United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, & GermanyEQ: Why are people attracted to certain regions to live?

United Kingdom Consists of 4 regions:

England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland

Population About 60 million people live in the United

Kingdom. Around 90% of the UK’s people live in cities.

London has over 7 million people.

Government The United Kingdom is a parliamentary

democracy. The UK’s government is also a constitutional

monarchy, in which the king or queen is the official head of state.

Climate The UK has a temperate climate, with plentiful

rainfall all year round.

Location

Natural Resources Major export: manufactured goods coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead,

zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, slate, arable land

Languages English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic

Russia

Population Russia is one of the most populous countries in

the world, with 145.5 million people. Most people live WEST of the Ural mountains,

where the climate is mildest and the land is the most fertile.

Government Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991,

Russia has moved away from a communist government.

Today Russia is a democracy, a government in which people freely elect their leaders.

It is also a federal republic--the power is divided between national and state governments with a president who leads the nation.

Climate Most of the western part of Russia has a humid

continental climate. Summers are warm and rainy, while winters are cold and snowy.

Eastern Russia experiences cool, short summers and long, snowy winters.

Russia’s northern border is a tundra (nearly frozen, treeless plain).

Location

Natural Resources Major export: petroleum Bauxite, coal, copper, fishing, gold, iron ore,

lead, natural gas, nickel, tin, & zinc

Languages Russian and other local languages

Germany

Population Germany’s population is 82.6 million people. Because of its rivers and fertile land,

Germany’s northern plain has many cities and towns. One of Europe’s most important waterways

flows through southern Germany.

Government Like the US and Russia, Germany is a federal

republic in which the national and state governments share power.

An elected president serves as Germany’s head of state, but he or she only carries out ceremonial powers.

The country’s chancellor, chosen by one of the 2 houses of parliament, is the real head of government.

Climate Because of its mountainous landscape,

Germany has a cool climate.

*The Alps make up the southern landscape of Germany.

Location

Natural Resources An area in western Germany called the Ruhr

ranks as one of the world’s most important industrial centers because of its rich deposits of coal and iron ore.

Germany imports about 1/3 of its food, although farmers grow grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Germany’s Black Forest is a huge producer of timber, although recently acid rain has severely damaged tree growth.

Languages Much of the country speaks German, which is

from the same language family as English.

Italy

Population Italy has 57.2 million people. About 70% of the population live in towns and

cities. (More than 90% of Italians work in manufacturing and service industries.)

Natural Resources Major export: metal coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead,

zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land

Languages The people of Italy speak Italian, which

developed from Latin, the language of ancient Rome.

It is a Romance language (root word = Rome; literally means “to speak in Roman fashion”)

Italian is closely related to French and Spanish (also Romance languages)

Government After WWII, Italy became a democratic

government, although it is not stable. Many political parties exist in Italy, and no

single party has been strong enough to gain control alone.

Italy has seen many coalition governments, where two or more political parties work together to run the country.

Climate Most of Italy has a mild climate of sunny

summers and rainy winters. In spring and summer, hot dry winds called siroccos blow across Italy from North Africa.

Location