Human Geography Northern Europe

Introduction 0 U.K., Ireland, and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). 0 Waves of migrating people settled Northern Europe (ancient times) 0 Ancient inhabitants of Great Britain were Celtic. 0 Beginning about 795 CE Norsemen (Vikings) from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden “terrorized” Europe.

Great Britain’s Empire 0 Great Britain built an empire that strongly affected world history. U.K established in 1801 (Whales, Ireland, and Scotland). 0 Drew on its geographic advantage to grow in strength. *Island -Built a global empire -By the 1800s had colonies in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Transmission of culture worldwide. -“The sun never sets on the British empire

Moving into the Modern Age 0 Great Britain played a role in shaping our modern world in two ways: 0 1. Representative government 2. Industrial Revolution 0 Britain’s government is a monarchy that also has a parliament 0 Parliament: representative lawmaking body whose members are elected or appointed. Iceland has the oldest Parliament in the world (930). 0 Over the centuries English rulers lost power to the English parliament. (Magna Carta- 1215, English Bill of Rights- 1689).

Industrial Revolution 0 Access to natural resources (iron ore, coal) allowed Great Britain to become the first industrial nation. 0 Coal used as fuel and iron to make machinery 0 Growth of industry motivated Britain’s empire building (raw materials and markets). 0 In the 1800s, industrialization spread to other countries (Belgium, France, Germany, and the U.S.) 0 Post-WW II, colonies gain independence 0 Many former colonies experience ethnic conflicts because boundaries had been est. without regard to traditional living areas.

Irish Question 0 Protestant English rulers strengthened their hold on Catholic Ireland by seizing Irish land. 0 Many Irish were left in poverty s potatoes famine and migration 0 Calls for independence, and in 1921 Britain divided Ireland into two states- independent Republic of Ireland (Catholic), and Northern Ireland (protestant) which remained with U.K. 0 Religious conflicts and anti-British violence in North.

Economics 0 Highly developed and varied economy 0 Industry and resources: (G.B. and Sweden) motor vehicle, aerospace, paper products, and pharmaceuticals. 0 High-Tech: production of computer software and hardware. *Silicon Glen- area in Scotland that has many high-tech companies. It produces 32% of Europe's personal computers, 51% of notebook computers

Union or Independence 0 Most nations of this region joined the EU, but Norway did not. 0 Euro- common currency of the EU. 0 UK and Denmark voted against euro

Culture 0 Northern Europe- Germanic languages 0 Protestant, only Ireland is predominately Catholic 0 GB- Shakespeare (literature), Wordsworth (poetry 0 Irish- James Joyce (novelist, shaped modern fiction)

Life 0 High standard of living 0 Social Welfare- government responsibility for the welfare of its people= high taxes. 0 Finland/Norway/Sweden- yearly allowance to raise children 0 National heath insurance programs 2010 UN HDI: Prosperity Index: 1 Norway Australia New Zealand United States Ireland Liechtenstein Netherlands Canada Sweden Germany 1 Norway Australia New Zealand United States Ireland Liechtenstein Netherlands Canada Sweden Germany

UN HDI: Prosperity Index: 0 1 Norway Australia New Zealand United States Ireland Liechtenstein Netherlands Canada Sweden Germany