2. Europe

3.  A marine west coast climate exists in most of Europe, from Spain through France and Germany into western Poland.  The British Isles and some of the coastal regions in Scandinavia also experience this climate.

4.  The summers are warmer and winters milder than other areas in the same latitude because of the North Atlantic Drift.  The North Atlantic Drift carries warm ocean water from the tropic regions to Europe’s western shores. West winds pick up warmth from the ocean and blow across Europe, north of the Alps.

5.  The Alps have much harsher conditions because of their altitude. It is much colder year round, and during winter the snow can reach 33 feet deep.  Because of the warm winds, farming is able to flourish where forests used to cover the land in western Europe.

6.  Eastern Europe is too far from the Atlantic ocean to benefit from the west winds. The conditions are more extreme, with cold, snowy winters and warm humid summers.  The region consists of eastern Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, and Romania. It does receive enough rain for agriculture.

7.  The countries that border the Mediterranean Sea benefit from a very mild climate that makes them a popular destination for travelers.  The summers are hot and dry with clear skies, and the winters are mild and rainy. The mountain ranges keep the cold north winds away from area.

8.  The exception to that is the French coastal region. There are no mountains blocking the winds, which are called the mistral, that cool off the area more than other regions.  Most of the Mediterranean countries experience a wind called the sirocco. It is a hot steady wind from North Africa that brings either moisture from the sea or dust from the desert.

9.  Because of the hot, dry summers and wet winters, citrus crops and olives and grapes grow well in the region.  People spend their summers at the beaches along the coast, making tourism a very important industry for those countries.

10.  In Scandinavia, the northern part crosses the Artic circle creating a tundra climate. The tundra is land where the layers underneath the top are permanently frozen.  Trees do not grow there, only mosses and lichens. Agriculture cannot happen there because the soil is frozen and it is too cold.

11.  These regions also experience dramatic changes in the amount of sunlight during the year. Winter has extremely long nights and summers have extremely long days.  North of the Arctic circle there are days in the summer when the sun does not set, and winter has days where the sun does not rise.

12.  You will create two advertisements to draw tourists to different regions in Europe. The first one will be for a Mediterranean coastal country, the second for a northern Scandinavian country. You must show and explain why people should come to both areas. Be creative, use descriptions of the region and pictures to entice travelers.