PHYSICAL FEATURES OF

EUROPE

Europe Unit

PENINSULA OF PENINSULAS

Europe is a large peninsula that consists of many smaller peninsulas

Most places in Europe are no more than 300 miles from an ocean or sea

NORTHERN PENINSULAS

The Scandinavian Peninsula is made up of Norway and Sweden and is bounded by the Norwegian, North, and Baltic Seas

Glaciers created fjords – steep U-shaped valleys that connect to the sea and that filled with seawater after the glaciers melted

NORTHERN PENINSULAS

The Jutland Peninsula forms the largest part of Denmark and a small part of Germany

The Jutland Peninsula consists of gently rolling hills and swampy low-lying areas which are different than the rocky land of the Scandinavian Peninsula

SOUTHERN PENINSULAS

The Iberian Peninsula is home to Spain and Portugal. The Pyrenees Mountains block it off from the rest of Europe

The Italian Peninsula is home to Italy. It is shaped like a boot, extends into the Mediterranean Sea

The Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic, Mediterranean, and Aegean Seas. It’s mountains make transportation difficult

ISLANDS

The larger islands are Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, and Greenland all located in the North Atlantic

The smaller islands are Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and Crete all located in the Mediterranean Sea

MOUNTAINST

he Alps cut Italy off from the rest of Europe just as the Pyrenees restrict movement from France to Spain and Portugal

The Apennines divide the Italian Peninsula into east and west while the Balkans block off the Balkan Peninsula from the rest of Europe

Resulted in the isolation of ethnic groups from each other

These are the Alps, which are the These are the Alps, which are the most famous mountain range in most famous mountain range in EuropeEurope

RIVERS

Rivers are used to transport goods between coastal harbors and the inland region

2 major rivers: Danube and Rhine

The Rhine flows from the interior to the North Sea while the Danube flows west to east through Europe touching 9 countries

VOLGA RIVER

The Volga River begins near Moscow and is the longest river on the European continent