Europe Unit 4

Cultural Geography of Europe

Ethnic Diversity Ethnic Groups Ethnic Tensions Sources of Unity More than 30 countries 160 ethnic groups Most countries have 2 or more major groups Ethnic Tensions Balkan Peninsula- fighting in the 1990’s in the former Yugoslavia Sources of Unity Shared family values Cultural achievements Commitment to democracy & providing for the public good

ETHNIC DIVERSITY AT WORK

Population Characteristics Population Density 6th largest continent 3rd largest population Some of the most densely populated cities in the world Population Distribution Most densely populated areas are the places with temperate climate Plains areas Areas with mineral resources Inland waterways

URBANIZATION

Industrial Revolution Started in Europe in the late 1700’s 75% of Europeans live in cities Urban Features Overcrowded and facing pollution problems Unique mixture of old and new ways of life Population Movements Immigrants from N. Africa, SW Asia, S Asia and the Caribbean came to Europe in the 1950’s & 1960’s Population is shrinking due to low birth rates

The Rise of Europe Humans lived in Europe more than 1,000,000 years ago 6000 B.C.- farming spread from SW Asia to many parts of Europe With the rise of farming, many Europeans settled in villages

ANCIENT GREECE & ROME

Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Laid the foundations for western civilization Mountains and maritime location led to the rise of separate city-states linked by a common culture and language Government, art, literature, theatre and philosophy Ancient Rome 1st a Republic, then an empire At its height the empire spanned most of Europe, SW Asia, & N Africa Imitated Greek culture, & added developments in gov’t, law, & engineering

Christian Europe In the late 300’s the Roman empire was divided into eastern & western 1/2s Western Europe was defined by its form of christianity-Roman Catholicism Eastern Europe became Eastern Orthodoxy

Feudalism replaced strong central gov’t After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe entered into the Middle Ages (dark ages) Feudalism replaced strong central gov’t Other religious influences rather than Christianity Jews & Muslims settled in parts of southern Europe

European Expansion Crusades-brutal religious wars to regain Palestine from Muslim control Failed to win Palestine Extended trade routes to the eastern Mediterranean world

Expansion of Europe The Renaissance Exploration Era of discovery and learning Revived interest in the classics Sparked advances in arts, education, & literature Reformation of Christianity Exploration During the 1400’s Europeans began exploring other parts of the world Resulted in conquest of foreign lands Lead to increase in trade, wealth, & power

A Changing Europe During the late 1600’s and 1700’s educated Europeans emphasized the importance of reason and began questioning long-standing traditions and values This was known as the Enlightenment

Revolutions French Revolution: Industrial Revolution: Communism: Late 1600’s power of the monarchy was limited in England French overthrew their king By 1900’s most European countries were democratic Industrial Revolution: 1700’s Changes in manufacturing, transportation, & communications led to the rise of industrial capitalism New classes emerged Communism: Late 1800’s Inequalities between rich & poor led to a movement that developed into economic equality

The French Revolution

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution

Communist Revolution

Conflict & Division WWI- (1914-1918) WWII- (1939-1945) Age of imperialism Alliances between countries led to conflict WWII- (1939-1945) New countries, unresolved issues Rise to power of Hitler & Mussolini Holocaust- racial killing of 6,000,000 Jews by the Germans WWII left Europe ruined and divided Communist east, democratic west Berlin became the “hot point” of the new cold war

Cold War Changing Europe During the cold war W. European countries were more productive economically Led to world wide rivalry between communist and capitalist countries Soviet Union falls in 1989 Berlin Wall falls in 1990 This leads to Europe becoming more unified EU: economic & political unity

Expression of Culture

Languages 50 different languages More than 100 dialects Most are indo-european Slavic languages of e. Europe Germanic languages of n. Europe Romance languages of s. Europe (indo-european)

Religion Mostly Christian Muslims in SE Europe S. europe=Roman Catholic N. Europe= Protestant Muslims in SE Europe Jewish communities found in numerous spots Religious freedom restricted in communist states Today many worship freely Religious conflicts in SE Europe and in N. Ireland

The Arts Rich history of painting, sculpture, music, theatre, and literature Religious beliefs are represented in Europe's art From the renaissance on art became much more secular

Quality of Life Education Human Services Among the world’s best educated Literacy rates above 90% State sponsored universities Human Services Social welfare programs Health care, social security, education Large portions of budgets are set aside for social programs

Lifestyles

Home Life Sports & Rec Celebrations Very important Women work, families are more mobile Gov’t agencies provide many social concerns once handled by families Sports & Rec Soccer is most popular sport Sports are related to climate, landscape, & culture Celebrations Celebrate Christian, Jewish, & Muslim religious festivals National & patriotic holidays

THE END