Physical Geography of Europe

Because of its unique geography and weather patterns, Europe’s landscapes, waterways, and climates vary greatly.

Landforms and Resources • Europe is composed of many peninsulas and islands. • Europe’s landforms also include large plains and mountain ranges.

Peninsulas and Islands: Always Near the Water •Europe is a large peninsula that lies west of Asia. • Europe also has its own smaller peninsulas: a “peninsula of peninsulas” most places are within 100 miles of the ocean or a sea.

Northern Peninsulas The Scandinavian Peninsula includes Norway and Sweden. – It is bounded by the Norwegian, North, and Baltic Seas. – Ice Age glaciers removed the topsoil; leaves thin, rocky soil behind. – Glaciers create fjords in Norway. These are steep U-shaped valleys connected to sea, filled with seawater. – The fjords provide harbors for fishing boats.

• Jutland Peninsula forms large part of Denmark, small part of Germany. – This area has gentle, rolling hills and swampy low areas.

Southern Peninsulas • Iberian Peninsula is home to Spain and Portugal. • Italian Peninsula includes Italy, and extends into the Mediterranean Sea. – It is the boot-shaped peninsula with over 4,700 miles of coastline. • The Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic, Mediterranean, Aegean seas.

Islands of Europe • The larger islands include Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean. • The smaller islands include Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and Crete in the Mediterranean Sea.

Mountains and Uplands • The Alps are Europe’s most famous mountain chain! • They cross France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Balkans. • The Alps also cut Italy off from rest of Europe. • _Pyrenees mountains block movement from France to Spain and Portugal. • Apennine mountains divide the Italian Peninsula between the east and west coasts. • Balkan Mountains block off the Balkan peninsula and separates different ethnic groups. • Europe has many Upland areas, or hills / low mountains. • These may also be mesas, or high plateaus. • Some of the European uplands are the eroded remains of mountain ranges. • European Uplands include the Scandinavian Kjolen Mountains, and the Scottish Highlands. • Other examples of highlands are the areas of Brittany and the Massif Central uplands in France, and the Meseta plateau in Spain .

Rivers of Europe: Moving People, Goods, Ideas • Network of rivers bring people and goods together. • European rivers allow goods to be moved inland from coastal harbors and aids economic growth. • Two major, castle-lined rivers have historically acted as highways: – The Rhine flows north 820 miles from interior to North Sea – The Danube flows east 1,771 miles, through 9 countries, to Black Sea • These and many other rivers connect Europeans and encourage trade and travel.

Fertile Plains The Northern European Plain is one of the most fertile agricultural regions in world. • Curves across France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and Poland. • This flat agricultural land produces vast quantities of food. • The flatness of this area has given invaders an open route into Europe. • Other, smaller, fertile farming plains include areas in Sweden, Hungary, and northern Italy’s Lombardy area.

Resources that Shape Europe’s Economy: Fueling Industrialization • Coal and iron ore are needed to create steel for industrialization. • These minerals are found in Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany, and Poland. • Major industrialized regions include the Ruhr Valley, in Germany and parts of United Kingdom. Energy • Oil and natural gas are found in the North Sea. • Petroleum is supplied to Europe by Norway, Netherlands, and Britain. Agricultural Land • 33% of Europe is suitable for agriculture. This is much higher than the average world- wide. Affecting All Parts of Life • Resources affect food, jobs, houses, and even an area’s culture. – For example, folk tales set in deep, dark forests of Old Europe. • Distribution of resources creates regional differences. – The Irish burn peat—partially decayed plant matter from bogs – for fuel. – Polish miners have worked in coal mines for generations.

Climate and Vegetation • Much of Europe has a relatively mild climate because of ocean currents and warm winds. • Eastern Europe has a harsher climate because it is farther from the Atlantic Ocean.

Westerly Winds Warm Europe: A Mild Climate for a Northern Latitude • There is a marine climate on the west coast with warm summers, cool winters. • Areas in this climate zone include Spain, France, Poland, the British Isles, and coastal Scandinavia. • This is from the North Atlantic Drift, a warm-water tropical current that flows by the west coast. • Prevailing westerly winds carry the current’s warmth and moisture inland . • Alps’ high elevation creates colder climate, deep winter snows Forests to Farms • Mixed forests are cleared for farming to grow grains, sugar beets, livestock feed, and potatoes .

Harsher Conditions Inland :Not Reached by Westerly Winds • Inland areas have a humid continental climate: cold, snowy winters with warm or hot summers. • Areas with this type of climate include Sweden, Finland, Romania, eastern Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. • There is adequate rainfall for agriculture here. • Broad, fertile plains were once covered with grasses but today wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, and sugar beets are grown.

Sunny Mediterranean: An Appealingly Mild Climate • The Mediterranean climate has hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters. • This climate zone includes Italy, Greece, and southern Spain and France. Special Winds • The Mediterranean coast of France is not protected by mountains like the rest of the area. • This area has a cold, dry winter wind from the north called a mistral. • In other areas, a Sirocco, or a hot North African wind, carries sea moisture or desert dust. The Mediterranean climate attracts tourists. • Most of the vegetation is evergreen shrubs and short trees. • Major crops of the area are citrus fruits, olives, and grapes. • Sunny beaches attract many visitors.

Land of the Midnight Sun:Cold, Dark Winters • There is a tundra climate in the far north, in Scandinavia, along Arctic Circle. • This area has permafrost with no trees, only mosses, and lichens. • South of tundra is subarctic climate with cold, harsh winters. There is little growth here except stunted trees. • The region’s sunlight varies sharply with long winter nights, and summer days. • The area north of the Arctic Circle is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun. • Some winter days here have no sun, and some summer days have no night.

Human-Environment Interaction • The Dutch and the Venetians altered lands to fit their needs by constructing polders and canals. • Uncontrolled logging and acid rain destroy forests.

Polders: Land from the Sea: Creating Holland • “God created the world, but the Dutch created Holland.” • To hold growing population, the Dutch reclaimed land from the sea. • 40% of the Netherlands was once under water. • The Dutch built dikes—earthen banks that hold back the sea. • A polder is a piece of land reclaimed by diking and draining land. • Seaworks • Seaworks are structures like dikes that control the sea’s destructive force. • Terpen are high earthen platforms that provide safe ground during floods. • In 1400s windmills were used to power pumps that drained land. Today, the pumps are powered by electricity.

Transforming the Sea • Zuider Zee is an arm of North sea that the Dutch turned into a fresh-water lake. • The Dutch built dikes across the waterway in early the 1900s. • The saltwater was eventually replaced by fresh water. • The project added hundreds of square miles of land to the Netherlands, and created Lake Ijsselmeer.

Waterways for Commerce: Venice’s Canals • The city of Venice is made up of 120 islands. • Two of the largest islands are San Marco and Rialto. • People and goods are moved by boat over 150 canals. • The city formed when people escaping invaders settled on lagoon islands. • The city’s location at north end of Adriatic makes it a good trading port. • The “Streets” of Venice Building on the Islands • Builders sunk wooden pilings into swampy land to support the buildings. • Entire oak forests in northern Italy and Slovenia were leveled for the pilings. • The weight of the buildings is compressing the ground, so Venice is slowly sinking. • Rising sea levels and removal of groundwater are also causing sinking. • Venice’s Foundations

Problems Today • Severe water pollution from industrial waste, sewage, and saltwater eat away the city’s foundations. • Erosion lets saltwater in, and creates floods. • Agricultural runoff promotes “killer algae” growth. • The algae grows rapidly, dies, decays; and this process uses up the water’s oxygen, so the fish in the waters die. • Dead fish attract insects and create a stench in the warm weather.

A Centuries-Old Problem: Deforestation: The Demand for Wood • Huge areas of Europe fall prey to deforestation annually. • Wood is used for fuel, building material for ships, and houses.

Acid Rain Strips Forests • In 1960s the Germans noticed that the Black Forest’s trees are discolored, and were dying, causing acid rain. • Factories produce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. • These combined with water vapor, create acid rain or snow. • Strong winds carry the emissions to other areas, affecting one-fourth of Europe’s forests. • Scandinavia suffers heavily due to the direction of prevailing winds.