EuropeWorld Geography

Physical Geography

Europe’s landforms also include large plains and

mountain ranges.

Europe is composed of many peninsulas and

islands.

Always near Water…

Europe is a large peninsula of Asia

also has its own smaller peninsulas: a “peninsula of peninsulas”

most places are within 100 miles of the ocean or a sea

Europe’s Links

*Network of rivers brings people, goods , and ideas

together

allows goods inland from coastal harbors, aids

economic growth

Danube River

The Danube is the 2nd longest river next to the Volga.

It starts in Germany and runs east through 9 countries across 1, 771 miles to the Black Sea.

These and many other rivers connect Europeans. This encourages trade and travel.

Rhine River

Rivers have historically acted as highways:

Rhine runs 820 miles through 4 countries: Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands from the interior to the North.

Starts from the Swiss Alps and runs to the North Sea.

These and many other rivers connect Europeans, this encourages trade and travel.

Volga River

The Volga is the longestriver in Western Europe.

It is 2, 293 miles long.

In ancient times it was known as the Atil, Italy, or Idil.

The Volga freezes for 3 months out of the year.

Roller Coasters?

English Channel

The English Channel has The Chunnel connecting England to France.

31 miles across, 20 minutes in a train and 2 hours in a car.

Chunnel under the Channel

Mediterranean Sea

“Sea between Lands”

an intercontinental sea that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to Asia on the east and separates Europe from Africa.

Mountain Ranges and Agricultural

Land

*33% of Europe is

suitable for agriculture; world average only 11%

Europe’s Bounty: The Northern European Plain

One of the most fertile agricultural regions in world

flat agricultural land produces vast quantities of food

Curves across France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Poland

The Alps

The Alps is Europe’s most famous mountain chain

crosses France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Balkans

cuts Italy off from rest of Europe

the Swiss Alps make up most of Switzerland.

The Rhine River divides the Alps into 2 main parts the Western and Eastern Alps.

The Pyrenees Mountains

Mountain chain of southwestern Europe that consists of flat-topped massifs and folded linear ranges. The Pyrenees form a high wall between France and Spain that has played a significant role in the history of both countries and of Europe as a whole.

Pyrenees restrict movement from France to Spain and Portugal

The Ural Mountains

Separates Europe from Asia

Mountain range forming a rugged spine in west-central Russia and the major part of the boundary between Europe and Asia.

Peninsula is a body of land surrounded by

water on three sides.

Two major peninsulas in Europe: The Iberian

Peninsulaand The Scandinavian

Peninsula

Iberian Peninsula

• Iberian Peninsula: Home to Spain and Portugal

Madrid, Spain

Scandinavian Peninsula

The Scandinavian Peninsula includes Norway and Sweden

Surrounded by Norwegian, North, and Baltic Seas

Geirangerfjord, Norway

Italian Peninsula

Italian Peninsula includes Italy, extends into Mediterranean Sea

boot-shaped, with 4,700miles of coastline

Islands

Larger: Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland in North Atlantic

Smaller: Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete in Mediterranean

Fueling Industrialization

Major industrialized regions:

Ruhr Valley, Germany; parts of United Kingdom

Coal and iron ore are needed to create steel for industrialization

found in Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany, Poland

Coal train to Manchester, England

Energy

Oil, natural gas found in North Sea in 1959; offshore rigs in 1970s

petroleum supplied by Norway, Netherlands, and Britain