278-279 U4 CH10 UO TWIP-860976 3/13/04 9:25 PM Page 278 Unit Woman in Hungary creating folk art Ancient ruins in Delphi, Greece 278 278-279 U4 CH10 UO TWIP-860976 3/13/04 9:26 PM Page 279 EuropeEurope ou have learned about Y the Americas. Now let us spin the globe and travel to Europe. Relatively small as continents go, Europe is rich in history and culture. Like the United States, most nations in Europe are industri- alized and have high stan- dards of living. Unlike the United States, however, the people of Europe do not share a common language or government. NGS ONLINE ▲ The Louvre museum, Paris, France www.nationalgeographic.com/education 279 280-291 U4 CH10 RA TWIP-860976 3/13/04 9:35 PM Page 280 REGIONAL ATLAS Focus on: Europe BOTH A CONTINENT and a region, Europe has a wide range of cultures—and a history of conflict among its people. Recently, connections in trade, communication, and transportation have helped to create greater unity among European nations. The Land Rivers For centuries, Europe’s rivers have pro- vided links between coastal ports and inland Jutting westward from Asia, Europe is a population centers. In western Europe, the Rhine great peninsula that breaks into smaller penin- flows northwest from the Alps until it empties sulas and is bordered by several large islands. into the North Sea. The Danube winds through Europe’s long, jagged coastline is washed by eastern Europe on its way to the Black Sea. many bodies of water, including the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, and the North, Baltic, and te Mediterranean Seas. Deep bays and well- The Clima protected inlets shelter fine harbors. Closeness Despite its northern location, Europe to the sea has enabled Europeans to trade with enjoys a relatively mild climate. This is because other lands. Many Europeans also depend on of the region’s closeness to the Atlantic the sea for food. Ocean. An ocean current known as the North Mountains sweep across much of the Atlantic Current brings warm waters and winds continent. Those in the British Isles and to bathe Europe’s western shores. As a result, large parts of northern Europe are low and northwestern Europe enjoys mild tempera- rounded. Higher and more rugged are the tures all year, along with plentiful rainfall. Pyrenees, between France and Spain, and the Farther south, countries along the Mediter- Carpathians, in eastern Europe. The snow- ranean Sea have hot, dry summers and mild capped Alps are Europe’s highest mountains, winters. The region’s northernmost countries towering over the central and southern parts have longer, colder winters than their southern of the continent. neighbors. Winters are also cold in Europe’s Curving around these mountain ranges are interior, which lies far from the influence of broad, fertile plains. In the north, the North the North Atlantic Current. European Plain stretches from France to Russia. Cities, towns, and farms dot the gently rolling Diverse Vegetation The vegetation landscape. varies from one climate zone to another. 280 UNIT 4 280-291 U4 CH10 RA TWIP-860976 3/13/04 9:35 PM Page 281 UNIT Village at the foot of the Alps, Switzerland ▼ ▼ Fisherman mending nets in Malta 281 280-291 U4 CH10 RA TWIP-860976 3/13/04 9:35 PM Page 282 REGIONAL ATLAS In Scandinavia’s far north, you would find mostly the raw materials for heavy industry and manu- mosses and small shrubs blanketing a tundra-like facturing. Europe was the birthplace of the landscape. In northwestern and eastern Europe, Industrial Revolution, which transformed the grasslands and forests cover the rolling land. region from an agricultural society into an Farther south, drought-resistant shrubs and small industrial one. Today countries such as France, trees cover rugged hills. Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom rank among the world’s top manufacturing cen- The Economy ters. These industrial countries produce steel, machinery, cars, textiles, electronic equipment, An abundance of key natural resources, food products, and household goods. Service waterways, and ports has helped make Europe industries such as banking, insurance, and a global economic power. Agriculture, manufac- tourism are also important to Europe’s market turing, and service industries dominate the economies. region’s economies. Rich Farmland Some of the most productive The People farmland in the world can be found on the European continent. From the fertile black soil, After Asia, Europe is the most densely farmers gather bountiful harvests of grains, fruits, populated continent on the earth. In some and vegetables. Cattle and sheep graze through European countries, such as Sweden, most lush European pastures. people belong to the same ethnic group. The populations of other countries, however, are Resources and Industry Vast reserves of oil made up of several ethnic groups. Some ethnic and natural gas lie offshore. Rich deposits of groups live together peacefully. Other groups iron ore, coal, and other minerals have provided often face tension and conflict. Artistic Treasures Europeans enjoy a rich cultural heritage that stretches back thousands of years. In fact, all Western cultures have their roots in the ancient periods of Classical Greece and Rome. If you walk through the heart of any large European city, you might see ancient Roman ruins, Gothic cathedrals built during the Middle Ages, and sculptures created by Renaissance masters, such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. ▼ Cargo lining the docks of Rotterdam, a port city in the Netherlands UNIT 4 280-291 U4 CH10 RA TWIP-860976 3/13/04 9:36 PM Page 283 UNIT Revolutions After the 1700s, political changes increased freedom for the common people. An interest in science and the invention of machines during the Industrial Revolution Data Bits changed the economy and raised standards of living. In eastern Europe, once-powerful empires Automobiles T faced growing challenges from ethnic groups Country per 1,000 people elevision sets per 1,000 people that wanted independence. Austria 495 526 Global Influence Throughout their history, Finland Europeans have explored and settled other 403 643 lands. They have spread their culture around France 469 the world. Competition among European 620 nations in the past led to two World Wars Greece 254 480 and a bitter division into communist and non- Ireland communist areas. Many European nations have 272 406 recently joined the European Union to become a united economic force. Population: Urban vs. Rural Austria Children by road signs in Ireland ▼ 67% 33% Finland 59% 41% France 76% 24% Greece 60% 40% Ireland 59% 41% Sources: World Development Indicators, 2002; The World Almanac, 2004. Region Exploring the 1. What bodies of water border Europe? 2. Why is Europe’s climate relatively mild? 3. What has helped make Europe a global economic power? 4. How did European culture spread to other parts of the world? 283 280-291 U4 CH10 RA TWIP-860976 3/13/04 9:37 PM Page 284 REGIONAL ATLAS Europe Physical 30°W 20°W10°W0° 10°E20°E30°E50°E60°E a A H e RC C S TI C C ICELAND IR n CLE EENWI a Y i 60 A ° g A N I e V w W (LONDON) D r A Mountain peak IDIAN OF GR o R R N N N ME N Faroe O I A 0 mi. 500 Is. D E N L 0 km 500 Shetland N D Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection Is. N A Orkney E I Is. C F W N S S W ATLANTIC E ESTONIA a RUSSIA S e OCEAN UNITED S North Jutland c LATVIA KINGDOM i IRELAND Sea t DENMARK l LITHUANIA 50° a N N B I British Isles E RUSSIA A T lb L ham e P es R. R. NETH. A N BELARUS GERMANY E V P i O st U R u E O POLAND l T H a N O R d S BELG. R er R h . ei i R ne LUX. n . R e D R n . ie . p CZECH REP. Car er Loire R pa R . thi UKRAINE SLOVAKIA an . FRANCE LIECH. M AUSTRIA o in u Bay of SWITZ. Pla n MOLDOVA P S rian t L nga a Biscay Mt. Blanc A Matterhorn Hu i HUNGARY n 15,771 ft. 14,690 ft. SLOV. s Po R Crimean (4,807 m) .(4,478 m) CROATIA ANDORRA ROMANIA Peninsula Eb SAN A L ro P d BOSN. & . 40 R y SERB. & R ° A r MARINO r HERZG. be N Douro . en i Danu Black Sea G R. e A a MONT. es MONACO t Balkan U p i SPAIN e c T Corsica S Peninsula R Tagu n BULGARIA s R. ea O ITALY n P IBERIAN i n MACED. PENINSULA Sardinia e s ALBANIA Aegean GREECE Strait of M e d i Sea t e Gibraltar r Sicily r a 26,247 ft. 0 mi. 500 8,000 m MALTA n Crete 0 km 500 e CYPRUS 19,685 ft. ALPS 6,000 m a n PYRENEES S e a 13,123 ft. 4,000 m 6,562 ft. 2,000 m LISBON Sea level WARSAW 284 UNIT 4 280-291 U4 CH10 RA TWIP-860976 3/13/04 9:38 PM Page 285 UNIT olitical P 30°W 20°W10°W0° 10°E 20°E30°E40°E50°E Jan Mayen Nor. A a RC e TI S Reykjavík C C IRC n LE a ICELAND i 60 ° g Y N e D w r A N o N N A Faroe Islands (LONDON) W E ia Den. n L h R t D o MERIDIAN OF GREENWICH B N f E O o f I l Rockall u U.K.