The physical geography of Europe

Mountains and plainsThere are three main zones:• The Great European Plain- It stretches from the west (the Atlantic Ocean) to the east of the

continent (the Ural Mountains)• Old mountains- In the north and in the centre, among them, are the Pyrenees and the

Scandinavian Mountains• Young mountains- In the south, these include the Alps, the Apennines, the Carpathians, the Balkan Mountains and the Caucasus Mountains

Rivers and lakesRivers flow into:• the Arctic Ocean (the Pechora and the Northern Dvina)- they are long with a regular course, in winter they are usually frozen • The Atlantic Ocean ( the Seine, the Duero, the Thames)- they are short with a high volume of water• The Mediterranean Sea (the Po and the Rhone)- they are short with an irregular flow• The Caspian Sea and Black Sea (the Volga and the Danube)- they are long and regular

- Lakes: • for example, Lake Geneva and Lake Constance