Western Europe Its Land and Early History

Section 1: A Land of Varied Riches EQ 1: How do you describe Europe’s geography? EQ 2: What factors affect Europe’s climate? EQ 3: How do the natural resources of Europe affect what it produces today?

Land Europe is part of Eurasia (Europe & Asia) ◦ World’s largest landmass ◦ Ural Mountains divide Europe and Asia ◦ ¼ of Russia is in Europe

Land Europe is a peninsula with many smaller peninsulas formed by bays and harbors. Peninsula –A body of land nearly surrounded by water

Landforms- Peninsulas In Northern Europe, the Scandinavian Peninsula is home to Norway and Sweden. Along the jagged shoreline of this peninsula are beautiful fjords. ◦ A fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea located between steep cliffs. In Western Europe, the Iberian Peninsula includes Portugal and Spain. The Iberian Peninsula is separated from the rest of the continent by a mountain range called the Pyrenees.

4 Major Land Regions Northwestern Highlands ◦ Far northern part of Europe (Norway & Sweden) ◦ Steep sloped mountains with thin soil ◦ Few people live here (25 people/square mile) **Population Density –The average number of people living per sq mile or km. ◦ Successful timber industry -forests Austrian Alps Norangsfjorden- Norway

4 Major Land Regions North European Plain ◦ Covers over ½ of north central Europe ◦ Most productive farmland ◦ Largest cities are located in this region today ◦ Most of Europe’s population lives on this landform. ◦ Loess -Rich dust like soil found in the European plain.

4 Major Land Regions Central Uplands ◦ Area of mountains and plateaus ◦ Rocky land –not good for farming ◦ Mostly used for cattle and mineral resources Grundlsee

4 Major Land Regions Alpine Mountains ◦ Southern portion of Europe ◦ From Spain across to Eastern Europe ◦ Alps are the highest mountains in this system ◦ Many popular vacation places

Mountains The Alps The Pyrenees The Balkan Ural **Rain Shadow –An area on the sheltered side of a mountain that receives little rain fall.

Important Rivers ◦ Rhine, Elbe & Danube Rivers – Germany ◦ Seine River –France ◦ Po River –Italy ◦ Thames River –England ◦ Volga River- Russia

Photos Amsterdam The Tulip Festival Windmill

4 Major Climate Regions 1. Marine West Coast- Northwestern Europe ◦ North Atlantic Current  Current carries warm water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe  Winds off warm waters carry moisture onto land, making it wet and keeping temperatures warm ◦ Even though they are far to the North, they have a mild climate.

Gulf Stream

4 Major Climate Regions 2. Mediterranean- along Mediterranean Sea  Hot and dry summers  Mild and rainy winters

4 Major Climate Regions 3. Humid Continental- Central Europe ◦ Inland areas away from major bodies of water experience very cold winters & very hot summers 4.Sub Artic- Northern Europe -Short, cool summers and very long cold winters -Warmest days maybe 40º F

Vegetation Varies as much as the climate Forest- most natural vegetation Taiga –A forest in Russia that covers 4 million sq miles…the largest forest in the world

Vegetation Steppes –The Russian grasslands Central and Southern Europe once covered by grasslands (prairie) ◦ Cleared for farming

Vegetation Tundra - A treeless plain where only grasses and mosses grow Permafrost –Permanently frozen soil

Natural Resources Hydroelectric Power –Water generated power Fossil Fuel –Fuel from fossils ◦ a. Renewable ◦ b. Non-Renewable Reserves –The available supply of a fossil fuel