Europe
Europe is the World’s
second smallest continent
covering approximately 2%
of the Earth’s surface.
Western
Europe
is
bordered by the Atlantic
Ocean, the Arctic Ocean is
to the north and the
Mediterranean Sea is to the
south.
There are 44 countries in
Europe, including France,
Germany, Poland, England,
Croatia and part of Russia.
743 million people live in
Europe, making it the third
largest populated continent.
There are lots of different
religions practised across
Europe including Islam and
Judaism.
The
most
practised
religion
is
Christianity.
European Money
Some countries use the Euro as their currency (money)
but lots of countries still use their own currency such
as Swiss Francs, Swedish Krona and England Pounds.
European Money
Which is the longest river in Europe?
The longest river
in Europe is the
Volga (2,850 km)
in Russia.
Are there mountains in Europe?
Yes, there are lots of different mountains in
Europe including Mount Blanc in France, Mount
Olympus in Greece, the Monte Rosa in Switzerland
and Ben Nevis in Scotland. But the highest mountain
in Europe is Mount Elbrus in Russia. According to
Greek Mythology, Mount Olympus in Greece, was
home to the Greek Gods.
Mount Elbrus
What types of animals live in Europe?
Badgers live underground in setts. They are omnivores, eating small animals,
plant roots and fruit. Badgers are nocturnal.
Badger
Bats are the only mammals which can fly for a long time. They
use sound to find their way around. Bats mostly live in forests
or woodland areas. They are carnivores as they eat insects.
Some bats are an endangered species. In Britain, all bats and
Bat
their roosts are protected by law.
Hedgehog
Hedgehogs are nocturnal. They live in hedgerows and gardens. They
are carnivores, eating slugs, worms, beetles and other insects.
Wolves
In some parts of Europe, wild wolves can still be found. They live
in woodland and forests. They are carnivores, eating other
smaller animals. In England, we no longer have wolves except in a
zoo or wildlife park.
Physical Features of Europe
A long time ago Europe was covered in woodland. Due to
deforestation and natural causes, only a quarter of
Europe is now woodland.
Woodland
The Alpine Mountains (or more commonly known as the
Alps), are one of the largest and highest mountain
ranges in the world. They cover about 192,000 km². The
mountain range stretches across 8 different countries:
France, Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein,
Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
The Alps
The Rhine river flows through Germany, Austria,
Switzerland,
France,
the
Netherlands
and
Liechtenstein. It is over 700 miles long, beginning in the
Swiss Alps and flowing into the North Sea after running
The Rhine
through the Netherlands.
Human Features of Europe
The Eiffel Tower is in Paris, France, built by an engineer
called Gustave Eiffel. It took over two years to build
the tower. People can climb all the way up to the top by
steps or using a lift. There are even two restaurants in
the tower in case you get hungry!
The Eiffel
Tower
The Eurotunnel runs between France and England.
The Channel Tunnel is 31.4 miles long, making it
The Euro Tunnel
the 11th longest tunnel in use. It has the longest
undersea portion of any tunnel in the world (23.5
miles).
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in
Wiltshire, near Salisbury, England. One of the most
famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is the remains
of a ring of standing stones that is between 4,000 and
5,000 years old. No-one knows why or how it was built.
Stonehenge
What is the climate like in Europe?
The climate is a country’s normal weather over a long period of time. By climate, scientists
mean a country’s rain and sunshine, winds, storms and everything else which makes up the
weather. The weather changes from day to day and even from hour to hour. It can be sunny
in the morning and cold and wet in the afternoon. The climate changes very slowly over
thousands of years.
The climate over Europe varies a lot, some areas have hot summers and cold winters, whilst
some countries have a lot of rain but others don’t. Climates are also affected by how close a
country is to the sea and by how high above the sea level a country is.
Poland
Warsaw
*
Poland's location in Eastern Europe between Russia and Germany has long made it the
battleground of many wars including both World Wars. Poland is mainly a flat country, but
has mountains along its southern border. The capital city is Warsaw and has the Vistula river
running through it.
The climate in Warsaw is different to London. In winter, the weather is much colder with lots
of snow, whilst in the summer, there are lots of thunderstorms. July is the hottest month in
Warsaw with an average temperature of 18°C (64°F) and the coldest is February at -3°C. The
wettest month is June with an average of 80mm of rain.
London
London
London’s amount of heated tall buildings means it is a few degrees warmer than outside of
the city. As a result, London is one the warmest places in the UK. Its weather can vary greatly
from year to year; from particularly cold winters or summers, to very hot ones, or a
particularly wet summer, or a very hot one. Summers can be hot with temperatures around
22°C to 30°C. Unlike Warsaw, frosts and snow are rare in London with the average winter
temperature being between 2°C to 5°C. However, London is similar to Warsaw and is prone to
have 50-60mm of rain each month.
Information sourced from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zcdqxnb
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zr7hyrd
http://www.theschoolrun.com/homework-help/islands-and-continents
http://www.naturalhistoryonthenet.com/Continents/europe.htm
http://www.coreknowledge.org.uk/resources/Year%201-%20Geography-%20The%20Seven%20Continents.pdf
*Photos courtesy of @flikr.com - - granted under creative commons licence - attribution