EUROPE. MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES Western extremity of Eurasia Lingering world influence High...

EUROPE

MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES

Western extremity of Eurasia Lingering world influence High degrees of specialization Manufacturing dominance Urbanized population High standards of living

REGIONS OF THE REALM

Western Europe British Isles Northern (Nordic)

Europe Mediterranean Europe Eastern Europe See pg 64

PHYSICALLANDSCAPES

• Alpine System

• Western Uplands

• Central Uplands

• North European Lowland

• See pg 44

RELATIVE LOCATION

• At the heart of the land hemisphere

• Maximum efficiency for contact with the rest of the world

• Every part of Europe is close to the sea.

• Navigable waterways

• Moderate distances

RELATIVE LOCATION

AGRARIAN REVOLUTION

Began in Europe in the 1750s Based on new agricultural innovations Enabled increased food production Enabled sustained population increase

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Developed in the UK between 1750-1850 Led to Colonialism Evolved from technical innovations that

occurred in British industry Proved to be a major catalyst towards

increased urbanization

Movement across geographic space

Involves contact of people in two or more places for the purposes of exchanging goods or ideas

Principles

Complementarity

Transferability

Intervening opportunity

SPATIAL INTERACTION

Two places, through an exchange of goods, can specifically satisfy each other’s demands.

One area has a surplus of an item demanded by a second area.

Germany

Italy

COMPLEMENTARITY

COMPLEMENTARITY

• The ease with which a commodity may be transported or the capacity to move a good at a bearable cost

• Rivers, mountain passes/tunnels, road networks are very good in Europe

• Advances in transportation technology• Europe’s small size an advantage

TRANSFERABILITY

The presence of a nearer source of supply

or opportunity that acts to diminish the attractiveness of more distant sources and sites

Would Austrian beerbe cheaper to import

into Italy than German beer?

INTERVENING OPPORTUNITY

URBAN TRADITION Urbanization – see world map (next slide)

Related concepts Metropolis – central city & its suburban ring. See

La Defense, pg 53. CBD – downtowns Europe, oldest parts and

usually in the middle of the city; skyscrapers & most prestigious residences.

Primate cities, see next slides

POPULATION DENSITY

Population Density: 256 persons per square mileUrbanization: 75% overall (when East & West are combined)

EUROPE

Older Coreor

Central City

Outer Suburban City

METROPOLITAN COMPLEXES

A Metropolis is the central city and its suburban ring. Suburbs of Europe are more concentrated with population and people live more in apartments than in single family houses.

A country’s largest city

Jefferson’s criteria:

- Always disproportionately larger than the second largest urban center -- more than twice the size

- In Europe, they are esp. expressive of the national culture

- Usually (but not always) the capital

Examples: Paris, London, Athens, etc – many on list of cities on pg 53.

PRIMATE CITIES

EUROPEAN versus AMERICAN CITIES

Similarities:•Central core•Suburban ring•But European has a Greenbelt

Differences:

•High suburban density

•Apartments

•Public transportation

•Land scarcity

•Centralized urban planning

EUROPEAN versus AMERICAN CITIES

• Falling share of the world’s population

• Fertility at an all-time low e.g. Germany, Italy, etc.

• Fewer young people

• Smaller working age population

• Immigration partially offsetting losses

EUROPE’SPOPULATION IMPLOSION

Supranationalism A venture involving three or more states Political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation

to promote shared objectives. See next slide.

New “Euro”Currency, adopted in 2002 (pg 57)

•EU – 1991, but actually dating back to 1958 (then called EEC).

•EU Members, pg 58.

•Non-members

•Prospective Members

European Supranationalism

Supranationalism Problems

Loss of autonomy

Disparities in levels of economic development, esp. btw East & West.

Cultural barriers

What does the future hold for Europe?

•Unification?•Instability?

•Especially in light of the creation of new States,

see map, pg 58