MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE A WARM, SUNNY LOCATION

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1.Portugal 2.Spain 3.Italy 4.Greece

Iberian Peninsula

SPAIN A.Regions 1.Pyrenees Mountains blocked European invasions 2.However, the Moors (Muslim) invaded from Africa and ruled Spain for 700 years 3.Spain defeated the Moors in 1492 a.Then, Spain conquered most of Central and South America

B. Climate & Elevation 1.Coastal areas receive plenty of rain 2.But, the interior receives little rain due to a rain-shadow effect. 3.Rain-shadow: See orographic precipitation (Chapter Two) 4. Southeast region is semiarid due to the Siroccos Winds a.Siroccos Winds: Very hot, dry winds from Northern Africa 5.Climate is Mediterranean

C. Spain’s Economy 1.18% of Spain's exports are from farming 2.Government is attempting to develop more industry 3.Madrid: Capital city and “hub” of Spain a.Hub: Center point of transportation routes

D. Regions of Independent Identity 1.Basque (BASK): Northern Spain a.Fewer than 1 million people b. Richest region of Spain c.Language is difficult to learn d.Want to secede from Spain 2.Catalonia: Northeast Spain a.Not as rebellious as the Basques

PORTUGAL 1.About 20” of rainfall per year 2.Exports include: a.Olive oil b.Wine c.Cork 3.Relative location helped Portugal to explore and conquer large areas of Africa and Brazil 4.New Ford/Volkswagen plant in 1998

ITALY A.REGIONS 1.Apennines Mountains run the length of Italy 2.They are seismically active a.Many earthquakes and active volcanoes b.Mt. Etna erupted in 2001

B. CLIMATE & VEGETATION 1. Alps Across the northern border 2. Climate is Mediterranean: a.Hot, dry summers b.Mild, wet winters 3. 10% work in agriculture

C. OVERPOPULATION 1.About 58 Million People 2.Populated areas are crowded 3.High unemployment in the South 4.Many moved north to find work in factories

D. NATION BUILDING 1.After the ROMAN empire fell 2.Italy became a collection of independent countries 3.Roman Catholic church ruled the southern half 4.By 1871, the Peninsula united to form modern Italy

E. NORTHERN ITALY 1. Po River Valley ( RICH! RICH! RICH! ) a.Important industrial center b.Also fertile soils produce wheat and rice 2. Venice: The “water-city” : a. Streets of waterways b.City is subsiding (falling into the sea) c.Subsidence: Area where ground sinks

F. CENTRAL ITALY 1.Rome and the areas around Rome 2.Controlled by the Roman Catholic Church until Vatican City: a.Residence of the Pope b. Independent country c.About one square mile

G. SOUTHERN ITALY 1.Includes the islands of: a. Sicily b. Sardinia 2.Agriculture a. Main occupation b. Poor soils c. Many have left for North Italy for jobs and better opportunities

GREECE A.A rugged land a.Eurasian Tectonic Plates b.Some plates move up c.Some plates move down (Grabens) Most flooded 1.Over 2,000 islands a.Many are inhabited

B. Agriculture in the Mountains 1.Covered by mountains and rocky soil 2.Narrow costal plains 3.Agriculture is important a. Poor soil b. Little rainfall c. Old farming methods

C. ATHENS THE CAPITAL 1. City is thousands of years old 2. Over 10.5 million people 3. Traffic jams are so bad, 4. Walking is faster than driving

D. THE SEAS 1.Greece relies heavily on trade over seas 2.One of the largest commercial shipping fleets in the world 3.Shipbuilding, Fishing and tourism are important industry

E. GREECE, A WESTERN NATION 1.Our culture is partially based on ancient Greece a.Aristotle b.Plato 2.For 700 years, Greece was part of the Roman empire 3.Later, the Muslim Turks invaded and ruled 4.In 1829, Greece gained independence

Reach For A Star Production John P. Luke

Map of Europe m/europe_map.htm m/europe_map.htm