Understanding Northern Europe

What countries are considered part of Northern Europe? England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland Ireland Denmark (Nordic)‏ Norway (Nordic)‏ Sweden (Nordic)‏ Finland (Nordic)‏ Iceland (Nordic)‏

Nordic Countries

Nordic Countries A group of seafaring warriors, known as Vikings, from Sweden, Norway and Denmark terrorized Europe beginning around 795 AD.

Nordic Countries – Look at the similarities the Nordic countries share AKA Scandinavia Tundra or sub-Arctic climate Many glaciers Speak Germanic languages like Swedish & Danish All have democratic forms of government Remain neutral in world affairs like Switzerland

Iceland “The Land of Fire & Ice” A volcanic island known for its geothermal activity such as glaciers and geysers

Iceland

Diagram of Geothermal Energy

North of the Arctic Circle, there are winter days when the sun never rises and summer days when the sun never sets. Winter nights are extremely long, as are summer days.

The Land of the Midnight Sun Scandinavia is close to the Arctic Circle, so the sun stays visible at midnight and sometimes there is no sun at all. The above is a time lapse photo of the sun over a three hour period, notice that the sun never sets.

Fjords In Norway, glaciers also carved out fjords which are steep U-shaped valleys that connect to the sea and that filled with seawater after the glaciers melted. Fjords provide excellent harbors for fishing boats. The fjords are often separated by narrow peninsulas.

Fjords

British Isles

Scotland Northern Ireland England Ireland Wales

Peat – partially decayed plant matter found in bogs Burned for fuel in Ireland where wood or other forms of fuel is rare

This is just interesting – Don’t take Notes Here This guy died over 2400 years ago Bogs also preserve tissue for hundreds of years or centuries due to the highly acidic water, low temperature, and lack of oxygen in the water.

Great Britain Great Britain built an empire that greatly affected the world. Britain first gained control of their neighbors – Wales, Ireland and Scotland. After this was accomplished Britain took overseas colonies, like the 13 Colonies.

British Isles United Kingdom Great Britain (Britain)‏ Ireland Northern Ireland Wales Scotland England British Isles United Kingdom Great Britain (Britain)‏

The Flag of the United Kingdom aka the Union Jack

Britain used its geographic advantages to grow in strength. It is located on an island which protected it from invasion and forced them to develop a strong navy. Because of its economic and naval strength, Great Britain built a large, global empire.

A popular saying declared, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” As a result, the English language and British culture spread worldwide.

The United Kingdom has a monarchy Queen Elizabeth II Queen since 1952

Her sons in line for the throne… 1st – Prince Charles 2nd – Prince William

Buckingham Palace – Home of the British Monarchy

Palace of Westminster Big Ben

London

River Thames

The Tower Bridge

London street

London’s Famous Double-decker Buses

How can you connect the United Kingdom to mainland Europe? A CHUNNEL!!!

The English Channel Tunnel Channel + Tunnel = Chunnel The Chunnel transports people from Britain to France faster than a boat and cheaper than an airplane.

One Billion Dollars ($$) Costs to Build One Billion Dollars ($$) Seven Years Over 15,000 Workers Opened in 1994

The Eurostar train travels 100 mph in the Chunnel

The Eurotunnel Shuttle is a rail ferry service

The two most popular sports in the British Isles… Rugby Soccer

Soccer (a.k.a. Football) is the source of much entertainment and athleticism in Europe. The popularity of soccer in Europe can easily be compared to football in the United States. Some games can draw up to 93 million viewers…topping even the most prestigious football game in the States, the Super Bowl. Soccer players are viewed as celebrities in Europe.

United Kingdom Notes Great Britain established a global empire based partly on their naval strength “The sun never sets on the British Empire” London (capital) is located on the River Thames English Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) connects England to France

British Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy King or Queen (Monarch) is symbolic leader Prime Minister and Parliament have real power