This document provides an overview of the physical geography and human geography of Europe. It describes the various peninsulas that extend from Europe, including the Scandinavian, Jutland, Iberian, Apennine, and Balkan peninsulas. It discusses the mountain ranges, plains, rivers, climate zones, natural resources, and vegetation regions of Europe. It also summarizes the population patterns, urbanization trends, ethnic groups, and historical developments that have shaped the human geography and development of different regions in Europe.

1. Chapter 5
Europe

3. Landforms and Resources

5. Unlike the world’s other continents Europe and Asia share a common landmass
called Eurasia. Yet Europe is a distinct region jutting westward from Asia.
Europe is a peninsula of Asia. Europe itself has many peninsulas extending
from it. Europe is often called a “Peninsula of Peninsulas.”
Because of this it has a long irregular coastline that has shaped the lifestyles of
its people.
Northern Peninsulas
Scandinavian
Jutland
Southern Peninsulas
Iberian
Apennine (Italian)
Balkan

6. The Northern Peninsulas
The Scandinavian Peninsula
(occupied by Norway and
Sweden) in northern Europe is
mountainous.
Ice Age glaciers melted here,
leaving thousands of lakes.
Other glaciers carved out fjords
along the coastline.
Fjords- are U-shaped valleys
that connect to the sea and that
fill with sea water.
Jutland, the peninsula on which
mainland Denmark lies, is mostly
flat.

7. The Iberian Peninsula home to Spain and Portugal. It separates the
Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean, except for the small passage known
as the Strait of Gibraltar.
Most of the peninsula is a plateau, but the Pyrenees Mountains form a barrier
between it and the rest of Europe.
The Southern
Peninsulas

8. The Strait of Gibraltar is approximately 5 miles
wide at its narrowest point. It separates the
Iberian Peninsula from Africa, and connects the
Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This
makes it a very important body of water for
shipping and travel. The United Kingdom’s colony
Gibraltar was established because of its
important location. The Spanish city of Ceuta lies
on the African side of the strait. Ferries shuttle
back and forth across the strait.

9. The Apennine or Italian Peninsula is a long, thin, boot-shaped piece of land
on which the country of Italy lies. The Apennine mountain range, which
includes the active volcano Mount Vesuvius, extends down the center of
the peninsula. Only about 30 percent of the Apennine Peninsula is plains.

10. Islands
Europe’s larger island are found in
the North. These include: Great
Britain, Ireland, Iceland & Greenland.
Iceland, an island south of the Arctic
Circle in the North Atlantic Ocean,
features volcanoes, hot springs, and
geysers.
The British Isles– primarily Ireland
and Great Britain–are cool, hilly, and
rainy.

11. Europe’s smaller islands are found
in the Mediterranean Sea. The five
large islands–Sicily, Corsica,
Sardinia, Cyprus, and Crete–all
have rugged terrain and volcanic
mountains. Greece’s nearly 2,000
islands in the Aegean Sea have
rugged landscapes and a sunny
climate that attracts tourists.

13. Europe’s northwestern mountains have some of the world’s oldest rock
formations, but erosion and glaciation made their peaks low. Uplands-are hills
or very low mountains that may also contain mesas and high plateaus. Some
uplands, like the Scottish Highlands, are the eroded remains of ancient
mountains. Massif Central are Uplands found in France. Meseta is an Upland
plateau that covers most of Spain.

14. The younger mountains of
southern Europe are high and
jagged. The most famous
mountain range in Europe is
the Alps. It restricts movement
between Italy and the center of
Europe. Mont Blanc, the
highest peak in the Alps, is
over 15,771 feet (4,807 m) high.
http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/bavarian-
alps.php

15. Similarly the Pyrenees restricts Spain and
Portugal’s interaction with the rest of Europe.
The Apennine range runs like a spine down
the Italian peninsula, dividing it into east and
west.
The Balkan range separates the Balkan
peninsula from the rest of Europe.
Another lofty chain, the Carpathians, runs
through eastern Europe.

16. Plains
One of the most fertile agricultural regions in the world is the Northern European Plain.
33% of Europe’s land is suitable for agricultural use, this is high compare to the world
average of 11%. Loess, a fine, rich, wind-borne soil, is found here. Olives, fruits, and
vegetables grow in southern areas; grains and livestock are raised in northern areas.

17. The rivers of Europe flow from
inland mountains and highlands to
the coasts. Europeans have built
networks of canals that aid
transportation and irrigation.
England’s Thames River
allows ships easy access
to the inland city of
London.

18. The Danube and the Rhine are two major castle lined rivers that have served as
water highways for centuries. Most of Europe’s rivers are large enough for big
ships. This has encouraged travel and trade.
The Rhine, western Europe’s major river, runs through France and Germany into
the Netherlands, connecting inland industrial cities to the North Sea.
The Danube, eastern Europe’s major river, flows from Germany’s Black Forest
to the Black Sea. The Main-Danube Canal, completed in 1992, links the North
Sea and the Black Sea.

19. Europe has abundant supplies of Coal & Iron
Ore needed for an Industrialized Economy.
Oil and Natural Gas are also important to
Europeans. These resources are found below
the North Sea Floor.
Ireland lacks energy resources so the Irish cut
peat and burn it as fuel.
Peat - partially decayed plant matter found in
bogs.

20. Climate & Vegetation

23. European climates vary according to distance from the sea. Countries closer
to warm Atlantic ocean currents and winds have milder temperatures than
those farther east and north. Vegetation varies according to climate.

24. A Marine West Coast Climate exists in
much of Western Europe. A current of
warm water from the tropics, known as
the North Atlantic Drift, flows near
Europe’s west coast. The Prevailing
Winds pick up the current and carry it
over Europe. The regions that live far
from the Atlantic Ocean do not get the
benefits of its warming effects.

25. A Highland climate exists in areas of high elevation. The Alps have a highlands
climate with colder temperatures and more precipitation than nearby lowland
areas. Occasional dry winds can trigger avalanches.
Coniferous trees thrive in the cooler high elevation areas while Deciduous trees
are more common in the parts of Western Europe that experiences a Marine West
Coast climate. One well known forest is Germany’s Black Forest
http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/castles.php

26. The mild Mediterranean Climate, found around the sea for which it was named, is
warm and dry. The Alps block moist Atlantic winds, so less precipitation falls in
southern Europe than in northwestern Europe. The most common form of
vegetation here is Chaparral, forests of shrubs and short trees.
The Mistral, an Alpine wind, occasionally blows bitter cold air into southern
France. Siroccos–high, dry winds from North Africa–sometimes bring hot weather
to Europe.
http://www.destination360.com/europe/italy/naples.php

27. Warm Atlantic currents have less influences on climates in these areas farther
from the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, summer and winter temperatures vary
more widely in eastern and northern Europe than in the rest of Europe.
Much of Eastern Europe experiences a humid continental climate with 4
seasons and a variety of vegetation, including grasslands and mixed forests.

28. Areas found in the northern latitudes experience colder climates with longer
winters, like Subarctic and Tundra.
A Tundra climate exists in Northern Scandinavia. The land here is in a state of
permafrost (frozen earth) and very little vegetation can be found. This region is
often called “The Land of the Midnight Sun” because of the variation in sunlight
throughout the year.

31. Human-Environment Interaction
4.

32. Most of Europe lies within 300 miles (483 km) of a seacoast. This closeness to the
sea has shaped the lifestyles of Europeans. About 25 percent of the Netherlands
lies below sea level. The Dutch reclaimed land from the sea, to create more room
for their growing population. The Dutch have built dikes to hold back the waters.
They have gained new land by draining lakes and flooded areas.

33. Land that has been reclaimed from the sea is
called a Polder. Since most of the land is low
lying the Dutch built seaworks to hold back the
destructive impact of the sea. These seaworks
provide safety during floods and high tides. They
also built windmills to power pumps that drain
the land.

34. Venice, Italy, is made up of
about 120 islands and part of
the Italian mainland. The people
of Venice depend on the more
than 150 canals that snake
around and through the islands
to move people or goods.
Venice began when people
escaping invaders took shelter
on a cluster of islands in a
lagoon. Though the land was
swampy and inhospitable, the
location on the Adriatic Sea
made it a good site for a port.
Trade helped Venice grow.

35. To build Venice, wooden pilings
were sunk into the ground to
support buildings. The weight
of the buildings has
compressed the underlying
ground. This is one reason why
Venice is slowly sinking. Other
reasons include rising sea
levels and pumping of too
much ground water.
Industrial waste and sewage
have created severe water
pollution in Venice. Pollution
plus saltwater are eating away
the foundations of buildings.
Floods also threaten the city.
http://www.destination360.com/europe/italy/ponte-del-lovo.php

36. Much of Europe was originally forested, but over the centuries people
have cleared away many of the trees. For example, by 1922 Ireland had
cut down 99 percent of its original forest. The term deforestation means
the clearing of forests from an area. Forests provide wood for fuel and
building material for ships and houses. When Europeans began to
develop industry in the 1700s and 1800s, they needed wood to make
charcoal for their blast furnaces

37. In the 1960s, people saw that trees in
Germany’s Black Forest were discolored,
losing needles and leaves, and dying.
Scientists found that one cause of tree
death was acid rain. Europe’s factories emit
sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. These
combine with water vapor and oxygen to
form acid rain or snow. Winds carry the
emissions to other parts of Europe. It is
estimated that one-fourth of European
forests have been affected. The effects of
acid precipitation are especially severe in
eastern Europe, where lignite coal is still
burned for fuel

39. Breathing polluted air greatly affects public health in Europe. Water pollution
harms or kills marine and animal life and endangers the health of people who drink
the water and eat its fish. Polluted air and water does not respect a country’s
borders.
The European Union has strict environmental regulations for its member countries.
They can face fines and legal action if they do not comply. Pollution that crosses
national borders requires international cooperation.

40. Europe’s Human Geography

41. Population Patterns

42. Although Europe is the 2nd smallest
continent in land area, it is the third-
largest in population. This means
Europe has a high population density.
The Industrial Revolution that started in
the late 1700s transformed Europe from
a rural, agricultural society into an
urban, manufacturing society. Today
about 75 percent of all Europeans live in
cities.
Despite immigration, Europe’s overall
population is shrinking because of low
birthrates.

43.  Ethnic Groups
 Europe is home to more than
160 separate ethnic groups
 Ethnic Tensions
 The Balkan Peninsula has had
lots of turmoil because of these
tensions
 Yugoslavia, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Kosovo
 Ethnic Cleansing – killing
rival ethnic groups
 As a result, many
people become
refugees – people who
flee to a foreign country
 Sources of Unity
 Europeans in recent years have
been striving towards more
unity

44. Population Characteristics
• Population Density
– Europe’s population density
is greater than that of any
other continent except Asia.

45. Urbanization
 Urban Features
 About 75% of the population lives in the cities
 What does this cause?
 Population Movements
 During the 1800s & early 1900s, many Europeans
migrated to the Americas and other areas
 Since the mid-1900s, not many people have left
Europe but many foreign people moved in (often
to fill open jobs)
 Later, when the economy slowed down, this
caused tension
 Europe’s overall population is shrinking
 Make sure you read pgs. 292-293

46. Color your
European
sub-regions!!
Northern
Eastern
Western

50. The Roman Empire, also founded in the Mediterranean, was based on the Italian
Peninsula. The Roman Empire would eventually conquer the Balkan and Iberian
Peninsulas, sharing their culture through out the Mediterranean region. Empires
are vehicles of cultural diffusion, exchanging ideas and products.
Rome was the first Republic. It was also a Christian Empire. The Romans spread
their government and religion to far corners of their empire. Rome is considered a
cultural hearth. http://www.destination360.com/europe/italy/colosseum.php

52. Renaissance began in Italian City
States. It was a time of renewed
interest of learning and the arts.
Italian city-states became centers of
banking and trade during the
Crusades.

54. Today, the signs of the past civilizations can still be found in the Mediterranean.
Greece and Italy have ancient ruins like the Parthenon. Spain’s Roman
aqueducts and Muslim mosques are remnants of past conquerors. Spain has
blended the foreign cultural elements with their own. Many former Muslim
mosques are used as Catholic Churches today.

58. Different Religions
During the Reformation, a period when many Christians broke away from the
Catholic church, France remained Catholic while nations to its east acquired
large Protestant populations.
http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/cologne-cathedral-2.php

60. Nation-States began to develop in Western
Europe during the Middle Ages.
Nation-States are independent nations with
people of a common culture. Many of these
Nation States used feudalism to control large
populations and maintain rule of a large
physical area. The feudal system broke the
population into social classes. While a monarch
was usually the head of the Nation-State, Lords
over saw large sections of the country and
ruled over the serfs, peasants who were tied to
the land.
http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/neuschwanstein-castle.php

62. The French over threw their
monarch and became a
republic in 1789, after the
French Revolution. Only a
few years later they would
have a dictatorship, under
Napoleon.
The Germanic states
would not be unified
until 1871 under Otto
Von Bismarck.

63. Industrialization would cause the Nation States
of Western Europe to compete over colonies
for natural resources. France and Germany’s
competition combined with cultural differences
drew these countries into World Wars.
Two world wars in the 1900s drastically
changed Europe. Monarchies collapsed
following WWI, and new countries emerged.
Unresolved political problems from WWI, plus
the rise to power of Benito Mussolini in Italy
and Adolf Hitler in Germany, led to the
outbreak of WWII in Europe.
More than 6 million Jews died at the hands of
the Nazis during the Holocaust. WWII left
Europe ruined and divided. Eastern Europe
came under Soviet Communist control, while
western Europe backed democracy and
received support from the United States. A
divided Germany became a “hot point” of the
Cold War rivalry between the United States and
the Soviet Union.

64. Western Europe is one of the most heavily industrialized parts of Europe.
Germany, France and the Netherlands are the three top manufacturing countries.
Tourism plays a major role in Western Europe’s Economy. Western Europe
exports luxury goods to the rest of the world.

67. Northern Europe is made up of United
Kingdom, Ireland, and the Nordic Countries
(Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and
Sweden).
Celtic People were the early inhabitants of
Ireland and the United Kingdom. While the
seafaring Nordic people inhabited the
Nordic countries.
http://www.destination360.com/europe/sweden/history.php
Germanic Tribes would run the
Romans out in 400 AD. The
English language spoken there
today is a Germanic Language.

68. During the 800s, Scandinavian warriors
(Vikings called Varangians) settled among
the Eastern Slavs, eventually adopting the
Slavic language and culture.
They organized the Slav communities into a
kingdom called Kievan Rus.
In the A.D. 600s, Slavic farmers and hunters settled near the waterways
of the North European Plain.

69. Reformation, which started in Germany, swept through Northern Europe, where
different Protestant churches took root, uniting most of the region. Ireland
remains predominantly Catholic. Conflict between the United Kingdom and Ireland
have stemmed from the religious difference. This is especially true in Northern
Ireland.
http://www.destination360.com/europe/uk/westminster-abbey.php

70. The United Kingdom would eventually become a great empire. Its status as
an island helped to protect it. The British further developed the concept of
Representative Democracy. Revolutionary documents like the Magna Carta
and the English Bill of Rights, shared power between the Monarch and the
citizens. Many of the concepts for the United States government came from
these documents. Today the UK has a Monarchy with a parliament, or a
Constitutional Monarchy.

71. Much of Northern Europe’s economy is based around high tech industries. A
section of Scotland is known as Silicon Glen because of the high tech industries
there.

73. Eastern Europe is a Cultural Crossroad. It is located between Asia and the
rest of Europe. Because of its location it has a variety of cultural influences.
It has been controlled and influenced by many different people. The Roman,
Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires all once controlled this area. Slavic people
also immigrated into this region.
Slavic Language is spoken in this region. Polish and Ukrainian are Slavic
languages.

74. In recent history this area was under
Communist Control. They were
Satellite Nations (nations dominated
by another) of the Soviet Union.
Communists controlled the area from
the end of WWII until the 1990’s. They
then held elections and moved
towards Market / Free Enterprise
Economy.

75. Being dominated by other empires for most of their history has given this area,
very little experience with self rule. This region is still trying to overcome
damages caused by communist rule. Many disputes over setting up new nations
have caused conflicts in the region. Many of the larger countries have divided into
smaller ones. The process of breaking up this territory into smaller units is known
as Balkanization.

77. Anti-Semitism (prejudice against Jewish
people) still exist in this region.
Serious fighting erupted during the 1990s
among ethnic groups that once formed the
country of Yugoslavia.
This area has experienced the tragedy of
Ethnic Cleansing.

78. This area is less urban and less industrialized than the rest of Europe.
Folk art like pottery, woodcarvings, and traditional embroidered costumes are
produced by rural people.

79. Expressions of Cultures
 Languages
 About 50 different languages
 About 100 different dialects
 Language Family
 Mostly Indo-European
 Slavic – Polish, Czech, etc.
 Baltic – Latvian, etc.
 Germanic – German, Dutch, English, etc.
 Romance Languages (comes from Latin) – Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese, French, Romanian
 Others – Greek, Albanian, Celtic

80.  Religion
 Primarily Christianity
 Mostly Roman
Catholics
 Pope is the head
of this church
 Where is he
located?
 Religion has caused
many wars here
 Northern Ireland –
Catholics vs.
Protestants
 1998 - the Good
Friday Peace
Agreement

82. Arts
Close relationship between
religion and architecture
Romanticism – arts focused on
emotions
Realism – arts depicting
everyday life
mpressionism – experiences of
the natural world

83. Quality of Life
Differences
 Western Europe – more industrialized
 Eastern & Southern Europe – more struggles
Education
 Countries with more educated people = more
 economic success
State-Sponsored Human Services
 Welfare States – offer complete social welfare to
their citizens
 Helps provide higher education, health care, and
 social security

84.  Home Life
 Extended families & family
importance
 Sports & Recreation
 Soccer is major sport
 Rugby
 Tennis
 Skiing
 Cycling
 Celebrations
 Europeans celebrate many of the
same holidays as us but their
holidays often include many
traditions passed down through
several generations

86. Systems of Government
Today most European countries
have democracies in which all
citizens participate in the
government on some level. Many
European countries still have royal
families, but most of these nations
are now constitutional monarchies.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union
most Eastern European countries
have moved away from
communism.

87. Europe is one of the world’s major
manufacturing and trading regions.
Most Western and Northern
Europeans are involved in service
industries while more people in
Southern and Eastern Europe are
involved in agriculture.
Most western European farmers own
their own land and practice mixed
farming, raising several kinds of crops
and livestock on the same farm.
Farmers in eastern Europe are
adjusting to the change from collective
farms or state farms to private
ownership of land.
Economic Systems

88. The European Union was formed in the 1990s in
an effort to make Europe’s economies
competitive with those of the rest of the world. It
unites much of Western Europe into one trading
community. Member countries agreed to
eliminate restrictions on trade and travel among
themselves. The European Union also paved the
way for a common European currency, a central
bank; and a common foreign policy. The union’s
currency, the Euro, is not used by all of its
members. Great Britain still uses the Pound.
Since Communism’s fall in 1989, Eastern
European countries have been moving from
Command economies to Market economies.
Loans and investments from foreign countries
have helped them in their efforts, but many
workers have lost the free health care, child
care, lifetime jobs, and other social benefits–
provided by the communist system. A Welfare
State is a country that offers a complete social
welfare program to its citizens.

89. High-speed trains link most western European cities to
airports, industrial centers, natural resources, and one another.
Europe also boasts a superb highway system. More Europeans
own cars than do people in any other part of the world except
the United States.
European ports handle more than half of the world’s
international shipping. The Rhine River, which runs through
central Europe, carries more freight than any other European
river. Europe’s system of canals also links port cities.
http://www.destination360.com/europe/uk/transportation.php