1. Europe
Physical Geography

2. The Land
Europe is part of a large landmass called Eurasia; today’s Europe and part of Russia; separated by the Ural Mountains
Longer coastline than Africa, the world’s 2nd largest continent
Sometimes called a “peninsula of peninsulas”

3. Major Landforms Peninsulas Mountains/Uplands Rivers/Waterways Islands
Plains

4. 1. Peninsulas Europe has five major peninsulas: Scandinavian Peninsula
Jutland
Iberian Peninsula
Italian Peninsula
Balkan Peninsula

6. Scandinavian Peninsula
Countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland
Largest peninsula in Europe
Glaciers played an important role in shaping the landscape
Only about 3% of land is arable
Glacial rebound causes flooding
Glacial melting created fjords

7. Fjords
A fjord is a steep, narrow, u-shaped valley that is carved out by a glacier.

9. Jutland
The country of Denmark is on Jutland.

10. Iberian Peninsula Countries: Portugal and Spain
Separated from Europe by the Pyrenees Mountains

12. The Italian Peninsula
The peninsula is comprised of much of Italy and includes the independent republic of San Marino as well as Vatican City.
It is separated from the rest of Europe
by the Alps
The Apennine Mountains run down Italy like a spine, dividing East from West

13. Italian Peninsula

14. The Balkan Peninsula Countries:
Completely: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia
Mostly: Croatia, Serbia
Partially: Slovenia, Romania, Turkey
Separated from rest of Europe by the Balkan Mountains

16. 2. Mountains/Uplands Mountains vs Uplands European Uplands (examples):
Uplands: hills or very low mountains
may also contain mesas and high plateaus
Some may be eroded remains of ancient mountain ranges
European Uplands (examples):
Kjolen Mts. In Scandinavia
Meseta in Spain
Massif Central in France

17. Alps, Switzerland

18. Massif Central, France

19. 3. Rivers/Waterways Europe’s Rivers = “Watery Highways”
Trade, Travel, Ideas
Many are large enough for ships to travel
2 Major Rivers: the Danube and the Rhine

20. Strategic Waterways
A strategic waterway is a narrow body of water on an important transportation route or sea lane. Some examples are:
The English Channel
The Strait of Gibraltar

21. The English Channel
The English Channel separates the island of Great Britain from France.
Strait of Dover = narrowest point (21 miles wide)

22. Strait of Gibraltar
Connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Separates the continents of Europe and Africa.
At the strait’s narrowest point it is 7.7 miles wide.

24. Gibraltar
Gibraltar is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom

25. 4. Islands Some islands in Northern Europe are: Great Britain Ireland
Iceland
Great Britain and Ireland are the two major islands in an archipelago. Together they are called the British Isles.

26. Great Britain
Great Britain is the name of an island. The United Kingdom refers to a country that is located on Great Britain and Ireland. The United Kingdom is composed of:
Wales
Scotland
England
Northern Ireland

27. 5.Fertile Plains Northern European Plain
One of the most fertile agricultural regions in the world
Wheat, barley, grapes, olives, cork

28. Climate The factors that affect climate are: Topography Wind Currents
Ocean Currents
Zones of Latitude
Elevation

29. Climate and Vegetation
Europe is in the middle and high latitudes, therefore, Europe has many different types of climates.
Northern Europe: Tundra and Sub-arctic climates.
Most of Western Europe has a Marine West Coast climate zone.
Southern Europe has a Mediterranean climate.

30. Climate: Ocean and Wind Currents
The North Atlantic Drift is an ocean current that warms Europe.
Winds called westerlies pick up warmth from this current and carry it over Europe

31. Climate: Special Winds
The Mediterranean coast has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, with 2 exceptions:
The Mediterranean coast of France receives the mistral, a cold, dry wind from the north
Most Mediterranean countries also experience a wind called the sirocco, a hot, steady south wind from North Africa

32. Human-Environment Interaction
Deforestation
Acid Rain
Pollution

33. Black Forest, Germany