EUROPE Physical Geography

The Land 2) Europe is a large peninsula. A peninsula is a body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides.

Blue = Northern Europe Red = Eastern Europe Green = Southern Europe Light Blue = Western Europe

Topography 3) The Northern European Plain is a flat area that extends from France through the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and into Russia. The Northern European Plain has very good soil called chernozem.

Peninsulas 4) Europe has five major peninsulas: Scandinavian Jutland Iberian Italian Balkan

Scandinavian Peninsula 5) The Scandinavian Peninsula is in Northern Europe. Norway, Sweden, and part of Finland are on the Scandinavian Peninsula. The peninsula is surrounded by the Barents Sea, Baltic Sea, Norwegian Sea, and North Sea.

Fjords 6) A fjord is a steep, narrow, u-shaped valley that is carved out by a glacier. They are found in Norway on the Scandinavian Peninsula because this area had many glaciers during the last ice age.

Jutland 7) The country of Denmark is on the Jutland Peninsula.

Iberian Peninsula 8) The countries of Portugal and Spain are on the Iberian Peninsula.

The Italian Peninsula 9) Italy is on the Italian Peninsula.

Kinda looks like a boot

The Balkan Peninsula 10) The Balkan Peninsula contains Greece, among other countries, and is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, and Black Sea.

Strategic Waterways 11) A strategic waterway is a narrow body of water on an important transportation route or sea lane. Some examples are: The English Channel The Strait of Gibraltar

The English Channel 12) The English Channel separates the island of Great Britain from France. The narrowest point is the Strait of Dover, which is 21 miles wide.

The Chunnel 13) The Chunnel is a tunnel that runs underneath the English Channel and connects Britain to France.

Interesting Facts Matthew Webb is the first known person to swim the channel from Dover to Calais. It took him 21 hours and 45 minutes. In 1979, Bryan Allen crossed the Channel in a human powered aircraft. Yea, that is right, he pedalled for three hours in order to fly.

Strait of Gibraltar 14) The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The strait also separates the continents of Europe and Africa. At the strait’s narrowest point it is eight miles wide.

Gibraltar The Rock of Gibraltar or Gibraltar is actually an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It has been part of the U.K. for 300 years.

Stop staring and start feeding me, you obnoxious tourists! The only wild monkeys in Europe live on the Rock of Gibraltar.

Islands 16) Some islands in Northern Europe are: Great Britain Ireland Iceland Great Britain and Ireland are the two major islands in an archipelago. Together they are called the British Isles.

United Kingdom 17) The United Kingdom refers to the countries that are located on the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The United Kingdom is composed of: Wales Scotland England Northern Ireland

Islands 18) Some islands in the Mediterranean Sea are: Sicily Corsica Sardinia Crete

Mountains 19) The Alps are located in Northern Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and France. The Alps are not very long and the tallest mountain is Mont Blanc (15,774ft).

The ALPS

Chalet

Mountains 20) The Pyrenees separate the Iberian Peninsula from France.

FRANCE SPAIN

Climate and Vegetation 21) Europe is in the middle and high latitudes, therefore, Europe has many different types of climates. Northern Europe = Tundra and Sub-arctic climates. Most of Western Europe = Marine West Coast climate zone. Southern Europe = Mediterranean climate.

Climate 22) The factors that affect climate are: Topography Wind Currents Ocean Currents Zones of Latitude Elevation

Climate 23) Wind currents and ocean currents have a large impact on the climate of Europe. A. The Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Drift are ocean currents that warm Europe. B. Europe is also warmed by wind currents called the Westerlies.