1. Understanding Northern Europe

2. What countries are considered part of Northern Europe?
England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
Ireland
Denmark (Nordic)‏
Norway (Nordic)‏
Sweden (Nordic)‏
Finland (Nordic)‏
Iceland (Nordic)‏

3. Nordic Countries

4. Nordic Countries
A group of seafaring warriors, known as Vikings, from Sweden, Norway and Denmark terrorized Europe beginning around 795 AD.

5. Nordic Countries – Look at the similarities the Nordic countries share
AKA Scandinavia
Tundra or sub-Arctic climate
Many glaciers
Speak Germanic languages like Swedish & Danish
All have democratic forms of government
Remain neutral in world affairs like Switzerland

6. Iceland “The Land of Fire & Ice”
A volcanic island known for its geothermal activity such as glaciers and geysers

7. Iceland

8. Diagram of Geothermal Energy

9. North of the Arctic Circle, there are winter days when the sun never rises and summer days when the sun never sets.
Winter nights are extremely long, as are summer days.

10. The Land of the Midnight Sun
Scandinavia is close to the Arctic Circle, so the sun stays visible at midnight and sometimes there is no sun at all.
The above is a time lapse photo of the sun over a three hour period, notice that the sun never sets.

11. Fjords
In Norway, glaciers also carved out fjords which are steep U-shaped valleys that connect to the sea and that filled with seawater after the glaciers melted.
Fjords provide excellent harbors for fishing boats.
The fjords are often separated
by narrow peninsulas.

12. Fjords

13. British Isles

14. Scotland
Northern Ireland
England
Ireland
Wales

15. Peat – partially decayed plant matter found in bogs
Burned for fuel in Ireland where wood or other forms of fuel is rare

16. This is just interesting – Don’t take Notes Here
This guy died over 2400 years ago
Bogs also preserve tissue for hundreds of years or centuries due to the highly acidic water, low temperature, and lack of oxygen in the water.

17. Great Britain
Great Britain built an empire that greatly affected the world.
Britain first gained control of their neighbors – Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
After this was accomplished Britain took overseas colonies, like the 13 Colonies.

18. British Isles United Kingdom Great Britain (Britain)‏
Ireland
Northern Ireland
Wales
Scotland
England
British Isles
United Kingdom
Great Britain
(Britain)‏

19. The Flag of the United Kingdom aka the Union Jack

20. Britain used its geographic advantages to grow in strength.
It is located on an island which protected it from invasion and forced them to develop a strong navy.
Because of its economic and naval strength, Great Britain built a large, global empire.

21. A popular saying declared, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.”
As a result, the English language and British culture spread worldwide.

22. The United Kingdom has a monarchy
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen since 1952

23. Her sons in line for the throne…
1st – Prince Charles
2nd – Prince William

24. Buckingham Palace – Home of the British Monarchy

25. Palace of Westminster
Big Ben

26. London

27. River Thames

28. The Tower Bridge

29. London street

30. London’s Famous Double-decker Buses

31. How can you connect the United Kingdom to mainland Europe?
A CHUNNEL!!!

32. The English Channel Tunnel
Channel + Tunnel = Chunnel
The Chunnel transports people from Britain to France faster than a boat and cheaper than an airplane.

33. One Billion Dollars ($$)
Costs to Build
One Billion Dollars ($$)
Seven Years
Over 15,000 Workers
Opened in 1994

34. The Eurostar train travels 100 mph in the Chunnel

35. The Eurotunnel Shuttle is a rail ferry service

36. The two most popular sports in the British Isles…
Rugby
Soccer

37. Soccer (a.k.a. Football) is the source of much entertainment and athleticism in Europe. The popularity of soccer in Europe can easily be compared to football in the United States. Some games can draw up to 93 million viewers…topping even the most prestigious football game in the States, the Super Bowl. Soccer players are viewed as celebrities in Europe.

38. United Kingdom Notes
Great Britain established a global empire based partly on their naval strength
“The sun never sets on the British Empire”
London (capital) is located on the River Thames
English Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) connects England to France

39. British Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
King or Queen (Monarch) is symbolic leader
Prime Minister and Parliament have real power