Chapter 12 – Section 1Landforms and Resources

Northern Peninsulas• Scandinavian; Norway & Sweden; fjords: steep U-

shaped valleys that connect to the sea

• Jutland; Part of Denmark & Germany

Southern Peninsulas• Iberian; Spain & Portugal

• Italian; Italy

• Balkan; Greece & Albania

Islands• Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland & Greenland

• Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily & Crete

Mountains Chains• Alps, Apennines, Balkans, Pyrenees, & Carpathian

• Uplands: Hills or very low mountains; mesas & plateaus

• Meseta: central plateau in Spain

• Massif Central: French uplands

Rivers & Fertile Plains• Danube, 1771 miles long; Rhine, 820 miles long

• Northern European Plain; agricultural region

Fertile Plains• Northern European Plain: One of the most fertile agricultural regions

in the world.• Across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany & Poland.

Economy• Abundant supplies of coal & iron needed for an industrialized economy.

• Oil and natural gas were found beneath the North Sea floor in 1959.

• About 33% of the land is suitable for agriculture.

Resources• Peat is a partially decayed plant matter found in bogs. It is cut into log

shapes and burned as a fuel because Ireland lacks energy resources.

Chapter 12 – Section 2Climate and Vegetation

Climate• A marine west coast climate covers much of Europe

• Warm summers & cool winters

• North Atlantic Drift is a warm ocean current from the tropics which flows near Europe’s west coast. • The prevailing westerlies blow east and bring this warmth far inland, and they

carry moisture.

• Areas further from the Atlantic have a humid continental climate.• Cold/snowy winters & warm/hot summers

• Mediterranean climate is mild and borders the Mediterranean Sea.• Moderate/wet winters & hot/dry/clear sky summers

• Mountain ranges block the cold north winds

• Tundra climate lies far north in northern Scandinavia along the Artic Circle.• Permafrost exists here and no trees grow, only mosses/lichen.

• Subarctic climate is cool most of the time with very cold, harsh winters.• Little grows here except for stunted trees.

• Agriculture is limited to southern Scandinavia.

• North of the Artic Circle – Land of the Midnight Sun• Some winter days – the sun never rises

• Some summer days – the sun never sets

Special Winds• Mistral is a cold, dry wind from the north.

• Sirocco is a hot, steady south wind that blows from North Africa across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe.

Deforestation• Originally, mixed forests covered Europe, they were cleared as people

settled and needed farmland.

• Most surviving forests tend to be coniferous further inland.

• Farmers grow a variety of crops in the fertile plains.

Chapter 12 – Section 3Human-Environment Interaction

The Netherlands aka Holland

• 40% of the Netherlands was once under the sea.

• Land reclaimed by diking & draining is a polder.

• Build dikes, earthen banks, to hold back water

• Erected seaworks, to control sea’s destruction on human lives, including terpen, high earthen platforms (safe area during floods).

terpen polder

dike

• Transformed the Zuider Zee; once part of the North Sea, it is now a freshwater lake called Ijsselmeer.

• Plan first proposed in 1667; plan was perfected in late 1800s/early 1900s.• Added 100s of square miles to the country.

Venice, Italy• About 120 islands; biggest are San Marco & Rialto; broad waterway is

the Grand Canal.

• Moving goods is done by boats through the canals.

• Established on a lagoon and became a trade port; sunk wood into ground for building construction.

St. Mark’s Basilica

Venice

Problems• The buildings are sinking due to their weight, rising sea levels and

the removal of too much groundwater.

• Canals are polluted by industrial waste/sewage; saltwater is eating away at the buildings; killer algae kills fish creating a stench

Europe’s forests

• Huge areas of Europe have lost their native forests as wood has been used for centuries for fuel & building; acid rain is killing trees.

• Reducing air pollution is helping the forests.