This document provides information about the physical geography and history of Europe. It describes the major peninsulas, islands, mountains, rivers and plains across Northern, Western, Southern and Eastern Europe. It then discusses some of the key historical events and periods that have shaped different regions, such as the ancient Greek and Roman empires, the Renaissance, the Crusades, the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, and the two World Wars. It also notes some of the current economic and environmental issues facing Europe.

1.  
Mediterranean, Western, Northern,
Eastern

2.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8brpoU_HNI

3. Peninsulas & Islands Mountains &
Uplands
Rivers Fertile
Plains/Resources
Northern Peninsulas Alps Danube Northern European Plain
Southern Peninsulas Pyrenees Rhine Coal & Iron Ore
Islands Uplands Oil & others

4. Peninsulas & Islands Mountains &
Uplands
Rivers Fertile
Plains/Resources
Northern Peninsulas
Scandinavia
-Norway, Sweden
- thin, rocky soil
Jutland
- Denmark, Germany
Alps
- Most famous
- Germany, Italy,
Switzerland, France,
Austria
Danube
- Cuts through Europe (9
countries)
- Links Europe to Black
Sea
- Watery highway
Northern European Plain
- France, Belgium,
Holland (interior)
- Good farmland
- Flat
Southern Peninsulas
Iberian
- Spain, Portugal
Italian
- Italy
Balkan
- mountainous
- cultural differences
Pyrenees
- separate Spain from
France
Rhine
- Cuts through interior;
north of Northern Sea
- Watery highway
Coal & Iron Ore
- Lots of it
- Used for steel
production
- Economic development
Islands
- located in North
Atlantic
Uplands
- High hills or low
mountains
- Scotland, Spain, France
Oil & others
- Found beneath North
Sea
- Offshore drilling

7.  “God created the world, but the Dutch created Holland.”
 Polders
 Water is drained to create new farmland
 40% of Netherlands once under the sea
 Used windmills to pump water out

9.  The Canals of Venice
 Venice a series of islands connected by canals
 Flooding, pollution threaten canals

10.  Deforestation
 Industrialization of 18th and 19th centuries
 Acid rain damaging trees in Germany

11.  Portugal
 Spain
 Italy
 Greece

12. Ancient Greece
 Why do city-states arise?
 Early form of democracy in
Athens
 Science, philosophy, drama
still influential today
 By 338 BC, conquered by
Alexander the Great

14. Ancient Rome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrIEwjgfbYs
 Italian peninsula
 Republic to Empire
 Conquers Iberian and Balkan peninsulas
 Christianity becomes official religion in 300s AD
 Splits in 395 AD

15. Crusades
 Series of holy wars to recapture Holy land from Muslims
Renaissance
 “rebirth”
 Renewed interest in learning and the arts
 Was it a thing?
Spain’s Muslim Empire
 700s AD; rule for more than 700 years
 Catholics Ferdinand and Isabella retook throne in 1492

18.  Less industrial than
Northern Europe
 Fishing, agriculture
 Growth of industry in
late 20th century
 Severe economic
problems in Greece
 Little energy resources
in region
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tigaryz-1y4
(Greece John Green)

19. Political Turmoil
 Rise of fascism in Spain and Italy in 1930s. Why?
 Spain’s conflict with Basque people
 Urbanization. Problems?

20.  France
 Germany
 Switzerland
 Liechtenstein
 Austria
 Netherlands
 Belgium

21. Charlemagne
 Germanic king; conquered most of region in 700s AD
 Empire split into small kingdoms
 Germanic languages dominate in this region

22. Reformation (1500s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o8oIELbNxE (thought bubble)
 Christians break from Catholic Church
 Luther in Germany; Calvin in France
 Hostility between Protestants and Catholics

24. Feudalism to Nationalism
 Middle Ages: strong kings gain power over feudal lords
 Nationalism: people should be loyal to those with whom
they share land, culture, and history
 By late 1600s-1700s, absolute monarchs give way to
representative government
 German unification in 1870s

25. World War I
 Central Powers v. Allies
 Harsh terms on Germany
World War II
 Axis Powers v. Allies
 1945: Start of Cold War
 A divided Germany
 1989: Wall comes down & Cold War winds down
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snsdDb7KDkg wall comes down

26. Strong Economy
 Rich in agricultural
and energy
resources
 Heavy
industrialization
 Tourism & luxury
goods

29.  United Kingdom
 Ireland
 Nordic Countries
o Denmark
o Finland
o Iceland
o Norway
o Sweden

30.  795: Vikings conquer Northern Europe
 1066: William the Conqueror (Normandy) captures
England
 1801: United Kingdom controls large empire
 Colonies in America, Africa, Asia, Oceania
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10 UK

33. Representative
Government
 English monarchy loses
power to parliament
 1215: Magna Carta
 Iceland’s parliament
meeting since 930
Industrial Revolution
 Iron ore and coal help
Britain industrialize first

34. Modern Conflicts
 UK heavily involved in both World Wars.
 Post-WW II: most of empire gains independence
 Fighting between Britain and Ireland in into 21st
century
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nesd7KtZEMk (Bloody Sunday)

35.  Benefits from natural
resources
 Timber, fishing, North Sea
oil, manufacturing
 Nordic countries have strong
social welfare programs paid
for by high taxes.

36.  Albania
 Bosnia &
Herzegovina
 Bulgaria
 Croatia
 Czech
Republic
 Hungary
 Kosovo
 Macedonia
 Montenegro
 Poland
 Romania
 Slovakia
 Slovenia
 Serbia

38.  Crossroads
between rest of
Europe & Asia
 Diversity
History of
Conquest
 Byzantine
Empire
 1300-1500s:
Ottoman
Empire
 1700s: Austria,
Hungary,

39.  Balkanization: larger region
breaking into small, mutually
hostile units
 Serbian nationalist assassinate
Archduke of Austrian Empire to
start WW I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgPYgXnu-Aw
 Under German and Soviet control
before and during WW II
 Cold War: Soviet satellite
nations
 Independence after Soviet Union
collapses

40.  More rural than rest of Europe
 Conflict between ethnic groups (i.e. Serbs v. Croats)
 Discrimination against Jews, Muslims, and Romany
 Economy still recovering from effects of communism
 Violence, instability, and failing infrastructure plague
region

41.  1929: Yugoslavia formed, made up of Serbs, Croats, and
Slovenes
 1946-1980: Josip Tito dictator of Yugoslavia
 Post-Tito: Milosevic wants a “Greater Serbia”
 1992: Bosnian War
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae_cTGvxYGI

44.  Heavy industrialization has caused environmental
damage
European Environmental Agency
 Provides EU with reliable environmental data
 Why must European countries cooperate to solve
environmental problems?

45.  Economic alliance
 A common currency
 Problems with expansion?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O37yJBFRrfg