1. Causes of European Exploration

2. Main Idea
Geography influenced where medieval Europeans settled (where they lived) and what they did (jobs, agriculture, trade, etc.).

3. Supporting Detail #1
Europe is a peninsula, so most of Europe lies within 300 miles of an ocean or sea.

4. Supporting Detail #2
Europe’s many rivers made it easy to travel to Europe’s interior, encouraging trade.
For example,
The Seine (Paris, France)
The Thames (London, UK)
The Rhine (Cologne, Germany)
The Danube (Vienna, Austria)

5. Supporting Detail #3
The physical features of Europe encouraged the development of independent kingdoms and made it difficult for one group to rule the entire continent.
Northwestern Highlands
Alpine Mountain System
Central Uplands
North European Plain

6. Supporting Detail #4
Physical features like (mountain ranges and waterways) separated the different parts of Europe, allowing different cultures to develop.