1. European Geography

2. Essential Questions What are the major physical features of Europe?
 What are the major countries of Europe?
 How do the factors of climate, access to water and natural resources affect where Europeans choose to live and work?

3. Vocabulary Peninsula –A body of land nearly surrounded by water
Fjord - a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea located between steep cliffs
Population Density –The average number of people living per sq mile or km. (25 people/square mile)

4. Vocabulary Loess -Rich dust like soil found in the European plain.
Rain Shadow –An area on the sheltered side of a mountain that receives little rain fall.
Taiga –A forest in Russia that covers 4 million sq miles…the largest forest in the world

5. Vocabulary Steppes –Russian grasslands
Tundra - A treeless plain where only grasses and mosses grow
Permafrost –Permanently frozen soil

6. Vocabulary Hydroelectric Power –Water generated power
Fossil Fuel –Fuel from fossils (Non-Renewable)
Reserves –The available supply of a fossil fuel

7. Land Europe is part of Eurasia (Europe & Asia)
World’s largest landmass
Ural Mountains divide Europe and Asia
¼ of Russia is in Europe

8. Land
Europe is a peninsula with many smaller peninsulas formed by bays and harbors.

9. Landforms- Peninsulas
Scandinavian Peninsula
Norway and Sweden
Fjords are found along the coastline
Iberian Peninsula
Portugal and Spain
Separated from the rest of the continent by Pyrenees Mtns.

10. 4 Major Land Regions 1. Northwestern Highlands
Austrian Alps
1. Northwestern Highlands
Far northern part of Europe (Norway & Sweden)
Steep sloped mountains with thin soil
Norangsfjorden- Norway

11. 4 Major Land Regions (cont.)
2. North European Plain
Covers over ½ of north central Europe
Most productive farmland
Largest cities are located in this region today

12. 4 Major Land Regions (cont.)
Grundlsee
3. Central Uplands
Area of mountains and plateaus
Rocky land –not good for farming
Mostly used for cattle and mineral resources

13. 4 Major Land Regions (cont.)
4. Alpine Mountains
Southern portion of Europe
From Spain across to Eastern Europe
Alps are the highest mountains in this system

14. Mountains
The Alps
The Pyrenees
The Balkan
Ural

15. Rivers Rhine, Elbe & Danube Rivers –Germany Seine River –France
Po River –Italy
Thames River –England
Volga River- Russia

16. Photos
Windmill
Amsterdam
The Tulip Festival

17. 4 Major Climate Regions 1. Marine West Coast- Northwestern Europe
North Atlantic Current/ Gulf Stream
Current carries warm water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe
Winds off warm waters carry moisture onto land, making it wet and keeping temperatures warm
Even though they are far to the North, they have a mild climate.

18. 4 Major Climate Regions Mediterranean- along Mediterranean Sea
Hot and dry summers
Mild and rainy winters

19. 4 Major Climate Regions 3. Humid Continental- Central Europe
Inland areas away from major bodies of water experience very cold winters & very hot summers
Sub Artic- Northern Europe
-Short, cool summers and very long cold winters
-Warmest days maybe 40º F