Chapter 11Physical Geography of Europe

Unit IV

Satellite View of Europe

REGIONS

Seas, Peninsulas, and Island• Most of Europe= 300 miles from a seacoast.

– Shapes lifestyles of EuropeansExamples:

A. 25 % of Netherlands lies below sea levelB. Dutch have constructed dikes to hold back water.

• Scandinavian Peninsula- Northern Europe mountainous area. Ice Age glaciers melted here, leaving thousands of lakes.

• Fjords- areas carved by glaciers: Jutland, main peninsula of Denmark.

• http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery-detail.asp?name=netherlands

Norwegian Fjords

e Glaciers cut deep valleys in the ocean during the Ice Age.

10,000 BCE – Ice Age

Amsterdam’s Canals

Holland’s Dikes

Northern Peninsulas

Jutland Peninsula

Scandinavian Peninsula

Scandinavian Peninsula

http://www.relaischateaux.com/scandinavia

Jutland Heavy Horse; Jutland is main peninsula of Denmark.

Southern Peninsulas

• Iberian Peninsula- contains Spain and Portugal, separates Mediterranean Sea from Atlantic Ocean.– Contains Pyrenees Mountainsa. Apennine Peninusula- long, thin, boot-shaped piece of

land which contains Italy. -Contains Apennines Mountains, which includes the active volcano, Mount Vesuvius.

b. Balkan Peninsula- Southeastern Europe, tangle of mountain ranges and valleys.

Southern Peninsulas

Iberian Peninsula

Italian Peninsula

Balkan Peninsula

AnatoleanPeninsula

CrimeanPeninsula

http://travel.wallpapers.tc/pictures/Spain/Spain Torla in Ordesa Huesca Province Pyrenees Mountains.jpg

Bodies

of

Water

Mediterranean Sea

North Sea

AtlanticOcean Baltic

Sea

BlackSea

AegeanSea

Adriatic Sea

TyrrhenianSea

Bay ofBiscay

Strait ofGibraltar

DardanellesStrait

ArcticOcean

English Channel

CaspianSea

http://geology.com/volcanoes/vesuvius/

Mt. Vesuvius, Italy

e 1944 eruption

e Pompeii, 79 CE

e Herculaneum, 79 CE

Mt. Etna, Sicily

e An active volcano

Europe’s Islands• Iceland- South of the Arctic Circle in the North Atlantic Ocean.

– Features volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers!British Isles- Ireland and Britain- cool, hilly, and rainyMediterraneanA. SicilyB. CorsicaC. SardiniaD. CyprusE. CreteAegean Sea- nearly 2,000 islands with sunny climate. Popular tourist

destination…

The Mediterranean Sea: Mare Nostrum

e 2,400 miles long & 1,000 miles widee “Crossroads of 3 Continents”

Caesarea on the Israeli coast

Strait of Gibraltar & the “Pillars of Hercules”

http://www.metrolic.com/travel-guides-iceland-160891/

http://www.daiwasports.co.uk/news-and-features/recent-features/061708221012/steve-souters-iceland-report/

http://www.travelwizard.com/luxurycruise/cruise-destinations/british-isles-cruises/

Milos is one of the most beautiful Cycladic islands in central Aegean sea.

Mountains and Plains

• Mont Blanc- highest peak in the Alps- 15,771 Feet high

• Carpathians- long mountain chain that runs through Eastern Europe.

• North European Plain- stretches from southeastern England and western France to Russia. (home to some of Europe’s largest cities)

• Great Hungarian Plain- fertile region that extends from Hungary to Croatia, Serbia, and Romania.

Elevation

Alps Carpathians

Caucasus

Urals

Pyrennes

Apennines

http://chamonixhotels.org/chamonix-photos.html

Water Systems

• Europe has a network of canals that aid transportation and irrigation.

• Thames River- large river that allows ships easy access to London.

• The Rhine River- Western Europe’s major river, runs through France and Germany into the Netherlands.

• The Danube River- Eastern Europe’s major river, flows from Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea.

• Main-Danube Canal- links North Sea and Black Sea. Completed in 1992.

The Danube River

1770 miles

The Danube River

e Flows through the 12 countries of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Ukraine.

Where Buda & Pest MeetBiking

Along the Danube

Germany’s Black Forest

Capitals on the Rivers (1)

Paris, right bank of the SeineLondon on the Thames

Prague on the Vltava Budapest on the Danube

Capitals on the Rivers (2)

Berlin on the SpreeMoscow on the Moscow River

Rome on the Tiber Vienna on the Danube

Natural Resources

• At one time, an abundant supply of coal and oil supported the development of modern industry.– Today, European coalfields are depleted.Fuel Sources:A. Peat- dense, mossy substance dug up in swamps

and dried for fuel. B. Coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, and hydroelectric

power.

Oil Export Routes in the Caucasus Area

Climate and Vegetation

• European climates vary according to distance from the sea.

1. Western Europe- forests include deciduous and evergreen trees. Conifers thrive in cooler sections of the region.

a. Alps- highlands climate with colder temperatures and more precipitation; dry winds trigger avalanches.

b. Deforestation- by 1922, Ireland had cut down 99 percent of its original forest. Government and private sponsored reforestation efforts have increased woodland areas as of late.

Climate

Climate and Vegetation

2. Southern Europe- Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. a. Alps block Atlantic winds=less precipitation falls in southern Europe.b. Mistral- an Alpine wind; occasionally blows bitter cold air into Southern France.c. Siroccos- high, dry winds from North Africa—bring hot weather to Europe.

Climate and Vegetation

3. Eastern and Northern Europe- humid continental climate—cold, snowy winters and hot summers.a. Grasslands cover much of eastern Europe, especially Hungary and Romania. Mixed deciduous and coniferous forests are found here.b. Northern parts of Scandinavia feature subarctic and tundra climates. Bitter cold winters, short and cool summers, permanently frozen soil beneath the surface.