1. EUROPE
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

2. Physical Characteristics
The continent of Europe is a giant peninsula.
Some refer to it as Eurasia.
It is known as “a peninsula of peninsulas.”

3. Europe – “A Peninsula of Peninsulas”

4. The Northern Peninsulas
Scandinavian Peninsula – Norway & Sweden

5. Fjords – sea filled valleys carved out by glaciers
Fjords – sea filled valleys carved out by glaciers. Picture: Geirangerfjord in Norway

6. The Southern Peninsulas
Iberian Peninsula – Spain and Portugal
Apennine Peninsula – Italy, lots of coastline!
Balkan Peninsula – Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, very mountainous

7. Apennine Peninsula
The Apennine Mountains

8. The Atlantic Islands
Iceland – “Land of Fire and Ice” (Volcanoes and glaciers exist side by side on the island)
British Isles –
England, Scotland,
Wales,
Northern Ireland,
& Ireland

9. The United Kingdom (The UK)

10. Iceland - was formed from volcanic activity
Iceland - was formed from volcanic activity. Lava fields cover much of the land
Surtsey 16 days after the first eruption.

11. Iceland

12. Mediterranean Islands
Balearic Islands (Spain)
Corsica (France)
Sardinia (Italy)
Sicily (Italy)

13. Corsica (France)

14. The port town of Sciacca, Sicily (Italy)

15. Mountains
Alps – arc across France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, & the northern Balkan Peninsula, cut off Italy from the rest of Europe
Pyrenees Mountains - block off Spain & Portugal from the rest of Europe

16. Mountains (cont.) Apennine Mountains – run like a spine down Italy
Balkan Mountains – block off the peninsula from the rest of Europe

17. The Alps

18. Pyrenees Mountains

19. Apennine Mountains

20. Rivers
Rivers are important transportation routes to carry goods between the coastal harbors and the inland region
Danube River – 1,771 miles long, links Europeans to the Black Sea, touches 9 countries
Rhine River – flows 820 miles from the interior of Europe north to the North Sea

21. Danube River

22. Danube River

23. Rhine River

24. Video National Geographic (3 minutes)
Discovery Channel Physical Geography (20 Min)
Europe Land and Resources (20 Min)
Ten Most Beautiful Countries (20 Min)