Chapter Eleven The Physical Geography of Europe

Section One The Land

Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands Eurasia = a common landmass between Europe and Asia Europe is the smallest continent after Australia Very irregular coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, Baltic, North, Mediterranean, and Black Seas

Eurasia Population Density

Most of Europe is within 300 miles of the seacoast –Can be good and/or bad for any country along the sea 25% of the Netherlands lies below sea level –Why might this create problems for the Netherlands? –In order to keep their elevation from becoming a problem the Dutch in the Middle Ages built dikes-- large banks of earth and stone to hold back the water

Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands The dikes have allowed for new land to be exposed from the sea –Polders--reclaimed lands that were once used for windmills Today water pumps remove sea water, which allows for more farmland and settlement Europe by definition is a large peninsula made up of other smaller peninsulas –Peninsula--a body of land jutting into a lake or ocean, surrounded on three sides by water

Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands Glaciation--process of glaciers forming and spreading over a peninsula –Occurred during the last Ice Age –Created fjords--steep-sided inlets along the Atlantic coastline The Iberian Peninsula extends off the southwestern coast of Europe –Spain and Portugal –Separates the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea –The peninsula is only 20 mi from the northern tip of Africa--separated by the Straight of Gibraltar

Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands The Apennine Peninsula is where Italy is located & juts into the Mediterranean Sea –The Apennines is a mountain chain that forms the spine of the peninsula The Balkan Peninsula-- found in southeastern Europe –Surrounded by the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, as well as the Aegean and Black Seas

Balkan Peninsula

Seas, Peninsulas, and Islands Islands included in Europe: –Iceland Highly unique landscape –British Isles = Great Britain & Ireland –Larger islands that lie south of the European mainland include: Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete, and Cyprus

Mountains and Plains Europe has a mixture of both old and young mountain ranges –Older mountain ranges has relatively low peaks –Younger mountains have high and jagged peaks Alps--form a crescent from southern France to the Balkan Peninsula –Major rivers originate in the Alps Rhine and Po –Also acts as a barrier between different climate regions in Europe

Mountains and Plains North European Plain--aka Great European Plain was formed by Ice Age glaciers –Stretches from southeastern England to western France, eastward to Poland, Ukraine, and Russia Important area for farming Deposits of coal, iron ore, and other minerals helped the industrial development of Europe during the 1800s Today you can find many of Europe’s largest cities there Great Hungarian Plain--stretches from Hungary to Croatia, Serbia, and Romania –The Danube River allows for strong agricultural production

Water Systems Water in European highlands flow out to the coasts –Rivers and streams in Europe provide a good transportation system, irrigated farmland, and a source for electricity The Rhine is the most important river in western Europe –Flows from the Swiss Alps through France and Germany and into the Netherlands The Danube is eastern Europe’s most important waterway –Flows from Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea

Natural Resources Coal lies in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ukraine, & Poland –Reserves have been vastly depleted and are very expensive to mine Iron Ore deposits are in Sweden, northern France, and southeastern Ukraine Other natural resources include bauxite, zinc, and manganese

Natural Resources Peat –Alternative energy source in Europe –Vegetable matter found in swamps Composed of mosses Dried and chopped into blocks and then burned Europe also relies heavily on coal, oil, gas, and nuclear and hydroelectric power