Germany

LOCATION Central Europe About the size of South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama combined. Five times the people 85% Live in Urban Areas

Germany Land – Three Zones (Alp Mountains in the South, Hilly to mountainous middle and Plains in the north) The Rhine River (over 800 miles long) is important for trade) It’s location in Europe makes it a crossroads for travel and trade.

Climate Most of Germany has a marine climate. Eastern Germany is father from the sea and as a result has longer and colder winters. Summers tend to be longer, hotter and dryer.

Natural Resources Iron ore, Coal, Potash. Uranium is used for nuclear fuel. Nickel, natural gas and copper are important too. Timber is a renewable resource, Much of the forest in the north has bene cut to provide land for farms, villages and towns. There are still lots of timber in the south. Close to 1/3 of the land is used for crops.

Italy

Location Southern Europe Long, boot shaped peninsula that is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Twice the size of Georgia, but has seven times the number of people. Largest populated areas are Rome, Naples, Milan and Turin. Half of the people live in the northern third of the county.

Climate Had a Mediterranean climate. The Mediterranean Sea keeps the temperature comfortable most of the year. Summers are usually clear and rain is rare. Winters are usually cloudy with lots of rain. The Alps block cold air from moving north. Northern Italy has enough rain for crops. Southern Italy is much driver, it only gets about half the rain the north does.

Natural Resources Has Few Mineral resources. Natural gas is the most valuable mineral resource. Marble and granite are available These are used for construction of buildings and artwork. Coal, mercury, zinc and potash are also found. Land is very farmable (Grapes and olives are very important in wine and olive oil making. Sea is important. Long coastline allows for over 800 ports for fishing. 50,000+ people make living as fisherman. (Sardines, anchovies, sponges and coral)

Russia

Location Russia spans two continents (Europe and Asia) It would take a week to travel across Russia by train Russia shares a boarder with 15 counties and 2 oceans. At its closest point it is only 3 miles from the United States (Bering Straight) Landlocked (most of its sea is frozen over most of the year. Exception (St. Petersburg - Port City on the Baltic Sea. Makes it major city for trade. Home to over 500 million people.)

Climate European Russia has 2 seasons (winter, summer) Hottest month is July and coldest is January Average yearly temperature is below freezing. Permafrost – ground is frozen because of Artic winds. Asian Russia has extreme climate. Siberia (EAST) temps reach -40 degrees. In summer can reach over 90 degrees European Plain is the driest.

Natural Resources Land of many – vast forest. Eastern – major forest have been cleared away for cities and farms. Deposits of gold, aluminum ore, coal and iron are found in Ural Mountains. Leader in exporting gold, minerals, metals and machinery. Russia’s large size and cold temps make it hard for Russians to use their resources. (hard to reach)

United Kingdom

Location County of Islands – Great Britian, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Location makes it hub for trade. English channel to the south connects with France. West across the Irish Sea is Ireland, and east across the sea if the Scandinavian Peninsula. London’s Healthrow Airport is one of busiest in the world. Location helped make UK became an international banking and insurance center. Has more foregin banks than anywhere in the world. The US is the UK is number one trading partner.

CLIMATE Mild climate with rainfall throughout the year. Southeastern section is protected by mountains from the wind. Has mild, wet weather. The highlands of Scotland are the wettest. – Temperatures change with the seasons. Winters are mild and wet. Snowfalls are not very deep and usually occur in the mountains. Summers are warmest in the south. The mild climate keeps ports free of ice and open for trade all year.

Climate cont… Warm waters and winds from the Gulf of Mexico affect the climate of the UK. The Gulf stream moves warm waters along the coast of North America. It then crosses the Atlantic Ocean and warms Ireland and the western coast of England, Scotland and Wales. The climate is great for farming. The land is also very good for farming. Much of the land is good for farming too Less than 2% of the people earn their living as farmers. Most of the people live in urban areas where jobs are more available.

Natural Resources The UK has deposits of coal, petroleum, natural gas and iron ore. These are the backbone of the county’s industry: auto production, steel manufacturing, and shipbuilding. Other resources: Lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, sand and slate.

Natural Resources Today manufacturing is declining because these natural resources are being used up and industry is changing to cleaner forms of energy.

United Kingdom Many people who once had mining and manufacturing jobs are working in the service industry. Un the UK nearly 80% of the people work in service jobs such as tourism, health care, education, banking and insurance. People must move to urban areas to find new jobs and must work for lower wages.

United Kingdom Fishing is profitable along the shores of the UK. Fisherman catch crabs and other shellfish: cod, herring and mackerel. Nearly 25% of the county has arable land, Over half of the land is used for farms. A large amount of arable land means that the county produces 60% of its own food.