Development opportunities in cold environments
Farming
Tourism
The Alps – a cold environment
Hydroelectric power
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2017
Industry
25889
Page 1 of 8
Development opportunities in cold environments
Exam question:
Study the images below of how people use cold environments. With the help of the images and an example you have studied, discuss the
development opportunities provided by cold environments.
(6 marks)
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2017
25889
Page 2 of 8
Development opportunities in cold environments
Mark scheme:
Using case studies means providing specific facts, figures and the names of places you have studied, e.g. The Alps
Level 1: Basic answer (1-4 marks)
Describes use(s) of cold environments.
There may be some general reference to the photographs.
A case study may be named, but information is in simple sentences with no explanation.
There are large dams and lakes. There is farming in the valley, where cattle are kept. Big areas are used for mining and there are scars on
the landscape where the rock is dug out. Tourists go to ski in places like the Alps.
Level 2: Clear answer (5-6 marks)
Describes uses (two or more) of cold environments clearly.
Photographs are used to describe uses and linked to case study.
Statements are logically ordered and linked.
Use of case study facts, figures and places.
A large area is used for mining in the photograph. This is like a big quarry where it is dug out of the surface. There are many resources of
gold, silver and tin in the Alps and Eisenerz is a village where they mine for iron ore, which is then used to make steel.
The skiers shown are important for tourism. There are ski runs all through the Alps; Val Thornes is an example in the French Alps. At
2300m, it is the highest resort in Europe and is part of the three valleys, with over 600km of ski runs.
Hydroelectric Dams have been built on steep slopes to provide renewable energy. The Alps has over 550 dams that produce a huge amount
of energy (60% of Switzerland’s energy comes from HEP from the Alps).
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2017
25889
Page 3 of 8
Development opportunities in cold environments
Tourism in the Alps
The Alps is a fold mountain range located in
Central Europe and mainly covers Austria,
Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France. The
mountains were created when the African
plate collided with the Eurasian plate causing
the rock to be folded up into a mountain
range. This makes it very popular to tourists
from all over Europe and beyond.
Val Thorens, located in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie,
French Alps, is the highest ski resort in Europe, at 2300m.
It is located in the commune of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville
in the Savoie department. The resort forms part of the
three valleys linked ski area, which, with over 600km of
ski runs, is the largest linked ski area in the world.
Tourism is a prime use of the Alps with winter
sports, such as skiing, a huge attraction to the
area. Local residents run hotels, ski schools
and entertainments to support the tourism
industry, which has topped 100 million visitors
per year.
The Portes du Soleil is the spiritual
home of mountain biking in Europe.
Overall, there are approximately
380km of sign posted paths, 24 lifts
and ten downhill tracks specifically
for mountain bikers.
During the summer months, when the snow retreats and melts, the slopes of the Alps become
very popular with mountain bikers, climbers and walkers. There are hundreds of kilometres of
paths and trails for visitors to follow and explore. Resorts such as Chamonix, France, receive
many tourists in the summer months.
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2017
25889
Page 4 of 8
Development opportunities in cold environments
Farming in the Alps
Vineyards are found on the sunny, south facing
slopes and bring in good income for farmers. The
grapes are grown in the sunny areas of the
Southern Alps and up to an altitude of 600m above
sea level. These grapes are then turned into wine
and exported or sold locally, often to tourists.
France’s best known wine growing regions are
located near Lyon (the Beaujolais of the North)
and the Cotes du Rhone to the South.
The Alps is a fold mountain range located in Central
Europe and mainly covers Austria, Italy, Switzerland,
Germany and France. The mountains were created
when the African plate collided with the Eurasian
plate causing the rock to be folded up into a
mountain range. Some of these areas have very
fertile soils, ideal for farming; other areas which are
steeper are good for cattle.
Farming is a primary activity in mountainous areas around the world. Mainly, due to the
height and steepness of many of the slopes, farming is restricted to cattle and sheep
farming. Dairy farms produce milk and other products for a large part of the population.
In some areas of the Alps farmers focus on subsistence farming. This self-sufficient farming
in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families.
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2017
25889
Page 5 of 8
Development opportunities in cold environments
Hydroelectric power in the Alps
The Alps is a fold mountain range located in
Central Europe and mainly covers Austria,
Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France. The
mountains were created when the African
plate collided with the Eurasian plate causing
the rock to be folded up into a mountain
range. This makes it ideal for hydroelectric
power generation due to the steep mountain
sides and valleys where dams can be built
easily to create hydroelectric power stations.
Energy companies use the Alps because of the
steep terrain. They are able to build dams
across the valleys and make manmade
reservoirs to provide hydroelectric power (HEP)
to the area (60% of Switzerland’s energy comes
from HEP from the Alps). The highest rainfall
and snowmelt in the spring provides a lot of
water to power HEP plants.
Hydroelectric power works by building a dam
to hold water back in a reservoir (huge lake).
The water is then let through the dam, in
doing so; it turns a turbine which generates
electricity. It is a renewable form of energy
(it will never run out).
Hydroelectric power is a leading source of energy in the Alps. It offers a relatively sustainable
solution to the energy problem, but can also be environmentally destructive to rivers and lakes.
There are 550 plants in the Alps with more than 2900 GWh of annual output. So the
environmental impacts have to be weighed against the amount of energy HEP provides for the
countries the Alps lies in.
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2017
25889
Page 6 of 8
Development opportunities in cold environments
Industry in the Alps
The trees are replanted to make the
industry sustainable and the large
number of rivers provides a good source
of water for the saw mills in the region.
The Alps is a fold mountain range located in Central Europe and
mainly covers Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France. The
mountains were created when the African plate collided with the
Eurasian plate causing the rock to be folded up into a mountain
range. This makes it ideal for mining opportunities.
Industries use the region mainly for logging. The mountains and
valleys are covered in coniferous forests (like pine trees and
conifers etc.) and these are cut down and the wood used for
building, paper, fuel, and in local industries like the production of
cuckoo clocks.
The region has over 4200km of
roads and is used by six
million vehicles. Train travel
is well established in the Alps,
with 120km of track for every
1000km² in a country such as
France. This helps the mining
industry to transport its goods
to other areas of Europe.
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2017
The Alps has been used for
mining salt, iron ore, gold, silver
and copper. Eisenerz in the Alps
developed as a mining village as
there was lots of iron ore in the
mountain areas here. This iron
ore was then used to make steel
for nearby industries.
25889
Page 7 of 8
Development opportunities in cold environments
© chrlscom, 2007, flic.kr/p/2wSCg4
© Hurnl Christoph, 2008, flic.kr/p/5qfCkd
© No machine-readable author provided. Michele~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMarblequarry.JPG
© Terra (EOS AM-1) satellite (Alps.A2007072.1010.250m.jpg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AAlps_2007-03-13_10.10UTC_1px-250m.jpg
© Ikiwaner (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons,
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AGlarus_Kloentalersee.jpg
© Tomia (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via
Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHydroelectric_dam.svg
© www.teachitgeography.co.uk 2017
25889
Page 8 of 8