The Early Middle Ages Chapter 9 Section 1 The Geography of Europe – The Peninsula of Peninsulas

Physical Features of Europe Europe is part of Eurasia, a large landmass that includes both Europe and Asia. Europe’s topography, which means the shape and elevation (height) of the land, is different from region to region.

Southern Europe South Europe is covered by mountain ranges like the Alps, which are more than 15,000 feet in elevation. The highest mountains have large snowfields and glaciers.

Southern Europe is warm and sunny, so shrubs and trees that don’t need much water grow there.

Geography Shapes Life Southern Europe: - People live near the coast or in river valleys. - They grew crops like grapes and olives. - Sheep and goats were raised in the mountains. - Because of the peninsulas, people were traders or sailors.

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Northern Europe Northern Europe is much flatter and is part of the “Northern European Plain”. Most of Europe’s major rivers flow through this area. The water flows from the melted snow in the southern mountains to the North Sea.

Thick forests also grow in the Northern European Plain because the soil there was fertile. In the far north there are hills and low mountains. Northern Europe is cooler and wetter, and the winters are often freezing.

Northern Europe: - People lived farther from the sea. - Lived along rivers: good transportation, protection from invaders. - Excellent farmland. - Flat areas were easy to invade.

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Scandinavia There are many peninsulas, including Scandinavia. A peninsula is an area of land that sticks out into the ocean.

Far Northern Europe (Scandinavia) is freezing and snow falls throughout the year. Very few plants grow there.

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