Western Europe

Western Europe I Learning objectives Understand Western Europe region Describe climate characteristics Discuss tourism characteristics

Western Europe I Nations of Southern and Northern Europe to form the most important tourist region in the world Five of the world’s top destination countries are from the region (France, Austria, UK, Germany and Switzerland) 3 other countries (Netherlands, Ireland, and Belgium) are in the top thirty

Western Europe I Extremely accessible with major transportation routes both within the region and outside the region Increasing cooperation associated with the European Union combines with deregulation of the airlines to make European travel easier and less expensive

Western Europe I Latest steps in open skies allows airlines to fly between any two cities in the European Union

Landforms Divided into four general types Northwest highlands, European Plain of Western Europe, central uplands of France and Germany, and the rugged mountains of Switzerland, Austria and Southern Europe

Landforms European Plain is an area of low, gently rolling topography and dense populations Agricultural and industrial region of continental Europe South and east of the European Plain are the Alpine mountain systems of the Swiss and Austrian Alps, where elevations reach more than 15,000 feet

Climate Characteristics British Isles, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and much of France and Germany have a marine west coast climate Winter temperatures in eastern France and in Germany are lower than those in the British Isles, and summer temperatures are higher

Climate Characteristics Austria and Switzerland have greater climatic variations due to differences in local elevations and the direction a specific valley faces Twenty and forty inches of precipitation in most areas, with higher precipitation totals in Ireland, Scotland, and other highland regions

Climate Characteristics Atlantic Ocean is the result of the North Atlantic Drift (Gulf Stream), which brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the European Continent

Climate Characteristics Great differences in climate, with January temperatures dropping below – 30 degrees F in the high Alps. During July, temperatures range from 50 to 60 degrees F in the high mountains to 70 to 80 degrees F in the lower valleys

Summary We understand Western Europe region better through climate and tourism characteristics of its territory.