Unit 6: Europe Test Review By: Mr. Mora

Northern Europe

Landforms Northern Europe is made up of five countries: Norway and Sweden on the Scandinavian Peninsula, Denmark on the Jutland Peninsula, Finland in the eastern part of the region, and the island country of Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean.

1 2 3 4 5 1 = Norway 2 = Sweden 3 = Finland 4 = Denmark 5 = Iceland

Physical Geography: Northern Europe Physical geography shaped by glaciers and plate tectonic activity. Commercial fishing, mining, forestry, and energy are the main resources in the area.

Glaciation Glaciation is the primary physical process by which the landforms of Northern Europe came to be as they are today. During the last ice age, ice filled the valleys and carved out fjords that are now filled with seawater, creating steep, rugged mountains.

Fjord A fjord is a long, steep-sided glacial valley now filled by seawater.

The Sami The Sami are Norway’s indigenous people.  ... The Sami people are sometimes referred to as Lapps, but prefer to be called Samis. Their culture has been developing in Northern Scandinavia since the arrival of the first people 11,000 years ago.

The Sami

Northwest Europe

Events: Northwest Europe Starting in A.D. 1000s, armies form NW Europe fought the crusades…series of religious wars against Islamic states to regain control of Jerusalem, the holy land. Industrial Revolution (mid 1700s) - transformed manufacturing in Europe with change from human labor to machines…Great Britain led the way and spread to rest of Europe and United States.

Human Geography: Northwest Europe Cold War - Post WWII power struggle between the communist world (led by Soviet Union) and non-communist world (led by United States). Religion – Christianity is the primary religion of NW Europe, consisting mainly of Roman Catholics and members of various Protestant sects.

NW Europe: People & Their Environment Fragmentation - due to roads and railways prevents wildlife migrations and reduces the development of healthy ecosystems…Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have highest levels of fragmentation in NW Europe. Air Pollution - Manufacturing industries and the heavy use of vehicles are the two greatest sources of air pollution in NW Europe.

Southern Europe

Physical Geography of Southern Europe Southern Europe is made up of three peninsulas: Spain and Portugal on the Iberian Peninsula, Italy on the Italian Peninsula, and Greece on the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula. Although important to the ecology of the region, Southern Europe’s shallow rivers are not viable transportation or trade routes.

Physical Geography of Southern Europe Italy’s Tiber River is the primary water source for the capital city of Rome. Southern Europe is well suited for growing grapes, olives, and shrub herbs and raising livestock due to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea.

Human Geography of Southern Europe The civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome laid the foundation for Western civilization. As the populations of Greece, Italy, and Spain age and the birthrates fall, care for the elderly is straining the social welfare systems.

Southern Europe: People and Their Environment Large algae blooms are damaging the delicate marine biomes of the Adriatic Sea. Changes in the global climate has made weather more unpredictable.

Eastern Europe

Physical Geography of Eastern Europe The area is characterized by the Carpathian and Balkan mountain ranges, which are extensions of the Swiss Alps. The Carpathian Mountains contain large energy reserves, while areas around the Baltic Mountains rely on water as a natural resource.

Human Geography of Eastern Europe History and Government Eastern Europe is a shatter belt, or region of great political instability, that drove the area’s Balkanization, or the division of the region into smaller hostile regions. Power struggles led to civil war and ethnic cleansing, or the genocide of an ethnic group, and Balkanization has continued with countries declaring independence.

Human Geography of Eastern Europe Population Patterns The Roma are of Indo-European origin and are the largest minority population in Europe.

Human Geography of Eastern Europe The family is the basic social unit and serves to reinforce social values.

Human Geography of Eastern Europe Economic Activities As political stability has improved, the region has become increasingly linked to Western Europe through trade and, more recently, by joining the European Union.

Eastern Europe: People and Their Environment Managing Resources Rapid and intense industrialization without regard to the effects on the environment have damaged water quality.

The Russian Core

Eastern Europe & Russia

The Russian Core: Physical Geography Physical Geography of the Russian Core The Russian Core: Physical Geography Landforms The Ural Mountains form a natural barrier between European Russia and Siberian Russia. The majority of the Russian population lives in the southern part of the Northern European Plain where there are waterways and fertile soil.

Russia’s Topography

Physical Geography of the Russian Core The Russian Core: Physical Geography Water Systems The longest river in Europe, the Volga, along with its tributaries, is an important commercial, transportation, and hydroelectric resource in Russia. Lake Baikal in Siberia, the world’s oldest and deepest lake, is home to many unusual freshwater marine species.

Russian Core Rivers

Climate, Biomes, and Resources Physical Geography of the Russian Core The Russian Core: Physical Geography Climate, Biomes, and Resources The interior of the country experiences continentality, or the effect of extreme variation in temperature and very little precipitation. Much of Russia’s abundant natural resources are in remote and climatically unfavorable areas, making them difficult to utilize.

Society and Culture Today Human Geography of the Russian Core The Russian Core: Human Geography Population Patterns About 80 percent of Russians live west of the Ural Mountains where there is rich soil, waterways, and a milder climate. Society and Culture Today The Soviet government promoted atheism and discriminated against different ethnic groups. Economic Activities Although a key trading partner with Russia, Ukraine remains wary of Russia’s former power and is considering joining the European Union.

People and Their Environment: The Russian Core The Russian Core: Human Geography Managing Resources The use of supertrawlers with huge trawl nets has led to the unnecessary death of millions of fish and marine animals.

The Russian Core: Human Geography Human Impact Soviet-era industrialization has damaged Russia’s water, air, soil, and forests. Nuclear wastes, the by-products of producing nuclear power and nuclear weapons, pose a devastating impact on the environment. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster has contaminated the air and water, resulting in health problems and deaths of thousands of people in the surrounding area.