrounding
countries are located off the
Atlantic and don’t benefit from
the warm water
Most eastern countries fall in
Humid Continental Climate
◦ Cold, snowy, winters
◦ Hot summers
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Some areas get good rainfall
making it great for farming
◦ Deforestation for farming
◦ Grow wheat, rye, and barley
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20
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Hot dry summers & moderate wet winters
◦ Popular with tourists
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Mild climate in regions surrounding the
Mediterranean Sea
◦ I.E., Spain, Southern France, Italy, Greece and Lower
Balkans
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Don’t get cold winds from the north
◦ Mountains block the cold winds from entering the
region
◦ Only hot steady wind from North Africa
 Called Sirocco
 Brings some rain to the Mediterranean, but not a lot
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21
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Far north Arctic Circle Scandinavia
◦ Sunny season or dark season
◦ Suffers from permafrost
Areas to the south fall into
the subarctic climate
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◦ Cool year round, harsh bitter winters
◦ No trees grow, just moss and lichens
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People who live here need to
adapt or change the environment
to survive
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22
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The Mediterranean culture impacted the languages and religions
practiced
Also impacted the art and music from the region
◦ Latin –The language of Rome spread throughout a major chunk of Europe at
the height of the Roman Empire
◦ Greece retained its language
 Greek became the official language of the Byzantine Empire
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23
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Roman Empire also had
different forms of Christianity
◦ Roman Catholicism was dominate
in Italy, Spain, and Portugal
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Greece kept its Eastern
Orthodox Christianity which is
prominent through Eastern
Europe
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24
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The Reformation (or Protestant
Reformation)
◦ Renaissance questioning lead people to
question the leaders of the Catholic Church
 Martin Luther lead the Reformation and created
the Protestant Churches when he posted the 95
Thesis
 Some nations have state religions
◦ Created division between the Catholics and the
Protestants
 France banned the protestants for years
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25
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Classic Architecture is revealed through
ruins, such as the Parthenon
◦ This architecture was spread throughout parts of
Europe
◦ Spain had Roman aqueducts
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This region is famous for classic art &
sculpture
◦ The Renaissance Period found its home in this
region
◦ Some modern art has
come from this region
including Pablo Picasso
from Spain
Cubism
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26
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In 1950, six countries in Europe created “The European Coal & Steel Community” (ECSC)
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In 1993, “The Treaty of Maastricht” created the European Union (EU)
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2002, created a single currency called the Euro
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2004-07 added 12 new countries to EU with the following purpose:
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Some of Europe still have not joined
◦ Wanted to strengthen trade with each other
◦ Paved the way for a monetary union
◦ It was used by 12 of the 15 countries
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To promote unity between member states
Increase world power
Prevent/solve conflicts between members
Promote economic growth & stability
Increase trade between members
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Iceland –distant from Europe, & not closely linked to Europe
Norway-Worries about their sovereignty & strength of their Krone($)
Switzerland –History of political neutrality
Albania, & Iceland –Are in the process but not yet a members
Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, & Turkey –Human rights violations
Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, & Macedonia -New countries that haven’t completed the application process
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Membership Benefits
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Economic stability
Free trade between countries
Same currency
Freedom of movement of the members -called the
Schengen Area
Possible Problems
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Cultural friction may occur
Religious differences
Some loss of independence
Economic stronger countries tied to the weaker ones
Some movement of people is not wanted
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28
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Tourism has long been a part of the region
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Other economic activities have started to
grow
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◦ Warm climate, historic sites
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◦ Fishing and agriculture was dominant for years
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Industry is starting to grow again
◦ Portugal is increasing textile production
◦ Spain increasing in automobiles
◦ Italy is producing more clothing and shoes
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Economy has been helped out the most by
the EU
◦ But it is also causing problems for the EU
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29
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Conflict
◦ Spain has an ongoing disagreement
with a minority group living in the
Pyrenees known as the Basques
 In 1970 Spain granted self rule to
Basques
 Basques want complete independence
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Urbanization
◦ Change from agriculture to industry
has lead to urbanization
◦ Trying to preserve culture and
historic cities
 Increasing public transportation
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30
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European microstates
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Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, & Vatican City
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◦ Set of very small independent nations
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◦ Luxembourg and Cyprus share certain features as well
◦ Microstates are small independent states, unlike "micronations", which are
not independent
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31
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Feudalism lead to formation of Nation-States
◦ Nationalism grew
 Idea that loyalty should be with their land and the
people who share land, culture, and history.
 Helped create the strong independent nations in
Europe
◦ Also created cultural rivalries between nations and
created a number of problems
 Wars and Revolutions
 Holocaust
 Germany divided
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32
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Early on – Agriculture was king
◦ Still plays a role in France and Germany
 Wheat, grapes, vegetables
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All were involved in the Industrial
Revolution and are strong
industrial nations
◦ France, Germany and Netherlands are
three of Europe's top manufacturing
nations
◦ East Germany is behind because of the
division
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Switzerland will not fight in wars
“Neutral Country” so it’s banking
industry is strong
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33
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Producing luxury goods has increased in western Europe
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Germany produces top luxury cars
Switzerland produces watches
France produces high fashion clothing and food
Netherlands produces high quality flower bulbs
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 Tulips
Tourism
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Mild Climates and history draw people to the area
◦ Switzerland, France, and Austria
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34
Music
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Germany and Austria have many of the
world’s most well known composers
◦ Johann Sebastian Bach – German
◦ Ludwig van Beethoven – German
◦ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart- Austrian
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Fine Art
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France and Netherlands have some of the
world’s most famous artists
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Jan Van Eyrk – France & Holland
Rembrandt Van Rijn – Holland
Jan Vermeer – Holland
Claude Monet – French
Paul Cezanne –French
Rembrandt
Water Lilies - Monet
Literature
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◦ William Shakespeare -England
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35
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Most western Europeans enjoy a high standard
of living
Cities are center of living
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Strong public transportation
Museums, art galleries, concerts, and movies
Lower crime rates than U.S.
Smaller houses than Americans
 Public spaces more important
Vacations
◦ Germans and most Europeans receive 30 vacation
days
 Often will take entire month of August off to vacation
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36
United Kingdom, Ireland, &
Nordic Countries
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Cultures of earliest settlers still
remain as they were pushed to
the northern countries
Celts in Britain forced north and
west creating cultures in
Scotland and Ireland
Vikings from Norway conquer a
lot of Europe spreading culture
throughout
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37
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Industry
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Natural resources
◦ UK was center of industrial revolution so it has played a major role in
industry from the start
◦ Sweden also major industrial nation manufacturing vehicles and aerospace
products
◦ Both produce paper, food products, and pharmaceuticals
◦ Norway earns large portion of Income from oil in North Sea
◦ Sweden exports timber
◦ Iceland relies on fishing
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38
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Social Welfare
◦ Many governments take responsibility for
welfare of its people
◦ Finland, Norway, and Sweden give families a
yearly allowance to help raise children
◦ England has national health insurance program
 Higher taxes help cover cost
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Issue & Challenges
◦ Italy & Spain were ruled by Dictators (Mussolini
& Franco) until their deaths
◦ Racism sometimes sparks up
 Especially Nazism
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39
Customs
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England
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Sweden
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Finland
◦ Tea time – Breaks taken fro afternoon tea, served
with sandwiches, breads, and cakes
◦ Smorgasbord – Buffet style serving of hot & cold
meats
◦ Saunas- steam room to clean skins pores,
followed by plunge into cold bath or icy lake
Sports
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Outdoor activities in the winter
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Many noble pastimes
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Unique Sports
◦ Many winter Olympic sports developed in Nordic
countries
 Cross country skiing, ski jumping
◦ Horseback riding, horse jumping, fox hunting
◦ Rugby and Cricket both started in the UK
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40
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Region constantly under different
rule, each culture tried to
preserve its identity
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 When a region breaks up into small,
mutually hostile units
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◦ Fought for independence
◦ Leading to Balkanization
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41
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Soviet Union took control of a number of
small Eastern European countries
following WWII
Refused to leave until communist
governments established
Created a type of empire
◦ Satellite nations are nations dominated by
another country
◦ Impacted the cultures and economies of these
countries
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42
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Traditionally a farming region
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Industry
◦ Industry promoted by the Soviet Union
◦ Government controlled industry
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Communism decreased productivity and increased cost
Created a shortage in goods
Created connection only with Soviet Union so modern technology was lost
Lagged behind most of Europe
Fall of Soviet Union and privatization of industry lead to inflation and unemployment
Modern industry is improving in Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary
Civil War in Yugoslavia has destroyed the workforce & industry
Many years to come before the effects of communism is over
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43
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Many eastern European countries are less urban than other European
Nations
◦ Only 30-40 percent live in cities
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Cities are growing but at a much slower rate
Cities are popular and rich in culture, entertainment, and history
◦ Prague – one of Europe's most interesting cities
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44
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Post War Nations
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Discrimination
◦ Still suffering from the effects of WWII and Soviet control
◦ Fear of a return of the Nazi and challenges of war
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◦ Since WWII Jews in the area have suffered from AntiSemitism
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 Discrimination against Jewish people
◦ The Romani –(also spelled Romany or Roma) -Gypsy has
been forced to move and are looked down upon
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Democracy
◦ Democracy is hindered by old hatreds and discrimination
◦ Government corruption needs to be removed for true
democracy to exist
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