Physical Geography of Europe

Importance of Water  Europe is almost completely surrounded by water.  There are only a few countries that are landlocked.  There are many large rivers in Europe.  These make it very easy to trade throughout Europe

Mountains  There are five main mountain ranges in Europe:  The Alps, The Balkans The Carpathians, the Pyrenees, and the Ural Mountains  The Ural is the dividing line between Europe and Asia  The other ranges form a barrier between northern and southern Europe

Pollution  Many of Europe’s water ways are very polluted.  This has only increased over the years as populations and tourism have grown.  Many countries are trying to solve this problem  Increase of recycling services  Waste treatment facilities  Less fertilizer

Chernobyl  Video

Climate  Europe has a very mild and warm climate despite though it is in the upper latitudes  Some places are above the Arctic Circle  This is because of the warm North-Atlantics Current that brings warm water and weather to the region

Marine West Coast  Characterized by two features: mild temperatures and abundant precipitation  Both are great for farming  Deciduous and coniferous forests

Humid Continental  Cooler summers, colder winters, less rain and snow  Mostly deciduous trees

Mediterranean  Hot summers, warm wet winters  Some places in Spain and Italy experience a rain shadow effect making the areas even more dry

Subarctic and Tundra  The tundra is vast plains of evergreen trees  Very cold winters, during the winter some places experience only 4 hours of daylight

Highland  Climate changes depending on elevation  Found in the Alps and Carpathians