Natural Environments of Europe

Physical Features

• Borders – Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains, from the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea

• Four major landforms – Northwest Highlands, Northern European Plain, Central Uplands, Alpine Mountain System (Alps)

• Northwest Highlands – rugged hills, low mountains. Includes Ireland, England, Scotland, Scandinavia (Norway, Finland, Sweden)

• Northern European Plain – many rivers, Paris, Berlin developed here

• Central Uplands – hills and small plateaus, many coal fields

• Alps- young mountain range in southern Europe. Steep, rocky mountains

Swiss Alps

Water

• Europe is nearly surrounded by water.• Peninsula of peninsulas• Many rivers allow for easy trade• Rhine and Danube are most important rivers

Rhine River

Polders

• Dutch (people in the Netherlands) have increased their land by building dikes (walls) in the ocean, and pumping water out. The land is called a polder.

Climates

• Europe has 3 major climates• Marine west coast (British Isles, Spain to

Poland)– northern and western Europe. Mostly cloudy, drizzly, and foggy.

• Humid continental (Scandinavia)– 4 seasons, cold snowy winter, mild to cool summer.

• Mediterranean (Southern Europe)– little rainfall, long, dry, sunny summers

Mediterranean

North Atlantic Current• The North Atlantic Current is a warm-water

current that brings mild temperatures to most of Europe.

Natural Resources

• Most of Europe’s land is used for farming.• Loess – fine-grained, wind-blown soil that is

very fertile• Europe produces many crops such as grapes,

olives, potatoes, and wheat• Efficient methods and modern technology

lead to high output

• Fishing is a large part of the European economy

• Coastal waters are excellent fishing grounds.• Overfishing and pollution do threaten the

future of the fishing industry in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic

English Fishing Village

Energy and Minerals

• Europe has large deposits of coal, but must import other energy sources (oil & natural gas)

Germany’s Ruhr coal field is one of the world’s largest.

Hydroelectricity is produced in the mountains of Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Northern and Western Europe

The British Isles

• 2 Countries – Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom of Great Britain

• The UK includes 4 political regions – England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland

• England has been ruled by many peoples. Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Anglos, Saxons, Vikings, Normans (French) – Each left their mark.

• This is called sequent occupance

British Isles

The British Empire

• In the 1600’s and 1700’s, British explorers founded colonies around the world. By the 1800’s, more than 1/4th of the world was ruled by the British Empire

• Most of these places (Ireland, United States) have won their independence.

Ireland

• Ireland – won independence in 1921

• Potato Famine – 1845-1852 - crop failure – about 1 million Irish died, and many were forced to migrate

Famine Memorial

Culture

• Ireland and Great Britain share many cultural features.

• Soccer, rugby, and cricket are popular• English is the main language• Life is centered around local eateries

Government

• Ireland and Britain are democracies, but organized differently.

• Ireland is a republic (President is the head of the government)

• Britain is a constitutional monarchy – king or queen is the head of the government, but parliament is led by a prime minister and serves as the lawmaking branch

Religion

• Ireland – Roman Catholic• United Kingdom – Protestant• Northern Ireland (part of the UK) is Protestant• Long fighting between Republic of Ireland and

Northern Ireland (The Troubles)

The Troubles

• Dublin – Capital and biggest city in Ireland• London – Largest city in the British Isles, world

financial and cultural center. Capital of the UK.