The Cultural Geography of Europe

Northern Europe• Key Terms:

• Immigrant• Refugee• Middle Ages• Feudalism• Reformation• Enlightenment

• Industrial Revolution• Industrial Capitalism• Communism• Cold War

• European Union• Welfare State• Romanticism

Northern Europe (cont)• Main Point:– Industrialized and successful economies

• Population Patterns– Influenced by migration of distinct ethnic groups– Over 160 ethnic groups in Northern Europe

• The people– British Isles- England, Wales, Scotland, N. Ireland– Most live in United Kingdom and Ireland– Early Celtic peoples- 2,500 to 3,000 – Last 100 years- immigrants from South Asia and West

Indies

The People: Northern Europe (cont)• Refugees- flee home country for safety

reasons–Many to GB during and after WWII

• Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes–Different languages; common Germanic

heritage–Similar ways of life

• Eastern European influences–Reshaping of the Scandinavian cultures

Density and Distribution• U.K.- most densely populated– 60 million = 635 per sq. mi.

• Scandinavia– Low pop. density; inhospitable terrain

• Internal migration– Rural to urban– Job seekers

• Most important cities drive economies– U.K.- London (7 million people)– Sweden- Stockholm (1.7 million people)– Denmark- Copenhagen (popular tourist destination)

Population Density

History and Government• Culture has fueled Northern Europeans to create powerful

governments and economies• Earliest inhabitants from mainland Europe over 500,000

years ago• 55 BC to 1066 AD– Romans took Britain; brought Christianity

• 500 to 1500 AD– Middle Ages– Feudalism- lords gave lands to vassals as a reward for their loyalty

• 1500s– Reformation– Reduction of power of Catholic Church– Powerful church unwelcome

CHANGE• Enlightenment- rebirth of reason– 1600s- England issued their Bill of Rights

• Industrial Revolution– Machinery = production– Industrial capitalism = profit used to expand companies– Poor class = communism = equality and ownership of

factors of production• New Era– European Union– Free movement of goods, services, and workers to

member nations

Culture: Northern Europe• Old traditions influence daily life• Language and Religion– Indo-European languages (Swedish and English)– Freedom of religion (mostly Protestant)

• Education and Healthcare– Have the most educated populations in the world– 100% literacy rate– HC provided by the welfare state- gov’t funded

• The Arts– Shakespeare shaped the literary world– 1700s- romanticism- writing to stir emotions and feeling– Denmark- Hans Christian Anderson

Western Europe• Key Terms:

• Guest Worker• Crusades• Reparations• Holocaust• Realism

• Impressionist

Western Europe• Idea: Western Europe influenced by its location,

history, and revolutionary role in world events• Population Patterns:–Shaped by physical geography, migration,

and world events–Welcomed many ethnicities–1950s- guest workers- work in a foreign

country to encourage economic growth

Density and Distribution• Mostly densely populated• Most live in cities• Germany- most populous- 82.5 million– 598 per sq. mi.

• Netherlands and Belgium– Most densely populated b/c of small land areas

• Trend– Migration to mostly urban areas

Famous Cities: Western Europe• Paris- capital of France–Cultural and Economic center

• Brussels- Belgium–Commercial Center and administrative center

of the European Union• Amsterdam–Capital of the Netherlands– Famed for its canals, art, and atmosphere of

tolerance

Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam

History and Government• Shaped by early civilization, revolutions, and

world wars• Early People– Celts, Romans, Basques, and Frisians

• Rise of Western Europe– Began with Charlemagne (786 to 814 AD)– Renaissance- 1400s = Greek and Roman revival– 1500s- Reformation

Change: Western Europe• Thirty Years’ War- France emerged victorious

and powerful• 1700s- French Revolution (Enlightenment)• Prussia- rose to power in mid-1800s• WWI- 1914-1918– Reparations- payments for damages – Combined with Germany taking all the blame for

WWI led to WWII– WWII produced the Holocaust

A New Era: Western Europe• Post-WW2- – Germany divided into East (communist) and West

(democratic)• 1950s– Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,

and West Germany– European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)– Would become the EU in 1990

CULTURE• Influenced by history, common values, and

location as a crossroads of European cultures and values

• Arts– Realism- accurate depiction of life and environment– Impressionism- immediate impressions of the world

• Language and Religion– Indo European languages– Basques – Euskera– Religion- Catholic and Protestant

Culture (cont)• Education and Healthcare– 98-100% literacy rate– Education for all– HC funded by the gov’t

• Family Life– High standards of living– Aging population– Generally more cultured

Realism and Impressionism

Southern Europe• Key Terms:

• City-State• Renaissance

• Main Idea:– Modernization and industrial powers with distinct

cultural identities

Population Patterns• Unique cultures and history have shaped

population patterns• People–Descendants of prior civilizations– Italians- from Etruscan and Roman descent–Spanish- Iberian descent• Catalonia- state of Andorra- origin of the

Catalans–Greeks- descendants of Minoans and

Mycenaean's

Southern Europe: Density and Distribution

• 58 million = 505 per sq. mi.• Italy- most populous of Southern Europe• Spain- 208 per sq. mi.– Most live in coastal/industrial areas

• History of emigration (moving away from home-country)

• Today- immigration; people moving to urban areas

Prominent Cities• Rome– Capital of Italy– Chief commercial center

• Athens– Capital of Greece– Center of culture

• Madrid– Capital of Spain– Center of Arts and Finance

• Milan– Italy; manufacturing, commerce, and finance

• Venice– Italy: famous canals

• Lisbon– Capital of Portugal

History and Government• Early civilizations, global trade, and world events

shaped Southern Europe• Greek city-states (separate communities linked by

language and culture)– Democracy

• 27- 180 AD– Romans and Constantinople

• 711- 1400s- Moors (Muslims) invaded Spain and remained there

• Renaissance- 1300s and 1400s• Colonization- 1400s

Winds of Change• 1800s and 1900s– Nationalism– Spain and Portugal lost their colonies– Greece gained independence from Turkey

• WWI and II– Political and economic instability

• Today– Democratically elected governments– Member nations of the EU

Southern European Culture• Religion, the arts, and intellectual traditions have

shaped societies and governments• Education– 95% literacy rate– Compulsory education– HC- varied; Spain has more doctors per person than

anywhere in Europe• Greece- not too successful

Culture (cont)• Language and Religion– Romance languages: Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese– Italy, Spain, and Portugal = Roman Catholic– Greece- Greek Orthodox Church– Italy and Spain = growing Muslim populations

• Arts and Leisure– Columns, Arches, and Domes– DaVinci (1452-1519)– Michelangelo (1475-1564)– Soccer, Bullfighting popular

Southern Europe: Pictures

Eastern Europe• Key Terms:

• Balkanization• Ethnic Cleansing

• Main Idea–Shaped by centuries of power

struggles, and current growth in economic strength

Eastern Europe: Population Patterns• Physical geography, migration, political and ethnic

struggles• People– Ethnically Slavic– Divided into Slavs, Belarusians, Slovaks

• Central Eastern Europe– Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia,

Slovenia, Macedonia• North Eastern Europe– Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia

• Eastern Europe– Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria

Density and Distribution• Influenced by geography• Ukraine and Poland- fertile soil and ample water• Ukraine- 47.1 million people (202 per sq mi)• People live in towns and cities• Soviet end = REBIRTH

History and Government• Political, economic, and ethnic struggles have

shaped the history and gov’t of Eastern Europe• Early People– Settled in Ukraine and Poland– 400s-500s- moved westward– 500s- Slavic Czechs to Bohemia– 700s- Moravia settled– 1400s- Ottoman Empire• Kiev most important settlement

– Romania established- b/t the Carpathian Mts. & the Danube River

Union, Conflict, and Division• History of power struggles and division– Balkan Peninsula– Balkanization- division of a region into smaller

regions that are hostile to each other• 1990s- ethnic cleansing- wipe out of one

ethnic group by another– Kosovo Crisis

A New Age: Eastern Europe• 1950s to 1990s– Revolts against communism– Democratically elected governments

• Today– Stronger ties to the EU

Culture in Eastern Europe• Religious and ethnic conflict have influenced

culture• Language and Religion– Slavic- Polish and Czech– Baltic- Latvian and Lithuanian

• Religion– Roman Catholicism– Islam– Eastern Orthodoxy

Culture: (cont)• Education and Healthcare– High literacy rates– Mandatory and free schooling

• Arts and Leisure– Folk and classical music– Literature- works of Franz Kafka

• Family Life– Extended family– Winter sports and swimming– Anything indoors (cold winters)