The Physical Geography of Europe

Unit 4 – Chapter 11

I. Section I

The Land

A. Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands

• Struggle with the sea– Most of Europe lies

within 300 miles of a seacoast

– In the Netherlands, about 25% of the land lies below sea level

• Dutch (people of Netherlands) have built dikes

– With these dikes, they have reclaimed lands, called polders

Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands (Cont.)

• The Northern Peninsulas

– Europe is a large peninsula made up of smaller peninsulas

• Scandinavian Peninsula – northern Europe

– Glaciation occurred here and formed fjords

• Jutland Peninsula – mainland part of Denmark

A. Seas, Peninsulas, & Islands (cont)• The Southern Peninsulas

– Iberian Peninsula – SW edge of Europe – Spain & Portugal

• Only 20 miles of water (Straight of Gibraltar) separates this peninsula from Africa

– Apennine Peninsula – Italy – shaped like a boot

• Peninsula is named after the Apennine Mountains located here (they include a volcano named Mt. Vesuvius)

– Balkan Peninsula – SE Europe – Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, European part of Turkey

A. Seas, Peninsulas, & Islands (cont)

• Europe’s Islands– Iceland– British Isles – Great

Britain & Ireland (& many small ones)• Great Britain vs.

United Kingdom vs. England – what is the confusion?

– Islands in the Mediterranean Sea• Sicily, Sardinia,

Corsica, Crete, Cyprus, and many smaller ones

B. Mountains & Plains

Mountain Regions– Pyrenees– Alps

Highest Peak – Mont BlancSome major rivers originate here

– Carpathians– Apennine

Plains Regions– North European Plain (or Great European Plain)– Great Hungarian Plain

C. Water Systems• Europe’s Rivers

– Provide transportation links between major cities

– Irrigate farmland– Provide electricity

• Major Rivers– Thames– Rhine – most important river in Western

Europe– Danube – most important river in Eastern

Europe– Others – Seine, Rhone, Loire, Elbe, Vistula, Po,

Dnieper

D. Natural Resources

Coal – UK, Germany, Ukraine, & Poland Iron Ore – N. Sweden, NE France, SE

Ukraine Bauxite, Zinc, Manganese Peat – read paragraph on pg. 276

II. Section II

Climate & Vegetation

A. Water & Land

Large variation in climates– What things could cause this?

Answer:– Northern Latitude– Relationship to the sea– Elevation

B. Western Europe Mostly Marine West

Coast Climate Trees & Highlands

– Deciduous & Coniferous trees

– Timberline – mountain areas where the elevation is too high for trees to grow

– Foehns – dry winds Foehns can trigger

avalanches

C. Southern Europe

Mostly Mediterranean Climate Some Humid Subtropical &

Steppe Mistral – strong north winds from

the Alps Siroccos – high, dry winds from

North Africa– May bring high temperatures into

the region Chaparral – shrubs & small trees

that grow here

D. Eastern & Northern Europe

Mostly Humid Continental Climate – Cold winters, hot summers– Mixed forests and some

grasslands

Some Subarctic & Tundra Climate– Far northern areas– Permafrost located here– Obviously, little to no vegetation