Chapter Notes 6-1 (Northern Europe) I. The United Kingdom (island separated by the English Channel) It includes 4 regions: England, Wales, Scotland, and N. Ireland. 90% live in cities. London is the capital and a center of business. Manufacturing and machinery are its leading exports. It has a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. Most are Protestant Christians and speak English and some Gaelic. II. The Republic of Ireland (island that is Catholic country) Its called the “emerald isle” because its lush and green from its regular rainfall. B. Much of the area is made up of peat which is dug up from bogs. C. The “Potato Famine” caused many Irish to migrate to the U.S.

Celts settle the island hundreds of years ago. 1/3 live in Dublin. Catholics in N. Ireland want to unite w/their southern neighbors. This dispute led to conflict from the 1960’s to 1990’s. In 1998, an agreement was signed to end the violence. Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) Their standards of living are among the highest in the world. This region is made up of many landforms. Norway has fjords, Denmark has forests, and Iceland (island) have geysers. The strong economies consist of farming, manufacturing, and service industries. Fishing is also important. The countries share similar ethnic ties except for Finland. Most are constitutional monarchies and all 5 are welfare states.

Chapter Notes 12-2 (Europe’s Heartland) France (2nd largest country in Europe in land size) Farms are known for their specialization such as wine and cheese. Tourism and high-tech industries has allowed economy to grow. Most speak French and are Roman Catholic. Islam 2nd largest. It’s a republic led by an elected president and a prime minister. II. Germany (leader of the EU because of its industry) The Alps dominate the south. Danube, Elbe, and Rhine are rivers. It has the largest population in Europe and Berlin is its capital. Most speak German and are Catholic or Protestant. In 1990, reunification of the two parts united into a federal republic led by a chancellor.

III. The Benelux Countries (have a low, flat landscape) Each have high standard of living and parliamentary democracies Belgium has 3 distinct cultural regions: Flanders (Dutch-speaking), Wallonia (French-speaking), and Brussels (bilingual) Netherlands means “lowlands” because 25% is below the sea. The Dutch create polders to drain water into the sea. Luxembourg is one of the wealthiest and smallest countries in Europe w/ many multinational companies. IV. Switzerland and Austria (dominated by the Alps range) Landlocked Switzerland has practiced neutrality due to location. It has 4 national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Austria is a landlocked country which the Danube R. flows through. Most live in cities, speak German, and practice Roman Catholic.

Chapter Notes 12-3 (Southern Europe) I. Spain and Portugal (Iberian Peninsula) Spain is made up of the Pyrenees Mts. & the Meseta (dry plateau) Dry farming is practiced since there is a lack of rain. Castilian Spanish is Spain’s official language though people speak different dialects with its own autonomy. Portugal is a small democratic country located west of Spain. Most live in small villages near the capital of Lisbon. Subsidies are used to support manufacturing. Italy – boot-shaped peninsula center located on the Mediterranean. The Alps run in the north and the Apennines run through the center. The Vatican City, located inside of Rome, (headquarters of the Catholic Church) and is world’s smallest country.

Greece – located on the Balkan Peninsula into the Mediterranean S Greece – located on the Balkan Peninsula into the Mediterranean S. making up of 2,000 islands. Farming is limited due to poor, stony soil.(olives and wheat) Greece has one of the largest shipping fleets in the world. 60% are urban and 1/3 live near the capital of Athens. Most follow Greek Orthodox Christianity

Chapter Notes 6-4 (Eastern Europe) Poland and the Baltic Republics N. European Plain, Baltic Sea, and Carpathian Mts. make up Poland. After WWII, the communist set up a command economy, but today is a market economy. Warsaw is the capital. The Baltic Republics - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were under the control of the Soviet Union until 1991. All are democracies and have strong economies based on dairy farming, fishing, and shipbuilding. Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary All three are landlocked countries and democracies today. The Czech Republic and Slovakia were once a single country under communist rule.

C. The Czech have rolling hills, lowlands, and plains bordered by mts. Czechs have the highest standard of living in Eastern Europe. Prague, the capital, is the center of service industries, tourism, and manufacturing. The Carpathian Mts. cover Slovakia. Bratislava is the capital and located on the Danube R. Hungary’s landscape is a lowland area w. fertile farmland. Its capital is Budapest located on the Danube River. They are descendents of the Magyars. Countries of Southeastern Europe There are 12 countries on southeastern Europe located along the Black Sea or Balkan Peninsula. Ukraine is the largest country in Europe divided by the Dnieper R.

Ukraine w/its rich soil has the nickname “breadbasket of Europe”. Russians living in the Ukraine want closer ties which have led to ethnic divisions. Romania was once ruled by the Romans and its language is based on Latin spoken in ancient Rome. Bucharest is the capital. Moldova is a landlocked country and is Europe’s poorest. Bulgaria is a mountainous country w/ fertile river valleys. Most countries on the Balkan Peninsula were once part of the Communist country called Yugoslavia. In the 1990’s, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia declared their independence. Serbia wanted to keep Yugoslavia under Serbian rule and as a result carried out ethnic cleansing. Albania is the only European country w/a Muslim majority.