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Ethnic Diversity Ethnic Groups Europe consists of more than 30 countries and about 160 ethnic groups.  Although some countries have one major ethnic group, most European countries have two or more.  Ethnic Tensions In the Balkan Peninsula, serious fighting erupted during the 1990s among ethnic groups that once formed the country of Yugoslavia. (pages 287–289) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-6

Ethnic Diversity (cont.) Sources of Unity Since World War II, Europeans have been working to settle their historic differences and to achieve economic and political unity.  Shared values include the importance of the past and of family, the cultural achievements of their ancestors, a commitment to democracy, and government responsibility for social welfare. (pages 287–289) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-7

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Ethnic Diversity (cont.) (pages 287–289) Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Section 1-8

Population Characteristics Population Density Although Europe is the sixth-largest continent in land area, it is the third-largest in population.  The region includes some of the most densely populated cities in the world.  Population Distribution The most densely populated areas of Europe are the places with the most temperate climates, plains, fertile soil, mineral deposits, and inland waterways. (page 289) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-10

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Population Characteristics (cont.) (page 289) Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Section 1-11

Urbanization The Industrial Revolution that started in the late 1700s transformed Europe from a rural, agricultural society into an urban, manufacturing society.  Today about 75 percent of all Europeans live in cities. (pages 289–291) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-13

Urbanization (cont.) Urban Features Europe’s largest cities face the challenge of overcrowding and pollution.  European cities offer a unique mixture of old and new ways of life. (pages 289–291) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-14

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Urbanization (cont.) (pages 289–291) Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Section 1-15

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Urbanization (cont.) (pages 289–291) Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Section 1-17

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Section 2-4

The Rise of Europe Early Peoples Archaeological finds suggest that humans lived in Europe more than one million years ago.  By 6000 B.C., farming spread from Southwest Asia to many parts of Europe.  With the introduction of farming, Europeans settled in villages, some of which grew into large cities. (pages 294–296) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-6

The Rise of Europe (cont.) Ancient Greece and Rome  The ancient Greeks laid the foundations of Western civilization.  Greece’s mountains and maritime location led to the rise of separate city-states linked by a common Greek language and culture.  Greek forms of government, art, literature, theater, and philosophy left a lasting mark on the Western world. (pages 294–296) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-7

The Rise of Europe (cont.) A Christian Europe In the late A.D. 300s, the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves.  Therefore, eastern and western Europe gradually developed different cultural and political traditions.  The Western form of Christianity, known as Roman Catholicism, became dominant in western Europe.  The major form of Christianity in eastern Europe became Eastern Orthodoxy. (pages 294–296) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-9

Expansion of Europe Western Europe’s Christians fought a series of brutal religious wars called the Crusades to regain Palestine–the birthplace of Christianity–from Muslim control.  Although Crusaders failed to win Palestine, they did extend Europe’s trade routes to the eastern Mediterranean world. (pages 296–297) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-12

Expansion of Europe (cont.) The Renaissance The Renaissance was an era of discovery and learning that revived interest in the classical past and sparked advances in European arts, education, and literature.  A religious movement called the Reformation led to the beginnings of Protestantism. (pages 296–297) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-13

Expansion of Europe (cont.) European Explorations During the 1400s, Europeans began exploring other parts of the world.  European overseas expansion resulted in conquests of foreign lands, often at the expense of local cultures, and increased trade that brought Europe wealth and power. (pages 296–297) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-14

A Changing Europe (cont.) Revolutions  In the late 1600s, the power of the monarchy was limited in England.  The French overthrew their king during the French Revolution in the late 1700s.  By 1900 most European countries had achieved some measure of democracy. (pages 297–300) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-17

A Changing Europe (cont.) The Industrial Revolution transformed life in Europe.  Changes in manufacturing, transportation, and communications led to the rise of industrial capitalism.  A middle class of merchants and factory owners, as well as a working class of factory laborers, emerged. (pages 297–300) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-18

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. A Changing Europe (cont.) (pages 297–300) Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Section 2-19

A Changing Europe (cont.) Inequalities among social classes and substandard working conditions for the poor led to the rise of communism–a philosophy that called for economic equality in which the workers would control the means of production.  Toward the end of the century, working conditions in Europe began to improve. (pages 297–300) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-20

A Changing Europe (cont.) Conflict and Division Two world wars in the 1900s drastically changed Europe.  Several European monarchies collapsed following World War I, and new countries emerged.  Unresolved political problems from World War I, plus the rise to power of Benito Mussolini in Italy and Adolf Hitler in Germany, led to the outbreak of World War II in Europe. (pages 297–300) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-21

A Changing Europe (cont.) More than 6 million Jews and others died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust.  World War II left Europe ruined and divided.  Eastern Europe came under Soviet Communist control, but western Europe backed democracy and received support from the United States.  A divided Germany became a “hot point” of the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. (pages 297–300) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-22

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. A Changing Europe (cont.) (pages 297–300) Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Section 2-23

A Changing Europe (cont.) In western Europe, steps were taken toward economic and political unity.  The European Union (EU) became the organization promoting this goal.  It made plans to expand its membership to include eastern European countries. (pages 297–300) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-26

Expressions of Culture Languages In Europe, there are about 50 different languages and more than 100 dialects, most of which belong to the Indo-European language family.  The Slavic languages of eastern Europe, the Germanic languages of northern Europe, and the Romance languages of southern Europe are Indo-European languages. (pages 301–305) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 3-6

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Lifestyles (cont.) (pages 306–307) Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again. Section 3-19