Physical geography of Europe notes

How many European countries have you been to? Mrs. Breen has been to 12! 

climate

Climate zones Name of Zone Weather Location Marine West Coast Mild temps, high rain, long growing season NW and Central Humid Continental Cool summer, cold winter Eastern and Northern Mediterranean Summers = hot/ dry, winters = mild/wet Southern Subarctic Cold, evergreen trees Norway, Sweden, Finland Tundra Frigid cold, treeless plain, winter=4 hours of sun Highland Cool to cold, rainfall varies Alps and Carpathian Mountains Europe has three main climate zones—marine west coast, humid continental, and Mediterranean. Three additional climate zones appear in small areas of Europe— subarctic, tundra, highland.

Landforms and waterways

Landforms and waterways Europe has a long coastline. It borders the Atlantic Ocean The Baltic, North, Mediterranean, and Black Seas. Only a few countries are landlocked, or do not border an ocean or a sea. Nearness to water has influenced Europe’s history and people. Shipping and fishing encouraged trade and helped build Europe’s economy. Exploration spread European culture worldwide and brought ideas from Asia, Africa, and the Americas to Europe.

Landforms and waterways rivers Lakes Danube Rhine Rhone Seine Thames Volga Como Geneva Garda Constance

River thames River rhine

Lake Geneva, Switzerland Lake como, italy

Landforms and waterways Peninsulas islands Iberian (Portugal, Spain) Balkan (Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia) Italian (Italy) Scandinavian (Norway, Sweden, Finland) Jutland(Denmark, part of Germany) Great Britain Ireland Iceland Cyprus Greenland (belongs to Denmark)

Landforms and waterways Physical map Iceland spas!

Landforms and waterways Plains Mountains and highlands The Northern European Plain is Europe’s major landform. The soil is rich, and the plain also holds underground deposits of coal, iron ore, and other minerals. Most of Europe’s population live and work on this vast plain. Other lowland areas include the Hungarian Plain and Ukrainian Steppe. Europe’s highest mountain ranges form the Alpine Mountain System. The Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Carpathians are included in this system. People and goods travel through passes, or low areas between mountains.

European plain alps

resources

Natural resources Coal has been a key energy source for Europe. In the 1800s coal fueled early factories. Today Europe supplies almost half of the world’s coal. Two other energy resources are natural gas and petroleum. Productive oil fields are found beneath the North Sea in areas controlled by Norway and the United Kingdom. Europeans also use clean energy sources that cause less pollution. Swift- flowing rivers create hydroelectric power. Wind farms use turbines with fanlike blades to make electricity.

Natural resources Other resources include iron ore and manganese used to make steel. Marble and granite provide building materials. Many of Europe’s once-vast forests have been cut down Fertile soil allows farmers to grow large amounts of crops, including rye, oats, wheat, and potatoes. Europe’s waterways provide another valuable resource—fish.

Environmental concerns The waterways in and around Europe are polluted. Sewage, garbage, and industrial waste are dumped into the region’s seas, rivers, and lakes. Chemicals in pesticides and fertilizers run off from farmland into rivers, harming fish and other marine life. Smoke from burning oil and coal creates air pollution, which causes breathing problems and other health risks. When chemicals in air pollution mix with precipitation, acid rain results

Russia information

Russia is the largest country in the world, measuring about 6,200 miles from east to west. The country is located on two continents— Europe and Asia. The Ural Mountains divide the European and Asian parts of Russia. Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest freshwater lake, is located in southern Siberia. It holds one-fifth of the world’s unfrozen freshwater.

Most of the European portion of Russia lies on the Northern European Plain. This fertile area has a mild climate, and about 75 percent of Russia’s population lives there. Moscow, the capital, and St. Petersburg, a large port city near the Baltic Sea, are located on the Northern European Plain. Good farmland and grassy plains are found farther south along the Volga and other rivers.

Russia is filled with natural resources Russia is filled with natural resources. The country has large reserves of fossil fuels—oil, natural gas, and coal. It also has major deposits of iron ore, copper, and gold. The iron ore has been used to build up Russia’s steel industry. Another valuable resource found in Russia is timber.

Most of Russia is located in the high latitudes Most of Russia is located in the high latitudes. Because it is so far north, Russia does not receive much of the sun’s heat, even during the summer. Much of Russia also is inland, away from the oceans.