© 2009, TESCCC

Regions of Europe

© 2009, TESCCC

European Regions

Western Europe

The British Isles

Nordic Europe

Mediterranean Europe

Eastern Europe

© 2009, TESCCC

British Isles Two Islands:

•Britain

•Ireland

Two Nations:

•United Kingdom

•Ireland

United Kingdom:

•England

•Scotland

•Wales

•Northern Ireland

© 2009, TESCCC

Climate

Marine West Coast:

Humid, moist Climate that is moderated by warm ocean currents

Put Map Here

© 2009, TESCCC

Historical Geography

• Pagan tribes were settled in the British Isles prior to the Roman arrival in the 1st century BCE. Romans remained for about 5 centuries (remnants include Hadrians Wall).

•Angles and Saxons settled as the Romans departed, followed by Nordic tribes (Vikings) in the 9th century, who plundered the Christian churches in the area.

•England gets its name from the Angles or Engles, which were Germanic tribes from the Mainland.

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Continued

Ireland was less affected by the Anglo-Saxons and Nordic tribesIreland retained its Gaelic heritage.Most Irish were converted to Roman Catholicism in the 5th and 6th centuries (recall St. Patrick)

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British Empire

Grew in strength throughout the Middle AgesWorld Conquests: to the Americas, Africa, South Asia (India), SE Asia, Australia, South Pacific. The British built a presence in every part of the world. Empire declined during the 20th century

© 2009, TESCCC

Modern Germany

• Suffered greatly after the World Wars from political and cultural conflicts.

• Germany is known for its scholarship and hard work ethic.

• Welcomes immigrants from all nationalities- it is now an open, liberal society.

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Switzerland and Austria

German influenced, although Switzerland is also influenced by Italy and France.Alps- In Western Austria and all of Switzerland.

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Denmark (Greenland)

SwedenNorwayFinlandIcelandEstonia*

Northern Europe

© 2009, TESCCC

Physical Geography of Scandinavia

• Ice Age glaciers melted here leaving thousands of lakes.

• Other glaciers carved out fjords along the coastline.

• Jutland, the peninsula on which mainland Denmark lies, is mostly flat.

• The Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe is mountainous.

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MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE

•Consists of the Iberian, Italian and Balkan Peninsula

•Many islands are associated with this Region.

•The Climate is….Mediterranean!

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MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE

SIX COUNTRIESA DISCONTINUOUS REGIONON THE PERIPHERYCULTURAL CONTINUITY DATES FROM GRECO-ROMAN TIMESMEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE

HOT - DRY SUMMERSWARM/COOL - MOIST WINTERS

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Iberian Peninsula

Most of the peninsula is a plateau, but the Pyrenees Mountains form a barrier between it and the rest of Europe.

Southwestern Europe’s Iberian Peninsula, home to Spain and Portugal, separates the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic

Ocean.

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ITALYMOST POPULATED OF MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIESBEST CONNECTED TO THE EUROPEAN COREMOST ECONOMICALLY ADVANCEDDISPLAYS A SHARP NORTH/SOUTH CONTRAST

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EASTERN EUROPE

Europe’s poorest regionInfluenced by RussiaMany areas have had political and economic instability during the last 2 decades.

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UNDERLYING FORCES CENTRIFUGAL FORCES

REFER TO FORCES THAT TEND TO DIVIDE A COUNTRY

Religious, linguistic, ethnic, or ideological differences

CENTRIPETAL FORCESFORCES THAT UNITE AND BIND A COUNTRY TOGETHER

A strong national culture, shared ideological objectives, and a common faith

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SUBREGIONS OF

EASTERN EUROPECOUNTRIES ON THE BALTIC SEATHE LANDLOCKED CORECOUNTRIES ON THE ADRIATIC SEACOUNTRIES ON THE BLACK SEA

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COUNTRIES ON THE BALTIC SEAPOLAND

A CLASSIC NATION-STATETRADITIONALLY A FARMING COUNTRY

LITHUANIALATVIAESTONIABELARUS: Still strongly influenced by Russia

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THE LANDLOCKED CORE

CZECH REPUBLICThe region’s most westernized

SLOVAKIALess developed, more rural than Czech Republic

HUNGARY

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COUNTRIES FACING THE BLACK SEA

BULGARIA: Freed from Russia in 1878.

ROMANIA: Formerly Roman

MOLDOVA: Agrarian

UKRAINE: Agrarian; largest and most populated of these countries

© 2009, TESCCC

COUNTRIES ON THE ADRIATIC SEA

SLOVENIA: FIRST TO SECEDE; ETHNICALLY MOST HOMOGENEOUS

CROATIA: BOOMING TOURISMBOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: CENTRALLY POSITIONED

SERBIA-MONTENEGRO: INCLUDES SERBIA, KOSOVO, AND MONTENEGRO

MACEDONIAALBANIA: 70% MUSLIMS; LOWEST ECONOMIC RANKING IN EUROPE